G’bye, Buddy
Well, well…Buddy Cianci died today. Probably the most corrupt politician I’ve lived under. When I first moved to Providence, there were dark rumors going around about him, and the following year he was arrested — for, if I remember correctly, kidnapping a state trooper, tying him to a chair and putting a cigar out on his chest.
Anyway, in or out of prison, the people of Rhode Island were happy to elect him over and over again. Six times. He was a much beloved figure, despite everything, not completely without reason. This obit catches the flavor of him pretty well.
Many thanks to reader Formerly Known as Skeptic for letting me know. And thanks to Buddy for giving me something to post about tonight — been out drinkin’ with the neighbors and just got in.
Posted: January 28th, 2016 under personal, politics.
Comments: 4
Comments
Comment from QuasiModo
Time: January 29, 2016, 1:10 am
Out drinking with the neighbours?…I thought it was Dry January :+)
Comment from Rich Rostrom
Time: January 29, 2016, 6:44 am
I remember that at one Republican National convention, Cianci was the nominal “favorite son” of the Rhode Island delegation; they brandished placards or banners reading “We fancy Cianci”.
(It used to be quite common for delegations to use the convention to salute a prominent pol from their state. Even earlier, I remember the New Jersey delegation with “Case of Course” signs in honor of Senator Clifford Case; and a vague memory of Hawaii with signs for Senator Hiram Fong. IIRC, in both cases the nomination was already sewed up, and no actual votes were cast for either man.)
Comment from Wolfus Aurelius
Time: January 29, 2016, 3:31 pm
Mayor Cianci sounds a lot like our former governor Edwin Edwards — except nobody ever whispered that Edwin had extinguished a cigar on anybody.
Comment from mojo
Time: January 29, 2016, 6:10 pm
Makin’ moon on the back forty? Tsk tsk.
Write a comment
Beware: more than one link in a comment is apt to earn you a trip to the spam filter, where you will remain -- cold, frightened and alone -- until I remember to clean the trap. But, hey, without Akismet, we'd be up to our asses in...well, ass porn, mostly.<< carry me back to ol' virginny