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Question of the day

Posted in:

• Illinois

* The setup…

Six years ago, when he was merely a state senator and not yet the Republican nominee for governor, Bill Brady was pushing an idea that was something like an Illinois version of Mount Rushmore.

One of his constituents, Denny Rogers, whose long resume includes being a sculptor, had brought to Brady, of Bloomington, the idea for a possible Illinois Presidential Memorial Monument, which could be on a 400- to 600-acre site and feature 40-foot-high bronze heads of Illinois-based presidents.

At the time, that would have included Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and Ronald Reagan, who had all lived in the state. Now, of course, a fourth Illinoisan could be included.

* The Question: Relying heavily on snark, what faces should appear on an “anti-Rushmore” monument in Illinois? Explain if necessary.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:17 am

Comments

1. The monument would be too large for even a 600-acre site.

   Comment by tubbfan Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:28 am

2. Blago alone would be enough for 4 different faces.

   Comment by SAP Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:32 am

3. Len small, Otto Kerner, dan walker, george Ryan, rod blagojevich

   Comment by Juice Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:32 am

4. Juice took my answer

   Comment by I'm Just Saying Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:34 am

5. Len Small, Orville Hodges, Paul Powell, and in keeping with that fourth reserved place — which presently appears to be reserved for Rod Blagojevich.

   train111

   Comment by train111 Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:34 am

6. Juice nailed it. What other state has enough governor convictions to fill a mountaintop?

   Comment by Lefty Lefty Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:34 am

7. We’d have to remember to leave space for the next conviction, too. It seems to be inevitable around here.

   Comment by Lefty Lefty Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:35 am

8. Can we just use Roland Burris’s headstone and call it a day?

   Comment by Cincinnatus Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:39 am

9. stephen a. douglas, robert e. lee and walter mondale

   Comment by been there Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:40 am

10. Bill Cellini, sculpted out of asphalt.

    Comment by just sayin' Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:43 am

11. Ditto to tubbfan’s response.

    Comment by GOP gal Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:50 am

12. First of all, it is a really stupid idea. Mt. Rushmore works because it is among several scenic wonders in the Black Hills. The second sculpture of Crazy Horse, next to it, doesn’t get the attention of Rushmore, and probably never will. So advocating a Illinois Rushmore would be a failure, so it would obviously need to be funded with STAR bonds.

    That said, please recall that none of the men appearing on Rushmore ever lived in South Dakota, and only one - Roosevelt - ever visited the state. So an anti-Rushmore in Illinois shouldn’t be based on residency either.

    So, my first proposal would be:

    Indiana Vice Presidents
    Thomas A. Hendricks
    Thomas R. Marshall
    J. Danforth Quayle
    Schuyler Colfax
    Charles W. Fairbanks

    You can’t get as anti-Rushmore than with Vice Presidents, and as anti-Illinois as Indiana.

    Second Proposal
    Anti-Leaders of Rushmore
    King George III King of Britain during Revolution
    Aaron Burr Jefferson’s embarrassing VP, later accused of treason, murdered Hamilton in duel
    Philip II King of Spain during TR’s “Splendid Little War”
    Jefferson Davis President of Confederacy

    Proposal Three:
    Illinois Losers
    George Ryan
    Otto Kerner
    Dan Walker
    Len Small
    Rod Blagojevich

    I wouldn’t build this one until they are all dead. No way would I want Blagojevich memorialized while alive.

    Forth Proposal:
    Roland Burris Rushmore
    Oh wait, that already exists!

    Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:54 am

13. Illinois “monumental” scoundrels are easy to list, but when it comes to shameful political figures, we shouldn’t forget just how deep our bench is: http://yfrog.com/f/5s6h6g/

    – MrJM

    Comment by MrJM Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 11:57 am

14. Patrick Fitzgerald would be a good addition as the fourth person, his legacy will last a lifetime.

    Others prominent Illinoisans could include Walter Elias Disney or Ray Kroc.

