During the election I found myself trying to explain how corrupt Chicago politicians were to some neighbors, a very devout Christian family that tends to see the best in most people.  They nodded politely as I explained that all Chicago politicians are corrupt because even if they personally don't engage in pay for play practices, they accept the presence of the rampant corruption going on around them as the price of being allowed to stay in office.  But I could tell they really didn't comprehend the extent of the problem in Illinois and what it said about the career of Barack Obama.   Part of the problem was that many of the rural counties around here aren't exactly politically pristine.  Chicago has its Daley, Madigan, Lipinski and Stroger political dynasties. Madison county, North Carolina has the notorious Ponder brothers, E.T. and Zeno.  As in Chicago,  same half dozen surnames have...(Read Full Post)