...including the most serious one, racketeering.

In the cesspool that is Illinois politics, former Illinois Governor George H. Ryan has been found guilty on all 18 counts. I'm no fan whatsoever of Mr. Ryan, but even I was surprised by this verdict, especially since the case was so complex and the trial itself began last September. I expected a mixed verdict at best.

The story here.

BTW, the prosecutor involved in this case is Patrick Fitzgerald, who has nailed countless number of Illinois politicians--on both sides of the aisle--including many members of Mayor Daley's administration, former GOP officials, etc. In fact, he is currently conducting no fewer than 5 investigations of current IL. Governor Rod Blagojevich.

It's SO nice to know that Democrats and Republicans in this state are, when it comes down to it, both despicable scumbags.

[ April 17, 2006, 12:43 PM: Message edited by: MIB ]

Gotta love that party of morals and values!!

Bob, Duke, Tom, Jack, George.....

As someone who's ignorant of Illinois politics, you shouldn't comment on it, because as corrupt as the GOP has been here, the Dems have been just as bad. Don't make it out like it's only the GOP that is corrupt.

I realize alot of stuff goes way, way over your head MIB so Ill explain it to you. I was pointing out the irony that the GOP loves to wrap itself in God/morals/values and they are clearly winning the race for most corrupt.
If you think otherwise, you're back in your fantasy land where you're a federal judge, you've adopted 2 kids, you dash off to the pope's funeral......

Clearly winning the race where? Certainly not in Illinois. That they couldn't do even if they wanted to, considering the Democrats control Chicago, Cook County (more populous than 37 states), and Springfield.

BTW, your jealousy of my attending the Holy Father's funeral is kinda bizarre. Must be that Texas thing.

I can't agree that they're winning the race for most corrupt, but their repeated drum beat of values, morals, the flag, mom and apple pie does make their evidenty scuzziness even more scuzzy than the Dems' right now.

Oh yes Judge MakeBelieve, we're all jealous that you attended the "holy" fathers funeral.

Did you say "hi" to Bernard Law when you were in town?

You're certainly not going to get me to defend their hypocritical actions. I detest those who profess to be all in favor of "family values" then end up getting busted for trying to hook up with some 14-year-old Internet kiddie (or similar, for that matter).

Ha-ha, he got caught, now he's gonna fry. Let this be a lesson to all politicians, no matter what party, that someone, somewhere, somehow will out your cheating ass for the whole world to see. Arrogance of this level should never be allowed.

Yes, his arrogance and contempt for the law here were matched by his unpardonable act of commuting all those convicts' death sentences a few years ago. Falsus in uno, falsus in omnia; false in one thing, false in everything.

It is really a sad, sad situation in Illinois. As several local talk show hosts and news anchors have said, there truly is no difference between the parties in this state. I say this not because I'm trying to deflect the issue from Ryan being a Republican; rather, I am so disgusted and distressed that so many politicians--public servants--look at their elected office as their opportunity to live high off the hog at the expense of Illinois' citizens.

Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative, they all line up at the public trough, and they don't seem to care. The only way to fight this seems to be the continual federal investigations, indictments, and convictions of such scumbags.

I don't care if someone's my best friend. If he/she abuses his/her elected office, then suffer the severe consequences they should.

Does this apply to your president also?

Raz, it pains me to say this, but idiot Bush is our president too, so yes, the liar is a big fat fatty-fat liar, and that is how he will be remembered in the history books.

Good point, Raze. It's the GOP motto: FIUFIO!

Now that Fitz is done with Ryan, maybe he'll be able to focus on the scumbags who outed Valerie Plame, especially since it's been revealed that before her cover was blown, she was working on nuclear proliferation issues involving Iran.

Bush & Co., you're doing a heck of a job!

