The Chicago Way (Don't cross Obama, I'm looking at you, Chamber of Commerce)

The Wall Street Journal ^ | October 23, 2009 | Kimberly Strassel

[St. Louis Conservative]

They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's the Chicago way.

–Jim Malone,

"The Untouchables"

When Barack Obama promised to deliver "a new kind of politics" to Washington, most folk didn't picture Rahm Emanuel with a baseball bat. These days, the capital would make David Mamet, who wrote Malone's memorable movie dialogue, proud.

A White House set on kneecapping its opponents isn't, of course, entirely new. (See: Nixon) What is a little novel is the public and bare-knuckle way in which the Obama team is waging these campaigns against the other side.

In recent weeks the Windy City gang added a new name to their list of societal offenders: the Chamber of Commerce. For the cheek of disagreeing with Democrats on climate and financial regulation, it was reported the Oval Office will neuter the business lobby. Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett slammed the outfit as "old school," and warned CEOs they'd be wise to seek better protection.

That was after the president accused the business lobby of false advertising. And that recent black eye for the Chamber (when several companies, all with Democratic ties, quit in a huff)—think that happened on its own? ("Somebody messes with me, I'm gonna mess with him! Somebody steals from me, I'm gonna say you stole. Not talk to him for spitting on the sidewalk. Understand!?")

The Chamber can at least take comfort in crowds. Who isn't on the business end of the White House's sawed-off shotgun? First up were Chrysler bondholders who—upon balking at a White House deal that rewarded only unions—were privately threatened and then publicly excoriated by the president.

[jveritas]

Obama and his socialists are cowardly bullies who back down quickly when people stand up to them. The Chicago way only works when people do not stand up against it.

[Tawiskaro]

Good piece.

[databoss]

let’s show the apparatchiks the american way and boot these bolsheviks out in 2010 and 2012....

[Uncle Miltie]

See tagline.

[mick]

Yep....from the first time I laid eyes on him I knew he was a punk. Anybody who grew up in a city knew guys like him....all smooth jive a** Bull S***. This boy is out of his league and even his henchmen are now starting to panic and throw wild punches....just today the media as a group stood up to him by standing firm with FOX news and the pool reporters. Trouble is, as he goes down he is going to take the country with him for the next 3 yrs. It’s gonna be a wild ride!

[Nachum]

Hey, nice country ya got there.

[jveritas]

You meet people like Obama everywhere. They try to sound all powerful and intimidating but when you look them in the eye and stand up to them they cower and back down very quickly.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Chicago