Walter's Perspective: The Shame Of Illinois Is Our Shame
CHICAGO (CBS) – How famous we are tonight: the great state of Illinois, the only state, the only electorate, that can say we have two former governors in prison at the same time.
This won't happen, but just imagine George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich in the same cell.
"Yo, Rod," says George. "C'mon in. So they got you, the same as me: bribery and extortion, that bleepin' stuff we do, like everybody in politics. I mean, what the bleep? The only thing difference between us and the rest -- and you shouldna done it, Rod -- was try to sell that Obama Senate seat. Too many people knew what you were doing."
"Yeah, I know. I'm a dummy. Fourteen years in this joint! Lucky you, George, only six and half."
And so it goes in the great state of Illinois, once famous for gangsters, the bad guy Al Capone. Then famous for the good guys, Michael Jordan and the Bulls.
Now again famous for bad guys -– the corrupt politicians elected to public office.
And whose fault is it? The place to look for that is in a mirror.
