In late November, Obama friend and fundraiser Tony Rezko was sentenced to 10 years in prison for political corruption schemes that netted him millions of dollars. And yesterday, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years for his 18 felony political corruption charges. But Rezko and Blagojevich have far more in common than just hard federal time; they are both part of the Chicago Democratic political machine that has been instrumental in the pervasive corruption of not only the Windy City, but also the state of Illinois. This machine deserves special attention because of its obvious connections to the current president of the United States, Barack Obama.
First, a brief history lesson. Since the rise of the political party early in our nation’s history, the political machines have been a challenge to the integrity of the American system of government. These corrupt machines, no stranger to either party, groom and buy political agents to do their dirty work. The modern ruling class reeks from their corrupt influence, as was apparent in my 2010 Alaskan race.
History has also shown that there are essentially two types of politicians who operate in the vicinity of this political machine: the insider and the outsider.
The outsider is easy to spot because of his or her political scars, visible as a result of fights with the political machine. The outsider earns many enemies because he has decided to challenge the influence of the machine over the political process, striking at the heart of the machine’s corruption game.
During the primaries – and increasingly general elections – you will frequently see the outsider candidate’s own party elite be the outsider’s biggest enemy because it is they who stand to lose the most. Just as Al Capone didn’t like being the bane of Elliot Ness’ existence, political machines don’t like being the target of an honest candidate.
The insiders are also easy to identify because, after making their deals with the political machine, they come away smelling like roses with no substantial political enemies. Sordid allegations of drug use, sexual misconduct, bribery or any other personal or public misconduct will rarely grace the pages of the mainstream media. Campaign funds will flow freely. Most political leaders will endorse. In short, the easy life of back-slapping crony capitalists, smoke-filled rooms and campaign slush funds will dominate the insider’s political life.
The insider politician has no quarrel with the machine, because the machine paves the path to higher office. In exchange for the politician’s influence and vote, the machine’s agents not only guarantee the office, they also supply the addictive rewards of office: insider trading, promises of future employment and royalty treatment that our ruling class is so used to. Tony Rezkos and Jack Abramoffs are everywhere.
One product of the political machine has made it to the top. In 2008, the mainstream media very effectively built a brick wall around this insider’s past. It seemed he had won the support of the media based simply on his campaign slogan of “hope and change.” Little was said about this insider’s intimate relationship to the Chicago political machine. But regardless of the media cover-up, the president of the United States is obviously the product of that machine.
With the recent Rezko and Blagojevich cases, the modern Chicago machine’s corruption cannot be reasonably contested. And now another product of that machine, insider Rahm Emanuel, is Chicago’s mayor.
What a mess. If we want to change the direction of our country, we must first recognize that our political system suffers from significant corruption. Whether it’s the political machine, vote fraud or a complicit media, the ruling class must rely on corrupt tactics to level the playing field against every-day Americans. Once we’ve identified the agents of this corruption, We the People must then target them for defeat. Never re-elect incumbents who are part of the machine. Get engaged, be a poll watcher, run for office yourself. And never stop fighting.
Joe Miller was the 2010 Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate from Alaska. He is a West Point graduate and decorated combat veteran from the first Gulf War. A former judge, Joe graduated from Yale Law School and was later awarded an advanced economics degree from the University of Alaska. He is presently chairman of Restoring Liberty Alaska PAC and Restoring Liberty Action Committee. Follow Joe at Facebook and Twitter.
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