Pining for the days of Al Capone

To this day, when Chicago tourists in Europe are discovered as such, they are routinely greeted with a "rat a tat tat" and a pantomime of a Tommy gun.

Nearly eight decades after Al Capone was sent up the river for income tax evasion, his ghost still lingers over the city of Chicago in the eyes of the world.

But Al, who would probably enjoy his posthumous staying power, might be supplanted soon by an amalgamation of Illinois' shamed governors - Otto Kerner, Dan Walker, George Ryan and, now, Rod Blagojevich.

At a time during which Chicago and Illinois in general should be shrugging off the chains of Al Capone's ghost - with the ascension of Barack Obama to the White House and an Olympic host city bid that puts Chicago in league with some of the most intriguing metropolises of the world - we're simply covered by a different shroud.

Sure, the International Olympic Committee is saying that this does not affect Chicago's chances at landing the 2016 games. Gov. Blagojevich hasn't played much of a role in the Olympic campaign beyond pledging financial support.

But it's only human nature to hold one's nose at the situation if you're a concern as large as the IOC.

Blagojevich's arrest made all the nightly talk shows, from Leno to Olbermann. Horror was expressed and, perhaps worse yet, jokes were cracked. You can't swing a dead cat in Illinois without toppling a corrupt politician, it seems.

Blagojevich's alleged misdeeds, however, cannot exist in a vacuum. If the governor truly had turned Illinois state government into his own pay-to-play casino, then what about the people who were willing to play along?

How about the politicians, lobbyists, builders, etc., who, apparently were willing to play ball?

It's not just the seat of power that must be examined but the way business is done in here.

Will the new ethics law do it? We certainly hope it sets a new standard; an enforceable set of rules.

But in order for the game to stop, all the players need to leave the field. It's not OK to just name a new leader.

The news media and an aroused citizenry must never allow themselves to shrug off such things, conceding that it's just the way things work here. Players on both sides must be held accountable for the state we're in.

Barack Obama's campaign and his drumbeat of change got young people interested in politics and community service in ways we've not seen. It's things like charges of widespread corruption and a "me first" mentality in the highest reaches of state government that can just as quickly sour that enthusiasm.

So pillory Rod Blagojevich all you want. It certainly didn't start with him. And it won't end with him unless honest, reform-minded people get involved to clean up this mess.

We're willing to let the ghost of Al Capone stick around a while longer if it means we're not defined by corrupt politicians.