Part I: Will Obama Bring Roots to Daley Machine and Long Line of Political Corruption to DC?

RFFM.org ^ | November 25, 2008 | Daniel T. Zanoza

[Daniel T. Zanoza]

The city of Chicago is one of the few major metropolitan areas which runs away from its past at every opportunity. Yet, indeed, the very construction of the city led to the term "underworld." And with rampant corruption controlled by infamous individuals like "Big Jim" Colosimo, Al Capone, Paul "The Waiter" Ricca, Murray "The Camel" Humphrey and Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo, Chicago can hardly bury its past--no pun intended.

Since the turn of the 20th century, what Carl Sandburg referred to as the "City of Big Shoulders" was perhaps the center of organized crime in the United States. Though New York had its Syndicate and Detroit had the Purple Gang, many believe true power in America's underworld was concentrated in something called the Outfit.

With the election of Barack Obama will come a great deal of history-laden baggage which will make the movie "The Godfather" seem like a Walt Disney cartoon.

From David Axelrod, who was nurtured on the Daley Machine, to the political organizing which Barack Obama so proudly claims a lineage, Chicago's brand of one Party politics may be a model for the Obama administration in Washington, D.C.

It is no mistake the president-elect joined Rev. Jeremiah Wright's southside Chicago church. Obama wanted to learn ...

[Redleg Duke]

Do bears poop in the woods?

[ScottinVA]

Uh... I would say yeah... there is a rather strong likelihood of that happening. But we knew that, didn’t we?

[Parley Baer]

Uh yeah, 46% of us did.

[Clock King]