Archive for the ‘Otto Kerner’ tag
Business as usual in Springfield, Ill. no comments
I am sure you’re shocked at Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) arrest by the FBI on federal corruption charges.
Or, at least, I am sure you would be if he were not the latest in a long line of governors of the Prairie State to face federal prison. His immediate predeccessor George Ryan is in the federal pen for corruption as I write. It’s unbelieveable. Al Capone deserves a posthumous pardon on the grounds that he was an upright and honest citzen of Chicago relative to these hoodlums.
Corrupt. Allegedly.
It’s hard not to feel sorry for Rodders. What sort of role-models had he to look up to? Yahoo have a story which details the example he had set for him:
Otto Kerner, a Democrat who was governor from 1961 to 1968, served less than a year of a three-year sentence after his 1973 conviction on bribery, tax evasion and other counts. He was convicted of arranging favorable horse racing dates as governor in return for getting horse racing association stock at reduced prices.
Dan Walker, a Democrat who was governor from 1973 to 1977, served 1 1/2 years of a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty in 1987 to bank fraud, misapplication of funds and perjury. The charges were not related to his service as governor.
George Ryan, a Republican who was governor from 1999 to 2003, was convicted of corruption in 2006 for steering state contracts and leases to political insiders and helping cover up bribes paid in return for truck drivers licenses while he was secretary of state and then governor. He is serving a 6 1/2-year prison term.
In addition, William Stratton, Illinois governor from 1953-1961, was later indicted but was acquitted on charges of income tax evasion.
Also, blagojevich means ‘donkey rustler’ in Serbo-Croat. I bet nobody checked this simple pointer when the governor was sworn in, the poor trusting fools……..