FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin, the Democrat from Illinois, called yesterday "a sad day for my state."
A sad day, sure, his state's governor was handcuffed and hauled off to appear before a federal judge. But in Illinois it's not like this has never happened before.
There's a pattern of corruption among governors in the "Prairie State." Counting Governor Blagojevich, four of the last seven governors elected in the state of Illinois have been arrested. Democrat Otto Kerner, who was Illinois's governor from 1961 to 1968, was convicted of taking bribes from the manager of two horse-racing tracks and spent some time in prison. Dan Walker, also a Democrat, who held the job from 1973 to 1977, served time after he left office for receiving improper loans. And Republican George Ryan, who served as governor from 1999 to 2003, was charged with accepting gifts in return for political favors and was sentenced to six years in prison in 2006.
Blagojevich, of course, was charged yesterday with among other things trying to sell President-elect Obama's senate seat.
A proud tradition, isn't it? And don't even start on the history of corruption in the city of Chicago. This is only a three-hour program.
Here's my question to you: When it comes to political corruption, what is it about Illinois?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
W from Chicago, Illinois writes:
Chillax Jack, This is how Chicago and Illinois politics works. It's been this way for my entire lifetime. That doesn't mean we as Chicagoans condone it... but you would be hard pressed to find a Chicagoan who would exchange our city and lifestyle for another. Mayor Daley Rocks!
Bob in Morristown, New Jersey writes:
Wasn't Chicago, home of Al Capone, the center of organized crime, and its associated political corruption of our nation when we first experimented with legislating morality? It's a not only a place where corruption has a long, colorful history, but also a place where those seeking to expose corruption are likely to look for and find it.
Terry writes:
Illinois isn't different from many states and its politicians are not uniquely corrupt. Hold any jurisdiction, any state under the glare of the public spotlight and watch the rats scurry to hide. The problem with Illinois is its well-reported history, both real and fictionalized in books and movies. Great expectations of President-elect Obama with comparisons to Abraham Lincoln have turned up the wattage for the glare of scrutiny on this state.
LM from Fayetteville, North Carolina writes:
It goes way back. I think it happened after Lincoln died. Somehow prohibition or the '30s or the great depression or the cold weather and stiff wind caused it. Everyone seems to know it and tolerate it and vote for it and be happy with it. Just keep it in Illinois.
Katherine from Oklahoma writes:
Because we don't hear about the other states. I think this is a matter of what we hear being reported. Go to any other state and you will hear the same thing, it just ain't making national news. That and long history of the mob there.
Mitchell writes:
The only difference is, in Illinois, they get caught.