The George Ryan trial will be the big Illinois story in October. Much--but not all--of the decline of the Illinois Republican party can be traced to the stench left behind from the four years of George Ryan's 1997-2001 term as governor.
From Eric Krol of the Daily Herald:
Former Gov. George Ryan traded state contracts to “a select inner circle of his friends and associates” in return for vacations, gambling cash, and even the band at his daughter’s wedding, federal prosecutors said Wednesday during opening statements in his federal corruption trial.
“This is a case about betraying the public trust,” assistant U.S. attorney Zach Fardon told jurors.
With that opening salvo, Ryan’s historic trial began. Ryan and co-defendant Larry Warner, a Chicago businessman, face a combined 22 counts of racketeering, extortion, perjury and mail and tax fraud.
Although he has not been directly implicated in any wrongdoing, current Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, has many people in the Land of Lincoln humming the legendary line from "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who:
'Meet the new boss/same as the old boss"
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