tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post115325780466986150..comments2024-01-31T04:29:38.858-06:00Comments on The Outfit: A Collective of Chicago Crime Writers: Mayor Daley as Willie Stark?Sean Chercoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00939494866272006802noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153508486821268622006-07-21T14:01:00.000-05:002006-07-21T14:01:00.000-05:00There's an inscription over the front door of the ...There's an inscription over the front door of the Highland Park city hall: THE SALVATION OF THE COMMUNITY IS THE WATCHFULLNESS OF THE CITIZEN.<BR/><BR/>When so few citizens turn out to vote (much less call, write, or show up at public hearings), why should anyone be surprised if politicians serve thier own interests?Michael Dymmochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06424057697796493279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153497987081161542006-07-21T11:06:00.000-05:002006-07-21T11:06:00.000-05:00Hi, n-edwards. You're absolutely right. Daley is c...Hi, n-edwards. You're absolutely right. Daley is complicated, and he has done wonderful things for the city. I think Sean's post (see Friday's blog) and Kevin's comment about it go to the heart of what we're all grappling with. We don't want to see Republicans "pick on" a Democratic administration that does some things right. And we like Daley,the man.. despite "what he knew and when he knew it" Libby Hellmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153452257178174502006-07-20T22:24:00.000-05:002006-07-20T22:24:00.000-05:00Mayor Daley is a complicated figure. He's done wo...Mayor Daley is a complicated figure. He's done wonderful things for the city--transformed the public library, so it's a national leader, made the city a showcase, etc, while he's done business exactly the way George Bush has, appointing cronies to key jobs just because they are cronies. Maybe both men should be investigated by special prosecutors.<BR/>I guess I feel uncomfortable when a Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153361291285867602006-07-19T21:08:00.000-05:002006-07-19T21:08:00.000-05:00No "pass" for the leadership of any administration...No "pass" for the leadership of any administration that rewards political cronies with positions (and then the cronies reward more cronies with contracts), that hires only aides who will keep any opposing ideas deeply buried, that twists the truth, that keeps secrets from the public. Remind you of any administration you know?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153357325040025062006-07-19T20:02:00.000-05:002006-07-19T20:02:00.000-05:00It strikes me that the special prosecutor's report...It strikes me that the special prosecutor's report is just a little too neat in its good new/bad news thesis... all in the interest of "putting it all behind us," of course. I hope the civil suits persist, if only to remind us of the cruelty we are capable of inflicting on ourselves. Deterrence is one thing... but deliberate malice crosses a different line.Libby Hellmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153348356852398192006-07-19T17:32:00.000-05:002006-07-19T17:32:00.000-05:00The Reader has been following Burge et al for a nu...The Reader has been following Burge et al for a number of years, but I'd like to pay tribute here to Dr. Robert Kirschner, who was Cook County's deputy chief medical examiner for many years. It was Dr. Kirschner who first determined that Burge was torturing prisoners (http://humanrights.uchicago.edu/chicagotorture/whatis2.shtml) back in the late 1980's, although his findings were not recognized Sara Paretskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17803185134430978343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153345627334738872006-07-19T16:47:00.000-05:002006-07-19T16:47:00.000-05:00This will be worth a post of its own at some point...This will be worth a post of its own at some point but <A HREF="http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/coptort19.html" REL="nofollow">the special prosecutor's report on Jon Burge is out</A>. In the 70s and 80s, Burge was commander at Chicago's Area Two headquarters which was notorious for eliciting confessions from suspects through torture. The report says the torture happened all right but the Kevin Guilfoilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08239157460247794910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153341396850085732006-07-19T15:36:00.000-05:002006-07-19T15:36:00.000-05:00Libby,Nice balanced argument. I believe that a few...Libby,<BR/><BR/>Nice balanced argument. I believe that a few employment indiscretions are a fine trade-off for what da Mayor has done for this city. But, anyone who believes Richard II was unaware of what was going on is a bit naive.<BR/><BR/>Look forward to reading future entries.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153341296547685692006-07-19T15:34:00.000-05:002006-07-19T15:34:00.000-05:00We continue to forget that government,which is the...We continue to forget that government,which is the product of the people who must deal with it,is first and foremost run by human beings,and I haven't seen any in my eighty some years who always got it right.Somewhere along the way they begin to act like the rest of us which is a great disappointment to us citizens,and if they don,t stay around too long they can get away with it.It's the second,Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153339212116865682006-07-19T15:00:00.000-05:002006-07-19T15:00:00.000-05:00excellent... keep it going!excellent... keep it going!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153332733896124632006-07-19T13:12:00.000-05:002006-07-19T13:12:00.000-05:00Hi, all. I've gotten a few emails from folks who s...Hi, all. I've gotten a few emails from folks who said they tried to leave comments on this post and couldn't. Not sure what's going on, but we'll try to figure it out. Meanwhile, thanks for trying...Libby Hellmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10693555214699897283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153332093250201252006-07-19T13:01:00.000-05:002006-07-19T13:01:00.000-05:00While Chicago politics, because of it's colorful h...While Chicago politics, because of it's colorful history, has had more than it's share of headlines, I feel it's no more or less worse than most other administrations. Since I became aware of the political beast (Nixon and his wife's good Republican cloth coat), I can't remember many that have been untouched by corruption or accusations of corruption, with the exception of Jimmy Carter (unless Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153319160801407562006-07-19T09:26:00.000-05:002006-07-19T09:26:00.000-05:00Great post!Great post!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153318778638580382006-07-19T09:19:00.000-05:002006-07-19T09:19:00.000-05:00I agree, BOSS is essestial reading for anyone inte...I agree, BOSS is essestial reading for anyone interested in Chicago politics.<BR/><BR/>And there's no way this current thing ends at Sorich & Co. A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with someone well-connected to the ongoing investigation. There's more to come, so stay tuned.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the great post, Libby.Sean Chercoverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00939494866272006802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29793018.post-1153260531902131482006-07-18T17:08:00.000-05:002006-07-18T17:08:00.000-05:00All through the Sorich trial I've been thinking ab...All through the Sorich trial I've been thinking about <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452261678/qid=1153260019/" REL="nofollow"><I>Boss</I></A>, Mike Royko's great book about Richard J Daley which, in addition to being terrific biography and history, did a better job of explaining how the Chicago machine worked (and to some extent still works) than everything else I've read about it Kevin Guilfoilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08239157460247794910noreply@blogger.com