The Prisoner...

George Ryan, the former Secretary of State and Governor of Illinois -- and potential Nobel prize nominee -- started his 6 1/2 year prison sentence yesterday in a Wisconsin federal penitentiary. That's kind of a shame when you think about it, if he'd been allowed to serve his time in Illinois, maybe some of those inmates he unilaterally released from death row could have been in his posse. Instead, Illinois' crookedest governer will sit in a Wisconsin prison cell until he's 80 years old. It's bad enough that he used his position for financial (and even public opinion) gain -- but his fall took out most of the Illinois republican party with it. The best the republicans could come up with to run against the current waste of space was Judy Barr Topinka -- I can't even remember what she was, treasurer I think, she was that non-descript. So we've been stuck with the lousiest governor since Dan Walker (another democrat who couldn't get along with the Chicago political machine), Disco Stud Rod "Bag-o-chips" Blagojovich (or something like that). The man perpetuates the national stereotype that Chicago is the state capitol of Illinois (it's not, by the way) and that anything south of Joliet, and west of Rockford doesn't matter.

He's bad enough that legislators are writing up bills to allow for a California style recall election. It won't go through, but it's nice to a dream...