Chapter of Illinois Republican Party Shame Ends Today

George Ryan Heads off to prison this morning to serve his sentence, a light one, for years and years of corruption in the governors office here that left the state in shambles and now in the hands of a democratic crook, Rod Blagojevich,

A politician who is mired in scandals of his own and might be visiting good old George up in Wisconsin a few years down the road when he's convicted of the crimes and malfeasance he's committing while in office now that we don't know about yet, and some we do.

Ryan singlehandedly destroyed the GOP in Illinois after many years of good governorship under James Thompson, (Ryan's attorney in the corruption trials right through to jail today, also Thompson's Lieutenant Governor) and prior to him Jim Edgar. It will be years until the state trust a Republican to run things again as a result of his missteps and criminal activities.

Many thanks George and good riddance, as you are now headed right where you belong after abusing the trust we voters put in you and for what your scandal did to one Illinois family in particular, the Willis's, who will suffer for eternity from the loss of all six of their children thanks to you while you spend a couple of years in hibernation up at the Oxford Wisconsin Country club for wayward politicos.

Now: Ryan on way to prison :

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: "At dawn today, former Gov. George Ryan left his home for his journey to federal prison in Oxford, Wis., on corruption charges. Appearing relaxed, hours after declaring his innocence, Ryan, 73, left his Kankakee home at around 5:50 a.m. and sat in the front seat of his Ford van full of family members including son George Ryan Jr. who drove the vehicle. Former Gov. George Ryan leaves his home in Kankakee Wednesday morning as he prepares to head to the federal correctional center in Oxford, Wis., to serve his sentence for his April 2006 conviction on racketeering and fraud charges. continued

A little sidenote is that Ryan and the entourage up to Oxford will be traveling an hour or so out of their way in order to avoid the very highway on which the six Willis children were killed by an Illegal immigrant with a truck license purchased through the license for bribes scandal that brought down this crook. What a coward to the end who never took responsibility for this tragedy, right up until his little ride this morning.

Here are those six beautiful children whose lives he is responsible for having ended so violently that day in 1994.

RELATED STORIES From the SunTimes

• Photos: Ryan talks to press
• Photos: Oxford awaits Ryan's arrival
• Photos: The Ryan Legacy
• Sneed Exclusive: Ryan: 'I'm ready to go'
• Brown: You're guilty, Ryan, and we know it
• Ryan remains defiant before prison
• In George's words

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