“I’m not corrupt, I’m just careless.”

Upon how many political headstones might those words be carved in perpetuity?  Too many to list, I suppose, but at least my Brit readers will be relieved, and surprised, to learn that they were not uttered, or muttered, by some ratbag MP but instead they come from that veritable university of corruption - Chicago - where-else?

As those scurrilous rapscallions at IHTM report, Rahm Emanuel's new mayoral administration has taken the world speed record for corruption:

He was elected mayor on Tuesday, appointed his transition team on Thursday and an ethics violation forced his co-chair to resign on Friday.

Now that's what I call real, American-style 'get up and go'!

 

Comments

[dearieme]

Whence came this ludicrous title "co-chair"? (The question is rhetorical because the answer is almost bound to be 'California'.)

I have never seen two people chair a meeting. In fact, I can't conceive of how it could be done. I'm pretty damn sure it couldn't be done effectively.

[David Duff]

I think it might be an old Bill Clintonism arising from his habit of having his females assistants sit on his lap, hence the expression co-chair. Or, perhaps not!

[Umbongo]

DM

It gets worse: where did the words "co-conspirator" and "pro-active" (as an antonym for "inactive") come from? Seems to me that, in the dark days when school-children were taught English grammar and vocabulary, "conspirator" and "active" were considered sufficient to bear the weight of their meanings without the invention of redundant words.

[JK]

I don't know that Rahm is responsible for everything that now goes on in Chicago - but I do wonder. If you plan to visit David, get the phone number for Weird Chicago Tours I'm certain you'll find it, er, "interesting?"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41890918/ns/us_news-life

[David Duff]

JK, I was about to write 'only in Chicago' but actually that sort of tripe goes on everywhere, expecially in so-called places of higher learning!.