The Chicago Way (Don't Cross Obama or ...)

This summer when I was in Chicago, one thing jumped out -- lack of signs that Obama was President. Ebony had the usual big Obama pictures in the front window but walking downtown only saw one Obama sign in a window.

It was like Obama didn't exist and wasn't President. Told me that a lot of people in Chicago don't even consider him from Chicago. It was odd to see such a lack of an Obama presence. No signs, no bumperstrips, and a downtown McDonald's that covers black notable people but couldn't find an Obama picture in the restaurant. Just really strange.

Chicago seems to be an afterthought for Obama now but unfortunately one thing he did take with him is the Chicago thuggery that goes with politics in Chicago. From listening to people talk, Chicago is without a doubt one of the most corrupt cities in America. Guess Chicago never heard of term limits or the Daley family wouldn't still be in control.

We have a community organizer turned President who is still voting 'Present' on Afghanistan but threatens Fox News, Chamber of Commerce, and any others who get in the way of his agenda. More and more people are seeing Obama in the light of Nixon who would do anything to take down his enemies and that is not a compliment. You can tell the Chicago thug Rahm Emanuel is behind a lot of this as it has his fingerprints all over from how he operated in Chicago.

The Chicago Way
The Wall Street Journal
October 23, 2009
Kimberly Strassel

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.

Excerpt: Read more at online.wsj.com