George Ryan gets 6/1/2 years Happy Days

[Monkeyman]

Former Gov George Ryan was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison today for his historic conviction on racketeering conspiracy,mail fraud,obstruction and other charges

[warrens]

1. Not quite sure how to react

I think of those dead kids because of the bogus drivers licenses, but I also wonder how much he actually knew. For a Repuke, he was an OK guy. I hope someone like Delay gets at least this much so I can really savor the news.

Ryan is so old, 7 years is a life no parole sentence. OTOH, he was clearly guilty.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

2. Don't kid yourself, Ryan knew what was going on.

As for his "revelation" on the death penalty, as far as I'm concerned it was his guilty conscience that forced him into that.

[Withywindle]

4. No doubt but...

...there are a lot of people out there with a lot more blood on their hands than him who show no sign of any conscience at all.

[Withywindle]

3. I have mixed feelings about this.

He's more complex than your average Repub crook, that's for sure. Yes, his corruption killed people (indirectly) but then, that moratorium on the death penalty saved lives (directly) and got the whole country talking about the issue. Of course he didn't do it for completely altruistic reasons, but still, he DID it.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

5. While I have always been against the death penalty,

Ryan's revelation was IMHO nothing but another show of total and complete Repuke hypocrisy.

He knew he was going down and the death penalty moratorium in Illinois was a PR stunt, pure and simple.

I hope he rots, that is if he even sees a day in Federal prision.

[Withywindle]

6. Doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons

It still really did help real people. I wish more crooks who knew they were going down would take the opportunity to make dramatic stands like this, instead of just snivelling.

[benny05]

7. Geo Ryan is more popular than *

From the St. Louis Dispatch on Sun:

Missouri, Illinois voters are down on war, Bush
By Jo Mannies and Kevin McDermott
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/03/2006

They're upset over Iraq, worried about terrorism and unhappy with President George W. Bush.

In short, that's the mood of likely voters in Missouri and Illinois this Labor Day, according to the latest polls conducted in both states for the Post-Dispatch and KMOV-TV (Channel 4).

Research 2000, a Maryland-based polling firm that works for more than 80 news outlets around the country, polled 800 likely voters in each state. The results, says Research 2000 pollster Del Ali, are similar to what he's seeing all over the country.

In Illinois, which leans more Democratic than Missouri, the poll showed that former Gov. George Ryan - slated to be sentenced this week on corruption charges - is better-liked in the state than fellow Republican Bush.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/politics/story/EB9750B672A9A9CC862571DF0016B87F?OpenDocument&highlight=2%2C%22polls%22+AND+%22ryan%22

[Withywindle]

8. Hee, I think my weak and conflicted defense of Ryan proves this!

If Bush got 20 times Ryan's sentence, I'd be dancing in the streets, no mixed feelings a-tall!