The Madigan Shenanigan

Illinois politics is clearly some of the most corrupt in the nation. We are well aware. In a recent side-by-side comparison with New York state, New York Times columnist Gail Collins concluded that Illinois had the "most awful political culture."

But that doesn't surprise anyone who has had the good fortune of watching the evening news in the Windy City.

The latest debacle (aside from the Scott Lee Cohen disaster (really? withdrawing from the Lieutenant Governor race in a tavern??) and the Betty Lauren-Maltese round-the-clock coverage) was Michael Madigan pulling his political weight to suggest that the Lieutenant Governor position be scrapped all together. At first glance, this suggestion seems almost logical from a man who has not been so logical of late (front page allegations that clients of his law firm benefit from legislation he advocates and pushes through the House of Congress as Dem speaker) but when you dig a bit deeper, (and I mean just a bit, because it's glaringly obvious) you find his motives may be tainted by something other than pure undying love of servitude to the state. If the LG job was done away with then who would be next in line should the Governor be indicted (as has happened twice now), die in office (also twice) or otherwise unable to perform his/her duties? The Attorney General. And who might the Illinois Attorney General be? Lisa Madigan, Michael Madigan's daughter.

Ah. There it is, the corruption we have become so used to that we actively search for it.