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Justifying “Threemil”

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Illinois

* Man, this is silly…

Senate President Emil Jones Jr. pointed Tuesday to famous political dynasties from Chicago and beyond as he defended his effort to pass his South Side legislative seat to his son, Emil Jones III.

“I recall John F. Kennedy, president of the United States, when he became president, he recommended his brother. Right? And his brother was elected,” Jones said, in an apparent reference to Sen. Ted Kennedy, who followed his brother as a senator from Massachusetts.

“Mayor Richard M. Daley begot . . . Richard J. Daley,” Jones continued, inadvertently reversing the order of the Daley mayors.

Jones also mentioned House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, who helped daughter Lisa Madigan become first a state senator and then state attorney general.

Richard M Daley was elected on his own, as was Lisa Madigan. Yeah, the name was essential and the clout was huge, but they had much tougher races than Emil Jones, III will face against professional clown Ray Wardingly this November.

* The maneuver is far more reminiscent of what Bill Lipinski did for his less than spectacular son, or the Todd Stroger thing, or Bobbi Steele’s son being appointed to her seat, etc.

* The Sun-Times has been trying to reach Threemil for days, without success. This excuse is hardly adequate…

What does Emil Jones III have to say about his candidacy for his dad’s seat?

Nothing.

He has not returned Sun-Times’ phone calls or e-mails. Why? President Jones’ spokeswoman, Cindy Davidsmeyer, said Tuesday by phone from Springfield that Emil III is “still a private citizen, not on the ballot yet. That’s the way he’s conducting himself.”

* The Sun-Times concludes…

You can get hung up on how clout in this town can take a nobody from nowhere and set him up for life with money, prestige and a cushy job, based solely on blood.

Or you can learn to respect an old Chicago tradition:

Some folks — but not you — are special.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 10:48 am

Comments

On the WLS Jerry Agar show, a caller phoned him and informed Agar that Emil Jones III used to perform as Benny the Bull for the Chicago Bulls. Any truth to that?

Comment by ChiCountryGuy Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 10:51 am
It’s really an American thing, not just a Chicago or Illinois thing. Both parties, all over the country, throughout our history.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 10:53 am
hey E3, if I were you I would back out of this dynastic quagmire ASAP…your ability to get anything done will be nil after the press and the voters are done lambasting you…stay at your no show DCEO job…

Comment by Loop Lady Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 10:54 am
Anyone opposed to having Threemil as the new state senator will need to drag Barack Obama into this fight. Senator Obama cannot have this controversy on his agenda and between him and Axelrod, will take care of Threemil’s inheritance.

I can here Obama now if this thing goes unchecked: “This is not the Emil Jones I knew…”

This is a local issue that can become national very easily, and probably will.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 10:55 am
Threemil, you’re no Robert Kennedy.

Comment by Greg Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 10:58 am
Van Man is right the whole IL Dem debacle will be tamped down for the general election season…the GOP will still make Obama take a bath in this unsavory scenario…Axelrod is probably already working on a teflon strategy…

Comment by Loop Lady Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 10:58 am
Democracy degenerated into a pseudo-monarchy.If we ever get a constitutional convention in Illinois:banning relatives from all offices is a great idea.

Comment by Steve Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:00 am
Threemil refusal to even talk to the press is particuarly poor and hubristic. Canidates and up and coming canidates typicaly vie for press coverage and press time to get their name out for free; for Threemil to shun such coverage speakes volumes about him.

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:01 am
===Some folks — but not you — are special.===

“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”

Comment by Fan of the Game Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:02 am
“Richard M Daley was elected on his own, as was Lisa Madigan.”

I don’t know Rich, when Lisa was put in the senate, wasn’t she appointed? If not it was against a chump canidate like what Emil III will face this fall (under the old map I believe). Not that Lisa hasn’t had a tough race since (her race with Birkett got ugly), but you can’t say she didn’t get a ton of help from her pops. I remember it quite well, and to be honest, if her father wouldn’t have been there to help her in the AG race, and I think most politicos would agree with this statement, Lisa would hav lost.
Now I am not saying she hasn’t done a good job, or isn’t hard working or deserving for that matter. I am saying that without the help and backing of her daddy, she would not be where she is today.

Comment by Moderate Repub Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:03 am
Wordslinger, I’d suggest (although I could certainly be wrong) that Chicago is disproportionally plagued with this sort of thing. But I also believe the problem to be worse internationally than in Chicago–most prominently, of course, in the developing world.

