It's Not Easy Being Milorad

By vouchey in News on Feb 2, 2005 3:59PM

Accurate or not, the most America knows about Chicago politics is the phrase, "Vote early and often." And for this reason, Chicago politicians have a hard time convincing the average American that they're not at least just a little bit dirty.

So let's say you're Governor Milorad "Rod" Blagojevich and you have presidential ambitions. How do you escape that national perception?

We're not sure how the rumor got started, the Governor has never commented on the record, but it's a widely accepted rumor in Springfield that Governor Blagojevich wants to run for president. As such, news media commentary tends to consider his every public move as preparation for launching his exploratory committee.

Private moves tended to be examined through the presidential filter too. For instance, when Gov. Blago first took office, he was slow to fill many state patronage jobs with former campaign workers -- a common Democratic and Republican practice -- causing insiders to say he was jilting the people that helped him get to where he was. And then there were reports of him giving his original political patron and father-in-law, Alderman Dick Mell (33rd), the cold shoulder after the election. Rumors the Mells and the Governor weren't talking any more.

It's all because Rod wants to be president, was the talk. He's distancing himself from his roots because they aren't pretty. Hard talk, and tough to know it it's true.

The Mell-Blago split lurked in the dark -- whispers from State Troopers and off-the-record comments to reporters -- until Dick Mell spattered it all on the news last month. The Alderman, not known for having entirely clean hands himself, accused the Governor and his chief fundraiser of giving political appointments for contributions. Eventually under threat of suit, Mell retracted it all.

And last week another political chupacabra emerged from the deep for Governor Blagojevich -- Dominic Longo. A reputed member of the Grand Avenue Crew, Longo helps run the so-called Coalition for Better Government, a thinly veiled patronage distribution group started by Mayor Daley operative Ron Calicchio.

Acting a bit like a jilted drinking buddy, last month Longo subitted a very public cease and desist letter to Governor Blagojevich. The request? Stop saying such bad things about me, because you kow that I've helped you get elected and we used to be such good friends.

But it seems that the Governor hasn't really apologized to Longo, so now Longo is beginning to talk. Nothing too bad, but enough to stay interesting. In an interview with Illinoisleader.com yesterday, Longo detailed through his lawyer, the numerous things he did for the now-Governor. And worse yet, he connects the governor to lots of unsavory characters.

So it would seem that Gov. Blagojevich's idea of being a clean, reformist governor has hit more than just a few stumbling blocks. It's tough to shake your old friends -- especially when the national press starts digging into your past.