Crony Watch
Three items from the Era of Hope and Change:
1) Team Obama pays back the Daley Machine. White House lobbies for the Olympics in Chicago.
2) Nepotism here, nepotism there, nepotism everywhere.
3) Shocker! Murtha’s nephew used the Murtha name, after all!
Posted in: Corruption, Democrats
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One can only imagine the amount of theft and fraud if Chicago gets the Olympics. It will make Bernie Madoff look like an amateur.
Won’t the Olympics be a nusance to Oprah? I mean, she may have to wait a few more minutes to take off in her private jet.
I think the last two are interesting.
I am baffled as to why anyone is concerned with the first.
Of course he is lobbying for Chicago to win. It is the only freaking US city in the running. Should he root for Rio de Jenerio instead? And oh by the way, it is where he came from. I am sure you all remember that. Seems I have heard it around here once or twice.
If Crawford, Texas had been in the running for the 2008 Olympics, I would have fully expected Bush to take a special interest in and rally hard for his home town too.
Obama’s interest in seeing the Olymipics go to Chicago running concurrent with Daley’s is entirely predictible and entirely natural and can hardly eb considered cronyism.
Mountie Captain: I do not approve of your methods!
Ness: Yeah, well… You’re not from Chicago.
——————————————————————————–
Capone: A man becomes preeminent, he’s expected to have enthusiasms. Enthusiasms, enthusiasms… What are mine? What draws my admiration? What is that which gives me joy? Baseball! A man stands alone at the plate. This is the time for what? For individual achievement. There he stands alone. But in the field, what? Part of a team. Teamwork… Looks, throws, catches, hustles. Part of one big team. Bats himself the live-long day, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and so on. If his team don’t field… what is he? You follow me? No one. Sunny day, the stands are full of fans. What does he have to say? I’m goin’ out there for myself. But… I get nowhere unless the team wins.
Hoods: Team!
[Capone beats one of the men to death with a baseball bat]
You got the predictable part right (except sp), but stop feigning such naivete, that this is not cronyism, you’re better than lgm!
Malone: [to Ness] Welcome to Chicago.
Malone: This town stinks like a whorehouse at low tide.
This is all too familiar. Britain was a very difficult place to get ahead, unless you were connected. If you went to school at Oxford or Cambridge, doors automatically opened for you, likewise the landed gentry, who had connections to the Royal family.
As they say, it’s not what you know, but who you know. Or, as Michelle likes to say, “Screw up, move up.”
Barry moved from New York to Chicago in 1985/86.
As much as I hate to agree with Chap, I would expect the President to lobby for a U.S. city.
If Chicago gets selected, I would expect them to put Mitt in charge so he can turn a profit they way he did in Salt Lake. That would be non-partisanship.
But like Salt Lake, they’ll wait until the whole thing is in danger of collapsing due to corruption, then bring in someone like Mitt to save the day.
But would your side have supported President Bush’s assistance, or treated it as “interference?”
Damn straight. A president SHOULD promote the US as a host of the Olympics.
Its not like Obama hand picked the US city in the running. The USOC did back at the beginning of 2007.
And you had the nerve to correct my spelling of “decisis”????
How, exactly? What is Obama doing that you would not expect from 1) a president who should be promoting the US applicant among the contenders and 2) a very powerful person whose hometown is in the running?
No. I don’t think I did. I think I recall pointing out someone’s “fete accompli” (not sure who), but that was only because I thought it could have been a funny play on words.
Well, they say the memory is the second thing to go.
Ok, which is it, the only freaking city in the US in the running, or where he came from?
Well I don’t think Jakarta or Nairobi are in the running any more.
He came from Rio de Janiero?
Aw, that’s why the press loves him–he’s the girl from Ipanema!
BTW, I believe in the Chicago Olympics, the plan would be for medal winners to give up the hardware so the losers have something to take home. The Dream Team would be “too big to fail”, and Geithner would be supplying referees to ensure that happens, and better smaller teams will be penalized. All participants will be allowed to choose which country they wish to represent. The “Fosbury Flop” will be replaced with the “Jump of Hope and Change”. Gitmo terrorists will be given a T-Shirt stand in the main stadium in order to ease their assimilation into a post-capitalist society. And Rahm Emmanuel will be competing in Dressage. Not as the rider…
Do states have any authority to prosecute these crooks? It seems we need an independent federation of states to combat the renegade federal bureaucracy.
