When I first moved to the Bay Area I explained the way that the Chicago City Council was in thrall to Mayor Daley the Second by citing the story of how, when the council voted to affirm Daley's choice of fire inspector by a vote of 48-2, Daley spent a goodly amount of time in public session berating the two opposing voters.

As to Mell, I still remember the look of naked glee on his face when his faction finally wrangled Eugene Sawyer into being their puppet-stooge of a seatwarmer after the death of Harold Washington.