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Hernando Today

Illinois Governor's 'Pay For Play' Reminiscent Of Tammany Hall Infamy

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By JOHN REINIERS, More Than Words

Hernando Today

Published: December 20, 2008

By JOHN REINIERS, More Than Words
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is eerily reminiscent of the infamous Sen. George Washington Plunkitt of New York City's Tammany Hall fame (the Democratic Party political machine that controlled the NYC politics for generations) whose published interviews are a classic on crooked urban politics. ("Plunkitt of Tammany," by Hall Wm. L. Riordan)
He was a proponent of "honest graft," observing that Tammany "leaders" didn't have to "go into ... dirty business, when there is so much honest graft lyin' around when they are in power. If my worst enemy was given the job of writin' my epitaph ... he couldn't do more than write: George W. Plunkitt. He seen His Opportunities and He Took 'Em."
Blagojevich is of that same mold. He was demanding that others "pay to play." If you want President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, bid for it. Just like Plunkitt bragged, Blagojevich "didn't steal a dollar from the ... treasury."
Blagojevich becomes the fourth Illinois governor in recent history to face jail time for corruption; the others being George Ryan, Otto Kerner and Dan Walker. Chicago — my former home town — is mind boggling. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that 79 local elected officials have been convicted of a crime in the past three decades. Not surprisingly, reporters know more about these scandals than anyone else, so in the past week any number of them were being interviewed as "historians" of the local culture.
One reporter said very emotionally, "We are the exporters of corruption to America!" Another noted matter-of-factly that most machine politicians have the attitude that "You want to do something for your constituents, but you want to get something, too." Another was unusually caustic saying, "Everything's for sale in Chicago. Both parties work together to make money. … Democrats are notoriously corrupt — like a combine."
One of the few reporters who apparently didn't vote for Obama criticized the media for presenting Obama as a reformer, yet willfully ignoring the fact that he rose to power in Chicago — known for its corruption. He thought it misleading to characterize him as "pristine — separate from the machine."
Depending on how the mainstream media plays this, Rahm Emanuel could be a problem for Obama. After all, he is Obama's chief of staff, and has close ties to the Chicago Daly machine. And both he and Obama were top advisers to Balgojevich's 2002 gubernatorial campaign. How close can you get?
Consider David Axelrod, who is Obama's political guru, and joined at the hip with Emanuel. He too has close ties to the Daly machine. Without Axelrod, Obama would not have been elected president. He is Obama's Karl Rove. And he also advised Blagojevich's U.S. House campaigns. Last month, Axelrod said that his boss and Blagojevich had spoken about a replacement for Obama's senate seat. Then he quickly retracted that statement after the governor was arrested.
Next is Valerie Jarrett, who is Obama's senior adviser. Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's office believes that if Blagojevich would have agreed to appoint her to the Senate, then he would get an appointment to United States Health and Human Services Secretary. But suddenly she removed herself from the running, leading some to wonder whether she knew that somehow she was to be a part of Blagojevich's scheme to "pay to play." Ms. Jarrett served as the planning and development commissioner for Daly in the 1990s.
A columnist with the Chicago Tribune, John Kass, explained in a CNN interview: "Richard Daly is the boss of the Chicago machine. His spokesman was David Axlerod. Their candidate is Barrack Obama. Who speaks for Barack Obama? Axelrod. There's no such thing as coincidences. Chicago politics doesn't have coincidences." (Note too, Blagojevich's father-in-law was a Chicago alderman in the Daly machine and got Blagojevich his start in politics.)
Then there is the Tony Retzko-Blagojevich-Obama connection. Retzko, a convicted swindler, contributed to both of their campaigns and was appointed by Blagojevich to two Illinois state boards from which he lined his pockets.
The lingering stench from this scandal might finally energize voters nationally to take a hard look at the political corruption this country has endured. This story has the legs of a centipede, but the traditional media — all Obama supporters — will try to insulate him. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has named five candidates who were approached to "pay for play." Jesse Jackson Jr. was the first to hold a press conference. I'll bet his brother and father were willing to cut a deal with the good governor. This will effectively remove Jackson Jr. from consideration as the next Illinois senator. (Jesse Jackson was a creature of the patronage system and made a career out of strong-arming corporations for payoffs.)
It looks as though Blagojevich will not go away quietly, so one can only speculate about the stories that will emerge from the other candidates and how far afield they will go. For example, Blagojevich was heard complaining that his wife, Patti, is as qualified or more qualified than another specifically named individual to sit on corporate boards. (The aforementioned Valarie Jarrett was appointed chairwoman of the Chicago Medical Center in 2006.) And one piece of his "pay for play" scheme was to get his wife a board appointment. Coincidentally, Michelle Obama sits on different boards, one being the very same Chicago Medical Center where she is the vice president for community and external affairs. USA Today reported that her salary was increased from $121,910 to $316,962 when Obama was sworn in as senator. (This so-called not-for-profit hospital hands out some eye-popping compensation to more than three dozen souls.) Is there a story here?
Like it or not, Obama is in the middle of this, as he came up through the Daly machine like all the rest of them. He has high approval ratings and isn't even president yet. Everyone wants him to succeed for the good of the country. He will have to make full disclosure at some point. Plus, we will undoubtedly get more revelations from Fitzpatrick.
Public officials have a fiduciary duty to their citizens. They can never put their own interests ahead of those they serve. To paraphrase Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis (1856-1941): "It is an occupation which is pursued largely for others and not merely for oneself. It is an occupation in which the amount of financial return is not the accepted measure of success."
How quaint that now sounds. Tell that to the good governor and the rest of the Chicago machine.

John Reiniers, a regular columnist for Hernando Today, lives in Spring Hill.

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