Comment by Greg Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:04 am
===I don’t know Rich, when Lisa was put in the senate, wasn’t she appointed?===

Defeated an incumbent in the primary.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:04 am
Threemil? I like that!

Comment by Levois Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:08 am
Democrats all over the state must be proud. Power through blood line is royalty is’nt it. Maybe we should just get it over with and bestow upon some of these families formal titles like Prince or Baron or Duke. The Duke of Ward 33, the Earl of Calumet Heights. Kind of has a ring to it dont it?

Comment by Ted Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:08 am
===Defeated an incumbent in the primary===

A wounded incumbent, Bruce Farley to be specific, but she did it herself. Yes, with loads of help from the 13th Ward, but she knocked on more doors than anyone. She earned it.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:09 am
Gee, why doesn’t the Sun-Times reach him at his State job? Oh, wait, we know the answer to that one already.

Now that Jones is on his way out, why doesn’t Threemil’s boss fire him? What’s the payback risk? Would Blago and Emil have the gall to exact revenge so publicly? Oh, wait, we know the answer to that, too.

I have to say, though, if Threemil is as disinterested in work and campaigning as he appears to be, it will be a tough slog for him to survive a primary in a few years. Even machine voters expect some sort of hand-shaking routine from their reps.

Comment by South Side Mike Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:12 am
Moderate Repub - haven’t you ever heard of Google or do all you Madigan haters just like to believe your own rumors that you heard when you said them. Lisa challenged (against her father’s advice) incumbent Senator Bruce Farley in a primary and beat him. She faced a very tough challenge in the Dem primary when she ran for AG and also a very tough general opponent and beat him in a very close race. Lisa Madigan has been challenged in every race she ran, and she has won because she is a great candidate and a great Senator and Attorney General.

I have nothing against Emil appointing his son. If the voters of that district don’t like it - they should either replace their committeemen or dump Threemil at the next election. If the editorial boards don’t like it why don’t they put forward the idea about changing the law? Instead of just harping on Emil (easy target), they need to push an agenda for change.

Rich - did you copyright “Threemil” ? It is one of the best political nicknames (that we can use publicly) I’ve ever heard of!

Comment by siriusly Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:13 am
The passing of the baton to a family member os not uncommon outside of Chicago as well. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have been known to select their successors.

It is another example of how docile the voters are on election day.

Familiar name? OK I guess the devil I know is better than the devil I don’t know.

I sort of like the Trib’s countdown to the election and days the Cook County sales tax is in place. I would like to have election day be on April 16th so that the taxes would be prominent in the voters minds. History shows that voters forget after round 6 months.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:16 am
Rich,

May I humbly offer an alternative spelling of your coinage, “Threemil”?

How about “3mil Jones”

– SCAM
so-called “Austin Mayor”
http://austinmayor.blogspot.com

Comment by so-called "Austin Mayor" Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:19 am
Reports on nepotism in government get people all excited (while they are reading the article, that is), but what is the solution. Precious few have been put forth. If there are any options, who knows what they might be. Running for office is expensive, time consuming, and requires the unknown candidate without clout to spend thousands of hours begging for money and voter attention, at least before incumbency provides some security over time. If the opponent is the relative of a powerful politician, it would be reasonable for a wannabe pol to decide it isn’t worth the effort.

The residents of Emil’s district may not have a choice this time around but when III goes up for election again, they could insist on a better qualified candidate. Chances are, they won’t, though. Easier not to vote at all or vote for a familiar name.

Comment by Cassandra Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:22 am
Yeah Rich, where’d you come up with that clever moniker?

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:23 am
I hate to sound stupid, but do the voters in that district get any say at all on who will replace the retiring God Father Emil?

Comment by Dan S. a Voter and Cubs Fan Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:31 am
I blatantly stole it from a commenter.

Think it was 47th Ward? lol

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:31 am
Yep, 47th Ward on Monday came up with Threemil. Take a bow!

Comment by South Side Mike Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:32 am
*bows humbly*

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:38 am
== I have nothing against Emil appointing his son. If the voters of that district don’t like it - they should either replace their committeemen or dump Threemil at the next election. ==

If you can’t see how appointing his son into his spot does a dis-service to the people of his district, and the people of Illinois, then there really is no saving this state.

