It's good to be the party chairman of an Illinois county, as state Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, has found. You know most of the other party chairmen and can call your counterparts in the state's other 101 counties and ask them to support your political advancement. In this case, Sen. Link wants to be Lt. Gov. Link.
Illinois hasn't had a lieutenant governor since Pat Quinn was elevated to governor with the departure of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Have we missed one? The Hound doesn't think so. What does the lite guv do besides applaud the actions of the governor, as Quinn was fond of doing during the nearly two terms Blagojevich served?
If, as the late Texan John Nance Garner once said about the vice presidency being as worthless as a bucket of warm spit, or words to that effect, the office of lieutenant governor must be even lower on the political food chain. But folks really want to be lite guv so they must see some value in the office. As The Hound said, we haven't missed one for much of this year so do we really need one? Well, the state constitution says we need one, so we must.
As for Link, he has as good a chance as being first nominated and then elected lite guv as any of the other no-name candidates who might be thinking of making the statewide run. Lake County has foisted a Republican lieutenant governor on the rest of Illinois, we might as well offer them a Democrat as well.
.
Like the VP's office, the Lt Governor's post gives the holder a unique opportunity. To be a 'player' or 'facilitaor' for special interests, (There is a four letter word that is more appropriate when regarding politicians and 'facilitators', but this is a family-friendly blog.) and to appear to be an 'insider'; but yet gives the Lt Gov a position where he can deny any knowledge of what goes on in the inner workings of the Governor's office. The Mighty Quinn was able to become Governor by claiming that he was completely shut out of the decision-making by Blago. Old Terry will have plenty of opportunities as Lt Gov to have lobbyists, party operatives, and other special interests visit him to offer him campaign contributions...err.. present suggestions for running the State.
THE HOUND SAYS: And, if Link fails at being nominated and elected, he still has his state Senate seat through 2012.
Well, well....the cow hasn't quite jumped over the moon, but we have to marvel that it did, indeed, jump today with this endorsement of Senator Link for Lt. Governor! The News-Sun is finally showing some semblance of decency and logical thinking in its grudging endorsement of a Democrat Link. It's about time and it's smart, too. Link can benefit us in Lake County--and the whole state.
THE HOUND SEZ: Puleeze Martha! Like Corinne Wood benefited Lake County when she was lieutenant governor under Gov. George Ryan? Fortunately, Wood wasn't tainted during Ryan's sleazy years in office. Further, The Hound doesn't remember endorsing Sen. Link. Just noting that at this point in the campaign, he has about the same chance as the other candidates currently in the race.