THE CITY THAT WORKS: POWER, POLITICS AND CORRUPTION IN CHICAGO

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EXCLUSIVE
TO EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE
 

By Dennis Moore

Steve Breen

The opinions expressed are the views and beliefs of the author only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or beliefs of East County Magazine, its publisher or editor.

Author Dennis Moore has offered East County Magazine an exclusive
preview of his upcoming book, The City That Works: Power, Politics, And
Corruption In Chicago
.  Moore alleges that he felt fearful for his
life after refusing to go along with a corrupt political system. The book provides
an insider’s glimpse into Chicago’s formidable political machine - with revealing
insights into Chicago's top political figures including President-elect Barack
Obama, Mayor Richard Daley and Governor Rod Blagojevich, now facing impeachment
proceedings for attempting to sell Obama’s former Senate seat.

Former Illinois Governor Dan Walker with author Dennis
Moore

Moore grew up in the Chicagoland area, where he attended DePaul University,
majoring in Communications.  As a Specifications Engineer for the City
of Chicago Department of Aviation at O'Hare International Airport, Moore was
involved in  awarding  over $11 million in contracts for vehicles
and equipment. In his book, Moore claims to have received threats from political
operatives of Governor Blagojevich and Mayor Daley. Later Moore became a political
operative himself, serving as precinct captain in the 37th Ward Political Organization
in Chicago. After moving to San Diego from Chicago, he joined the San Diego
Writers & Editors Guild and became involved in San Diego politics, supporting
and canvassing in the campaigns of Councilman Donna Frye for Mayor, and President-Elect
Barack Obama.

View chapter 1 of The City That Works…


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Comments

"The City That Works: Power, Politics and Corruption in Chicago"

"Everybody knows who Rahm Emanuel is. He wants to win. He's dirty. He's low-down. He's a street fighter. This is Rahm Emanuel trying to prove a point, trying to flex his muscles. He's trying to put his fingers in our faces because he ultimately wants to bust this union, bust all the unions." - Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, who accused the mayor of trying to intimidate her in a profanity-laden rant recently at City Hall over extending the school day.

"The City That Works" published with Barnes & Noble

My book was published on 7/11/2011 with Barnes & Noble as a NOOK Book (eBook)(2940012847898). The publication of this book is timely, as it comes after former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was convicted on 17 of 20 counts of corruption, and just prior to his sentencing. The eBook actually includes the transcript of a federal wiretap between White House Chief of Staff, now Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, and then Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich, in which they discussed President Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat.

Dennis, congratulations.

This is an important book on a timely subject, and I'm glad to see it in print. 

The City That Works

Dennis Moore has written a courageous book on a timely subject. Having read the first chapter, it is evident that Dennis knows whereof he speaks, and he's not afraid to admit that he, too, skated on the edge of corruption. He was, however, conscientous enough to get away from the whole sordid scene while he still could. Dennis, I predict this book will be widely-read by everyone who wants to understand Chicago politics better.
Linda Loegel, author of Bumps Along the Way.

Jesse Jacjson Jr. suffers collateral damage in Blagojevich trial

Secret recordings of then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich talking about what he could get in return for a U.S. Senate appointment show that as the federal authorities closed in, there was just one contender he thought he could get a deal with - U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.

By John Chase and Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune Newspaper

Jesse Jackson Jr. suffers collateral damage in Blagojevich trial

Jackson has spent in excess of $200,000 in legal fees from his federal campaign fund amid the Blagojevich criminal investigation and the resulting congressional inquiry, which was put on hold at the request of the U.S. attorney's office while the criminal case plays out.

Jesse Jackson Jr. knew of $1 million offer for Senate seat,

A supporter of U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. told the Democratic Congressman in 2008 that he would raise $1 million in return for then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich naming Jackson to the U.S. Senate, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.

Aide: Blago had to scrounge invite to Obama rally

By early December 2008, Blagojevich had U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Attorney General Lisa Madigan at the top of his list of who to appoint to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by president-elect Barack Obama, according to testimony. "Two equally repugnant picks," Blagojevich said on one recorded call. "If they were both drowning and I could save one, I would save Jesse."

Opinion: Oh, the agony of Rod

We hear the recordings, and we envision possible scenes from late 2008. On mornings when no FBI agents drop by to make an arrest, Rod Blagojevich bounds down the steps in a cape. An expensive, elegantly tailored cape.

