Rich is saying it hurts Daley a lot.
My take is perhaps counterintuitive, but what I would argue is intuitive. The public always knew that Daley tolerated a lot of shenanigans and lately there were too many to forgive so his poll numbers dropped, but every case was one of the typical corruption you would expect.
I think this one hits as an abberation and has little effect on Daley. Sure, it’s not good news, but does anyone think he wouldn’t have come down like the Hand of God on anyone selling heroin in His City? Or that any underlings don’t understand that? It just doesn’t stick to him the way other problems do.
I can always be wrong, but I don’t think has any long term effects. Though I feel awfully sorry for the next Chicago city employee to get caught with any drugs on the job–he’ll probably be perp walked with the Super of Police personally escorting him whether it’s for a joint or a kilo of coke.
I agree here. First off, it’s 2 or 3 employees. That’s only a small part of the entire ring found, so it’s not like an entire department was mobilized around the sale of heroin. The other thing is, the mayor may have tolerated people maybe not showing up regularly, people not doing their jobs well, but I can’t imagine him not popping a vein big time if he found out his employees were peddling drugs IN HIS TOWN! (Now, if they were selling them to Naperville or Aurora, OK that’s a different story)
I heard the Mayor on the radio this morning. He did not pop a gasket. Instead, he said something like people sell heroin all the time, from all sorts of jobs; in fact, there are people selling heroin right now.
It would have been far more effective — and in character — if Hizzoner had gone red in the face, and yelled about not tolerating this sort of behavior. (Maybe he did, and it just wasn’t played on the segment.) I’m guessing all the scandals are taking their toll, resulting in far less moral outrage on Daley’s part.
I don’t know how it will play out under these circumstances. If there are no further arrests, I would think that Archpundit’s take on things may be correct. On the other hand, as a lifelong Chicagoan I know my neighbors have a different level of outrage for corruption that lines the pockets of politicians and their pals; and a completely different level of outrage for outright criminal activity that is considered morally reprehensible.
If there are further indictiments of city employees for drug dealing, this hurts Daley badly with the ethnics.
does anyone think he wouldn’t have come down like the Hand of God on anyway selling heroin in His City?
What a quote! Great metaphor to make a point that’s true. Selling H isn’t Daley’s thing.