IL Fitzgerald Keeps Reeling in the Fish

Excerpts from the Chicago Sun-Times:

And because (Joe) Cari is cooperating with investigators, we can deduce he doesn't believe he was being misquoted.

As one of the nation's premier fund-raisers for Democratic politicians, Cari has operated at the elite levels of government and politics for two decades.

Ironically, though, Cari was ensnared in this case because of his dealings with one of Illinois' most prominent Republican fund-raisers – (Stuart) Levine.

Levine already stands accused of using his position on the state's Health Facilities Planning Board to extort kickbacks from hospitals and construction companies. He's got key co-conspirators lined up to testify against him on that one, too.

How Things Are Done in IL

With Cari's capture and cooperation, IL Dem Governor Rod Blagojevich is now encumbered with thoughts of serving just one term, like his predecessor, George Ryan.