Spider & his Web – Daley & Obama

Another squalid politician, Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois has splattered on the windshield of the national media. Another public servant who expects the public to serve him. Rotten politicians regularly abound throughout the US, so why is this one worth more than just a dismissive mental kick in the ass?

Because, like President-elect Obama, he was spawned by the same political Chicago Daley machine. Mayor Richard M. Daley is at the center of the political web – Obama and Blagojevich are contemporary flies in his web.

Despite the fact that Saint Obama and sinner Blagojevich operate in the same Daley web, there are no lateral or vertical connections between them; they are not friends and they roam in different circles. The two, however, happen to share Mayor Daley as a political godfather.

Federal prosecutor Fitzgerald charged the governor with criminal conspiracy for trying to sell Senator Obama's recently vacated senate seat to the highest bidder in Chicago. As the governor of Illinois, he has the power to appoint Obama's replacement; his problems stemmed from legal wiretaps indicating that he would entertain bribes for making the right appointment.

Prosecutor Fitzgerald made it clear that Obama was not involved in the affair. About the only person bruised in Camp Obama was his chief of staff Rahm Emanuel who had contacts with the governor over choices for the senatorial replacement. Emanuel reportedly responded petulantly to the pressure; he would not go to his transition office, because he had to face reporters. This seemed girlie boy to me. He ain't seen nothing yet as Obama proceeds to power. He is a former ballet dancer, White House staffer to Clinton, and a congressman – nothing here to recommend real leadership experience; there is a good chance he is in over his head as Obama's chief of staff.

My concern is not the perceived link of Obama/Blagojevich. More to the point, what does Mayor Daley get for his role? Remember pay and play was perfected in Chicago-land

Mayor Daley's father Richard J. Daley created the Chicago political machine. He was elected to power in 1955 and held power until 1976. His exercise of political power earned him the title The American Pharaoh. Always a Democrat, he became a power nationally when he delivered Illinois’ electoral votes to JF Kennedy under suspicious circumstances.

Mayor Richard M. Daley has carried on the Daley dynasty; he has been in office since 1989. He enjoys a 70% approval rating and is considered one of the best mayors in the country. He is up to his eyeballs in national politics as a kingmaker. His brother William was Secretary of Commerce under Clinton and served in Vice President Gore's failed campaign for President; it is rumored that he has ambitions to run for governor of Illinois. Mayor Daley has been important in Obama's political fortunes – even Obama's wife worked for him at one time. The mayor also promoted Blagojevich’s career, but now calls him cuckoo. (You cannot win them all.)

Blagojevich is a real piece of work. He sports a peek-a-boo hair-do to hide his rodent eyes. His approval rating in Illinois is worse than GW Bush's - reported as low as 7%. His wife Patricia is a cross between Lucrezia Borgia and Leona Helmsley. She is also implicated in the pay to play schemes. As a US Democratic congressman, he voted for the Iraq war. What a guy. Based on blog traffic in Belgrade, even his distant Serbian kinsmen think he is a jerk.

He will be dispossessed of his office one way or the other, but he is a potential time bomb as he knows where the bodies are buried in Cook County. His legal bills are reported to be over a million and he just began to fight his latest jeopardy. My sense is he will squeal with a vengeance as he goes down, so Mayor Daley's headaches over this guy are just starting.

The important enigma here in this Chicago political dance-land is what influence Mayor Daley has in an Obama administration. If the public works projects coming from the predicted stimulus package start to flow abundantly toward Chicago, we will know more. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS...

As an Irish Roman Catholic, Mayor Daley should advise Obama to be satisfied as the first black president – that the honor of the first black saint is already taken by ST MARTIN DE PORRES who was canonized in 1962.

Mayor Daley strongly prefers not to have a saint in White House. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret