Governorgate.

I’m I the only one that is watching the situation in Illinois with a sense of 70’s déjà vù? I mean, this is kind of like watching the döppelganger of a famous scandal (that gave us the postfix “-gate”). I was all of 16 years old, between my junior and senior years in high school in 1974. I was at Louisiana Boys’ State, learning about government down in Baton Rouge – the state capitol. They called us into a big hall and had us sit down and get quiet. Nobody told us what was going on, but we knew it was something bad from the solemn looks on all the adult’s faces. Richard Nixon’s voice came on the radio. He announced that he was resigning from the Presidency. 

You could have heard a pin drop. Some 350-odd teenage boys, not breathing, not making a sound. It was history being made, and we all knew it. 

So you see, I have a special connection to Watergate. And I know that those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it. Let’s see how we’re doing so far:

In the 70’s, a President was up for re-election.
In ’08, a new President gets elected.

In the ’70’s, a President is hated by the media and the far left.
In ’08, a President-elect is adored by the media and the far left. 

In the ’70’s, a newspaper broke a story that the FBI was soft-pedaling. 
In ’08, a newspaper held back a story to allow the FBI to investigate.

In the ’70’s, a crime was perpetrated by some of the President’s political machine.
In ’08, a crime was perpetrated by some of the President-elect’s political machine.

In the ’70’s, the President had no advance knowledge of the crime.
In ’08, we presume the President-elect had no prior knowledge of the crime.

In the ’70’s, the President participated in the coverup of the crime. 
In ’08,  it looks as if the President-elect is trying to make sure NOBODY covers up anything. 

In the ’70’s, some of the President’s closest advisors, friends and staff went to jail. 
In ’08, everyone wonders how far the Illinois scandal will reach, and who it will touch.

In the ’70’s, the scandal crippled the goverment.
In ’08, the scandal is grinding the transition work of the new administration to a halt.

In the ’70’s, the administration had a hard time dealing with the winding down of a war.
In ’08, the new administration is distracted from waging a war on two fronts.

Here’s what’s weird. I find myself hoping that Obama has done nothing wrong. I’m hoping he, his staff, his advisors, and his friends had nothing to do with the selling of his former Senate seat. I feel sorry for the guy. I didn’t vote for him, but he’s gonna be my President, and this country doesn’t need another scandal. Conversely, if he or any of his team has participated in this mockery of our democracy, whoever did needs to go. Now. 

Here’s what worries me…Obama is a product of Chicago politics. For those of you unfamiliar with the way they roll in Cook County, Chicago poltics starts with corruption and moves downhill from there. What I don’t get is that so many of Obama’s guys have deep ties with Governor Blagojovich (a.k.a. “G-Rod”). Deep ties. G-Rod and Obama may not like each other, but they run in the same circles and have lots of the same friends and associates. For instance, Mrs. G-Rod (a.k.a. “Lady McBeth”), was the real estate agent on the deal where Obama bought a mansion in the rizty part of Chicago from Tony Rezko. You know…the Tony Rezko that’s now serving time in the federal pokey. Oh yeah. THAT Rezko. Axelrod, Emanuel, Obama – they all have had dealings with and ties with G-Rod. Now my daddy used to say, live with the lame and you limp. To put it another way, “lay down with dogs, get up with fleas.” Now I don’t know if any of Obama’s guys are dirty. I don’t know if we’ll find out, either. But for our country’s sake, I hope Obama and his posse are so clean they squeak. 

This thing is not gonna go away, despite the media’s love afair with the Big ‘O.’ You can keep sharks for pets, but if you cut yourself shaving, don’t go near the aquarium. They’ll turn on you in a New York minute. Or in this case, a Chicago second. 

Karma. Kismet. The pendulm swings. What goes around, comes around. Let’s hope that Obama is smarter than that. Because we don’t want 2009 to bring back memories of the Summer of ’74.