I disagree. Liberals across the old media and I-net would have jumped at the chance to go into full BDS mode on President Bush for having dared use the auspices of public office to affect a decision that would primarily only benefit his “hometown.”
I agree, I just don’t think President Bush would have received such thoughtful “support” from liberals, were the town in question rural Crawford and not “metropolitan” Chicago.
In fact, I can imagine how the NYT would have played it: They’d have raved over the unfairness of President Bush’s interceding on Crawford’s behalf to get the Olympics, while portraying some third world contender as more deserving of the financial infusion of Olympic cash, media promotion, and Western enlightenment.
As previously stated, Chicago is the only U.S. city as an option. Can you or anyone else argue with a straight face that our economy couldn’t use the revenue? You don’t want the Olympics on U.S. soil? Really?
Kenya is still holding out hope for a last minute birth certificate announcement! The step brother needs the stimulus!
If the liberal was an idiot, maybe. The flip side of what you’re saying is that MM and other conservatives aren’t offering such thoughtful support because it’s Obama. She’s calling Cronyism on something that helps the country, and again, Chicago is the only city in the running. Once again, DS is two sides of the same coin depending on who is in office. It’s nuts.
undreseige & Chapoutier:
Stop making sense! It’s entirely inconvenient!
undreseige:
Don’t you have someone’s civil liberties to oppress? What about promoting some kind of LGB agenda? *cue spooky music*
Chapoutier:
Isn’t there some kind of murderer or rapist that is unfairly imprisoned? What about some faceless corporate entity that requires more money?
Geez…
You would think critical thinking was a virtue.
Emphasis added.
I took someone else’s work, but I agree and have done my part. I challenge some of the rest of you to cut yourselves off from cable/satellite TV charges and save some money at the same time as one commentator keeps saying, “starve the beast”.
TruthToBeTold:
Why stop there? Why not unplug your internet? Stop getting newspapers! Heck, you can’t have your kids getting influenced at school, might as well pull them out.
I recommend becoming a mountain man to be completely isolated from society. Good luck!
Is there any other kind of liberal? (It’s a joke; I kid!)
No, merely calling into question the hypocrisy of media support for Obama’s intercession while they questioned as an “ethics” challenge, President Reagan’s helping LA get the `84 Olympics (I think it was one of the Times papers).
And it didn’t help the overall US economy for LA to get the games, w/ President Reagan’s help?
I wonder if you’ll still feel that way when the next Republican takes office?
Zero,
I already did stop getting newspapers and my kids are all grown. Thanks for the advice though, except the mountain man part. I do have a TV and receive my signal free by antenna, although I hardly ever watch anything on it because even the “entertainment” programs are full of liberal propaganda and make fun of people with moral values. I watch the news occasionally and some sports programs, but that’s about it. The internet is more necessary than cable/satellite because you can use it for business purposes as well as getting information.
I would be very interested in a link to this. I know that is difficult because the internets weren’t doing their internetting back then.
But I still don’t get your point. Was it correct to call it cronyism then and now? Or do you disagree with MM’s characterization.
No link that I know of, but this was topic one with my freshman comp instructor; he was a liberal w/ RDS.
How does Obama help Chicago get the Olympics? Dick Pound (Olympic committee bigwig) said:
In other words, the USA deserves the honor of hosting the Olympics because they have elected a great man President.
Little man Bush, Jr. hardly lifted a finger to bring the Olympics to the USA last time. Was that because New York City is blue? Was it because Bush carried no weight outside the US?
DBNINky. This is the point you are ignoring.
How is this not the case? Please step out of the safebox of saying the MSM is liberal, yeah, yeah, whatever, for the purposes of this thread I’m not disputing that. If you think the MSM and other lefties would refuse “thoughtful support” for an Olympics in *snicker* Crawford, TX, fine, I give you that. What about MM and numerous conservatives bashing Obama’s desire for a Chicago Olympics, when Chicago is the only U.S. city being considered. If it’s not flipside, DS, what is it?
LGM:
Fact is, anything on the “world stage” is decidedly “liberal” or to put it another way, anytime the world “community” gets whiff of a US politician that will place “world interests” ahead of “US interests” the “community” gets extremely giddy.
