Emil Jones: Good Riddance to Bad Trash

Former sewer inspector Emil Jones has announced his intention to retire from the Illinois State Legislature. For many of us, Jones can't leave too soon. John Ruberry writes that "Jones' retirement is not immediate. He will remain on the November ballot, so he can hand-pick his successor. And if Jones follows tradition, he'll probably pick a relative." John, of Marthon Pundit, was right-on, and indeed updated his post later today with this: "Surprise, surprise. Jones wants some guy named Emil Jones III to succeed him. You can't make this stuff up." MEANWHILE, a revealing and must-read post on Daily Kos indicates that Jones pal Barack Obama might give him a plum position in Washington if Obama continues to fool enough voters: My own encounters with Emil this year center around Obama's presidential campaign. We were in the same office in both Iowa and Wisconsin, and while I think he traveled with different aides to the two states, it was amazing how they (Emil's aides) pushed the same lines. The one that was the most memorable (and startling, given what I know about Barack) was that, when asked what job Emil would get in an Obama Administration, the answer was always the same: "Anything He Wants." FULL POST at Daily Kos... What is it with Illinois Democrats that they behave like dynastic royal families? RELATED: Illinois General Assembly - Senator Biography Obama's Alinsky Hoodwink is Coming Home to Roost Six Degrees of Barack Obama "The Chicago Politics Of Barack Obama"