Eugene Schulter: From Eminent Domain to Imminent Demise

Because of Barack Obama's run for the presidency, the Chicago political cesspool known as "The Machine" has been abuzz with whispered rumor and speculation about how his election might affect the local politicos. Like dog droppings on a cold November morning, the political future landscape of Chicago is beginning to crystallize and harden. Obama himself is a product of the Chicago Machine, Democrats who have ruled this city with virtual impunity for decades. Corrupt and dirty, the Machine chugs along, well oiled by extorted campaign "contributions" and under the table donations from the likes of ACORN and the SEIU. Rahm Emanuel, another Chicago Machine cog, is leaving his Congressional post to become Obama's White House Chief of Staff in January. That will leave the 5th Congressional District in Illinois without a representative. Yesterday, a Chicago Machine cog named Eugene Schulter (left) announced that he will run to fill the void left by Emanuel's departure. Schulter is the long-time city councilman (alderman) in Chicago's 47th Ward, which is within the 5th Congressional District. He is known as "Alderman Killjoy," "Mean Gene," and a slew of names that The Bench refuses to print because children occasionally read this blog. "I've been with Rahm from Day One. He's a resident of my ward," Schulter told Lorraine Swanson of the Chicago Journal/News-Star. "I knew that the Obama campaign has been reaching out to him for quite some time. I talked to Rahm immediately after he made the announcement and let him know that I'd be seeking his position." It's all very inbred here in Chicago. All the Machine cogs are connected, grinding away to produce one thing and one thing only: Power. Not for the People, but for the furtherance of the Machine. Schulter, of course, is not the only cog to run for Emanuel's soon-to-be vacant seat. The Bench will make a prediction here and now: Alderman Schulter will not win. He is a mean spirited man, a petty dictator, and is hated far and wide for his role in foisting eminent domain on his own ward in a vicious land grab attempt last year in a part of his ward known as Lincoln Square. Schulter energized his constituents in that episode, but not in any way that he had hoped for. Rather, they were energized to work against him. Many of those people will donate to anybody but Schulter. They will volunteer for anybody but Schulter. They will vote for anybody but Schulter, and that is Schulter's primary motivation for running for Congress: He knows he cannot be re-elected as alderman of his own 47th Ward. It will be interesting and a lot of fun to watch Schulter pretend to be a man of the people when in fact he is a tool of real estate developers and special interest groups. It will be entertaining to watch him spin his role as an abuser of eminent domain. How he will do that, short of outright lies, is something that one can only imagine. Eugene Schulter is a man of the Machine, just as Emanuel, Obama, Gutierrez and others are. The Chicago Machine now owns the White House. If, God Help Us, our prediction of Schulter's imminent demise is incorrect, then Washington will simply have one more corruptocrat from the Windy City. Misery, after all, loves company. RELATED: Bullying, Plain and Simple: Challenging the Thieves of City Hall LINCOLN SQUARE BATTLE: HELL NO, WE WON'T GO LINCOLN SQUARE BATTLE RAGES Ald. Schulter: "Trust Me" Eminent Domain: All Your Bases Are Belong To Us EXCLUSIVE AUDIO: LINCOLN SQUARE PROTEST AT SCHULTER'S OFFICE FLASH: SCHULTER BLINKS EMINENT DOMAIN FIGHT CONTINUES Dictator of the 47th Ward Smells Like Steans Spirit Entries from Chicagoist tagged with 'eugeneschulter' Chicago Reader Blogs: The Food Chain Chicago Sun-Times: Neighborhoods: Lincoln Square Archives ILLINOIZE: Chicago's Lincoln Square faces eminent domain threat Chicago Sun-Times: Recently in Lincoln Square Category Save Lincoln Square Will Obama’s Windy City Vacuum be Filled by Nepotism?