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An impossible quest

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Illinois

Days after Jim Edgar was elected governor in 1990, he walked into his Chicago office suite to see none other than Congressman Dan Rostenkowski waiting for him.
Edgar barely knew Rostenkowski, but he realized that making one of the most powerful congressmen in the nation cool his heels in his outer lobby probably wasn’t a good thing. So he immediately invited Rostenkowski into his private office, apologizing that his staff hadn’t recognized the chairman of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.

Rostenkowski could be a pretty gruff guy, but he seemed completely unperturbed at the slight, Edgar told me a few months ago.

Once they were inside, Rostenkowski turned quickly to business and said something like: “I was with your opponent during the campaign, but you won and now I’m with you.”

And so began a friendship and strong working relationship that lasted four years and produced numerous projects and dollars for the state.

The two men spoke often, and Rostenkowski almost always came through, Edgar said. He was true to his word and helped Edgar get through some pretty tough times.

When Rostenkowski was under federal investigation during the 1994 Democratic primary, Edgar all of a sudden started hosting ribbon-cutting ceremonies with the suddenly vulnerable incumbent. After Rostenkowski was indicted a few months later, Edgar barely said a negative word.

Almost nobody figured that Rostenkowski could lose re-election, even under indictment. And his legislative abilities, seniority and position made him so important to Illinois and to Chicago that nobody in power wanted to see him go away.

But lose he did, to a hapless, unknown, underfunded kid with no backing other than local voter anger and a national Republican tidal wave.

Edgar stuck out his neck for Rostenkowski, but he has no regrets, and it’s hard to blame him. Those were different times. Most of the corruption cases back then were of judges and lower-level types. And Edgar had such a clean reputation that what little mud splashed on him soon washed off.

We saw the same sort of thing happen when George Ryan was governor.

After the Republican was elected and the federal corruption investigation began to bear down hard, reporters would often ask Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan for comment, and he would always say that he didn’t want to “kick a man when he was down.” Few people of either party ever spoke against Ryan, for that matter.

The reason? Mainly, Ryan had a real knack for getting things done, and he was willing to work with everybody he could to accomplish those goals.

It’s tragic for Illinois that true statesmen such as Ryan and Rostenkowski turned out to be crooked. Their nefarious behavior led directly to Rod Blagojevich’s rise to power. Blagojevich won Rostenkowski’s old congressional seat in the 1996 Democratic backlash and ran mostly against George Ryan when he defeated Jim Ryan in the 2002 gubernatorial election.

That didn’t work out so well, in case you hadn’t noticed. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that Blagojevich’s jurors somehow find a way to put that man where he belongs.

And now here we are, stuck with an accidental governor who can’t seem to get anything done and a Republican opponent who appears unable to grasp the very real crisis we find ourselves in. And Bill Brady has never been mentioned as a statesman.

It’s enough to make me want to scream.

Isn’t there anybody left out there who can play this game who isn’t also a crook? Anybody?

Hello? Is this thing on?

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:10 am

Comments

Please deliver us from evil. Amen.

Comment by One of the 35 Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:13 am
There is in Jim Edgar but unfortunately for health reasons, he doesn’t want to run. It would be a landslide if he did. Even his opponents respect him.

Comment by Why Not? Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:20 am
Brilliantly worded…. Thank you!

Comment by neo state worker Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:20 am
Diogenes may have left his lamp around somewhere after he gave up looking for an honest man.

Comment by Aldyth Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:21 am
yes. 3 words. senator mark kirk.

Comment by shore Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:23 am
“It’s tragic for Illinois that true statesmen such as Ryan and Rostenkowski turned out to be crooked.”

What a ridiculous statement.

Comment by Living in Oklahoma Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:23 am
I remember, at one time, there was a blow-up doll of Edvard Munch’s “The Screamer” at one of the Capitol Building’s offices for a while in the 90’s. We could always duplicate it and set it outside every voting precinct this November.

Comment by Interested Observer Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:24 am
Where have you gone, Alan Keyes?

Comment by Davey Boy Smithe Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:24 am
“Isn’t there anybody left out there who can play this game who isn’t also a crook? Anybody?”

Of course. But none with the backing of the Illinois power brokers, who all have way too much to gain– since they are all themselves crooks (or at least crooked enough to maximize personal gain within the limits of the law, like Madigan).

Comment by Confused Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:25 am
Very nice piece.