Comment by Speaking At Will Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:40 am
I wonder if someone was trying to make this a racial thing. Justifying this by saying that white politicans have done this with no problem. A very unfortunate conclusion no matter who does it or why, it’s still wrong simply have a family member appointed in your place without them having to win an election.

Comment by Levois Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:48 am
Rich, I think you’re giving the Mayor and the Attorney General a little too much credit. The races were tougher than Lipinski/Stroger/Steele, but they never would have been on the ballot without their fathers. They hardly won the races on their own.

Comment by Bill S. Preston, Esq. Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:52 am
===they never would have been on the ballot without their fathers.===

Nobody ever said that was untrue. It’s pretty obvious, in fact.

But Daley/Madigan went through tough primaries and worked hard on their own to build their reputations. That’s the real difference.

In other words, your argument is a red herring.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 11:54 am
$3millionaire…thanks to all the graf and corruption

Comment by Reality Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 12:01 pm
I don’t think the problem that needs solving is all that complex. As far as people trading on Daddy’s (or Mommy’s, but so far, it’s been all fathers) name, reputation, clout and money, so what? People do that all the time. The problem that needs solving is people choosing to retire after the ballot deadline so that a party committee gets to choose the candidate.

That should be solvable, such as requiring a primary, even if it has to be run in a week with all comers on the ballot (just imagine that chaos). Something that would be a poison pill (difficult to control in other words) to the pols that be.

Comment by cermak_rd Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 12:14 pm
Suffice to say that the offspring of the likes of Hynes, Madigan, Daley, and perhaps even Stroger had stronger resumes than that of ThreEmil. Furthermore, it can be argued that the political climate today is different than when any of the aforementioned ascended into their roles. Accordingly, it’ll be a relatively tougher road ahead for ThreEmil to take over his dad’s seat.

Comment by The Doc Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 12:17 pm
Rich, I respectfully disagree.

Political dynasties use their name and their connections in campaigns. Primaries may have been tough, but they won them because of their names, who their fathers were, and who they already knew. It doesn’t match the nepotistic degree that appointment of kin to a seat is, but it’s in the same vein.

I just think “on their own” gives them too much credit.

They’ve obviously developed reputations on their own since being elected, but never would have had the opportunity to do so without their dads.

Comment by Bill S. Preston, Esq. Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 12:17 pm
When Lmadigan was running donwstate for AG, you would be hard pressed to find anyone outside of politics who knew the name of the speaker, much less that they were related. It may have helped her up north, but to get the vote down here she was on her own.

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 12:34 pm
Emil is not “appointing” 3mil. The committeemen of the district will choose a replacement candidate.
There will be an election. It is up to the voters to decide between 3mil and Spanky. John McCain or Colin Powell could be the republican candidate and 3mil would still win. So what is the problem? He has some very large shoes to fill and people will look at his record when he comes up again in 4 years. Give him a chance. I’m sure that he will be getting some very good advice and that he’ll do a decent job.
I’m looking forward to working with him or with whomever the Committeemen choose.

Comment by Bill Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 12:39 pm
Put 3mil’s resume against Lisa’s (pre-Farley win). This is a no-brainer. She’s a smart gal. And has been said, she works.

I mean, I’m more qualified that 3mil, as are many of you who comment here, and I wouldn’t be prepared to be state senator tomorrow or in January.

This is turning into a joke. A bad one.

Comment by BandCamp Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 12:40 pm
“3mil” looks too much to me like a shortened version of “three million,” so I think I’ll stick with “Threemil.” Then again…

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 12:46 pm
Lisa Madigan wanted the Senate seat and the previous Dem Senator wouldn’t vacate - so oddly he was prosecuted for ghostpayrolling and went to prison.
Poof - Lisa is a State Senator

Lisa Madigan wanted AG but hadn’t even handled one single legal dispute and was up against the experienced US Atty John Schmidt - so John Schmidt was shutout of Dem events and was even called a racist in the waning days of the campaign.
(Too bad we cannot ask Pat Boderman to weigh in on that.)
Her general election opponent was blamed for sniper shootings on the East Coast and was blamed for an agreed plea on a burn victim.
Poof - Lisa is the AG

As for Richie Daley, he only had to put 10 or 11 innocent people on Death Row to win his campaign for Mayor.

Comment by Ignorance Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 12:46 pm
===Lisa Madigan wanted the Senate seat and the previous Dem Senator wouldn’t vacate - so oddly he was prosecuted for ghostpayrolling and went to prison.
Poof - Lisa is a State Senator===

An absolute lie.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 12:56 pm
===even called a racist in the waning days of the campaign.===

I assume you mean the stuff about his lilly white boutique law firm. I doubt anyone called him a racist, they (and myself included) just wondered why he didn’t hire any qualified minorities.

