"The culture of corruption runs throughout Chicago's history, one hand washing the other," said Hoffman in an interview last week. "It's not about serving the public. But it is all about maintaining and controlling power." * * * The presumptive front-runner is Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a well-funded friend of President Barack Obama. But Hoffman perceives weakness there. He's going after Giannoulias' tenure as an official in the Giannoulias family Broadway Bank, and the bank's dealings with convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko. Rezko is scheduled to testify at former Gov. Dead Meat's corruption trial in June, before the general election. Rezko bounced a series of six-figure checks at Broadway Bank that he made out to casinos. The bank has come under fire for loans to convicted bookies and others. The national Republican Party will focus on these if Giannoulias wins the primary, Hoffman argues. "If I or you bounced a four-figure check or a five-figure check, as Tony Rezko did, my guess is our banks would say we are not interested in your business," Hoffman said. "I've been saying it, and I'm going to continue to say it. It's fair to scrutinize the record. I'm happy to have my record scrutinized. Everyone should."
The dead body of Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott has been found in the Chicago River after his family reported him missing last night as reported by WGN: "A blue Cadillac registered to Scott, 60, was found parked next to a trash bin yards away from the river." Susan Carlson from CBS 2 reports that Scott was "subpoenaed last summer by a federal grand jury investigating how students are chosen for admission to elite public schools" to determine "whether some students were being 'clouted' in."
A preliminary investigation indicates Michael Scott . . . apparently shot himself in the head along the banks of the Chicago River early this morning, sources say. * * * He apparently fell forward after shooting himself, and the gun was found near the body, the sources say. While police sources say it appears the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, the Cook County medical examiner's office was still conducting its investigation and hadn't determined how he died.
No time wasted in getting out the suicide narrative.
A key member of Mayor Richard M. Daley's Olympic committee, Scott earlier this year "was scrutinized over Olympics-related real estate dealings" as reported by Steve Bryant for NBC.
Obama's tired cliches, Michelle's facile tugs on the heart strings, Daley's political machine and Oprah's smug ernestness weren't enough, and in the first round of voting the International Olympics Committee rejected Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics in its corruption-infested and murder-littered city as reported by Kenneth P. Vogel for Politico:
In addition to being the first president to personally lobby the IOC, Obama established the first-ever White House Olympics office (tapping senior White House advisor and longtime confidant Valerie Jarrett to head it) and recorded several videos seeking support from IOC subcommittees. The President and First Lady Michelle Obama, who had spent two days in Copenhagen lobbying IOC members and also made a formal plea to the committee Friday morning, were aboard Air Force en route from Copenhagen to Andrews Air Force Base when the IOC delivered the news, and the White House did not immediately issue a statement on the loss.
Chicago’s dismal showing today, after Mr Obama’s personal, impassioned last-minute pitch, is a stunning humiliation for this President. It cannot be emphasised enough how this will feed the perception that on the world stage he looks good — but carries no heft. * * * Mr Obama was greeted — as usual — like a rock star by the IOC delegates in Copenhagen — then humiliated by them. Perception is reality. A narrow defeat for Chicago would have been acceptable — but the sheer scale of the defeat was a bombshell, and is a major blow for Mr Obama at a time when questions are being asked about his style of governance.
