The Mechanics: Blago Escapades, Democratic Slating, A High-Profile Death, and the Mayor, as Ulysses

His Elective Majesty, Mayor Richard M. Daley, of Ithaka Chicago
  --Alfred, Lord Tennyson

It little profits that an idle Mayor,
 by this over-priced park, among these barren potholes,
match'd with a rubber stamp Council,
I mete and dole unequal laws unto a savage race
that hoard and sleep and feed and know not me.

• ...so, in other words, the Tribune reported that Mayor Daley has the lowest approval rating of his career. He blames it on the economy. I blame it on his not doing things that earn people's approval.
• Meanwhile, the City Council--unbelievably, given the above, which anybody could have explained to them if they listened to anybody--unanimously voted to give the Mayor a blank check for the Olympics, with some minor transparency concessions--that would still let the Mayor do whatever he wanted, but would force us to watch him while he did it. Gross.
• Former City Inspector General David Hoffman officially announced his bid for the US Senate. His clerkships for right-wing judges are easily explainable, and his pledge to not accept corporate PAC or lobbyist money goes pretty far.
• Former Blagojevich fundraiser Christopher Kelly was found dead this weekend. It is suspected that an overdose, and suicide, was the cause of death. The cost of corruption.
• Over at Mechanics, we challenge the conventional wisdom that laying off state workers is a way to solve our budget problems.
• Republicans need to try to build the perfect candidate for governor.
• The Cook County Democratic Party is not making an endorsement for Cook County Board President--though they endorsed Giannoulias for the Senate seat, and Quinn for the Governor's office--and this brought no end to the glee of one former aspirant to that seat. Some inside stories from the slating committee meeting, and some made up ones, too.
• The Trib's Eric Zorn cruelly (or thankfully, depending how you look at it) blogs Blago's book.