Fine moments in bad punditry:
I think I’m like most Chicagoans in finding it easier to understand how someone can go broke than how someone can magically earn $16 million in two-and-a-half years, as Rahm Emanuel did.
“The reality is that unlike Mr. Emanuel and Mr. Chico, who traded on their government relations for vast riches when they left office, I did not,” Moseley Braun said in a press release. “My tax returns are one measure of the fight I have waged to keep my business running. It is not unlike what many small business owners and regular Chicago families are going through.”
The one question I’ve always wanted to ask every politician is, “How has this recession affected you personally?” Now I know the answer for one.
Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/A-Mayor-As-Broke-As-We-Are-112934019.html#ixzz1ABdnjf4h
- Cutting her and her siblings check from an inheritance to her mother while her mother was on Medicaid
- Hiring political workers on her way out the door at the Recorder’s office
- Paying her boyfriend, Kgosie Matthews $15,000 a month while the campaign went broke and made a gimme election somewhat competive
- Ignoring Sexual Harassment complaints against Matthews during the campaign even though the reason she got traction was based on Dixon’s vote for Clarence Thomas–quite a year of the woman
- Visiting Nigerian Dictator Sani Abacha while a US Senator and not registering with the State Department
- Advocating for Sani Abacha’s government as a US Senator
- Continuing her relationship with Matthews as he was a paid lobbyist for the Abacha government
There’s nothing in her past to demonstrate any competence or effectiveness other than enriching her own life or self yet she cannot even do that. There’s a reason Bank One wouldn’t hire the woman–she’s grossly incompetent at anything other than aggrandizing herself.
It’s fair to take a whack at both Rahm and Chico for enriching themselves at the public trough. It’s true and it’s an obnoxious practice both of them are guilty. What’s absolutely unacceptable is to put Del Valle in that category. He makes a decent salary as a public servant. He has no history of using that power to enrich himself or his friends which is directly counter to everything in CMB’s public career. Making CMB some sort of person of the people is pure and utter bullshit. She has sold out every principle she claimed to stand for and yet still can’t make money–that is incredible, but not something to celebrate. Complete and utter incompetence is something to marvel at, but not in an approving way. Worse, it takes away credit from a good public servant like Del Valle.
I don’t think Del Valle can win because he hasn’t raised enough money, doesn’t have a really strong ground operation and is at least splitting his natural constituency with a better funded candidate. However, if one wants to base the campaign on who has a clean and honest record in public service he wins hands down.
She’s going to fall on her ass, like she always does, and she and her acolytes will blame racism, like they always do.