A Battle For the Basement

All Politics and that especially means State, County & City Governments...

But why didn't you mention...

Washington DC, California, New York, Texas, NC, SC & [Florida] as well ?

State, County & City Governments are the Most Corrupt and Your Local News Highlight these Glaring Facts on a Daily, Weekly, Monthly & Yearly Basis.

Jeeeesh

It appears that Weisberg is not afraid of facts, I mean you cannot fear something you stay that far away from.

You can add the name Nancy Kellifer to the democratic list of taxt cheats but at least she just withdrew her nomination to be part of Obama's most transparent and ethical government ever.

With both being democratic states neither is corrupt because only republicans do wrong don't you know that yet. And to top that off only republicans ask their members who have done wrong to step down. The dems defend them as we have seen with the Clinton's, Daschle, Rangel, Geither, Jefferson, Frank and Dodd's newest scandal that will get no media coverage. Converse that with Republicans: Foley gone, Stevens gone, Libby gone, Gonzales gone, no pardons onley Libby got a commuted sentence but is still a convicted felon. Where are all the deomcratic felons still in office.

Mr. Weisberg, smug little columm you wrote today, picking on Illinois and Louisiana is an easy 30 minutes worth of effort, however even though your superficial piece would have elicited a slight smirk form a real colummnist and expert on Illinois politics, Mike Royko, God rest his soul, you should have extende this piece to the entire 50 states whom evey single state has similar shame in the last century and if Washington DC were correcly designated as a 51st state, they would be the King State of Corruptions where even Universities would be built for Master Degrees could be earned on greedy and corrupt plans to steal taxpayer and retirement funds could be hatched, perfected and taught to their more than willing students, oh wait, the Senate and House of Representatives already does this, ok, so we save some money on building those schools. A real service by you to Newsweek readers would be to hound the various Bank CEO's that have recently recieved our tax money to wipe out their transgressions and ask them why they still won't renegotiate somones crdit card payments or mortgage payments to have a roof over their house, compared to those Bank crooks an the Wall street con men that your bretheren in the mainstream meida protect, Illinois and Louisiana are just nickle and dime crooks. Grow some cojones Mr. Weisberg, get some answers for us, the humble sheep.

They need to throw New York in there as well, if Paterson appoints Caroline Kennedy.

Would someone please draw a dark line of distinction between what we call a scandal in Illinois and business as usual in New York? Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is accused of trying to sell a vacant Senate seat, while New York Gov. Paterson is expected to give a Senate seat to the woman whose family can raise lots of money for his benefit.

Who is the Blagojevich opponentwho was jailed? It wasn't George Ryan - he did not run for re-election. Blago defeated then-Attorney General Jim Ryan (no relation to George).

Who is the Blagojevich opponent who was jailed? It wasn't George Ryan - he did not run for re-election. Blago defeated then-Attorney General Jim Ryan (no relation).

As a high school graduate of Evanston Township Highschool, just north of Chicago, and a current freshman at Tulane Univerity in New Orleans, I'm glad to know that whichever state I pick, I'll be a winner.

You make some interesting points, Mr. Weisberg, but I feel obliged to correct your history: in 2002, Rod Blagojevich became governor by defeating JIM Ryan, not GEORGE Ryan. George Ryan, smarter, nicer and slightly less corrupt than his successor, realized the political tide was turning against him and decided not to seek a second term. Jim Ryan was and is a decent man, but there was no way a cancer survivor with ties to a corrupt political machine could win in 2002. Four years later, Blago defeated Judy Baar Topinka, who is also not likely to share a cell with our current Gov. (And for you diehard political junkies, part three of the Illinois Ryan trifecta was JACK, who in 2004 lived down to his accursed name by bowing out of the race for US Senate when unsealed divorce records revealed that he liked pressured his ex-wife, "Deep Space 9" star Jeri, into having intercourse at sex clubs in Paris. Jack's replacement? Maryland resident Alan Keyes. Keyes' opponent? Barack Obama.)

What a ridiculous discussion - I can't imagine either state wanting such a dubious honor.

i'm surprised to hear them bash Huey Long though. i understood him to be an advocate of the poor and one of the few politicians to really deliver on a public-works agenda for the poor.

this is a bad competition

Has to be LA!! Barry is from Ill and he is beyond reproach!!! LOL!!

The sad (or frightening) thing is that the cases of corruption you cited were stupid things done by people who were not the sharpest knives in the drawer. I am encouraged that there are many, many people who are infinitely smarter that the crooks described in the article. I am afraid, however, that there are smart people in positions of public trust who actually get away with corruption and if they are smart they won't steal small change like Blogo or Edwin.