Posted by
Juliana Johnson on Monday, December 01, 2008 1:13:11 PM
"Durbin may ask Bush to commute Ryan sentence"
In eight words this Chicago Tribune headline (Nov. 26) summed up everything you need to know about Illinois politics.
Yes,
that is "Durbin" as in Dick Durbin, Illinois' senior U.S. Senator, a
25-year Democrat member of Congress, and the national co-chairman of
the Obama presidential campaign. And the Ryan is none other than George
Ryan, the disgraced former Republican governor sentenced to 6.5 years
of breaking big rocks into little ones for operating a taxpayer-funded
den of thieves as Secretary of State and then as Governor.
Durbin
has all but said that Ryan's remaining prison sentence of more than
five years should be commuted; now it is simply a matter of whether
Durbin is willing to endure the political heat for taking action.
He
certainly need not worry about heat from Republicans. Former Republican
Governor Jim Thompson, Ryan's defense attorney (pro bono, because, hey,
we're all friends here), was quick to lavish praise on Durbin. Former
Republican Governor Jim Edgar also leaned that way saying, "George
Ryan's paid a pretty big price...I'm not sure that a few more years (in
prison) is all that much more punishment to him."
Gee, Governor
Edgar, you know who else paid a "pretty big price"? The nine people,
including six children, killed by drivers who obtained their licenses
illegally from George Ryan's office. I would love to get their input on
those "few more years" but, well, they are dead.
For it is the
views of the victims--not those of George Ryan and his apologists--that
are relevant here. Those victims include the taxpayers of Illinois, all
of whom were defrauded.
What statement of contrition do these
men of letters from Illinois' ruling party present to the victims for
consideration? "His conscience is as clear as his mind," Ryan's wife
told the Chicago Sun-Times. "If he had it to do over--and I've heard him say this--he would govern the same way as he did before."
If
George Ryan's conscience is clear, than he is not asking himself the
right questions. I for one think his current residence is the ideal
place for further introspection. He can take all the time he needs.
The
federal government's Operation Safe Road investigation in which Ryan
was ultimately snared also produced corruption convictions against some
75 other individuals.
75 federal felony convictions of
associates and subordinates. Nine individuals in the ground, an
unintended but very real consequence of the corruption that took place
on his watch. And George Ryan is a man with no regrets. Not a single
lesson learned. Yet, Durbin, Thompson, and Edgar are all ready to sign
Ryan's walking papers.
In Illinois, it's not that establishment
Republicans and Democrats are too cozy; it's that they are
indistinguishable--and unrepentant.