Chicago-style politics is an ‘All in the Family’ affair

Former federal judge and Congressman Abner Mikva once captured the essence of Chicago (and by extension, Illinois) politics in a story he relates about his initiation into the Windy City’s political scene.

He showed up at the office of his local ward boss and expressed a desire to work as a volunteer in a political campaign. The cigar-chomping politico sneered in Mikva’s direction and asked: “Who sent you?” Mikva replied that no one had, to which the politico responded: “We don’t want nobody that nobody sent.”

It is hard for even the most jaundiced and cynical of Louisiana political observers (I qualify on all counts) to understand the nether-world of Illinois politics – particularly the brand practiced by the current governor, Rod Blagojevich.

After reading the text of the accusations against Gov. Blagojevich, it is hard to determine if he is arrogant, stupid or a sociopath. Perhaps he is all three.

Here is a man holding an office that has seen numerous of his predecessors (including the man he replaced) go to prison.

It was public knowledge that Blagojevich was under official investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office for payroll fraud. Yet, in a matter of a few short weeks, he sought to tie a state subsidy for a newspaper conglomerate to the firing of one of its editors; demanded quid-pro-quo campaign contributions from individuals seeking to do business with the state; and, for the pièce de résistance, tried to sell the vacant U.S. Senate seat of the president-elect of the United States.

Amazing…

President-elect Barack Obama must be wishing that his Chicago acquaintances would disappear for a while.

In addition to the Blagojevich scandal, some of his other controversial associates are making the news as well.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright was gaining media attention again Sunday, delivering another fiery sermon in which he basically claimed that Obama was his prodigy. Anarchist-turned-“educator” Bill Ayers wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times claiming that he was “demonized” during the presidential race for planting a “small bomb” in his earlier years.

And convicted felon Tony Rezko’s name surfaced again in the Blagojevich charges. (Rezko is the political fundraiser who allegedly brokered a sweetheart deal for the Obama residence.)

No one is accusing Obama of any wrongdoing in the Blagojevich scandal. In fact, the U.S. Attorney said at his news conference that no evidence had pointed in any way toward the president-elect.

However, it doesn’t help matters that Obama’s campaign strategist, his new chief of staff, and one of his key aides are all tightly tied to the Illinois/ Chicago political circle festooned with characters like Blagojevich.

Obama grew his political roots from Chicago/Springfield politics. Many on the opposing side in the presidential race – both in the Democratic primaries and the general election – tried to use those roots against Obama, but failed to make any negative charges stick.

The problem going forward is that the “all in the family” style of politics that Obama grew up in probably isn’t going to change much regardless of how many more governors, city councilmen and state legislators go to prison.

Every time a new scandal breaks, eyebrows will raise and people will “wonder.” That probably isn’t fair to the soon-to-be president, but neither life nor politics is fair.