Ouch!!!

Well before I tell a long story let me set this post up. A long time Alderman - Richard Mell - will be retiring from his seat on the Chicago City Council. He was not only an Alderman but a ward boss as he was a Democratic Committeeman for his 33rd Ward. In that capacity he helped his son-in-law one Rod Blagojevich move up in the world of Chicago politics.

For his part Mell regrets that noting:

With the benefit of hindsight, "I think that he would have probably stayed a state representative," Mell said of his son-in-law.

Rich Miller went further, as a state political blogger he's had many dealings with the Blagojevich administration. It's obvious although he's free to correct me that he doesn't care for Blago at all:

Why even go that far? In hindsight, he should’ve been kept out of politics altogether.

Ouch indeed!

Needless to say I'm sure the history justifies that assessment. From Illinois House of Representatives to the US Congress to Illinois' Governor's mansion and now in federal prison for corruption. Could anyone have seen that coming?

Ward Room: What $750,000 Can Buy

$750,000 is the amount of money former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. took from his campaign funds. A crime that he recently pleaded guilty for with his wife former Alderman Sandi Jackson who also pleaded guilty for filing a false income tax return in federal court last week.

This Ward Room posting by Ed McClelland discusses what Jackson could've done with all that money for his constituents. Starting off mentioning free breakfasts struck a nerve because Jackson had robocalls in the past advertising free turkeys at an event he hosted. With the cash he was spending on personal items he probably could have spent them on food for the neediest constituents.

Still I have to admit what a sad end to a potential dynasty. And all it all started when he got caught up in the scandal involving Rod Blagojevich. Last year I attended a fundraiser held in Hyde Park - President Obama's neighborhood - by Sandi Jackson ward organization although no funds came from me for her it was nice to be at a venue for a fancy restaurant.

In any event there was a lot of press there. Mrs. Jackson was being interviewed by a local news anchor and there were news vans outside of this particular establishment. You would've thought she would've been in office for years to come and as it turns out she didn't have long before her career as Alderman was over. Not only that, the feds would have their eye on her as well.

Very sad.

Scenes yesterday near the Federal Plaza

Not a lot of media there on Thursday afternoon after I left the downtown library, but I knew that this was the day when the Blagojevich trial started. The media trucks from ABC7, FOX 32, WGN, and even CNN were all parked along Plymouth Court between Jackson and Van Buren, right across the street from the Dirksen Federal Building.

 BTW, I posted this link in another posting, but I'll share it again today. Rich Miller rounds up the media coverage of the Blagojevich trial. He also has a round-up for jury selection in this trial. It seems like what Blagojevich doesn't want on his jury the judge will attempt to keep them on the jury.

Can't believe he may be up for almost 415 years behind bars!

Mississippi Burning

It has been ages since I've seen that movie. The only copy I have is on VHS (I know some of you are thinking...What's that?). Well I've yet to upgrade to DVD for this film which is basically about those three civil rights workers killed near Philadelphia, Mississippi in the 1960s.

Gene Hackman plays an FBI agent who grew up in Mississippi. Willem DaFoe plays an FBI agent who probably never saw a southern state before in his life before he was assigned to the setting of this movie, Jessup County (which doesn't exist, the name of the town was probably changed to protect the innocent). This was something of a thriller but a great period piece.

A lot of what you see is going to upset, hopefully, a great number of you. This is one documentation of the struggle for freedom in a free nation. A people who were free in theory still having to fight for their freedom. The thing is these people were afraid to fight for their freedom. It seems the authorities have a vested interest in suppressing the freedom of a certain group of people.

Either way it's great to see the FBI get their men. Some of those guys who were smiling when they got arrested weren't smiling when it was done. When the FBI arrived some of them knew what time it was. Indeed one tried to run. Either way it was one victory in a very interesting era.

BTW, they recently reopened the case and someone did indeed get convicted after almost 40 years. Also I had seen this movie in the theaters. However this cineplex is no longer open, it used to be close to where a movie theater is now on Illinois street in about the Streeterville neighborhood.