"Today, I'm Batman!" he burbles. And tomorrow, with its rhinestone-trimmed slippers?

"Today, I'm a ballet dancer!" Another day, the scabbard eyepatch and little parrot say it all.

Chicago Tribune Newspaper 07/06/2010

Audio reveals swipes at Obama, other Illinois Democrats

Rod Blagojevich had barely taken his hand off the Bible after being sworn in as governor when he pledged not to "let cynicism become the death knell of progress" in state government.

More than seven years later, the secret recordings played at his federal corruption trial show a Blagojevich whose cynicism ran rampant in his final weeks in office before FBI agents arrested him and lawmakers quickly dumped him from power.

By Rick Pearson, Tribune reporter

Audio reveals swipes at Obama, other Illinois Democrats

Blagojevich accuses then-president-elect Obama and Obama's advisors of making a "concerted effort" to portray now-convicted former fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko as "all about me" and not Obama to dirty up the Illinois governor.

"I'm a big boy and I can handle that, but it's really (expletive) galling. This guy is more Tony'd up than I am," Blagojevich tells his then-chief of staff, John Harris, in a telephone call 10 days after Obama's election. Obama has described as "boneheaded" a private land deal involving Rezko and their adjoining South Side properties. Rezko solicited campaign funds for Obama and Blagojevich but served as a top advisor to the former governor.

Audio reveals swipes at Obama, other Illinois Democrats

In another recorded call, to former deputy governor Doug Scofield, Blagojevich refers to Obama's efforts to "get out of Chicago politics" and escape the taint of Rezko. But Blagojevich won't let Obama off that easy. "I subscribe to this," Blagojevich tells Schofield, "you know, misery loves company."

Audio reveals swipes at Obama, other Illinois Democrats

The hours of prosecution recordings of expletive-laced telephone calls reveal Blagojevich was growing frustrated at his attempts to turn the search for successor into a personal or political reward.

Tammy Duckworth, an unsuccessful suburban Democratic congressional candidate and current federal Department of Veterans Affairs official, has "no chance" to be his Senate pick, Blagojevich says because she's the choice of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Illinois senior senator and second in the Senate Democratic leadership.

Audio reveals swipes at Obama, other Illinois Democrats

Rahm Emanuel, who was soon to become Obama's Chief of Staff, was pushing Obama friend Valerie Jarrett for the Senate appointment because he doesn't want to compete with her in the White House, Blagojevich asserts. Jarrett later dropped from Senate consideration, but Blagojevich described dealing with Emanuel as a "one-way street."

The recordings also reveal that Blagojevich and his last remaining group of close advisors thought little of a current crop of Democrats including those aspiring for office this November.

Audio reveals swipes at Obama, other Illinois Democrats

First-term Treasurer Alex Giannoulias, viewed then by Blagojevich as a rival in 2010, "under no circumstances" can be trusted. Giannoulias is now the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee.

In one call, Blagojevich pollster Fred Yang offered an interesting, if not prophetic, view of Giannoulias, who was believed by the governor's inner circle to be Obama's favorite candidate for governor.

By Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune Reporter

Audio reveals swipes at Obama, other Illinois Democrats

"I don't know how, how well he's gonna do under the bright light of running for governor? With all his banking stuff," Yang said. "They're going to think that he's been vetted 'cause he won state treasurer ... But that's not even close to running for governor. They're gonna give him, like, you know, rectal exam."

Audio reveals swipes at Obama, other Illinois Democrats

Giannoulias has faced problems in this year's Senate race over his role as a senior loan officer at the family's now-defunct Broadway Bank, including a Tribune report of controversial loans made to convicted felons.

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who actively campaigned for the 2008 Senate vacancy and whose supporters Blagojevich thought could deliver campaign cash in return, is the "uber African-American" who could prevent a black challenger to a third-term governor bid, Blagojevich says.

"I mean, Jesse Jr., It's a repugnant thought to me," Blagojevich tells Harris in a call on Nov. 12, 2008. "But you know, I don't believe him. I don't trust him. I don't like him anymore."

By Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune Reporter

Audio reveals swipes at Obama, other Illinois Democrats

The distaste and distrust extended to everyone from his closest allies to the incoming President of the United States.

Former Senate President Emil Jones, at the time Blagojevich's chief legislative protector and enabler, "humiliated me" by signing on to an ethics reform bill that curbed campaign fundraising, Blagojevich said in one recording. As such, Jones is no longer "a very inspiring thought" to be a pick to replace Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate. Still, Blagojevich continued, Jones "can raise money for me."

