The L goes to Washington: White House becomes Chicago's 51st Ward

Disclosure:
I'm an overly-proud Chicago-boy who has since moved away to attend college and have been gone for about a decade. I love Chicago, though at times am disgraced with how things are run in the city. It comes with the territory.

It's a Tuesday in June, and I am in one of the high-ceiling big rooms of the old office building next to the White House.

As I look around the room at the players assembled here -- including this scribe -- I'm thinking that with a few twists of fate, this all-Chicago gang could be huddling in Mayor Daley's City Hall.

In front of me is Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Obama who today is chairing a roundtable marking the 37th anniversary of Title IX, the sports equity law. Across the room is Arne Duncan, the education secretary.

Seated in the first row is Tina Tchen, director of the White House public engagement office. Leaning against a wall is Susan Sher, chief of staff for Michelle Obama. In back of me in the vestibule is Daniel Hornung, a graduate of the University of Chicago Lab School who is working this summer for Jarrett. He is a friend of the daughter of Desiree Rogers, the White House social secretary. Marilyn Katz, a public affairs consultant visiting from Chicago, is also at the Title IX event.

Jarrett, Sher, Duncan and Tchen were all Daley appointees on boards or in top posts at City Hall, as was Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. David Axelrod was Daley's political adviser. First lady Michelle Obama worked a stint at City Hall.

The Chicagoans have replaced the Texans in the White House.

In Washington, the relationships among the key players in government are subject to speculation and fascination over whether there is a "Chicago way" in the six-month-old Obama White House. There is a romanticized notion of Machine politics in the air here, though only remnants of it still exist in Chicago.

I've wisecracked that there are so many Chicagoans in the Obama administration, it's like covering the 51st Ward. Obama has swept into office with him dozens of Chicagoans, in all kinds of jobs.
www.suntimes.com...

Whether one is a Chicago Democrat or Republican, the one thing we knew when Barack Obama was elected President...Chicago's place was about to invade Washington D.C.

But, I remain torn about if this is a good thing.

Corruption, organized crime, and scandals have been synonymous with Chicago politics since its inception. Nothing new. Chicagoans are so used to our politicians going to prison, we basically snicker and laugh. It has become entertainment.

I can say this--I certainly hope the "Chicago ways" don't become the norm for running this country.

Time will tell.

Fact is.........I do believe almost if not all the politico's of our day have a hand on one pocket or another. I am a firm believer in term limits as I age in this world. Yep, Chicago has had it's bad boys and girls.....but yet here I am in Nevada..go figure. I have known many a fellow that was in the game. Each and everyone was within reach.....HARRY REID....JOHN ENSIGN.....Now, should I list the members of the police from the top down? Look at our Gov...

The world is ours for the picking....as long as your are a "SERVANT" of the people.

I am going on 57 y/o......am quite in tune with my world...but we need to stop this now. TERM LIMITS...the lobby needs to be kicked to the curb...limited at very least. It starts at home...your state ..my state..time is long passed since this should have become the agenda.


simple but to the point....let's pull this crap to the curb...and P*SS on it.

nough said?

E

This was always my thought on Obama being so un-questioned during his campaign and his election. Illinois politics and more specifically Chicago politics have been suspected (and often proven) as the dirtiest politics in the U.S. The "Chicago way" terminology goes hand in hand whenever a major political decision or expenditure occurs in the city. So why would no one even question how a very young (in President terms), very unproven candidate arises from the dirtiest political city/state in the nation?

People were very critical of me when I told them I would not vote for either Presidential candidate because #1. McCain/Palin....really? That is the best two the republicans can find and #2. As sad as it is, I find it REALLY hard to trust a man/party that came from our most politically corrupt city/state in the whole U.S.

Not a Chicago native, my wife is and we lived there for 10yrs before moving to New Zealand...I always loved the tongue in cheek saying that came around election time(s)

Vote early, vote often!

gotta love Chicago politics and politicians...most of the time...they don't even try to hide the nepostism, contract fast tracking and bid rigging, political pay outs and buy offs. It's business as usual.

[edit on 27-7-2009 by deadbang]

From a news release today:

August 4, 2009

WASHINGTON. D.C. – Following reports that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has been orchestrating an effort to intimidate members of Congress and Governors who raise legitimate concerns regarding the effectiveness of the stimulus, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-CA) sent a letter to Emanuel saying “While this type of scare tactic may work In Chicago, it will not work to intimidate me or other Members of the United States Congress.”

“I and others have dared to bring these facts to the attention of President Obama, the Congress and the American people,” Issa wrote. “You’ve unfortunately reacted by once again resorting to the playbook of the Chicago political machine.”

“At what point do you believe your practice of Chicago-style politics violates a public official’s right to speak out in favor of alternative policies,” Issa asks.
republicans.oversight.house.gov...

a reply to: MOFreemason

I am bringing this thread forward, with new and relevant information:

www.salon.com...
(Jan. 2015) RAHM EMANUEL'S OFFENSIVE NEW PENSION-GUTTING SCHEME

Mayor Emanuel is now arguing that city pension funds are NOT part of city government, in order to make sure he can't be dinged for accepting $600,000 worth of donations from firms managing Chicago's pension money.

Big mayoral election in Chicago this year, 'natch.