“Beat! beat! drums! — blow! bugles! blow!
Through the windows — through doors — burst like a ruthless force,
Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation,
Into the school where the scholar is studying;
Leave not the bridegroom quiet — no happiness must he have now with his bride,
Nor the peaceful farmer any peace, ploughing his field or gathering his grain,
So fierce you whirr and pound you drums — so shrill you bugles blow.

Beat! beat! drums! — blow! bugles! blow!
Over the traffic of cities — over the rumble of wheels in the streets;
Are beds prepared for sleepers at night in the houses? no sleepers must sleep in those beds,
No bargainers’ bargains by day — no brokers or speculators — would they continue?
Would the talkers be talking? would the singer attempt to sing?
Would the lawyer rise in the court to state his case before the judge?
Then rattle quicker, heavier drums — you bugles wilder blow.

Beat! beat! drums! — blow! bugles! blow!
Make no parley — stop for no expostulation,
Mind not the timid — mind not the weeper or prayer,
Mind not the old man beseeching the young man,
Let not the child’s voice be heard, nor the mother’s entreaties,
Make even the trestles to shake the dead where they lie awaiting the hearses,
So strong you thump O terrible drums — so loud you bugles blow. ”
[Walt Whitman]

Comment by Ghost Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:26 am
===It’s enough to make me want to scream.===

I know, right? We need a Howard Beale moment right about now. Great column Rich. Thanks.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:27 am
Lisa Madigan is a very intelligent person and certainly not a crook. But she won’t run for Governor to help us out.

Judy Topinka is an experienced legislator and elected official who is also certainly not a crook. But she had her reputation trampled by Blago’s money machine and can’t help us now.

Jesse White is a well-respected and experienced elected official who is also certainly not a crook. But he’s a bit older than most people who get elected Governor and he’s not running.

There are dozens of state reps and state senators who are not crooks. They work hard to represent their constituents and try their best to get things done in spite of the leadership of their parties.

I appreciate Rich’s frustration, but let’s lay off the “crook” label. Too many people are being tarred with the wrong brush.

Comment by DuPage Dave Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:28 am
I don’t believe Quinn is a crook. He may not be particularly effective, but he is not a crook.

Comment by Niles Township Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:32 am
@shore
=yes. 3 words. senator mark kirk. =
So you’re suggesting that MK isn’t crooked? He seems to have a problem identifying what’s the truth and what isn’t, though.

Comment by Phil Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:37 am
Your column was excellent, Rich.

It seems we have governors who are either incompetent or crooked. Edgar was both competent and upright, and we need more leaders in general who are like this.

Comment by Regular Reader Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:38 am
Perhaps what is needed is some sort of mass ‘get your head out of your collective A–es’ rally.

No one asking for more money for anything, no one asking for less money for anything, just folks who want the elected leaders to lead and not just punt down the road again.

It wouldn’t do much good but I would feel better…

(sigh)

Comment by OneMan Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:39 am
Nice writing Rich. Not only is there an apparent dearth of those who know how to play the game honestly, but there is currently also a dearth of politicians who are willing to openly and respectfully work with and stand behind their colleagues from the “other” party when sometimes it would sooo be in citizens’ best interests to do so.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 10:43 am
Q: What are the 3 main reasons Jim Edgar chose not to run for a 3d term?
A: M-S-I.

Comment by SAP Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:00 am
I’m not sure the words “true statemen” apply to Ryan or Rosty, especially Ryan. I think Rosty had a great moments, like the 1986 tax reform bill. But I will always think of Ryan as another vacuous politician utterly without principle and dedicated only to a deal-making process in which everyone could feed at the trough.

Comment by jim Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:02 am
Rich - Terrific column. Power does indeed corrupt. With 11 million people in the state, certainly we should have better choices!

Comment by Gathersno Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:09 am
== Isn’t there anybody left out there who can play this game who isn’t also a crook? Anybody?==

Rich, you hit the problem — it is a “game” and average peple don’t know how to play it. I don’t think that Quinn is crooked, but he has become so enamored with hearing himself talk and seeing himself on tv that he lost sight of what he wanted to do 30 years ago. I also don’t think Madigan or Cullteron are crooks even though I dont always like their policies or the way they play the game. Cross and Radogno aren’t crooks, but they don’t know how to play the game.

Comment by ugh Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:09 am
Good column. I take issue with term “accidental governor” as applied to Gov. Quinn. “Accidental” implies that no one is at fault he is in that office, which I don’t believe is true.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:12 am
“True statesmen”?

