GRT and The Art of War in Illinois

There are three books I consider required reading for all policymakers, political activists, and political junkies. The Art of War is first on the list (I'll talk about the other two soon). First not because it takes pre-eminence over the other two, but because it's the most venerable, and because so many folks make reference to it without ever actually having read it. And this is a book that bears re-reading.

I was reminded of Sun Tzu today by CapitolFax. Those of you who subscribe to CapitolFax (if you don't subscribe, you really should pony up the $30 a month) know that CapitolFax founder/political reporter par excellence just spent several intimate days with Governor Blagojevich on his statewide bus tour. Based on his time spent with the Governor, Rich Miller offered up his analysis of the Governor's persona as someone who is always itching for a fight. [Editor's note: if you want to read what Rich Miller says, you need to subscribe]

Sun Tzu would not be impressed with the Governor's gladiator mentality. The ancient strategist, mandatory reading in all military officer courses through out the world (Hitler allegedly based his Blitzkrieg attack on the writings of Sun Tzu), offers us this surprising pearl of wisdom:

"To win a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the highest excellence; the highest excellence is to subdue the enemy's army without fighting at all."

The Governor has also made it clear in many statements to the press that he's willing to drag out this fight over the GRT as long as necessary, and expend great resources -- political capital, state staff time and resources, even his own political funds and those of his allies. Sun Tzu warns against this exhaustively, but the clearest passage is this:

"When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.

Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.

Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.

Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.

There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare."

We see this happening now. While Blagojevich's hopes of passing his original GRT have passed, and his dream of passing any form of the GRT grows dimmer every day. Meanwhile, he's been weakened politically, and his top ally Senate President Emil Jones becomes increasingly weakened by the lack of progress on electric rates and fractures within his caucus over the GRT. At the same time, Speaker Madigan and Lt. Governor Pat Quinn are growing in strength, without actually expending any of their original resources at all.

The top beneficiary of the Governor's extended anti-business campaign, ironically, is the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce. While the State Chamber is spending money and resources on organizing opposition and t.v. ads, I'm betting that their fundraising is far outpacing their expenditures. GRT has also giving them a new-found relevancy in state politics, after a period of dormancy. A new tool for organizing local businesses and expanding their base. And a key ally in the Illinois Press Association.