Wow! When the LGBT community tries to figure out why we can't win when it comes to fighting for our gay rights, perhaps all they need to do is look at this discussion. I understand that people have differing opinions; that's what makes us human. Personally, the color state where I live is irrelevant. If we want to win the rights, the nitpicking and the uses of ad hominem needs to cease. I believe it was Thomas Jefferson who said, "If we don't hang together, we shall all be hung separately."

Just think about it. How can we expect to stand up for our rights as a whole, when we can't even respect our rights and opinions as indviduals? If you want to dismiss my words of those as an idealist, naive, 24-year-old, then so be it. Just don't cry when gays start losing ALL their rights across the board. Instead, continue sniping at one another, because that will make you right in your own mind. And isn't that all that matters?

Falconpride, there have always been disagreements in every movement, including the successful ones. The achievements of the Civil Rights movement, for LGBT rights, for women's rights, and so on, occurred despite and sometimes were spurred on as a result of internal quarrels and antagonisms. Everyone is not going to play patty-cake and get along, especially when some people would rather turn a blind eye to oppression rather than deal with it directly. You're 24, and I am delighted to see that you're interested in advancing LGBT rights and equality, and not assuming that they've always existed or that they're here to stay. I would say, though, as someone who's had some experience with direct activism when I was younger, that there will always be dissent, that some people will personalize it, and that the challenge will remain to address it, get past it, and work towards the goal, which is a better life and world for all.

Gotta agree with MIB on this one. Illinois politicians from both parties have had amazing criminal records over the past 100 years or so...It's what we're famous for!

MS, when all is said and done, Ryan may end up having his conviction overturned or the results set aside via a declaration of a mistrial. There are some substantial problems with the jurors, including several who were not dismissed like their counterparts for lying on their juror questionnaires. In fact, one juror was twice convicted of drunk driving, an offense where the IL. Secretary of State suspends or revokes your driver's license. Since Ryan was S.o.S., an argument could be made that this juror had it in for him.

Since this seems to be the dedicated thread for the Illinois form of corruption, here's one that FT seems to have missed in recommending other "scumbags" for "Fitz" to take on. Not only does this one have the advantage of actually being within his jurisdiction, but it also could drive an entire family from feeding at the public - and private - trough, "towards the goal ... [of] a better life and world for all." Link to Sun-Times story.

Do you know at one time Englewood was a really nice place? I remember the stories my Great Aunt Audry told me about Englewood...she loved it. She lived there during the Depression. She said you never had to go downtown, as they had everything right there in the neighborhood. It hasn't been like that for the past 40 years. If Rush is ripping off his own people, there must be a special place in hell for him. I hope they catch him and fry his ass like a cheap slab of bacon.

Millerboy, There are a LOT of places that "used to be really nice." Check out the neighborhood around Horace Mann HS sometime, between Grant and McKinley Sts, and between 5th and 7th Aves. I'm sure you've taken "the old way" into Chicago sometimes, up "the Blvd." onto US 41 and LSDrive past the SS Country Club and a host of impressive old apartment houses. In Detroit, take a look at the Boston-Edison neighborhood, where a bunch of gay friends of mine turned that decaying area of well-appointed estate homes dating from the 1920s into a real urban renaissance during the 1980s, while the "Renaissance City" fell apart around them and crime spiraled out of control. In each of these areas, just as in Englewood, corrupt black politicians siphoned off money for urban renewal into their own pockets and directly contributed to the downfall of these once fine cities. It ain't pretty, but that's EXACTLY why these places are the way they are today. frown

Millerbeach, according to the article posted by gmg (whose blatantly racist comment above doesn't deserve a response), the issue involves a telecom company's contributions to a charity that Rush's family runs, for which Rush plans to vote for the upcoming awful pro-telcom bill. As wrong and unethical as this is (and it's quite common among gmg's Rethuglican friends, especially the Abramoff circle), it seems to me to be a very different issue from the wholesale looting and corruption that took place under the now convicted Republican George Ryan, and that is taking place under Democrat Richard Daley, who has been selling not only favors off but whole neighborhoods of Chicago off to the highest bidders, while allowing other neighborhoods, like Englewood, to molder.