===As for Richie Daley, he only had to put 10 or 11 innocent people on Death Row to win his campaign for Mayor.===

You really are in love with your conspiracy theories, aren’t you? Remove tinfoil hat, please. I know it’s quite large, but I’m sure you can manage.

“Ignorance” is a fine screen name for you. Amazing.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 12:58 pm
Hey Wordslinger - NEPOTISM IS A DEMOCRAT PROBLEM.

You know all the names: Gore, Stevenson, Cuomo, Kennedy, Landrieu, Byrd, Clinton, Humphrey, Jones, Jackson, Daley, Mell, Lipinski, Joyce, Demuzio, Jacobs, Cullerton, Madigan, et cetera ad nauseum on the national AND local scene. There are so many of our Democratic Reps and Sens that are the sons and daughters of former Reps and Sens that it is hard to even keep track of them. Even Blagojevich and Fritchey came into their positions with the help of powerful fathers-in-law.
You Democrats make Govt a family business anytime you can. It’s only once in a while with the GOP and it’s never a direct handover like Demuzio, Jacobs, and Jones engineered in the State Senate.

Why do you guys have a such a deficit of qualified people?
Why do the rest of you work for these guys when you will never ever get a chance to lead yourselves?
Why are you surprised there is corruption in government?
And it’s even worse in the unions you control.

Comment by Don't blame us! Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 1:11 pm
Bruce Farley wasn’t indicted for being a no-show employee about the time Lisa wanted that job?

You deny that Pat Bodermnan went bananas when robocalls went out implying that John Schmidt was a racist?
Are you implying that there is any basis for that assertion?

Comment by Ignorance Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 1:19 pm
Rich Daley wasn’t in charge of multiple death row convictions that got thrown out?

J. Ryan had the others.

(And no, Joe Birkett didn’t prosecute a single one of them - despite what you yourself said about him when you were shilling for Lisa.)

Comment by Ignorance Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 1:22 pm
Farley was indicted long before that idea emerged. Farley was one of MJM’s top lieutenants, so this was not an easy thing to do for His Royal Highness.

And it’s Botterman, not Boderman. Pat was a passionate guy, so of course he freaked. Do you even know what the heck you’re talking about?

What I believe I wrote at the time was Lisa Madigan went to S. Africa to work with poor black people, came back and worked with poor black people through an after-school police-based community program (I believe it was that), while Schmidt ran a lilly white boutique law firm.

I’m not sayin… I’m just sayin.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 1:26 pm
== Rich Daley wasn’t in charge of multiple death row convictions that got thrown out?===

No dispute. What I dispute is that you claimed this is what made Daley the mayor.

You really need to take a breath.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 1:29 pm
John Schmidt was anything but a racist and it was a mean thing to imply. I abhor that kind of politics though I know it goes on.
(Sorry I mispelled Pat Botterman’s name - he was kind and thoughtful guy.)

Comment by Ignorance Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 1:35 pm
Yes, I was stretching to say that made him the Mayor.
Cheap shot on my part.
He has done a great job as Mayor. Better than his Dad I think.

Too bad the prosecutions brought about a moratorium. We need to have that threat to get pleas for life sentences.

Comment by Ignorance Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 1:37 pm
Don’t blame us! - “It’s only once in a while with the GOP and it’s never a direct handover ”

One name: George W. Bush

Comment by paddyrollingstone Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 1:49 pm
NEPOTISM IS A DEMOCRAT PROBLEM.

Bush is a Democrat?

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 1:57 pm
Rich, I was fully expecting the opponent to really be a clown. So sad

Comment by Wumpus Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 2:05 pm
Does Bush 43’s election really qualify as a “direct handover” since there were 8 years of Bill and Hillary between him and his father? And, if Hillary had been the Dem nominee this year and had won, would that qualify as a “direct handover” of the White House, given that they’ve both been out of it for almost 8 years?

Comment by Secret Square Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 2:07 pm
Carol Marin got it right - Godfather Jones has acute nepotitis.

There is absolutely no justification for the Godfathter to appoint hs son Fredo as his successor. The poor sap doesn’rt even have a college degree. I doubt that he has any serious professional accomplishments, other than jobs his father got for him - or any natural talent that would justify his appointment. He ’s probably a lote les talented than Todd Storger, which is saying a lot.

