John Kass on Obama's indecision on George Ryan

The biggest political issue in Illinois is the raging controversey over whether corrupt formrer Illinois Governor George Ryan should have his prison sentence commuted.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) got the ball rolling when he reached across the party aisle and sent a request to President Bush to send Ryan home.

What about Barack Obama, who until last month was also an Illinois senator. As his is wont when facing a tough issue, Obama, through a spokesperson, this time Ben LeBolt, issued an indecision.

As the incoming president, he doesn't feel it appropriate to involve himself in pardon and commutation decisions at this time.

The Chicago Tribune's John Kass skewers Obama in his morning column. Obama has been very quiet about corruption in his home state. But when Obama last visited Kenya, it was only there he found the courage to blow the whistle on Illinois' culture of graft.

He'd denounce the Free Ryan Express. And he'd denounce it loudly and angrily, as he's done before with other kinky stuff.

But he'd do it in Kenya.

Not in Chicago, or Washington.

Audacity!

Kass then write a statement that Obama should have issued:

George Bush can do what he wants with his remaining days in office, but come Jan. 20, if George Ryan is still in prison, I hope he likes it, because he's going to stay there. And that goes for every corrupt politician in federal stir. I suggest they start reading 'The Audacity of Hope' followed by Donald Kagan's excellent four-volume history of the Peloponnesian War. They've got plenty of time.

Now that's more like it.

Related post:

Why I oppose a George Ryan commutation

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