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A thousand words
Wednesday, Jan 15, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller * Dave McKinney and I talked about the back-story behind this photo the other day, so I’m glad he tweeted it out…
He just stood there, as if he was posing. Usually, folks at the center of a big media firestorm tend to lay low. But he not only dined at a popular spot for political types and then stood for a brief interview with WBEZ, he let the photographer take 40-50 shots while he talked on the phone. “Seemed oddly deliberate” is right. Was he sending some sort of message to the feds and/or anyone else? Or was he getting a little kick out of the attention? Or… ? I just don’t know. But this is highly unusual behavior.
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- Robert the Bruce - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:09 am:
It wouldn’t surprise me if he asked a friend to tip off WBEZ.
Maybe he’s feeling out of the loop and wants to still look powerful. Maybe he wanted to signal strongly to Madigan that he’s not cooperating with the feds. Who knows.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:10 am:
Perhaps he’s just a narcissist?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:15 am:
Very fascinating. I mean, most other people go into hiding like cowards - Tobolski, Sandoval, etc. But this guy carries on his business like nothing is wrong. Maybe that’s the message he is trying to send - I have nothing to hide so I have no reason to hide. We will see how this whole thing shakes out.
- Boog Alou - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:16 am:
I usually prefer to assume ignorance over malevolence, but this is the same mindset that leads one to put even the worst things in an e-mail, because one thinks that one is untouchable.
- Not again - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:17 am:
Nice to see his phone was restored after the virus it had in May.
- Cubs in '16 - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:17 am:
Maybe McClain should ask Blago how smug and arrogant behavior worked out for him.
- Red ghetto in a blue state - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:19 am:
Mr. McClain rarely seeks attention. This was definitely deliberate.
- The 647 - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:20 am:
So?
- NIU Grad - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:21 am:
Hey, it’s a strategy. If your major argument will end up being “I did nothing wrong, this is just business as usual,” acting “normal” in public is a way to set that tone.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:25 am:
It’s a deliberate show of “so far, they have nothing”.
That may or may not be true, but he’s free, not indicted, and going about his day “unaffected”.
Whew.
- Steve - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:26 am:
Some might be reading too much into this. McClain is under a lot of pressure. He probably expects to be indicted. He’s got legal problems. There’s not much he can control. The media is going to write stories about him. Whatever he’s done, he’s done. Things can’t be undone. He probably wants to attempt to stay on his normal routine as much as he can. What may appear to be weird or odd it a gone trying to survive under pressure. Pressure that most of us can really understand.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:31 am:
===stay on his normal routine as much as he can===
OK, but posing for pictures is not his normal routine.
- Not for Nothing - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:33 am:
‘Cubs - Mike McClain is many things, but he’s no Rod Blagojevich.
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:34 am:
Maybe he’s simply trying to displace the use of his unflattering file photo.
– MrJM
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:36 am:
=Cubs - Mike McClain is many things, but he’s no Rod Blagojevich.=
Yeah, not even Blago used information about a rape to pressure someone.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:36 am:
===OK, but posing for pictures is not his normal routine.===
No kidding. Those guys are famously camera-shy:
https://abc7chicago.com/news/i-team-tracking-down-mike-madigan/1555090/
- Charlie Brown - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:37 am:
We all remember the photos of Dan Rostenkowski running down the street and diving into a car.
Running just triggers a chase. Running just makes it look like you’ve got something to hide. Running and hiding is not what you should do.
Those photos of people walking into federal court with coats over their faces trying to hid themselves from the cameras make them look both ridiculous and guilty.
McClain is acting like a guy with nothing to fear and nothing to hide. Maybe he is overacting. But honestly, what did you expect him to do, say “No comment” as he jumped into a getaway car?
- Steve - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:38 am:
-What may appear to be weird or odd it a gone trying to survive under pressure. Pressure that most of us can really understand.-
Let me may a correction, because those 2 sentences have mistakes.
What may appear to be weird or odd is someone trying to survive under pressure. Pressure that most of us can’t really understand.
