Day 95: Their way or the Highway: 176 years of political thuggery.

     They say that Chicago is called the Windy City because of its constant breezes, but really its called that because of its windbag politicians.  Chicago politicians have always been corrupt(remember Big Bill Thompson and the Levee Boys?), but they've also always been slightly boorish.  What follows is an anthology of the most outrageous things ever said by Chicago Politicians:

• "Gentlemen, let's get this thing straight, once and for all. The policeman is not here to create disorder. The policeman is here to preserve disorder"  Mayor Richard J. Daley, talking to reporters about the chaos that surrounded the 1968 Democratic National Convention
• "It’s been very effective. (Holding a rifle): I put this up your butt, you’ll find out how effective it is. Let me put a round up your, you know" Mayor Richard M. Daley, responding to a reporter's question on the effectiveness of the city's handgun ban in 2010.
• "I won't take a back seat to that Bohunk, Chairmock, Chermack or whatever his name is. Tony, Tony, where's your pushcart at?  Can you picture a World's Fair mayor?  With a name like that?"  Mayor William H. Thompson, issuing a racial-slur laden campaign against Anton Cermak in the 1931 election(which he lost, by the way)
• "They think there’s wetlands out there. They’re trying to romanticize the wetlands issue. … I guess everything’s a wetland. My backyard could be a wetland. It should be designated. They could designate everything in the country as a wetland. All of DuPage County would be a wetland" Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1991, addressing concerns that a potential suburban airport would negatively impact wetlands
• "I've got this thing, and it's F$%#ing golden!" Governor Rod Blagojevich, referring to Barack Obama's former Senate seat that he was attempting to sell in late 2008
• "I  thought the health of people is very important. If a rat is on your sandwich, you hope to know it before. If a mouse is on your salad, it’s common sense" Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1994, addressing concerns over food safety in the city's restaurants.
• "Snow? What Snow?!"*  Mayor Michael Bilandic, downplaying the severity of the 1979 Blizzard that was indeed quite severe.  The next month, Bilandic lost his bid for reelection to Jane Byrne in the primary.
• "To do this any other way would have been needlessly contentious"  Mayor Richard M. Daley, defending his 2003 decision to tear up Meigs Field with bulldozers, in violation of an FAA ruling.

(*=Not a direct quote)