Tricks and treats from the scary state of politics
TRICK: Even though Lisa Madigan says that she has no plans to run for Chicago mayor and will happily continue serving as Illinois attorney general after winning re-election next Tuesday there are political observers who don't believe it.
When Mayor Richard Daley decided not to run, the stars became aligned for a Madigan-Madigan city-state tag team. On Nov. 3, the day after the state election, it wouldn't be a surprise to some people if Lisa Madigan changed her mind and ran for mayor.
NO TRICK: The worst-kept secret in city politics is Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart's plan to announce his candidacy for mayor right after next week's election. He already has teams of volunteers collecting the 12,500 petition signatures necessary to run, and Dart for Mayor signs have been printed and are ready to go.
TREAT: For the moment then, Dart and Madigan's preoccupation with getting re-elected to their current jobs has made former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel the leading contender in the premature race for Chicago mayor.
Mr. Emanuel is starring in a splendid YouTube video that hasn't attracted much attention. In the video, he explains his vision of requiring every young American to serve on a “Civilian National Security Force.” Require. That means not by choice.
In Emanuel's 2006 book titled “The Plan”, he describes his plan for all 18- to 24-year-olds to undergo a mandatory three months of basic training, civil defense drills and community service.
“A new patriotism that brings us together again in a common mission” is how Emanuel has described his national service plan. “Unite us in a higher national purpose.”
As Mayor Rahm, it is unclear whether he would order such a commitment for under-25 Chicago residents. Such a municipal draft certainly could thin the population glut in Lincoln Park.
Perhaps 90 days of civilian service on wrought-iron polishing patrol? Conscription to a Streets and San rat squad? Three months of Gold Coast litter pickup?
TREAT: Great ideas don't emanate just from the think tanks at Northwestern or University of Chicago. Oakton Community College in Des Plaines should be given the Nobel Prize for discipline after athletic department officials suspended most of the baseball team and canceled its fall preseason training for knucklehead behavior. Twenty-five members of the OCC baseball team were caught in an underage drinking bust on Sept. 25. The time baseball players would have spent on the diamond will now be spent in mandatory study halls doing academic work.
The truth of consequences.
TRICK: Niles board of trustees could learn a few things from OCC.
The village's beloved ex-mayor Nick Blase is in federal prison for forcing local businesses to belly-up for more than $420,000 in overpriced insurance.
Instead of relegating Mr. Blase to the local Hall of Shame, the board voted 4-3 to keep village hall plaza named in honor of his nearly half-century of service. That creates an interesting situation for residents want to send a letter to Blase while he is serving his 366-day sentence.
They will walk into the post office past a sign that reads “Blase Plaza.”
Oh, by the way, Blase pleaded guilty to mail fraud, among other things.
TRICK AND TREAT: Finally, take a look at the photos that accompany this column and consider this question:
If Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano were invited to a Halloween party and went dressed as each other, would anyone be able to tell the difference?