For years after manufacturing jobs disappeared neither Daley's father nor his successors, with the exception of Harold Washington, did a DAMNED thing about many of the run-down neighborhoods in the city, and the population fell. Yes, Jane Byrne went and slept in the projects, who can forget that. But they did nothing and just cordoned whole sections of the city off. When the economy began to improve in the late 1990s, then Daley & Co. decided that they would pocket as much as they could before the next downturn, and have strategically permitted development in a radiating fashion from the Loop in all directions. Large sections of the near South Side are being developed. Look at the old Ida B. Wells projects; now that UIC is steadily expanding, they have cleared those projects out and eventually their campus and other developments will meet the point where Little Italy begins. Don't think Daley's cronies, as well as the other pols OF ALL RACES AND ETHNICITIES aren't pocketing funds.

There is a reason why Fitz and Illinois prosecutors have been able to go after Daley's underlings one after one. Eventually the mayor is going to be implicated, especially if he's voted out of office. You don't have that many people working under you indicted if your hands are clean, do you? His enforced omerta won't last forever. As for the other notable Democratic incompetent, John Stroger, unfortunately he was laid low not by prosecutors or voters, but by a stroke. Sometimes the Lord does work in mysterious ways.

Wrong again, FT, and please don't change topics mid-stream of consciousness. My post might have been racist had I extended it beyond the facts of the two situations involved to reflect adversely on all blacks, but I didn't. Nor was it prejudiced, since it was based on the facts of "what went down," not idle speculation or tired cliches. I know that troubles you, apologist that you are, and you must be even more miffed being unable to respond to this little fact of life as it once was, but that's the way things happened. I know; I lived through them.

And BTW, since I've never met Abramoff or any of his company, he is not a friend of mine.

Then can someone explain to me just how the hell he won in the March primary? His opponent, a very worthy, good, elected official, was endorsed by every major newspaper, the business community, etc.; yet, Stroger "got the black vote," as was commented by many here.

I ask this with no implication of racism or hatred--I seek an honest answer: are blacks so enslaved, so exploited by The Machine that they'll vote for another black over anyone else, no matter what? If Jesus and a black Hitler would have run in that race, guess who would have won?

Seriously, can't black voters see that Stroger was physically no longer able to perform his duties? Can't they see that his patronage rivals Daley's? Can't they see that he has driven out of Cook County countless number of businesses and made it economically difficult to own property or a business in the county more populous than 37 states?

Had I lived in Cook County, I would have in a heartbeat picked a Democratic ballot and cast my vote for Forrest Claypool, Stroger's opponent.

Now the belief is that Stroger is purposely lying low in recovery until July so that Cook County Dems can gauge how the Republican nominee, Tony Peraica, is doing in the polls. If it looks like Peraica is within striking distance, Stroger will be pushed aside and some big name person will replace him.

And who may that be? No one knows for sure, but the "Rev." Jesse Jackson and other black leaders have publicly stated that the Democratic nominee must be a black person, that "this office must remain in the hands of African Americans."

Why is it not racist when Jesse Jackson says an office must remain African-American, but if Daley were to say the Mayor of Chicago's office must remain Caucasion, they would haul him out on the carpet? I get the sense there is a double-standard of racism in this city. Where is it written that any office, anywhere, must remain in a particular ethnic group? That in itself is racist.

It's racist and it happens all the time and not just in politics. Several years ago one of the departments at the University I work was hiring a recruiter. Specifically one that could work on minority recruitment and retention. They also wanted to hire a minority for this job. It was interesting in watching the dance of words people used to convey this without actually saying this, because to do so would violate the equal opportunity rules. I heard of another situation where a grant was received, which would allow the hire of an individual, the grantor requested a bilingual minority. Requiring a bilingual is fine, but how does one honor a request for a minority, without getting into trouble.