Whose name isn’t being floated as a candidate for US Senator

The game is on for anyone with any kind of political ambition, mediocre public record or political consultant on the payroll to float their own name to run for U.S. Senator, replacing the stumbling and forgetful Roland Burris.

It’s all presumptuous, of course. Not one of the floated candidates has achieved anything of any significance in terms of past or current public service or seems to even care about what’s best for the public. They’re all being driven mainly by their ego and a selfish sense of entitlement.

One of the first out of the box was the mediocre Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. He’s young. Has lots of friends. And a history of controversy involving his family’s banking business. Worse, he thinks that the problem with credit cards isn’t the fault of the bankers – naturally he’s not going to blame his pop – but the fault of those stupid, ignoramuses called “the consumer.”

Giannoulias says that if the banks are ripping the public off by their unethical misconduct raising interest rates to levels higher than that charged by the mob, it’s the public’s fault. The very same public Giannoulias will need in order to win office.

Sorry Mr. Treasurer. You’re a nice guy. You have potential. But how about doing something significant in your current office, other than pander to the low life, scum bag banking industry?

Oh. I did see you on TV promoting yourself and giving a check to some guy who forgot he had a million dollars in an investment someplace. Bet he’ll donate to your campaign?

And then there is Chris Kennedy. Oh, let me utter the sacred word again. Kennedy. Kennedy. Kennedy. There are some really fat, greedy and selfish political consultants who have been feeding off of the Kennedy trough for years, exploiting the public interest and filling their hog-like ambitions with contracts, donations and elitist accolades.

Yet, where has Chris Kennedy been all these years? Running the Merchandise Mart, the family business?

Was he working on the streets helping the people? Is he standing up to Mayor Richard M. Daley, Chicago’s Monarch-for-Life who gave one of the Chicago Police Department’s worst terrorists, Jon Burge, a get-out-of-indictment card for years?

Is he standing up to the outrageous taxation imposed by King Richard and his minions, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, the Todd Pole?

Has he shown some of the profile in courage that was the earmark of his great father, the murdered U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy or his uncle, the murdered President John F. Kennedy.

Or has he just sloshed around aimlessly lavishing in the family name, surrounding himself with selfish advisers concerned about pomp and ceremony and who bad mouth anyone and everyone in order to protect their own domain. They surround themselves with the slimy political eels and leeches of Chicago who care little for the people and only care about their power obesity?

And people wonder why the public is fed up with voting and doesn’t show up at the polls any more. The turnout is worse and worse each year. Not because the public has forgotten the importance of voting. They’ve only come to acknowledge the falling credibility and quality of the candidates who are running for office these days.

Their choice as a public is dismal. They can choose the worthless do-nothing self-serving politicians who are in office. Or, they can choose the worthless do-nothing self-serving politicians who are not in office.

How about before Chris Kennedy offers his name up for the $174,000-a year public servant job in the U.S. Senate, maybe he shows the public first how he can be their servant.

We’ve have enough doofuses in public office already, including one who can’t seem to give a straight or honest answer to explain his ties to disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

We don’t need another one, especially one with a gold-plated family name.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com