As far as the posing, it might be his way of attempting to deal with whatever pressure he’s under.
- Rutro - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:42 am:
It was smug. The fed’s don’t seem to like smug.
- Lincoln Lad - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:47 am:
I never met the man, but it almost seems he’s not firing on all cylinders.
- SAP - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:48 am:
==Running just makes it look like you’ve got something to hide.== There is a difference between not running away and actively seeking attention.
- Upon Further Review - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:52 am:
The Herald-Whig in Quincy just doesn’t make one feel quite as important. . . . . .
- Randomly Selected - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:53 am:
If Mike McClain is living his normal life and the press is now following him then that’s not him seeking attention, that’s the press seeking him out. This has all died down quite fast and it seems like they just need content to keep the churn going. The feds don’t work on the same timeline as the press so the press need to fill time.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:53 am:
===This has all died down quite fast===
What world are you living in?
- Upon Further Review - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 9:59 am:
=Randomly Selected=
Um, did you see the Governor’s comments from yesterday? One might argue that lighter fluid was applied . . . . .turn on the news . . . .at least Randomly.
- lake county democrat - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 10:00 am:
I wonder if the rape victim saw this photo they’d think it was “courageous” - to me courageous would be answering Dave’s questions. Or if she feels sorry for all the “pressure” he is under while he dines at an upscale steakhouse.
- Chambanalyst - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 10:11 am:
McClain is giving me real Roger Stone vibes with all this clamoring for attention
- don the legend - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 10:11 am:
This photo might make a good “Caption Contest”
- Just Another Anon - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 10:12 am:
@ Mister Jay M
That was my thought exactly. Rather than have that washed out and awkward file photo, give the press something that makes him look less…creepy uncle and more powerful businessman?
- Randomly Selected - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 10:15 am:
== What world are you living in?==
The world where there’s no new news on this story to report on so reporters are tweeting “remember last week” to keep this alive until something new brings this back to the forefront, if it ever does.
== Um, did you see the Governor’s comments from yesterday? One might argue that lighter fluid was applied . . . . .turn on the news . . . .at least Randomly. ==
The governor put a little sauce on it yesterday but he didn’t say anything to keep this story as hot as it was last week.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 10:36 am:
===didn’t say anything to keep this story as hot as it was last week. ===
Just because it isn’t white hot doesn’t mean it isn’t red hot. You need a nap.
- Middle of the Roadster - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 10:48 am:
Total Frat Move pic.
- Flapdoodle - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 10:57 am:
McClain doesn’t seem to do anything without a reason or purpose, and he certainly knows better than to show worry or nerves in public. He’d just been tracked down by reporters who were still on the scene, so McClain stayed in character by nonchalanting the phone call, showing he’s still in control, staying cool. Nothing very unusual in his behavior, given the circumstances, except maybe letting himself be found in the first place.
- Henry Francis - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 11:27 am:
He’s just pulling a Junior Soprano.
- Randomly Selected - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 11:34 am:
== Just because it isn’t white hot doesn’t mean it isn’t red hot. You need a nap.==
You’re giving me colors to describe the heat of a story. I’ll take that nap if you leave some at the dispensary for other people.
:-)
- Mr. Smith - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 11:36 am:
From his appearance in the picture, he does not look like a guy who is going to make a public spectacle by sprinting away. In fact, sprinting away would have just convinced more people that he has something to hide.
Not saying he doesn’t have reason to worry. But lots of people have reason to worry right now, and this story isn’t going to either go away or be resolved in the next news cycle.
- midway gardens - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 12:42 pm:
Pritzker calls on McClain to cooperate. Mike Madigan stays silent.
- West Side the Best Side - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 1:08 pm:
Well we do know he wasn’t on his cell trying to get Madigan on his cell.
- Lasik - Wednesday, Jan 15, 20 @ 4:47 pm:
Has anyone stopped to consider that maybe he didn’t see the reporters clicking away? I’m mean have you seen those glasses he is wearing?