Al Capone Would Be Proud: The Ethics Of Rod

I can just see the slight smirk rolling across his face (oh, not Blagojevich, but Capone); even in complete darkness "six feet under". Come on, this is how they roll in "Chi-Town", where organized crime combines the best of old-school mafioso and a laundry list of corrupt politicians. Chicago's infinite history may not not be at the top of the political hit list of corruption, but unlike Geraldo Rivera's taping of Capone's empty vault, this town is full of "business as usual".

You may be aware that Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947) was an Italian-American Gangster who led a crime syndicate, which include activities ranging from smuggling, and bootlegging of liquor, as well as other illegal activities during the Prohibition Era during the 1920's and 1930's. His most notable alias was "Scarface", due to the long knife wound across his face. Though we are decades afar from the golden age of Capone, the political landscape has not changed, and in fact, Democratic politicians are now qualifying as the new "Family" in town. So, who is the new "Scarface"? Is it Rod Blagojevich? He does seem to be the most recently exposed whipping boy; and I am sure that media-nation will spin sort sort of conspiracy theory. But, unfortunately, "Scarface" is not one man, but really the entire storied history that has been unfolding for years.

Voters looked past the Obama Chicago connections during the 2008 election; party due to the overwhelming tidal wave of emphatic emotion that consumed the nation. For Pete's sake people, Tony Rezko was a wonderful, caring, and nurturing Chicago Slumlord. Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan received a sentence of six and a half years in prison on Wednesday, after being convicted on charges of racketeering, mail fraud, filing false tax returns, and lying to investigators - I am sure he was set up; right? And I suppose, Mayor Richard M. Daley was falsely charged with recent allegations of corruption and bribery in his administration. And that is just the short list; but now with the current controversy of Rod Blagojevich, we are being exposed to greater realization that "Change" in politics is a joke.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested after prosecutors said he was caught on wiretaps arrogantly scheming to sell Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat for cash or a plum job for himself in the new administration. To quote the bravado of Blagojvich, “I’ve got this thing and it’s (F'N) golden,” then stated, with reference to appoint Obama’s replacement, “and I’m just not giving it up for (F'N) nothing. I’m not gonna do it.” Prosecutors did not accuse Obama of any wrongdoing; and the president-elect said, “I had no contact with the governor his office, and so I was not aware of what was happening.” But recent events would suggest otherwise: which include relationships with other parties that dealt directly with Blogojevich. These guys know the playbook; have a "A" talk to "B", and I am therefore vindicated. Based on months of investigative work and wiretapping, The FBI stated in court papers that the governor was overheard conspiring to sell the Senate seat for campaign cash or high-paying jobs for himself or his wife, Patti, who is a real estate agent. He also spoke of using the Senate appointment to acquire a job with a non-profit foundation or a union-affiliated group, and even aspired use his seat to obtain an appointment as Obama’s secretary of health and human services or an ambassador (his salary requirements were between $250,000 - $350,000, plus political contributions in excess of $500,000). According to court records, the governor apparently made it known through selected envoys, that the seat could be obtained for the right price.

Throughout the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama emphasized he was far from politics as usual. He claimed he was beyond the typical Washington politics, the insider dealing, and represented real change. Yet, if we examine his history in Chicago, past relationships, and present connections, quite a different story emerges. Regardless of party affiliation, this is a serious matter that underlines our entire faith in a re-birth of government. Critics are quick to point out Blagojevich’s crimes are insignificant next to the larger scandals of Washington and Wall Street. They point out that the glorification of the World Trade Center catastrophe promoted the reckless invasion of Iraq, and that the irresponsible gambling on Wall Street deserves more attention. Forgot that fact, that 9-11 was the worst attack perpetrated on U.S. soil, since the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Forgot the fact, that the current housing crisis was also perpetuated by thug activists and the corruption of Freddie Mac, not just greedy money-whores on Wall Street (which are to blame as well.). This is a matter of personal integrity and the confidence in our system. So let's get past all of the political rhetoric and focus on the relevance of this scandal, and the doors it continues to open; which is the very issue that defined a nation, and an election, for the need for "Change". For a society with so much compassion and and a spirit of revival, we owe it to ourselves to make sure accountability is at the forefront of our culture. We are better than the lawlessness days of Capone, we are more aware of the prostitution of our government, and we are more confident that power resides in the people's hands to enact change. Integrity in government if the most important foundation we have, since everything we do, breath, and live is a sub-context of the institution. When we ignore corruption in government, regardless of magnitude, we not only perform a disservice to our nation, but we create acceptance and immunity, rendering it insignificant. The glory days of Chicago gangland had the same power, not from public fear, but from an accepted practice behind closed doors. But In this case, political corruption is now in the open and the voters are now exposed to the effects of political conduct. And if we continue to ignore these events, we have only ourselves to blame: Capone wins, and it is as if he never left.