This is why people like Al Gore get a Nobel prize for something completely un-related to what the prize is supposed to be for; not that the Nobel prize for “peace” is worth a damn thing anyhow (thinking of Arafat here.)
As you point out, this is also why the US has a chance at getting the Olympics this year.
Thanks Zero. It’s maddening sometimes. Outside of a rare few, I can’t think of many rightwingers on this thread that will offer objective analysis, and GASP disagree with an MM premise of being a conservative, Obama basher, just for the sake of bashing.
All you get is, “What about what your side did to Boosh!!!”. I’m willing to call out my side for being idiotic, but many on the right would rather just mimic the DS behavior like, “now it’s our turn to be stupid”.
we should be rooting for CHINA to get the olympics so they can get more money to buy our junk bonds!!! (US treasury notes)
what has obama done to be considered great? and please don’t tell me he won an election..
something like winning a war, the cold war, increasing freedom around the world, preventing genocide, etc…
undreseige:
This is exactly why I am getting pretty turned off with the behavior of some “conservatives” lately.
ALCON:
The election is behind us folks. Demonstrating to everyone that “we” are just as capable of being partisan hacks is not the way to go about this.
It doesn’t matter how I feel about Obama WRT identity politics, lack of experience, et al.
The US getting the olympics is a GOOD thing.
Wrong genius, our Kenyan Bastard in Chief hails from Kenya and Indonesia. Wasn’t a copy of his Occidentl college records finally obtained with a AP article run in the British press showing tht he applied as a foreign student. Where is your messiah from again?
Germany hosted the Olympics in 1938 for the same kind of reason. Eh, Herr Moron?
1936
Awesome analogy. Really, super.
Oh. Except Berlin were awarded those Olympics in 1931. Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933.
But other than that, spot on.
Yes. I know, I took liberties with that, but the point is that this guy, Pound, is, at least in part, basing his decision to award the Olympics to the USA based on his personal political opinion. Is the USA really that much better since Obama took office? It’s easily argued that it is much worse. If Pound and his ilk can award the Olympics to Red China, one of the most oppressive, dictatorial, and liberty hating regimes in history, what does it say about the direction of our country, the USA?
It doesn’t say anything about the direction of the US. Not in any logical sense. By your reasoning, every country that will subsequently be awarded the olympics after China is oppressive and dictatorial?
Ugh. Does that count as Godwin?
Can we close this thread now? Where is the filing cabinet labeled “Rachael Ray Jihad and other stupid things?”
Well, if Dick Pound’s opinion is at all reflective of the committee’s rationale, they certainly do reward “desired behavior”. lgm’s quote of Dick Pound is “smoking gun” evidence of this. I don’t know if tyrannical governments are a shoe-in for the Olympics from now on, but it certainly shows the committee’s slant. …and is it really so surprising? We are (the world’s population) moving closer to the New World Order: to put into place a global Utopia, driven and headed up by the political elite.
Speaking as a Chicagoan I hope we don’t get the Olympics!
The city can’t even keep the parking meters in running order, we have the highest sales tax in the country(admittedly,
I’m a suburbanite) and the pols exist to do “Da Mare’s” bidding.Let’s not even start on what are sure to be major security issues. My husband works in the Loop. Olympics in Chicago?
No. Way.
It’s convenient cronyism. Chicago, for all its merits, is not LA or Beijing; it’s not the first place one would think of as a potential Olympic site – unless there was mega intercession from someone very influential.
I have to say I do not see cronyism in Chicago’s bid for Olympics and do favor a US city as host. I too think it weakens the overall point of the blog’s theme and the point is ignored while people argue symantics.
Sheesh. Focus people, focus.
How about a World’s Fair (1933-34)?
Let it go.
No calf-roping.
Yes, please let Rio have them.
What is Congress but a larger than usual organized crime family? They make la Cosa Nostra look like a bunch of kids stealing candy.
You cannot be serious.
What about Atlanta? Chicago is the 3rd biggest city. Atlanta is the 33rd. Was 1992 due to cronyism?
And besides, LA has had them twice and NYC has never shown the ability or desire to put forth a decent proposal.
Hosting the Olympics in Chicago is a non-issue. Even if other cities were in the running, I’d expect any president to root for his hometown. If Chicago wins, I’m sure BO will be given credit by the left just as he has for making the sun rise and set every day. Read lgm’s comment if you think I’m wrong.
