Did you vote today?

FB, my friend, he was a great goalie, has a mind like a steel trap but may be the most boring person on the face of the earth.

As someone once said of a a colleague, "Ask him for a needle and thread and he'll knit you a sweater"

 

Not a good start in NJ.

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/elections-0/1202212205263260.xml&storylist=jersey

 

Can't find my copy anywhere, but lately dying to read it again:

 

An heroic book, by one of God's chosen people.

The son of an intown saloonkeeper.

We still weep at his passing.

 

"Who invited Ribicoff?"

 

("f--- y-- . . . "

 

What have I done that Jon Corzine only wishes he could do?

No, not agate.

I voted.

 

Jesus, we're old, Ben.

 

I started to care at a very, VERY young age.

There are two people I wanted to vote FOR (rather than act in vote-against mode . . . ) for the presidency, in my lifetime.

The first one (won't name him . . .), I was too young to sneak into the booth.

The second one's going for it, this year.

 

"Boss" is a great read, but in a lot of ways Royko wouldn't recognize today's Chicago. Much more yuppified, though the racial and ethnic polarization in many areas is still alive and well. Young man Daley (well, he's in his 60s now) is much less confrontational, pulling strings behind the scenes instead of making it super-bloody obvious, though he is fighting to end the 1969 decree that "ended" (quotes mine) political-based hiring for many city jobs. Young man Daley is a master of malaprop like his dad, though.

And there are still a lot of political hacks. I'm stuck with a Congressional district where, Bob Knight-style, the sitting rep stepped down in the middle of his term and gave the seat to his son.

 

I read that when it first came out in hardcover. 1971, I believe. Great book.

And I'm still older than you and Ben, FB.

 

Near North's yuppie heaven.

But much of what makes Democratic hackery so distasteful still exists, in broad view.