My Sun-Times column this week (which has an unfortunate headline that I didn’t write) eventually gets around to Ald. Troutman, but starts off with a couple of stories.
An Illinois lobbyist friend used to tell a story about a former state legislator who we all knew to be a notorious mooch.
The politico was shockingly blatant. One morning during a convention, the guy knocked on my pal’s hotel door at 7 in the morning, fully attired in his natty golfing clothes, carrying his bag and announced that he was ready to play.
Apparently, the legislator had overheard that my buddy had a tee time at a prime local resort and decided he’d come along for the ride. Uninvited, of course. Not wanting to upset a legislator, the lobbyist had no choice but to drop someone else from his foursome.
Later, at the pro shop, the legislator picked out several items and browsed around until my friend was ready to check out. He then worked his way to the front of the line and plopped his pile of goodies onto the counter, expecting the lobbyist to pay.
Anyway, go read the whole thing.
Meanwhile, the Tribune has a story on Troutman’s wacky press conference.
The news conference was opened by Rev. John Ellis of Providence House, a social service organization, who read from Psalm 18: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
“And parenthetically I might note, according to due process, you are not guilty,” he said. “You are innocent. All of you are innocent until decided otherwise by due process, not the press.”
As did the Sun-Times.
One of those candidates, attorney David Neely, tried and failed to disrupt Troutman’s raucous City Hall news conference.
He told reporters: “An alderman works for the people of the 20th Ward –not for gang-bangers, not for drug dealers, not for criminals.”
And if you haven’t seen it yet, you absolutely must go watch the unedited video from yesterday’s press conference.