If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime

Watching politicians get indicted is a hobby of mine [READER]( The Daily Reader June 13, 2023 As I write this, a man named James Weiss is on trial in a federal court here for allegedly bribing a couple of politicians named Luis Arroyo and Terry Link. That’s okay if you don’t know this. I’m a political junkie who keeps up with this stuff so you don’t have to. You’re welcome. Weiss is the son-in-law of Joe Berrios. Some of you probably remember him. Berrios is the former Cook County Assessor. Weiss is married to Joe’s daughter, Toni Berrios, who was the state rep from around Logan Square until Will Guzzardi defeated her in 2014. Weiss’s trial follows the federal trial of the so-called [Madigan Four]( who were convicted for their role in another bribery scandal, this one involving Commonwealth Edison. The “Madigan” in the Madigan Four is, of course, former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who will go on trial next year for his part in that ComEd scandal. And then there’s former Alderman Ed Burke, who was indicted in another scandal having to do with shaking down people looking to do business with the city. What do all these people have in common? They’re Democrats. Madigan once chaired the state party as Joe Berrios chaired the Cook County Party. And not one of them is crying that they’re being victimized in a “witch hunt” masterminded by Republican chieftains. Even though John Lausch Jr., the former federal prosecutor who led their prosecutions, is a Republican appointed by Donald Trump. In fact, I’ve never heard any Democrat cry witch hunt in all my years of watching local Democrats get indicted. And I’ve been watching local Democrats get indicted for many, many years. The attitude of most Democrats being: if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime. Wait! There was one indicted Democrat who cried that prosecutors were picking on him—Blago. But he’s no longer a Democrat. He’s now a MAGA convert, who calls himself a Trumpocrat. So he doesn’t count. On the other hand, as you all know . . . Trump and his MAGA cultists—including pretty much every leader in the Republican Party—are crying like babies. They claim Joe Biden is picking on them because a grand jury indicted Trump for hoarding top secret classified documents in the basement, bathrooms, and ballrooms of his mansion in Florida. Even though they’ve gathered a lot of incriminating evidence that Trump was, you know, hoarding top secretary classified documents. You can’t find many Republicans who think Trump should be held accountable for his dirty deeds. Be it raping E. Jean Carroll, paying hush money to Stormy Daniels, telling the secretary of state in Georgia to throw away Joe Biden ballots, or trying to incite a coup. They contend Donald Trump should be free to break any law he wants without consequence. While every Democrat—from Madigan on down—has to face judge and jury for their malfeasance. They’re an odd mix of crybaby and bravado, this MAGA crowd. One moment, they’re whining that they’re being picked on. And the next they’re talking tough about taking it to the streets, with their weaponry, if Trump is convicted. It would be if not for the fact that if they get their way our democracy will have become a lawless autocracy. Far more outrageous than any Democratic autocracy I’ve seen in Chicago. And I’ve been watching Democratic autocrats for a long long time. 🎙Listen to [The Ben Joravsky Show]( 🎙 [What Ben's Reading] [Lone Women]( by Victor Lavalle. Sorta sci-fi novel about tough women fighting for survival in Montana in the early 20th century. [Deanna Isaacs]( on Starship Chicago II. [Ben Joravsky]( on the early days of the Bears’ romance with Arlington Heights. [Best of the Ben J. Show]( [David Faris]( debating Dershowitz [Hope Rehak]( why do men resent Hannah Gadsby so much? [Alden Loury]( closing the schools ten years later [Filters are not just for Instagram]( A price guide to NSF-certified water filters by [Mackenzie Tatananni]( | [R]( → [The alchemy of everyday happiness]( At Hyde Park Art Center, artists share the objects that give them strength. by [Annette LePique]( | [Read here]( → [Review: The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future]( This Chilean film is magical realism at its best. by [Kat Sachs]( | [Read here]( → Support community-driven media CIMA is proud to represent community-driven media throughout the Chicagoland area.With your help, CIMA can empower diverse perspectives and document the unique stories of our communities. Join them in Powering Independence, and make your donation by June 19! 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