Is this some sort of joke? Noxious pork barrel spending across the aisle makes one a statesman?

Comment by Outsider looking in Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:14 am
Noxious? Please. You’re so “trendy.” lol

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:16 am
That column is a thing of beauty. A perfect explanation of what has happened in Illinois.

Comment by Cindy Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:20 am
Rich Miller pining for George Ryan and Rostenkowski… Typical for a Madigan flak.

Comment by davE Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:29 am
Rich, there seems to be some incongruity between your point here and “the voters blew it!”. There is some confluence though if you conclude that the entire system is broken. Can our system produce your golden politician? Or do we need to work from the roots up to rebuild?

Comment by Vole Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:31 am
Of course everybody was buddy-buddy back then.

Illinois wasn’t mortgaged to the hilt. Plenty of money to go around to keep everyone happy!

It didn’t turn into ‘every man for himself’ until the money ran out.

That’s when things got ugly.

Comment by This Little Piggie Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:36 am
This is a great article, enough said.

Comment by Ahoy Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:38 am
Vole,

“Can our system produce your golden politician?”

Abso-freaking-lutely. It seams that all we need are people who aren’t afraid to NOT get elected in the next cycle. We are producing a generation of gutless wonders, and I don’t limit that to just politicians.

You only need to look to the military to see truly committed people doing the dirty job they volunteered to do. And if you look across the nation, you will see a plethora of new candidates, on both the left and the right, with recent military experience.

This gives me hope.

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:48 am
*seems

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:49 am
Rich, I agree that Ryan was a “statesman”, even tho he was a “to the victor goes the spoils” kind of politicion (is there any another kind?). I worked for Ryan during his first term as Sec of State and had previously watched him work legislation through the House. (Fawell fired me after Ryan’s re-election to SOS ’cause I wouldn’t let my staff campaign on state time.) When Ryan ran for Gov, friends asked me what kind of Gov he would be… I said, “Best we ever had if he doesn’t get indicted”. He just didn’t grasp that times had changed and the stuff his predecessors (and Mayor Daly) got away with (yes, including Edgar), would no longer be acceptable.

Seems to me Obama tried to be a non-corrupt do-gooder who actually tried to do what he said he would do… and where did that get him? Maybe that’s why competent, honest folks don’t consider politics as a positive career move. Only egomanics are dumb enough to believe they can balance these budgets without increasing income. We always seem to be left with two bad choices, aren’t we?

Comment by WordOnThe Street Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:49 am
===Plenty of money to go around to keep everyone happy!===

You obviously weren’t around in the early 1990s.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:50 am
“It’s tragic for Illinois that true statesmen such as Ryan and Rostenkowski turned out to be crooked.” …..
Capt Fax you were on the right path until that line….proving there is a little bit of DK in everyone.

Rosty’s “crime” was total crap ( hope that word gets past the purity police) George’s mistake was letting his friends steal everything. No comparison. The Edgar story does remind us of the yokels who

Rosty bounced back pretty well.
The jury will be the jury….maybe all this voter outrage the media writes about manifests itself as outrage against DOJ or USA.

Meanwhile those guys in legislature looked at the facts and did the right thing

have a great weekend

Comment by Reddbyrd Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:53 am
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. The answer is blowing in the wind.

Comment by N'ville Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:53 am
Madigan Flack? There were a LOT of us who changed our minds about Madigan when he was the only leader to stand up to Blagojevich. Still don’t agree with some issues, but think the man is basically honest.
As for Ryan, didn’t vote for him-thought he was a crook, but the old style politics at least got things done; Ryan’s main problem was that he didn’t understand that the times had changed.
And why anybody would have voted against Judy Barr to support Blago is still completely beyond my comprehension.

Comment by Downstate Commissioner Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:54 am
Right on the money–especially about MJM. Also right on the money about the current way. When I interened a was a total poltical junkie. Now I can hardly the watch shows that present my point of view.

The just say no, the inability to get anything done, hyperpartisanship (man, it was bad in the early ’90s, but this is off the charts!)

I’ll still vote…but the very idea of working a campaign–any campaign for that matter–starts to make my stomach hurt. Instead, I spend my spare time now investing. Numbers don’t impune my patriotism or being taking negative shots before the debate even begins…

Comment by someone else Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:57 am
The problem with politics in this state, the only way to stay in the game is to cheat.