    Comment by Quinn T. Sential Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 12:06 pm

15. Blago, George Ryan, Mike Madigan, Harold Washington

    The worst gov, worst SOS, Worst Speaker, Worst Mayor

    Comment by Heartless Libertarian Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 12:08 pm

16. Just watched “The Fugitive” with Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimball. Cracked up in the St. Paddy’s Day parade scenes when Roland Burris walked by!

    He’s gotta be prominently featured in any anti-Rusmore in the Land of Lincoln!

    Scott Lee Cohen?

    Judy Baar Topinka?

    Hizzoner?

    Comment by Mongo Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 12:10 pm

17. If this is an “anti-Rushmore” — meaning, a monument to dis-honorable Illinois figures — and it were limited to four, I would choose Blago, George Ryan, Paul Powell, and Len Small since their misdeeds were the most egregious and the most well known.

    I would say Powell’s shoeboxes trump Kerner’s racetrack stock; and Small, a governor who SHOULD have gone to prison but didn’t, trumps Walker, whose conviction took place long after he left office and had nothing to do with his official actions as governor.

    Comment by Secret Square Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 12:16 pm

18. Blago’s hair takes up four spots

    Comment by 71 Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 12:31 pm

19. faces? just sculpt up a combine and everyone will
    understand.

    Comment by Amalia Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 12:33 pm

20. um..how much is this going to cost? it this privately funded?

    Comment by Lucy Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 12:37 pm

21. Paul Simon or Dirksen.

    Rich Miller, Ozzie Guillen, Wumpus and Patrick Fitzgerald

    Comment by Wumpus Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 1:01 pm

22. Forget any busts. Just one large rear end, moon if you will, rising up over the prairie. And on this Mount Bunsmore, a bunch of large pimples labeled with all of the above mentioned names, minus Capitan Faxes, of course. These Illinoisans have sure shown theirs’ to the world.

    Comment by Vole Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 1:14 pm

23. Rich Miller and Bernie Schoenburg. The best political reporters in the State.

    Comment by Springfield Sceptic Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 1:27 pm

24. Wouldn’t a better monument be a giant hole in the ground, representing how much of our money they’ve all wasted/stolen/squandered/embezzled/misappropriated/redirected to their friends?

    The added advantage of the hole-as-monument concept is that it can be enlarged ad infinitum as future officials/thieves inflict their schemes upon the body politic.

    Comment by Missing the Obvious Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 1:36 pm

25. Walter Payton, Mike Ditka, Dick Butkus, Jesse Owen-real Illinois heroes

    Comment by really?? Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 2:48 pm

26. Juice at 11:32 AM has the right selection for our Illinois “Band of Brothers” for the Illinois “Hall of Shame” monument. Maybe we could have all of the convicted Illinois ex-governors that were mentioned by Juice leaning over with their heads and hands through the holes of a pillory with their faces showing and exposed for the public to scorn and ridicule? Yeah, I like it!

    It would be the next biggest Illinois tourist attraction since Superman at Metropolis, Illinois. We could use the tourist industry dollars that it would generate to help get Illinois off of the country’s select “Fiscally Dead and Dying” list of states. Maybe we could have it erected up next to the Stateville Prison in Will County? It would certainly be given national & international media publicity. Hmmmm? Wonder if we could get Barack to come back home (if we promised him a sunny day) to dedicate the memorial for us? Lots of “possibilities” here.

    Comment by Festus Hagen Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 2:48 pm

27. A goat.

    Comment by Pat Robertson Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 3:40 pm

28. Blago, Rosti, G. Ryan, M. Reynolds…that is a solid four; however, there there are a ton of other names that could be added…expand it to ten and you may have a pretty solid tribute to corruption etc.

    Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 3:54 pm

29. Blago, Jim Belushi, David Hasselhoff and the band, Chicago. They shame us all.

    Comment by wordslinger Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 4:09 pm

30. Anthony Robert Martin-Trigona, Andy Martin, and whoever else he’s calling himself these days.

    Comment by polisciguy Monday, Jun 28, 10 @ 4:20 pm

31. Couldn’t help but notice…..no women were listed.

    Comment by Women should govern! Tuesday, Jun 29, 10 @ 8:20 am

32. The 96th General Assembly

    Comment by PES Tuesday, Jun 29, 10 @ 8:23 am

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