Thanks to Patrick Fitzpatrick's wiretapping (hmmm, for some reason the ACLU has been thankfully silent about this)  Illinois has another new slimy addition to its political phrase book.  Governor Rod Blagojevich's (D) gift is bleeping.    But other Illinois politicians have also made their contributions.  

Former Chicago alderman "Fast" Eddie Vrdolyak once said that he talked to "everyone like they're wearing a wire, even my wife," But apparently he didn't practice what he preached.  Too bad.  Because that is one reason he is  a former alderman .  And he will soon be joining  several of his fellow Chicago and Illinois politicians in jail for awhile.

One of his partners in crime, Stuart Levine, did wear a wire.  Why?  Let's make a deal.  Levine co-operated with authorities to reduce his jail time.  And  that helped bag Vrdolyak.  Ah justice!   But why didn't Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (Democrat), realizing he was being er, watched, practice this basic survival skill?  Hubris? Craziness?  Egotism? Stupidity?    

If it weren't so totally corrupt, the Illinois pay to play governmental system would bring joy to multi culti liberals, do a diversity official proud. Pluralism reigns. Vrdolyak is of Croatian descent; Blagojevich, Serbian; Levine, Jewish; Rezko, Syrian. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) is  Irish Catholic.  

As a few prominent suckers and many smaller fry are indicted, arrested and sentenced and others dismissed in exchange for co-operating in this latest display of Illinois government at work,  an international array of people from these backgrounds plus Italian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Black,WASP,Cuban, Asian, Indian, Pakistani and other heritages will all have their grubby moments on the witness stand.

Update: Rosslyn Smith writes:


I missed that Fast Eddie Vrdolyak finally got nailed.  Good for Fitzgerald!  I might even open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate.  Vrydolyak another reason the Republican party in Illinois went into a tailspin. Vrdolyak started out as a Democrat, of course. But after Harold Washington was elected mayor-a  job Fast Eddie wanted for himself- he switched parties.   
 
Alas, a lot of the movers and shakers among Illinois Republicans welcomed him.  They thought if we added his ward organization and those of his allies to the voters they already had, the Republican party might become a majority party in Cook County.  They couldn't have been more wrong. Vrydolyak ran for mayor as a Republican and the Republicans ended up getting doubly tarred as corrupt and racist.   Lakefront and suburban voters who might have seen the Republicans as an alternative to the sleaze in the Democrat party now saw the Republicans as just as sleazy along with being opportunistic and racist.  After a short term spike, the  Cook County Republican party went into a steep and probably terminal decline.
 
I never welcomed him.  When Vrdolyak became the party leader as candidate for mayor,  my local Republican committeeman asked if I'd help out during the election.  I told him  "Ron, I'd rather perform fellatio on a rabid porcupine."   He gave me a long look before saying "I take it that's a 'No'."