IRS Witness: Blago and wife spent $400,000 on clothes

Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial has turned to the former governor's expensive taste in clothes.

Schindler explained charts that showed flows of money to the Blagojevichs from Antoin "Tony" Rezko around the same time that money siphoned from a state pension deal, went to Rezko. Rezko, a key Blagojevich fundraiser, was convicted in 2008 of corrupting state boards.

Blago railed about Obama: 'He's a demigod now'

A onetime deputy governor under Rod Blagojevich took the stand again today in the former governor's corruption trial as prosecutors played the rest of the infamous "(expletive) golden" undercover recording.

During the same conversation with Doug Scofield on Nov. 2008 tape Blagojevich railed about Barack Obama, the newly elected president, saying, "He's a demigod now."

In another undercover recording played to the jury, Blagojevich said, "We've got a lot of options here, "referring to his power to fill the U.S. Senate seat soon to be vacated by Obama. "I'm willing to trade," he said after mentioning a Cabinet post.

In yet another recording, Blagojevich told Scofield to warn the Obama camp that he would appoint U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. to the Senate seat and not Obama's friend, Valerie Jarrett. Blagojevich said he might select Jackson if Obama and his representatives didn't move beyond "vague assurances" that Blagojevich might be rewarded.

Ariel Investments, Citigroup got calls about job for Patti Blago

Patti Blagojevich's real estate business was struggling and she was looking for a job - one that would afford her time to raise her children and fulfill her duties as first lady.

So at some point in 2008 Gov. Rod Blagojevich asked his chief of staff, John Harris, to come up with a list of financial firms that did business with the state and see whether he recognized the names of any of their principles, according to Harris' testimony at his boss' ongoing corruption trial. Harris was to set up meetings with them regarding hiring the governor's wife.

Ariel Investments and the trial of Rod Blagojevich

The Tribune reported last week that Harris contacted Ariel Investments and Citigroup.

But whom, specifically, did Harris call? At Ariel, according to testimony, he contacted John Rogers, the investment firm's well-known CEO and a close friend of President Barack Obama's. Rogers also is the ex-husband of former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers and donated more than $36,000 to Blagojevich over several election cycles, according to state campaign finance data.

Blago Trial: Obama had no preference for Senate appointment

Balanoff said he talked to Barack Obama the night before he was elected president. Obama said there were many good candidates to succeed him in the U.S. Senate, but that he wouldn't be supporting anyone, according to Balanoff. Obama said his friend Valerie Jarrett was interested in the Senate appointment but that he preferred she work with him in the White House. Blagojevich is charged with trying to profit from his power to replace Obama.

"Prince of Darkness"

In the ongoing criminal trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, John Harris, who was initially indicted with the former governor, was referred to as the "Prince of Darkness," as he is alleged to have plotted with Blagojevich in the attempt to sell President Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.

Pulitzer Prize Winner Steve Breen

2-time Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist Steve Breen has given me permission to use his cartoons in my book about Chicago politics, particularly the one showing the garbage bins overflowing with political corruption. Steve Breen and I are both members of the San Diego Writers/Editors Guild, although he is much more accomplished at this point in time than I.

The criminal trial of former Illinois Governor Blagojevich

The federal criminal trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich in Chicago, who is alleged to have attempted to sell the vacated Senate seat of President Barack Obama, will be a mandate on "Play-to-Play" in Illinois politics. Expected to testify at the trial are members of the President's inner circle, Rahm Emanuel and Valerie Jarrett, as well as Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.

The Trial of former Illnois Governor Rod Blagojevich

I am firmly convinced that we would not be having this criminal trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, being alleged to have attempted to sell President Barack Obama's Senate seat, if some of the things that I point out in my referenced book were taken more serious at the time. I was actually there at Blagojevich's first inauguration, and I worked with and around some of the people that contributed to Blagojevich becoming Governor.

The Maverick and the Machine

Former Illinois Governor Dan Walker, pictured in this preview of my book about Chicago politics, has asked me to do a review of his book, The Maverick and the Machine: Governor Dan Walker Tells His Story. I had actually sat on the balcony of Dan's home in Baja California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, discussing our respective roles in Chicago politics with him. He autographed his book to me, stating; "For Dennis Moore - good-luck to a gutsy and remarkable guy - with kind regards, Governor Dan Walker." Much of what I have written about in my book, Dan has also written about in his book. While his book is mostly about his battles and challenges with the first Mayor Daley, Richard J. Daley, mine was more about the second Mayor Daley, Richard M. Daley.

