In regard to the recent scandal surrounding Mayor Richard Daley and his Hired Truck Program, the mayor’s critics have been unbalanced and extreme.
On the one side, some would have us believe that the mayor is little more than a corrupt boss of patronage, doling out millions to friends and mob-connected truck companies that then pay his brother to insure their vehicles.
The other side claims that the mayor is so brainless and clueless that he was utterly unaware of the city’s contracts (and the business of his family and close friends), and that he was manipulated by his underlings in City Hall.
Let’s be fair:
The mayor is neither a John Gotti, nor a Forrest Gump.
The mayor is neither a complete crook, nor an imbecile.
Bumbling along and seemingly embarrassed by the whole thing, he appears more like Pooh Bear–not so full of brains, perhaps a little greedy because of his healthy appetite, but always willing to help his friends.
