Think the Chicago Way political machine is all about corrupt Democrat politicians and their cronies? Think again. It’s bipartisan. While Democrats have run the Machine out of Chicago for decades, a supporting cast of Republicans has long participated in Machine enterprises.

Chicago Tribune reporter John Kass uses the term, “the Combine” to refer to the combination of Illinois Republicans working with Democrats to make hay for themselves regardless of who’s driving the tractor. As Republican power-broker Bill Cellini once said,

When we’re in [Republicans], we’re in. And when you’re in [Democrats], we’re in.

This month, the University of Illinois released a study entitled “Curing Corruption in Illinois: Anti-Corruption Report Number 3.”  Here are some of its findings:

Since 1972 there have been three governors before Governor Blagojevich, state legislators, two congressmen, 19 Cook County judges, 30 aldermen, and other statewide officials convicted of corruption. Altogether there have been 1,000 public officials and businessmen convicted of public corruption since 1970…Corruption in Illinois seems endemic in both political parties. (p.3)

Here’s now corruption in both political parties, the Combine, works. (more…)

The Obama Administration’s definition of “bipartisanship” is: “do it our way or else,” which is why — as the sham of the “healthcare summit” plays itself out on national televion — John Kass’s explanation of the Chicago Way is such a timely piece of journalism.  Here’s a sample:

The Republicans wanted to dance. Now they’ll have to step lightly. They were foolish to get trapped in his so-called summit on national health care. Or did they actually think they could outperform the skinny fellow from Chicago?

Obama will be in his element, talking and lecturing, the law professor framing the debate. He’ll spend hours being seen as reasonable. The Republicans will balk and the president will shrug. He’ll sigh and say he tried to reason with them but they refused.

Then once the cameras are turned off, he’ll take out the baseball bat and explain how things get done The Chicago Way.

Obama understands the first rule of “compromise” — once you get your opponent off his bedrock principles and starting to meet you halfway, the game is already over and all that’s left is to run the table at your leisure.

So as you watch the president, with his saturnine scowl betraying his faux-Bobby Bonilla smile every step of the way, and listen to Schemer Schumer — the reincarnation of Dutch Schultz’s legendary mouthpiece, Dixie Davis, whose every word is a lie, whose every gesture of good fellowship is feigned and whose every offer of reasonable compromise is a poisoned pill — try to keep in mind Kass’s analysis: (more…)

Chicago Tribune reporter John Kass is an old school journalist. He’s one among a cadre of Windy City reporters, most from the Sun Times and the Tribune, who routinely expose the hooligans and shenanigans of the Chicago Political Machine.

Kass says the national MSM ignored the political environment that gave birth to Barack Obama.

While Kass calls Obama “a Chicago political guy,” he knows the Machine is multi-layered. While the hub is Chicago, spokes extend throughout Cook County, and reach deep inside the state capital at Springfield.

Because the MSM ignored the Machine from which Obama emerged, the electorate didn’t realize that voting for Obama meant endorsing politics the Chicago way. Consequently, those outside Illinois knew little about the Machine, how it cleans up its messes, and how the clean-ups can impact individual lives. For example: (more…)