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| Obama fairy tale has Chicago-size hole |
| 2008-01-09 |
| More on Obama for those who don't know his Chicago machine connections Prospective First Laddie Bill Clinton bought into the fairy tale theme Tuesday in New Hampshire, wondering why the media doesn't treat Sen. Barack Obama as harshly as we treat his wife. "Give me a break," Bill said, stumping for Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. "This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen." Normally, politicians whining about media treatment can't be taken seriously. But today, President Clinton, though the earth may crack open and devour me, it appears you're absolutely correct: The Clintons are indeed the victims of a Vast Left Wing [Media] Conspiracy. Who knows why, exactly? As surveys have suggested, most reporters are Democrats, and many covering the campaign must be pouring their collective liberal guilt into the vessel that is Obama. Either way, all this pro-Barack hope and change and excitement, all these delicious, Barack-inspired comparisons to the Kennedys and Camelot and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., it's all quite overwhelming, until you consider what's been cut out: That Obama is only a few short years removed from taking orders in Springfield, in the Illinois State Senate, and you know how clean Illinois politics is. So as we wait for Obama to transform our politics, let's hold our breath and see who turns purple first. That'll give me time to apologize to Sen. Clinton about that "white witch" crack over the weekend. Last Sunday, I dipped my fingertips into fairyland analogies, into C.S. Lewis' land of Narnia, describing Obama as a gentle forest faun, the Mr. Tumnus of the Democratic primaries, the one national political character who gets media hugs from almost everybody. I like Obama, but I won't apologize for comparing him to a kind and beloved faun. He is indeed the Mr. Tumnus of American politics, gently offering free tea and cakes to all Americans, all the free stuff that won't cost us anything (unless you're a taxpayer). He doesn't play a flute, but he sure makes great speeches, and you can see that infectious, charismatic Tumnusotude on TV. But, blinded by Obama, I foolishly used the "white witch" analogy for Sen. Clinton. So I apologize to her, and not just because my wife told me to. Women have it hard enough without foolish "white witch" analogies. I went too far, I shouldn't have done it, and besides, Hillary had that emotional moment at the diner the other day, and you probably won't believe me, but it melted my frozen heart. I think it was an absolutely sincere moment. And even though a politician would use everything -- even a sincere moment -- the fact is that Hillary Clinton let her guard down, finally, and stopped being icy. This doesn't mean I agree with her. I disagree with her on just about everything. But she has been running as a candidate, in the arena, for years. And as she campaigns, Obama gets the applause and media sainthood and a pass as a gentle faun in the national fairy tale. But this fairy tale doesn't begin in Kenya or Hawaii or Kansas or at Harvard. Obama's political fairy tale really begins in Chicago. That's where Obama's own real estate fairy loved to play in Illinois Democratic -- and Republican -- politics. Chicago is not really an enchanted land, unless you've got clout at City Hall, and then you can be white guys with mob connections and drink with Mayor Richard Daley at Como Inn at Christmas parties, and receive $100 million in city affirmative action contracts. And no Democrat -- not even our national change-agent Barack Obama -- would dare demand answers. Other Chicago fairy tales include the gangbanger who runs the corrupt Hired Truck program out of City Hall, and the 11th Ward hacks who broke federal law to create massive patronage armies of city workers -- improperly hired and promoted, for the express purpose of controlling local elections. Obama endorsed the mayor for re-election, and other machine hacks, including Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, a Daley puppet and political disaster. This upset some local reformers. His supporters say he had to play ball with the Daley machine to survive. And he's promised Tribune readers that he'd keep U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald in Chicago fighting political corruption. This threatens Daley and the state's Republican combine masters, but Obama may indeed do most for change by maintaining the status quo. One fairy tale that touches close to home for Obama (literally, Obama's home) is the story of his real estate fairy, the indicted fixer Tony Rezko, who helped the Obamas buy their dream house. Rezko is scheduled to stand trial in late February in Chicago, on federal political corruption charges that worry Democrats and Republicans. His lawyers on Tuesday tried to stall the trial -- saying there was too much evidence to process -- but they failed. Hillary did better than expected in New Hampshire, but to win she'll still have to rip Barack's fairy tale to shreds. And the Clintons know how to do that. blue vs. blue...yes! |
| Posted by:Spot |