Remember the Blagojevich scandal? Valerie Jarrett, Rahm Emanuel, and Mr. Blago himself were all caught on tape plotting to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat. As far as we know, Blagojevich wanted money while Jarrett, Rahm, and Obama wanted something else: a loyal crony to keep the seat warm in Obama's absence.
It looks like they'll get their wish. The Democratic nominee to run for the seat in 2010 is an old Democratic pol entangled in the slimy web of crooks and cronies that lurk in Barack Obama's Chicago.
His name is Alexi Giannoulias. So far, he's received the most flack for his boneheaded management of Bright Start, a state-run Illinois program that helps parents invest for their kids' college bills. The program ultimately lost $85 million. But as with any Obama Chicagoan, there's always cronyism in addition to incompetence. Giannoulias is a close friend of Obama's. The two of them both broke into major league Illinois politics in 2006, Giannoulias as the state treasurer and Obama as a senator. They were friends and played basketball together.
Giannoulias was Blago's treasurer, but the connections between Giannoulias and Bond villain Blagojevich run deep thanks to a familiar face: felonious Chicago developer Tony Rezko. At one point, Rezko's company, Rezmar Corp., needed financing to build a new 24-story condo building. The money was provided by Broadway Bank, which is owned by Giannoulias' family. Another Giannoulias, Alexi's brother Dimitri, was appointed to a state board position by Blago that ultimately lasted three years, from 2005 to 2008. Tony Rezko wanted Dimitri's star to rise even higher, pressing Blago to appoint him to the Illinois Finance Authority board. Meanwhile, Rezko was meeting frequently with Obama and getting him plum deals on his new homes.
Hell, in some cases Giannoulias associated with people even Obama wouldn't touch. He personally approved $12 million in loans from Broadway Bank to Michael Giorango, a notorious Chicago mobster.
Broadway Bank has become a huge liability for Giannoulias. Its fortunes plunged after the real estate bubble collapsed to the point that the FDIC ordered the Giannoulias family to pump $19 million in capital into Broadway. Why? The bank was straggling under "mounting delinquent loans." In other words, Broadway made loans to poor people who couldn't pay them back -- just as Chicago community organizers like Obama and the fine folks at ACORN were demanding.
It's no wonder ACORN's kissing cousin, the SEIU, enthusiastically endorsed Giannoulias. Giannoulias is following the footsteps of Blago, whose entire political career was bankrolled by the SEIU. The mega-union has even been named in Blagojevich's indictment...good company for Chicago slimeballs like Giannoulias and professed SEIU ally Barack Obama.
The best way to stop this Chicago machine is to elect the GOP challenger, Mark Kirk, to Obama's former Senate seat. Not only would it stop the advance of another corrupt crony, but imagine the look on Barack Obama's face if his old job goes to a Republican!
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