Interesting that Bush was in Ill. to promote Republican congressional and gubernatorial candidates, and Daley joined him.

Daley's the most Republican pol in the state.

As soon as Bruno glues his head back together, I wonder what he will say.

Well, certainly the most Illinois Republican in the state:

"A jury of 10 men and two women stripped the gears of Mayor Daley's political machine as they convicted Daley's former patronage chief of secretly doling out city jobs and promotions to reward Daley's political workers, while giving the shaft to candidates without clout -- all at taxpayer expense.

And prosecutors suggested that they were only just getting started, with one top fed telling reporters to 'stay tuned.'"

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-hired07.html

Apparently, OJ doesn't like comments to the contrary as the blog will not accept an excerpt from the Chicago Sun-Times regarding the conviction yesterday of Daley's patronage boss and 3 other cronies.

Certainly the most Illinois Republican in the state if you've followed the ex-Gov Ryan trial and conviction.

Drop the http://

Ken Lay was convicted too, no?

My head is fine thank you, but thank you for the concern...

Here is what I posted at IL review a few moments ago.
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As much as I'd like to believe otherwise, the fix is starting to come in.

Bush gets $$ for Topinka, tells her she has to play ball with the Mayor and fund his largess.

The quid-pro-quo is that King Richard II has to turn off his machine on election day, if not openly assist Topinka.

Every one in Illinois knows that if you want a huge expansion in taxes, you need a liberal Republican to do it.

I didn't think it would turn out this way, but the cards are starting to stack against Sir Rodney.

The Pigs are switching allegiances, and lining up the troughs on Saintless Jude's
side of the aisle.

The blackest mark on Bush's balance sheet is signing Campaign Finance Reform and looking the other way at the crooks in various nooks and crannies of Republican Organizations.

He would have had a different kind of presidency if he had booted G. Ryan and chosen a different crew to work IL in 2000.

Now, Karl Rove and his merry band of Carlyle pigs are skanking around IL, seeking fees to "manage" the pension funds.

The only positive spin on that outcome is that greedy Carlyle gets to ream greedy Teachers Unions.

Meanwhile, the Republic burns, as more and more of the self-righting checks and balances in the system have been short-circuited.
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There are worse mayors OJ, but why ignore the Mayor's embrace of gay marriage, abortion, and Tas Eaters? Why pretend Bush agrees with those policies?

The Daley family's involvement in Cook County patronage and corruption is endemic and extends over seventy years now back to when Dick Daley was a ward hack. There's nothing endearing about him or his local cronies.

Because they don't matter in a mayor and he's right (Right) on the issues that do.

OJ,

Tax Eaters matter everywhere, and the worst taxeaters of all are the members (all of them) of public education.

Interestingly, Daley is shifting support from Teacher's Unions to "Contract Schools."

While there may be a benefit for kids, the upshot is that these new charters don't have as many campaign finance restrictions, so they can give the mayor more money. You want to run a charter, pony up.

There isn't a "reform" on the planet that IL can't turn into a trough opportunity, and the mayor whose family wrote the legislation always gets first bite at the apple.

A benevolent dictator would use such clout to improve things, but the mayor is most probably just another pig.

I hope to see Pat Fitzgerald find a way to frog march him, but we probably won't get that lucky.

Regardless, we all owe yesterday's delicious headlines to the last decent politician in IL - Peter Fitzgerald.

...and look where that got him?

OJ:

Thanks for the tip.

Interesting that you mention Enron (Ken Lay). In non-lawyer terms, wasn't Skilling convicted in part on the disconnect between being so knowledgeable about the company, yet he claimed to not know about the fraud?

I think Mayor Daley (and a couple of his brothers) are going to have the same problem somewhere down the line.

Bruno:

Yes, but Daley is far better on education than any other executive except Jeb, including W.

The differences are only over a couple marginal social issues that a Mayor can't effect.

That's not where theuir differences are. Daley is the best executive other than Jeb on those issues.

Rick:

No. Every pol knows his sugar daddies are corrupt. If they weren't they wouldn't have the money to throw around.

Is that our lefty trope of the day: All wealth is corrupt?

All great fortunes.

"All great fortunes are corrupt."

Pure rubbish.

For example, Meg Whitman, the Waltons, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, Larry Page & Sergey Brin...

There are fortunes founded on corruption, illegality, or at least cronyism, but they make up very few of the Forbes 400 fortunes.

It's more likely that a person with a mere million dollars gained it immorally, than any of the "great" fortunes. This isn't Russia.

The Waltons have a longer rap sheet than the Gottis, just not anything we capitalists take seriously.

If only there were a crusading politician not afraid to say that he's for the people, not the powerful.

How many more businesspeople does W have to convict to claim that title? Everyone from Lay to Martha has been convicted.

Saw his helicopter(s) go by about 1 hour ago.

Was surprised to see them go west.

The Waltons have a longer rap sheet than the Gottis...

Yeah ?
After Googling around a bit, I failed to find anything indicating that such is true.
Examples, please.

Results 1 - 30 of about 3,680,000 English pages for walmart violations.

www.google.com/search?q=walmart+violations&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

They (politicians) all say they're for the people, but their actions tell a different story.

Polls suggest the people are well seved.