Capital Fax has a post of the minute by minute drama revolving around the truly collossal budget battle. (If you're into that sort of thing.) More on the story in the Springfield Journal-Register.
posted by The Inside Dope @ 7/31/2007
1 comments
Wise, all-knowing, omniscient, and a snappy dresser besides. Often misunderestimated.
Readers are strongly encouraged to send along any tid-bits, story ideas, event notices, links to articles, background info, or other stuff they feel may be of interest. Just contact me at the link below. It's a lot easier than throwing it through my window tied to a rock.
NOTE:
Due to the fact that the foolish and the disturbed will always be among us,
Your comments may not show up immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You do not have a RIGHT to have your comments published here, they will appear at the editor's sole discretion.
Contact The Inside Dope
by clicking here
Change is Good
Spies, Lies, and the Con Man Who Caused a War
Recommended for wingnuts still wallowing in Bush propaganda
about the phoney intel they used to drive us to war.
Confessions of a Republican Operative
My Secret Life of (Republican) Scandal, Corruption,
Hypocrisy and Dirty Attacks That
Decide Who Gets Elected (and Who Doesn't)
Reclaiming Faith and Politics after the Religious Right
A Citizen's Guide to Faith and Politics
Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post-Religious Right America
--->
Sites You Should Know
Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
1 Comments:
There are two community theater-quality dramas approaching their respective dénouements.
In Chicago, the Golden Age of the Chicago Outfit is coming to a close with the federal prosecution of Frank Calabrese Sr., Joey Lombardo and their associates in the much ballyhooed Family Secrets Trial.
In Springfield, the constitutionally-authorized thieving class is busily trying to beat Orwellian pieties into ploughshares.
As the final acts unfold, it strikes me that the mobsters are allegorical representations of the politicians.
Let's consider.
The Outfit bosses use colorful nicknames like Tony "Big Tuna" Accardo. The political bosses also use colorful nicknames like State Senate Assistant Majority Leader Rickey "Hollywood" Hendon.
The Outfit uses euphemistic code language to misdirect meaning. They call their extortion rackets "street tax" as a way to make the activity sound legit, like what government does. In politicianspeak, confiscatory taxes are termed "contributions". I guess "forcibly taking dollars that are not yours" it not a hip enough catch phrase for the gangster set and not value-neutral enough for the pols.
The mother's milk for the power structures of both is gambling. For the Outfit, it is numbers rackets and the casino skim. For the politicians, it is, well, numbers rackets and the casino skim.
In fact, as the Outfit's influence has waned, the politicians have attempted to increase their market share in the gaming sector.
Governor Rod Blagojevich wants to separate seniors from their social security checks with keno and Senate President Emil Jones would shoehorn a casino riverboat into the Buckingham Fountain if he had his way.
Once you look past the clichés, the fancy suits and the innovative hair styles, the Outfit bosses and the politicians are in the same business: wealth extraction from producers.
Libertarians say that democracy is three wolves and a sheep deciding what to have for lunch.
With the Outfit wolves, federal prosecutors eventually step in to stop the slaughter. With politicians, it's up to us sheep.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Proft is a Principal of Urquhart Media LLC, a Chicago-based public affairs firm and political commentator for the Don Wade & Roma Morning Show (5-9am) on Chicago's number one news talk radio station, WLS-AM 890. He can be reached at dan@urqmedia.com.
For other Dan Proft commentaries (radio & print), please visit: http://www.urqmedia.com/proft/
For other recent Don Wade & Roma interviews, commentary, and discussions visit: http://www.wlsam.com/sectional.asp?id=16410
© All Rights Reserved
###
Post a Comment
<< Home