Marathon Pundit: Friends of Barack update: Emil Jones brags about his pork barrel prowess

Last year a convocation center at Chicago State University opened. It's named for an Obama mentor, Illinois State Senate President Emil Jones Jr. and his wife. It was built with $47 million in state funds, which Jones helped grease the wheels for.

So it was a fitting location for Jones to pound his chest about his skill in advancing pork barrel legislation, as the Chicago Tribune reports:

During his years in the legislature, Senate President Emil Jones has funneled millions of dollars in pork projects to his beloved Chicago State University. On Tuesday, the school returned the affection with a lavish ribbon-cutting ceremony at a campus building that now bears his name.

The retiring Jones (D-Chicago) was hailed as nothing short of a hero by those in attendance, from Gov. Rod Blagojevich to interim university president Frank Pogue, who praised Jones for always fighting for South Side interests.

Jones said he was inspired to use his influence to benefit the university by observing how legislators in Springfield banded together to pass projects for other state schools. He blasted news accounts that questioned his motives and said his actions were an attempt at "parity" and "fairness."

We learned a lot in Springfield, when they slice the pie," Jones said of the budget process. "It's nice to be in the room when you slice the pie. And [sometimes] I get criticized for making sure that a piece of that pie comes back home here, but that's your job as a lawmaker. To look out for your district, to look out for the young people that attend these institutions.