Relying on his Democratic cohorts?
Right now the government in the state of Illinois in Springfield is in shambles and it is run by one party - the Democrats.
The governor, treasurer, attorney general, comptroller, secretary of state, speaker of the house, president of the state senate are all Democrats and all live within a few miles of each other in Cook County in Chicago.
Many in this country are poised to vote for a President Obama with the very same background: Democrat, Cook County, city of Chicago.
A question worth asking: Does the mess in Springfield have any bearing on what is likely to occur in the nation should the Democrat candidate get elected? An adage for an answer: The apple doesn't fall very far from the tree - or perhaps, to quote Mr. Obama, "The ACORN doesn't fall far from the tree."
Mr. Obama doesn't have much experience running anything, and it is a stretch to believe he can master the presidency overnight. So then you have to wonder, who would he rely on for advice? Or better yet, who would really be calling the shots from the oval office?
My guess is he'd have to rely heavily on his Cook County cohorts, and if that doesn't send a shiver up your spine, perhaps you just haven't been watching Springfield or Cook County politics closely enough.
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald could have a whole career and retire in Chicago but my guess is Fitzgerald will be the first "promotion" of an Obama administration - a promotion as far away as one can get from the state of Illinois.
Lori Carlson
Glen Ellyn