Robert Royko

It is interesting to note that Robert Royko, the son of the late and famed Chicago Sun-Times Newspaper reporter, Mike Royko, was recently sentenced to prison. I alluded to "Rob" in my book as getting his job at the airport as a manager, basically through "clout." I also referred in my book to a particular situation when "Rob" came into my office at O'Hare with a magazine, displaying scantily clad women. I questioned to myself his professionalism, and wondered how he got the job there. Of course, now we know! That really is what my book is all about. Robert Royko was sentenced in October of 2009 to 30 months in prison by federal judge Wayne Anderson, for attempted robbery. Meanwhile, I am still trying to find a publisher for my book.

It is ironic that at this very moment, I am sitting in the office of Bob Page, Chairman and CEO of the San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, and former Publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times Newspaper, to discuss my book.

"Taking names is essential to quid and quo"

Chicago Sun-Times Newspaper columnist Mark Brown states in regard to former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and Chicago politics in general; "Everybody keeps a 'clout list,' former list-keeper Fawell says." This, in his October 18, 2009 column. Specifically stated in Mark Brown's column; "On Friday, Sun-Times reporters pulled back the curtain on former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's patronage operation, revealing that our disgraced ex-chief executive indeed kept score, with a database of 5,700 candidates for jobs or promotions, each of them categorized under one of 386 political sponsors. That is how "The City That Works," works!

Rahm Emanuel becomes Mayor of Chicago

Former Illinois Governor Dan Walker stated to me today in regard to Rahm Emanuel replacing Mayor Daley as Mayor of Chicago: "It's going to take a while for Rahm to get his feet on this new ground and the problems facing Chicago are ginormous. Mostly money; huge deficit. He'll make up a big part of this with a Casino which I'm pretty sure the legislature will give him once he cuts a deal with the very powerful House Speaker Mike Madigan. He also has to make up with Alderman Burke to get him on his side in running the city and make up with the African-Americans (which won't be hard). He'll also have to cut what the unions want and that'll be tough since they are accustomed to being given close to whatever they want under the Daleys. I think Rahm will handle these problems better than any other of the candidates. We'll see. I wish him luck. Oh yes, he still has to cope with the Mob which is far from dead in Chicago."

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

In a front page Chicago Sunday Sun-Times Newspaper Special Report, the newspaper reported that Illinois politicians begged for jobs for their supporters from then Governor Blagojevich, then booted him out of office. This October 18, 2009 story specifically stated; "Early in Rod Blagojevich's time as governor, dozens of the Illinois state legislators who eventually would vote to boot him from office came to Blagojevich asking him to reward their political supporters with state jobs and other favors, hiring records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show." The story further stated; "Twenty-eight of the 59 Illinois senators who voted early this year to remove Blagojevich as governor had gone to him with recommendations for state jobs, promotions, transfers or appointments to state boards, a database of patronage hires kept by Blagojevich aides shows." The story further indicates that political powerbroker Michael Madigan, Illinois House Speaker, sought 98 jobs, raises or appointments and got 33 of them. The article specifically stated; "In all, the Madigan-sponsored candidates contributed more than $84,000 to the speaker's political funds and another $40,236 to his daughter, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, state records show."

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

In a front page Chicago Sunday Sun-Times Newspaper Special Report, the newspaper reported that Illinois politicians begged for jobs for their supporters from then Governor Blagojevich, then booted him out of office. This October 18, 2009 story specifically stated; "Early in Rod Blagojevich's time as governor, dozens of the Illinois state legislators who eventually would vote to boot him from office came to Blagojevich asking him to reward their political supporters with state jobs and other favors, hiring records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show." The story further stated; "Twenty-eight of the 59 Illinois senators who voted early this year to remove Blagojevich as governor had gone to him with recommendations for state jobs, promotions, transfers or appointments to state boards, a database of patronage hires kept by Blagojevich aides shows." The story further indicates that political powerbroker Michael Madigan, Illinois House Speaker, sought 98 jobs, raises or appointments and got 33 of them. The article specifically stated; "In all, the Madigan-sponsored candidates contributed more than $84,000 to the speaker's political funds and another $40,236 to his daughter, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, state records show."