Jonathan Alter, the MSNBC Nebish In Chief and Obama Acolyte who also writes for Newsweek and Bloomberg, is a real Chicago dandelion. . . he is so in the very same manner that NPR, WTTW, and PBS want everyone to believe that Studs Terkle mattered. To whom and why is not actually ever made evident -Studs was a Chicago Treasure. On the Square? Never knew that.
Chicago guys are Nelson Algren, Ditka, O'Bradovich, Old Man Daley, Harry Caray, Ray Coffey(dec.), John Kass, Dennis Byrne, Ed Vrydolyak, Boz O'Brien, Rick Kogan, Two Ton Baker, Johnny Kerr, Father John Smyth, Bobby Douglas, Ernie Terrell, Paul Vallas, Minnie Minosa, Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Ed Kelly and Bill Beavers.
Chicago dandelions are Studs Terkle, Richard Roeper, Michael Jordan, Roe Conn, Carol Marin, Bill Ayers, Abner Mikva, Mike Quigley, former Mayor Richard M. Daley, Billy Dec, Jay Mariotti, Billy Corgan, Dr. Quentin Young, Msgr. John Egan (dec.), Arne Duncan, Curtis Ennis, Alderman Sandy Jackson, President Obama, Ald. Brendan O'Reilly.
Dandelions make a nice wine, but are weeds. There are always more dandelions than genuine blossoms; more Faux Chicago guys than the real deals.
Bill Daley, unlike his big brother and distinguished fellow of Harris Center for Public Policy at University of Chicago, is a genuine Chicago guy. John Daley and Mike Daley are guys. The former Mayor? I don't think so - RMD is global personality.
Bill The Banker Daley has knocked around and still dresses to suit ZZ Top.
One of the standout Chicago dandelions, in my humble opinion, is Jonathan Alter.
Today, after I picked up five young guys from Canaryville taking the Leo entrance exam, I read this post-departure hit piece on Obama's latest Chief of Staff (jury is still out on Mayor Coon Eyes, as to whether or not he be a Chicago Guy) to hit the silk - Willam Daley:
Some background: The youngest and smartest son of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley was never part of the Obama inner circle. After I broke the story in late 2006 that Daley would offer an early and important endorsement of the freshman Illinois senator, a Chicago source informed me that Daley had no particular love for Obama. He backed Obama over Hillary Clinton in part to stay on the right side of Chicago’s blacks in anticipation of a now-abandoned plan to run for governor of Illinois.
In the summer of 2007, when Obama trailed Clinton by more than 20 points in most polls, Daley, by then co-chairman of the Obama campaign, essentially gave up on his candidate, telling friends that Obama had impressed everyone with his fundraising and set himself up nicely for the future but wasn’t going to make it in 2008. Obama loyalists, remembering that Daley had stopped fighting for Al Gore in the 2000 election aftermath against George W. Bush and Jim Baker when he was Gore’s campaign chairman, took note. There was no serious effort to bring him into the Obama administration in 2009.
After the genuine tough guy leaves the room the Dandelion gets all gangster. WHAT a PooSaay, you is Jonathan! The Obama Administration is a dandelion operation.
Our Hawaiian President was just in town and used Bill Daley, already resigned from the Administration as a shield getting off Air Force One O'Hare.
Now, his purse puppy Jonathan Alter sinks his tinny choppers into thin air. . .Bill Daley is gone Jonathan.
Before Obama finally settled on Daley, senior adviser Pete Rouse served as interim chief of staff for a few months. Rouse, who has enjoyed Obama’s confidence since he served as his chief of staff in the Senate, is unassuming, unambitious and beloved within the White House. He was, and remains, the man to see on all personnel matters, which meant Daley had little ability to hire or fire. Even before Rouse’s duties were formally expanded (and Daley’s curtailed) late last year, his close relationship with the president and the White House staff was a source of frustration to Daley.
It was hard for Daley to relish being in charge when the president’s three closest aides -- Rouse, Jarrett and David Plouffe (Obama’s 2008 campaign manager) -- were close to free agents.
Morale under Daley sunk, as the White House became less freewheeling and more corporate and secretive. Two upper echelon aides who had once chafed under Emanuel told me they were nostalgic for him because at least he could make things happen in the government.
There are many reasons why Obama will lose the White House in 2012. I'll give you three
Rouse, Jarret and David Plouffe.
Jonathan, no Chicago guy worth his Bobaks would ever say "Death by 1,000 Cuts."
In Chicago, a victim gets his supine noggin placed face-down on a concrete curb ( uppers and lowers smooching the Sakrete and awaiting the downstroke of a big foot on the back of his neck and noggin. Not pretty like dandelions, but genuine Chicago.