Comment by Wensicia Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 11:59 am
“Cinci” I meant to write, “Can our POLITICAL system produce your golden politician?”

Comment by Vole Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 12:00 pm
Vole,

Same answer.Most politicians appear cowardly and entitled. They are afraid to take a real stand on things because they are afraid to lose elections. They feel that they need to be elected and reelected because only they can do the job.

Term limits?

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 12:10 pm
There are others that can “play” but few can afford the gate and others refuse to pay.

Comment by Indeedy Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 12:14 pm
Rostenkowski and Ryan to me stayed in public office long enough to lose their inner moral compass and got caught when they slipped up. They seemed to be both good men in corrupting jobs. While they were both professionals and both possessed a number of strong positive character attributes, they were both in office 20 years too long.

Edgar got out when his health reprioritized his life, and Brenda helped transistion him back to reality. I hope to one day see Jim with his hair messed up, then I’ll know he is back to normal.

Rod Blagojevich has a weak moral compass and public service was the last place he should have ever ended up. His continual need for attention, flattery and unearned praise and adulation in public office combined to corrupt him entirely. Blagojevich needed a career that trained him towards measurable accomplishments and goals so that he could recognize that his charm had it’s limits in the real world. He needed to have developed more skills than his charm.

Public office is a fun house, full of warped mirrors, freebies and unearned adoration from strangers. It is an unhealthy place to live. It rewards fakery, illusion and intangible goals as richly as it rewards accomplishments, leadership and tangible results. It gives you millions or billions or even trillions of dollars as a sand box. Term limits not only help communities from generating corruption within their governments, term limits also help those who work in elected government positions from being personally corrupted.

Corruption is the nature of humans. It is what we do. The more we empower governmental organizations, the greater we threaten ourselves and those we elect into governmental organizations.

One of the purposes of elections is to help our elected officials return to us and experience the real world. When elected officials are not challenged by elections, we run the risk of them going off the deep end. Single party governments are a problem in many ways, unchallenged elected officials losing their way is just one of them.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 12:20 pm
The problem with the game, as I see it, is that there is no reward for doing the right thing. Blago, Ryan, and yes, even Rosty, showed us there is a reward for doing the wrong thing.

We need to reward honest public service and punish corrupt, self-service in government. How do you incentivize a system that elects candidates who tell us what we don’t want to hear and who do things they think are right regardless of popularity?

We keep voting against those kinds of candidates in Illinois.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 12:24 pm
Spot on Rich, nothing more to be said. I doubt you will get a reply to your inquiry, at least not an honest one from anybody that I am aware of at his point in time.

Comment by Irish Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 12:24 pm
Shore, really, Mark Kirk?!

He pouted about whether the party chairman would run in the Republican Senate primary.

He loses his temper at special education leaders when they criticize him for not living up to his promise to push for the promised-but-never-delivered level of fed funds for special ed.

He lies about his accomplishments.

He then denies he lies.

And then when he apologizes, he misremembers (I gotta admit I am using that line myself now).

Mark Kirk is bad. Spoiled. Tainted. He would be a horrible Governor and will be a horrible Senator.

Comment by Mongo Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 12:29 pm
47th Ward,

Interesting point about the lack of reward. You’re right of course. Remember this the next time a politician says, “public service.” Perhaps I’m too cynical.

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 12:30 pm
Isn’t it a shame, that Edgar doesn’t want to take on the responsibility of running this state one more time. I don’t know anyone who has the honest reputation and the statesman’s abilities needed to work through this governmental “wreck” we now have.

Certainly no one running for the office or in the legislature presently.

Comment by downstate d Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 12:30 pm
We moved to Illinois years after the Cutback Amendment was passed but I’ve met some really smart people who believe it sowed the seeds of our state system’s decline, something about destroying the old system’s ability to counter Chicago’s dominance of the state. Has there been an analysis based on such a hypothesis that someone could recommend?

Seems to me we’ve been waiting on somebody to rise to the occasion yet we are ready to knock down anyone willing to give it an honest try. Lately I’ve been thinking about the following quote:

“It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them.”

Comment by yinn Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 12:56 pm
–Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that Blagojevich’s jurors somehow find a way to put that man where he belongs.–

I like your work, Rich, but this line caught my eye. I can’t root for putting Blagojevich in prison. I don’t really agree that’s where he belongs. And I don’t have an alternative in mind. I regret seeing this human tendency to find pleasure in others’ misfortune.

