From my two amigos.
John Dillon:
Before making the first attempts to paddle the English Channel back in the late 1800’s, would-be swimmers used to sail large buoyant bags of reeds or plants to make sure it was possible or that tides would actually help bring them across the oftentimes 30 or more mile course. After that, the swimmers themselves would brave the elements, treacherous tides, sudden storms and occasional jellyfish to transverse the narrows.
Unlike our current politicians in the General Assembly, it never occurred to these would-be aquanauts to make the crossing with an anchor tied to a foot, an anchor that steadily increased in bottom bouncing poundage as the miles wore on. But that is exactly what our best and brightest young politicians in Springfield (Nekritz, Biss, Cunningham, etc.) seem determined to do – no matter how many times others have gone before and failed. They need to cut the weight.
Glen Brown:
I watched and listened to the 98th Illinois General Assembly today: the invocations and the reciting and signing of the Oath of Office by the collective members of the House of Representatives to “solemnly swear [… to] support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and [to] faithfully discharge the duties of the office…to the best of [their] ability” (Article XIII, Section 3 of the Constitution of the State of Illinois).
I listened to the speeches re-nominating Michael Madigan as Speaker of the House by five sycophantic members of the House of Representatives. I listened to their gushing platitudes and absurd hyperboles, and to the polite applause that followed.
Fred Klonsky 