Easy as P.I.E.

You hear all this talk about "Chicago Machine Politics" being practiced by the White House.

And why not? Obama's from Chicago. So is Rahm Emanuel...and David Axelrod...and Arne Duncan...and Valerie Jarrett.

And they just had a big reunion right before the Olympic bid fiasco.

So what is Chicago Machine Politics? Think P.I.E.

Projects
Incentives
Entitlements

That's what elected officials have control over. And if they can make these things happen, they have clout.

I'll use our infamous former governor for example. Blagojevich derived power from his ability to control PIE. But he got careless in the waning months of 2008 because he had a thing of value and a deadline.

The big thing of value was Obama's senate seat. The deadline was a change in campaign rules that was going to take effect on January 1, 2009.

So Blago got careless. He started making his own phone calls. It's like stepping in something in the park. It smells. So you try to scrape it off your shoe and get your hands dirty in the process.

In Chicago Machine Politics you never touch the scat. Once the smell gets on your hands it is easy for others to know what you did.

Let other people do the scraping for you.

Blago forgot that. So he's on tape telling cement contractors that he has the power to add HOV lanes all over Chicago but he won't do it unless these contractors pony up some serious cash before December 31, 2008.

He's on tape telling the same thing to a Children's Hospital that wants some state money for a project.

That only works if Blago really can deliver the HOV lane Project and the state grant. Otherwise, the campaign cash doesn't materialize.

The Incentives are things like grants and bid awards. The Incentives are government jobs. Despite civil service there are ways around it. Cook County is notorious for family and friends on the payroll. Good jobs. Middle class jobs.

The Entitlements are freebies for the masses. It could be a parade, a clinic or a welfare program.

Now that you know about P.I.E. take a look at Obama and his programs. The stimulus package...Obamacare...amnesty for illegals...bail-outs...road projects...government jobs...
Where do you suppose the big guy learned all that?

The trouble with Chicago Machine Politics on a national scale is that there are huge numbers of American taxpayers who aren't getting any of Obama's P.I.E. and they will not remain silent while they pay for something he's giving to someone else.