Public Official A - A Comic Morality Play In The Illinois Style
Judge reveals Blagojevich is ‘Public Official A’
Rezko allegedly sought donations for governor
-Headline from February 26, 2008 Chicago Tribune
The Illinois Scandal Du Jour (But At Least It’s Good Theater)
It may be necessary to reside within the boundaries of the State of Illinois to fully appreciate the nuances of the latest entertainment being offered by the gubernatorial repertory company, starring Governor Blagojevich (on the far left in the graphic) and his fundraiser, Antoin “Tony” Rezko (on the right in the graphic), but significant enjoyment can be garnered as long as one knows the basic story line.
Happily, the plot is is succinctly summarized in CliffsNotes style by the first two paragraphs of the Tribune story, which are excerpted below:
Laying to rest the latest parlor game of Illinois politics, a federal judge on Monday made it crystal clear that “A” stands for Rod Blagojevich in the public corruption case against the governor’s indicted fundraiser, Antoin “Tony” Rezko.
A ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Amy St. Eve dispensed with an array of pseudonyms that had cloaked the identities of several people who allegedly benefited from Rezko’s financial schemes, including Blagojevich. He had previously been referred to in court documents only as Public Official A.
Notes On The Mismatch Between Symbolism In Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter and The Heck of a Guy Satiric Graphic Referencing Public Official A
Before I’m indicted by the Symbol Squad, I admit that the the scarlet “A” that Hester Prynne is condemned to wear for her adultery, as evidenced by the birth of her child out of wedlock, and the “A” in “Public Official A” are hardly parallel. Hester, after all, is revealed to be angelic (which also begins with an “A” - get it?) while it’s beginning to look as though Governor Blogojevich (AKA Blago) may be revealed as - well, not so angelic. At best, he has been absolutely oblivious (yes, “absolutely oblivious” is a long way to go for that “A,” but I want to get this posted before the court case and appeals are completed).
If Blago fits a character in Hawthorne’s tale, it would be Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the outwardly pious minister who impregnates Hester and refuses to acknowledge his responsibility, forcing her not only raise their child without help but also face the censure of the church and community alone.
And, I suspect even Mr. Rezko would agree that he is ill cast as Pearl, the infant daughter of Hester and Dimmesdale.
Let’s see, that means the prosecutor would be either or both Reverend Mr. John Wilson, the senior clergyman who advocates harsh punishment for those who have sinned as Hester has or Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s husband, who was thought to be lost at sea but returns and becomes obsessed with discovering the identity of the miscreant who cuckolded him. Maybe the judge is one of those guys. Or not.
Well, the point is that getting all the representations straight is difficult just to work out; it would be a bitch to illustrate.
So, I’ve learned to deal with it and trust that the gracious and generous reader will do so as well.
Re “Hinky Dink” Kenna and “Bathhouse John” Coughlin
The nicknames alone probably supply sufficient inforrmation to get the joke, but these were intriguing characters. Should the reader be so intrigued, a short, accurate, and readable description of these two politicians can be found at the Encyclopedia of Chicago web site. A much longer and much more enjoyable version is available at the oddly named but fact- and fun-filled Weird and Haunted Chicago site.
- got anything more on that elephant -
Comment by ben — February 28, 2008 @ 10:48 pm