In the last 50 (or 100) years, if one were to ask any college-educated American about the first word to associate with the phrase “Chicago politics,” odds are the word that would come up most often would be “corruption”. Chicago has long had an unfortunately deserved reputation for corrupt politics. Anyone contemplate a move to Chicago in order to participate in politics, would have to be aware that sooner or later any Chicago politician, no matter how honest, would be tarred with the corruption label, and that the label “Chicago politician” would have the potential to sink an ambitious politician outside Illinois- and Chicago.

As Obama spent his first 18 years outside the continental US, he most likely did not absorb the folk culture association of “ Chicago politics… corrupt.” When he was warned of that when contemplating a move to Chicago, he most likely dismissed it, or assumed he could handle himself.

He found out to the contrary. He has been labeled with the Chicago politics he has associated with for the last 20 years: Wright and Rezko for starters. Any minister who discusses politics from the sermon is also a politician.

California would have been a more practical place for him to have begun his career. He also would have had the excuse of having gone to college there for two years. We may be thanking ourselves in November that Obama did not think strategically when deciding where to begin his career.

And, it’s both Republican and Democrat governors of Illinois who get sent to the slammer.

Chicago and state pols should give seminars on corruption since they do it so well!

Once Rezko finishes singing, we (Ill-annoy-ans) may well succeed in sending three out of our last five governors to jail. Take that, Louisiana!

At least it’s an equal opportunity competition, since one’s north and one’s south.

I’m saddened by today’s verdict,” Obama said Wednesday. “This isn’t the Tony Rezko I knew,

From the Chicago Tribune.
http://tinyurl.com/6xrcg7

First there was Wright, then the church, and now Rezko.
How could these people have changed so dramatically?

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich

The state senate has failed on two occasions to begin impeachment proceedings against another corrupt governor here in Illinois. The right hand “man” to the senate president is running in my congressional district to replace the current retiring congressman, a Republican.
The state , of course, is run by Democrats.

This post will grow as the day goes on. Please don’t forget to check back later. So Wonder Boy Barry thinks it’s all over. Not so fast, Wonder Boy. There’s still plenty of time between now and the convention for…