Illinois: Land of Nepotism

I've decided that Illinois needs a new slogan. That whole "Land of Lincoln" thing is so 19th century. Today's newspaper gave me a new inspiration for a new state motto:

Illinois: Land Of Nepotism.

It has a nice ring doesn't it?

What brought this on, you may ask? This-

Stroger's son ready to step up - Chicago Tribune

As some of you may know, John Stroger, President of the Cook County Board, had a stroke shortly before the last primary. He remained on the ticket and won the primary. He hasn't been seen publically since. There has been a great deal of comment and concern about his ability to serve.

Well, yesterday, it was announced that Stroger was to leave the ticket for the fall general election. Who will replace him? His son, Chicago Alderman Todd Stroger, naturally. It won't be official until the County Democratic leaders vote, but it looks like a done deal.

This isn't a first in Illinois. In 2004 Congressman William Lipinski decided not to run for re-election after winning the primary. Who was selected to fill his spot on the ticket? His son Dan.

Let's not forget to mention a few other names, like Madigan, Hynes, and, of course, Daley. (Amazing enough the approximately 19 Republicans named Ryan were all unrelated.)

Remember here in Illinois the only thing that trumps who you know is who your daddy is.

The corruption and cronyism in this state is just horrifying. Remeber that next time you're thinking about criticizing Barak Obama for talking about corruption as a bi-partisan issue.