Sun Times on Corruption
Yesterday the ST's Jennifer Hunt wrote Could Obama end centuries of corruption? telling us,
Even in colonial days, chicanery and corruption were endemic among American politicians. It's become part of the American electoral tradition.Today the ST hits us with Daley pal implicated in mob bombing
Can it ever be fixed? Barack Obama has been a champion of improving government ethics at both the state and federal level, but he faces a long history of improbity among our elected officials.
Outfit hit man Nicholas Calabrese on Tuesday implicated a close friend of Mayor Daley's, Fred Barbara, as taking part in the bombing of a suburban restaurant in the early 1980s.A little further down is this qualifier,
Calabrese is the star witness in the Family Secrets mob case and testified that Barbara, now a multimillionaire businessman, was one of six men who split up into teams to throw bombs on the roofs of two restaurants.
Barbara has never been charged in the case but allegedly teamed up with Chicago mob captain Angelo "The Hook" LaPietra and reputed mob killer James DiForti to bomb Horwath's Restaurant in Elmwood Park, which was a well-known hangout for mobsters.
Barbara could not be reached for comment but has disavowed any connection to organized crime.I'm not trained as journalist but both stories over the top to me. Obama is sure no reformer, and just about everyone in Chicago's a pal of the mayor.
"Show me my connection to organized crime," Barbara said in an interview three years ago with the Sun-Times. "Did I turn the corner? You show me anything in the last 24 years that reflects to that nature."
A spokeswoman for the mayor could not be reached for comment.
In a full day of testimony, the mention of Barbara was a small part of Nicholas Calabrese's testimony.
ST's crossed some fine line here. Neither story tells much. One's a puff piece for Obama and the other a slur without evidence on the Mayor.
Barbara nailed it three years ago: show us the connections please.
Update: The ST connects a few dots today: Man named in trial 'a very good' banker
BARBARA Implicated in Outfit bombing, Daley friend now sits on local boards
xp Bill Baar's West Side
7 comments:
The headline is moronic in the extreme, but echoes the absurd attitude of the Illinois Press that BaRezkObama is something special.
He isn't. He's better than some, but no better than most.
Ethics Laws will never replace the quality of ethical people, and our political system does all it can to remove those people from the process.
Decent people don't need ethics laws to be ethical.
Didn't Obama just hire a Bob Creamer to train his campaign workers?
Would a "champion of improving government ethics at both the state and federal level" hire a slick check-kiter to instruct his troops?
Obama has been silent on the Police torture under Burge and the stuff going on today.
Obama endorsed Mayor Daley and got his endorsement for President--Chicago style politics in DC?
Maybe Chicago should institute the Obama reforms.
Obama is an insider with top consultants, fundraisers, and donors of top lawyers and businessmen who want something.
Obama should institute reform for Emil Jones and his family and the ComEd, Peoples Energy high rates for the working families he talks about.
Obama was in the ethically challenged State Senate.
Obama is not worse than most but he is a typical politican and an insider. His calls for reform are superficial and he has no courage to challenge the corruption in his own backyard.
How did Frankie Calabrese Jr get his job with the City of Chicago?
Was it former patronage chief TOM DONAVAN?
Is Frankie Calabrese half IRISH and his mother is a HANLEY?
The Hanley's close to JESSE JACKSON JR., Alderman LEVAR, and raided the poor bartenders, maids, hotel workers?????
Obama has no credibility on corruption and ethics until he says something about corruption in his home which he did nothing about.
Obama is the guy who endorsed
Mayor Daley--and said nothing about Police torture of African Americans or contracts or the mafia
Obama endorsed the corrupt and bufoonish Dorothy Tillman
Perhaps to take the cake of cutting services to the poor and African Americans and being an icon of corruption Obama endorsed
Todd Stroger
Baracka Obama is no profile in courage.
Maybe Obama should of looked into Tony Rezko before talking about corruption in Africa and the Beltway.
Charity starts at home
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