Proof of a bad idea
Gov. Blagojevich tried but failed to come to Sen. Durbin's rescue
It would be an understatement to say that U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's effort to spring former Illinois Gov. George Ryan from federal prison has not been greeted with enthusiasm.
While Durbin may think Ryan a fine fellow who has suffered enough, the public is not convinced.
But the best evidence that Durbin's idea is lousy is the almost instantaneous endorsement it received from Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. If Blagojevich says commuting Ryan's sentence is a good idea, it surely must be a terrible idea.
Voters may remember that Blagojevich was elected on a platform of wiping out the corruption endemic to the Ryan administration. That seems ironic now in light of the even more endemic corruption of the Blagojevich administration. But Illinois politicians rarely mean it when they come out in favor of honest government.
At any rate, Blagojevich has picked up Durbin's mantle in favor of going easy on crooks in government. Does anyone suspect Blagojevich has someone else in mind other than Ryan when he embraces compassion for corrupt governors?
Hey, Blago's not just corrupt but incompetent.
It is a sad statement on Illinois politics to say that I would rather have Ryan as governor than Blagojevich. Though Ryan's only term as governor was tainted by corruption, he didn't work daily to destroy the state like Blago is.
I bear no ill will toward Ryan, but I think he had a fair trial and should serve his time. I'm sure there are other convicted criminals that have suffered enough or whose families have to undergo hardship; why is it only the famous and powerful who get a break?
Shame on Sen. Durbin for proposing this bad idea. This sends the wrong signal to Illinois residents who are sick of corrupt politicians and sends the message to our corrupt pols that crime truly does pay -- if you're well-known enough to have a U. S. Senator go to bat for you.
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