Remember what happened to Fredo after the Godfather passed form the scene!

Comment by Captain America Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 2:54 pm
Okay, so you have Bush - who had to beat incumbent Ma Richards to become Governor and then get reelected first. Oh yeah, didn’t he have a wide open presidential primary too? The fix was not in.

In any case you still have the entire remainder of your party history to refute.

Why not just embrace the reality of it? Think how much you could save on yard signs and bumper stickers by just being intellectually honest.

Comment by Don't Blame Us! Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 2:57 pm
I cannot muster up a comment except - *sigh*

Comment by Black Ivy Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 3:00 pm
SCAM 11:19

As opposed to his dad, $.55mil Jones.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 3:18 pm
nepotism does not mean a direct handover, I was thinking of all the family members who have obtained jobs or been elected to office using the family name and contacts, the least of which also includes Jeb.

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 3:22 pm
Ghost -
That’s a ridiculous definition of nepotism.
The Daley kid had a well-paying job as an city inspector.
His grandpa said famously “nepotism works” proving that the family practices it.
Emil the III had a great paying job without a college degree.

Running in an open election in a state where the last Governor was a Dem, and then being reelected is NOT nepotism and it is not a moral equivalent.

We all benefit or suffer from our names and parental contacts. You really have to bend the definition of the word to protect your partisan aims.

Comment by Don't Blame Us! Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 3:36 pm
Was there this big a stink when Deanna Demuzio was appointed to her late husband’s seat? I don’t recall.

Comment by Captain Flume Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 3:38 pm
Captain Flume,

Did the late Demuzio arrange for his widow to take his seat after the primary but before the general election? That is the issue.

If a committee chooses to replace a politician with a family member, that may not be wise, but it’s not because of prior arrangement. It’s when politicians deny their constituents a voice by evading primaries that this becomes a bigger no-no.

Comment by South Side Mike Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 3:48 pm
Schmidt is/was not a racist. Just a horrible politician. During her first race for AG LIsa was pummeled by the press. Schmidt was called the best candidate ever for AG, Lisa the worst. Literally, that is what was said. Now, Lisa is the greatest AG on earth and should be governor and the first female President. Its classic media-driven over-reaction both in the positive and negative. Lisa was not the least qualified candidate ever and isn’t the greatest AG ever. Somewhere in the middle lies the truth. But still, Schmidt really was a horrible politician.

Comment by 2for2 Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 3:51 pm
Is it too early to get 3mil’s kids on the ticket? After all, they’ll need a job in the future and they might as well get started at the public trough as soon as possible. If ability, intelligence, good judgment and maturity skip a generation, we certainly want another incarnation of Emil Jones, Jr. Why take a chance that 3mil MIGHT turn out to be honest or ethical? That might be too radical a concept for Illinois voters too handle.

Comment by BobW Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 4:03 pm
word is absolutely right. Nepotitis has infected everyone but the Greens.

Who could say with a straight face that the various Cellini, GRyan, Libri, Irv Smith, (and a few other names I’m forgetting right now) relatives populating State payrolls all got there because of “merit?”

Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Aug 20, 08 @ 6:24 pm
I’d still like to know what the Bushes have to do with Illinois. I’d also like to point out that the Jones appointment is just that: an appointment to a full term as senator. There is no electoral process. Jones Jr. ran and won the primary. He bowed out and arranged for a few committeemen to appoint his son in his place. It is a devastatingling Democratic district in which the son with “run” (man, do I use that word lightly) a literal clown who wouldn’t have a chance if his last name were Reagan. The Democratic primary WAS the election.

Threemil (kudos to the author!) will then be the beneficiary of the usual machine chicanery after his term ends and he actually has to stand for “re”election: potential candidates will be intimidated or enticed to give up their aspirations. Anyone who stays on will face bogus ballot challenges. Just to be sure, they’ll maybe through in a shill or two to spread out the anti-threemil vote.

You want to run despite these overwhelming odds? Okay, maybe you’ll have a chance if you want to spend a million dollars to win an $80,000 job. Hmmm, what, then, are YOUR actual intentions?

So, we get the beclouted ones, or the rich ones with agendas. Regular folks have no chance of ever aspiring to represent their peers. “Democracy” at its finest.

I wonder if Senator Change will be speaking out against this tonight? HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Thursday, Aug 21, 08 @ 8:56 am