The big question is why none of the left leaners chose to argue the other two points.
Okay.
Murtha= scumbag. I have said this many times in the past.
WRT the second piece…sketchy? Perhaps. But so far no indication that these people are not perfectly qualified for the position. So long as it does not get too out of hand and the people remain qualified for the postion they are in, I personally am not too worried. It happens in every administration if for no other reason then one naturally gravitates to those people they feel comfortable with. Wasn’t Cheney’s daughter and son in law in some pretty high positions? Wasn’t someone named Powell the head of the FCC?
Actually, you did address this in your first post.
You’re a closet conservative, not a left leaner. but hey, I’m not telling anyone so you’ll still get invited to club events.
I like Chicago and have distant relatives who live and work there.
But if you’ve ever been to the Windy City, then you know it is just too congested and centralized in its layout (making it way too over crowded) to safely and affordably accommodate the number of visitors the games would bring.
Crowd control would be a nightmare, making security measures tenuous, and problems in transporting that many additional people unimaginable!
I can’t see the Olympic committee selecting Chicago w/o a lot of pressure.
BTW – funny you should mention Atlanta, given how unprepared they turned out to be with security.
John:
If Chap’s a conservative, what’s that make me? Dare I ask?
Beijing ranks 12 in the world in population density. Chicago is 126.
Of the other cities in the running for 2016:
Madrid (42)
Rio de Janerio (35)
Tokyo (50)
chapoutier:
Beat me to it, though I was going to also relate a personal anecdote WRT Korea and the World Cup.
You guys are going to have to stop making sense or I might be forced to agree with you.
Incidentally, what do you consider your political affiliations to be?
And what about the attacks in Beijing, the one against an elderly American couple? It all boils down to security and Chicago’s level of preparedness.
And if I was previously unclear, I support any President lending his support to bring the games here; however, I doubt Chicago would seriously be in the running w/o Obama’s help and I can’t help but have doubts about their preparedness to hold the games.
So yes, I still consider it highly plausible that Obama lobbied for the Olympics more out of deference to Daley and an obligation to reciprocate for support received in the `08 election, than for the love of sport or Chicago’s greater benefit.
Okayyy….and you have yet to show me that Chicago wouldn’t be prepared. You tried to cite population desnity as a factor in safety (or lack thereof) but if that is your criteria, then Chicago is the obvious choice for you or anyone.
Okay, but how does that prove cronyism?
I am really having a hard time following how anything you have said would lead you to this conclusion.
Wouldn’t Rio make a fine Beach Volleyball venue? Just sayin’…
You show me where Chicago is prepared. It’s basically a small town w/ skyscrapers. Look at the devastation the Democrats did at the `68 convention and tell me Chicago was prepared for that.
Can you prove there was none? Knowing the reputation Chicago has for corruption and back room deals, can anyone say there was none.
Because I’ve read nothing to dissuade me from following this conclusion. Where there is reasonable doubt…
Uhhh…No. You are making the accusation. You prove it. That is usually the proper form of a debate.
See my response above.
So you have your unsubstantiated preconceived notion that was spoon fed to you by MM, totally ignore the fact that Obama is a) the president of the US and therefore kinda obligated to at least minimally support Chicago, regardless of anything else and b) a proud resident of the city in question (which was selected by the USOCD with no apparent influence from Obama) and therefore more than likely to be a pretty big fan of the idea of the Olympics being in the hometown he loves, regardless of anything else. but there is NOTHING to dissuade you from this inane idea that the only reason Obam could possibly support the Chicago bid is some stupid tit for tat woth Daley? That about right?
And no one in that group said, “Hey, Obama’s from Chicago! Let’s nominate them!” Sure…
The USOC selected Chicago for it’s city in April of 2007. If you will recall, Hillary was the presumptive nominee at that time.
But Obama had the buzz even then.
Okayyyyy….buzz?
Give this one up. It is becoming silly.
After I get this out: It wasn’t treated as altruism by much of the media when former gov, ex-presidential candidate Reagan lent his support to get LA the `84 games in the late seventies (terms like “swaying California in the `80 election” and “wrap himself in the flag” come to mind), but Obama’s motives in speaking-/acting on Chicago’s behalf are are presented as almost unquestionable. It’s media hypocrisy.