New Jersey moves to stake claim as nation's most corrupt state
It's a constant struggle between the top corrupt states in our fair nation. Is it my own Illinois? Rhode Island? Louisiana? Which state is the most crooked?
Or could it be New Jersey?
Today the Garden State, in an awe inspiring performance, saw two of its mayors, two state legislators, and seven other public officials indicted today on bribery charges.
And I don't think there is a Republican among the bunch.
Because Democrats and Republicans (such as disgraced former Gov. George Ryan of the latter group) have not been shy in taking part in Illinois graft, I still have to declare, with shame, that Illinois is still the most corrupt of America's 50 states.
However, if New Jersey continues to run up the score on indictments, Bobby Bowden style, I might reconsider. But Illinois will probably still come up on top in the end, since US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is still very busy investigating all kinds of things going on in Illinois state government, many of them involving Barack Obama's indicted pal, Tony Rezko.
Since 2003, the Democratic Party has dominated Illinois government, the sole exception was that a Republican served as state treasurer. She ran for governor last year and lost; now a Democrat, another Obama pal with a questionable background no less, is the state's chief investor. Alexi Giannoulias, whose bank his family owns lent money to a convicted mobster, has pledged to raise $100,000 for Barack "New Kind of Politics" Obama.
Let me be real clear on this: Giannoulias came from nowhere to win the Democratic primary for state treasurer last year. Obama's endorsement, and his appearance in a Giannoulias television spot, are the only reasons he won that race, which last year was the only election Alexi needed to win. The Illinois GOP fared much worse than the national GOP in 2006.
Woodrow Wilson was the last man from New Jersey to move into the White House. As for Illinois, my state has to reach back to Ulysses S. Grant for its last Illinos-to-1600 Pennsylvania Avenue transition.
Bad luck? Maybe. But both are populous states where it's pretty easy to raise money. But it could be that both states are tainted with corruption that keeps top state politicos from claiming the top prize in American politics
As far Illinois' Republican Party, now is a good time to get involved. If the party focuses on the basics, which is what I think they should: Clean and efficient governrment, there's no where to go but up.
Start here, at the Illinois GOP Network.
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