Opportunistic Pandering

Gee, you think Lisa Madigan is running for something?

• As she contemplates a run for governor next year, Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan is wading into the hot-button issue of Chicago's parking meter lease.

  Madigan's office has launched a consumer fraud investigation into the recent privatization of the city's 36,000 parking meters.

  Today, a Madigan spokeswoman said the office sent subpoenas about two weeks ago to three companies involved in the controversial lease deal, which ushered in dramatic parking rate hikes across the city.

So is she investigating Shortshanks? How he rammed the deal through the City Council in 72 hours? How a company was invented out of thin air involving City Hall and Daley insiders stands to reap millions, maybe billions in fees? Well, no, that'd be silly:

• "We're looking for information related to the transaction and implementation of the system to determine if consumers were defrauded," spokeswoman Robyn Ziegler said.

  [...] When asked if Madigan was also investigating the city officials who quickly approved the deal, including Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Ziegler responded, "No, we're not investigating the city." The City Council voted overwhelmingly to approve the deal in December, despite having little time to consider it before it was brought up for a vote.

So pretty much hunting for headlines after the fact without really endangering anyone attached to her father, the Chicago Machine or Daley cronies. Yup, that's a sure way to garner votes. At least from people who don't know any better.