Back in 2002, the Illinois State Police troopers union disgraced itself when it endorsed Rod Blagojevich for Governor and Lisa Madigan for Attorney General.
The union threw career law enforcement officials and backers Jim Ryan and Joe Birkett to the curb in favor of a mediocre congressman and a woman with zero law enforcement experience.
I was spokesman for Jim Ryan at the time and I remember calling then union president Ted Street afterwards and he gave me some mumbo jumbo about how he voted for Blagojevich in order to break a deadlock even though he favored Ryan. What a sell-out.
What will the troopers do this time? Already, it's a big topic of discussion on a website frequented by Illinois State Police personnel. Opinions vary, but sentiment seems to be running against endorsing Blagojevich this time.
What has fueled some of the discussion is a letter Troopers Lodge president L. H. "Buddy" Parker wrote to members two weeks ago. In it, Parker admitted the 2002 decision was bogus.
The manner in which the Lodge reached an endorsement decision in the last gubernatorial race was not acceptable. Ultimately, the choice should be and is yours.Will it be, in 2006?
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