Comment by james Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 1:03 pm
“But lose he did, to a hapless, unknown, underfunded kid with no backing other than local voter anger and a national Republican tidal wave.”

Actually, Republican National Congressional Campaign Committee staffers noted a significant polling shift in that race two weeks before the election and authorized a $20,000 radio buy for Mike Flannagan (sp?) the last week before the election. That was some help.

“It’s tragic for Illinois that true statesmen such as Ryan and Rostenkowski turned out to be crooked.”

Spare me the “Ryan was statesman” schtick — where does one begin? One could end with the recent Trib report that the $100 million “Hillside Strangler” boondoggle was one of the 10 worst transportation moves in Chicago metro history. Too much more to write here.

For RM, Ryan was a “statesman” so long as he continued to hypocritically turn his back on Republican values, a trick Ryan learned at the knees of Jim Thompson but perfected to an art form.

Comment by Conservative Republican Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 1:10 pm
Cincinnatus you raise an interesting contradiction. We need to have people making decisions who are not afraid to lose the next election.

But the majority elect somone to represent them, ostensibly, to represent the voters desires. What your seem to be impling is that we need represenatives who do not act based on what the voters want, but follow some personal process of pursuing their what they want in opposition to the voters.

That is a bit simplistic, but the process is about representing the voters. If the coters want somethin done, then they speak at the ballot box and elect people to pursue those positions. Look at the upsets in cook county in various elections.

In short, a good elected official is not one that is anti-voter or acting against the desires of the voters. What we really need is a politician that represents the voters.

Comment by Ghost Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 1:22 pm
yinn,

Machiavelli! I wonder how many politicians have read him, or these guys for that matter.

Ghost,

Yup, it is a contradiction. Would that our elected Congressional Representatives and Senators voted the ObamaCare bill the way the voters wanted.

No matter.

A leader teaches convinces the electorate on unpopular measures he feel is right, right? We’ve see paltry little leadership in the past few years. But I will point out Chris Christie (yet again). He is bucking the system big time in NJ, taking on all of the special interests, and helping his citizens understand what he’s doing. His support has increased since his election, but oh brother, if the people he has pee-pee off get together, he is in for a difficult election. Unless, of course, he’ right.

Up ’til this year, I was never a proponent of term limits. I am now.

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 2:35 pm
Are we really better off that we had “statesmen” like Edgar and Ryan, who “partnered” with Madigan to cut deals like pension sweetener after pension sweetener, and pork barrel bond issue after pork barrel bond issue, until we were broke? Give me gridlock any day.

Comment by Upstate Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 3:04 pm
===Give me gridlock any day. ===

You got it now. Like it? Enjoying the fruits of nothingness? I hope you’re happy.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 3:07 pm
Great article, Rich. I’m trying to imagine a scenario where, upon entering his Chicago office in the days after the election, Rod Blagojevich found Dennis Hastert there saying, “I was with your opponent … but you won and now I’m with you.” Ha!

Comment by Cheswick Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 4:19 pm
George Ryan was the best governor we had for several years. Blago/Quinn are a sickening failure, but at least George could get things done. As for Edgar (MIS), well I was forced to buy tickets under his reign and Blagos. So for the last 4 Govenor’s I am still backing George. He treated folks well and was a great family man. All of us make mistakes, some are just public.

Comment by NRA associate Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 6:07 pm
Well, I thought Peter Fitzgerald fit the bill, but the combine would have none of it, so he gave us Patrick Fitzgerald and left Illinois.

Comment by JustaJoe Friday, Aug 13, 10 @ 6:07 pm
Maybe it is time for Rich Miller to consider running for a state political office? I am serious. Really! Although we may not always agree with his views, I am inclined to believe that we all consider him to be an honest and sincere individual in his beliefs. Who better than Rich to know “who is who” down in Springfield and how to get things done? He obviously is willing to listen to the other party and to work across the aisle or else he wouldn’t let all of us voice our divergent and often contentious and emotional opinions.

It is something to reflect on, Rich.You serve a worthwhile role in what you already do for all of the people in Illinois. Just imagine how much more you could accomplish by serving as an elected state office holder. I wonder what other elected officials down in Springfield would think if they heard that you were seriously considering running for an elected office? Maybe they would welcome it?Maybe it would scare them? Or, maybe they would be indifferent to the idea? This could prove interesting.

Comment by Cool Hand Luke Saturday, Aug 14, 10 @ 11:14 am