Eugene Kane and Thug Mike

It took a while for him to get his thoughts together, but Eugene Kane is finally commenting in print on the fall of former Ald. Michael McGee Jr.

In addition to addressing the matter of McGee's wrongdoing, Kane goes a step further and offers an explanation as to why Thug Mike was a popular figure in Milwaukee's 6th District.

I get the feeling that this was a difficult column for Kane to write, like he's been forced to admit to a reality he can't bear to believe.

While Kane clearly acknowledges that McGee did wrong, he still prefers to accentuate the positive.

In "Milwaukee Alderman McGee’s fall a waste of potential," Kane writes:

There are few things more compelling in court than hearing the defendant's own words used against him. Since we live in a culture where careless words topple public figures on a regular basis - Don Imus, again? - it's ridiculous to dismiss McGee's incriminating conversations as anything less than what they were: a shakedown of businesspeople in his district.

Granted, most of the taped conversations were more congenial than one would expect from a political extortion case. McGee didn't use threats of physical violence and often joked with government informants during the negotiations. But again, it's clear he was asking to get paid for the kind of stuff aldermen are supposed to do for their constituents for free.

I heard many of these tapes for the first time sitting in federal court. I was uncomfortable with the government's reliance on the testimony of main government witness Adel "Jack" Kheirieh, a shadowy figure who clearly played ball with McGee's way of doing things until it started to cost too much money. But Kheirieh proved an effective government informant.

He did a good job of getting McGee to talk himself into a possible lengthy prison term.

Extortionist McGee was congenial as he went about the shakedown of businesspeople in his district. Isn't that nice?

Joking, not threatening any violence -- McGee is quite a guy.

Kane's criticism of Adel "Jack" Kheirieh is troubling. By calling him a "shadowy figure" who became disgruntled and disloyal to McGee only when the alderman started to demand too much money, Kane becomes dangerously close to being an advocate for one of McGee's pet projects, the Stop Snitchin' movement.

It's a very backhanded compliment when Kane says that Kheirieh did a "good job of getting McGee to talk himself into a possible lengthy prison term."

McGee is a crook. His shameless abuse of power wasn't Kheirieh's doing. The truth is what might put McGee in prison for a long time, not Kheirieh's skills to get McGee to talk.

When Kane turns to McGee's supporters, he makes some rather stunning admissions.

The evidence in the federal trial also helped suggest the answer to another nagging question: Why did McGee remain so popular in some parts of the black community even while accused of serious charges?

Seems to me, that answer is simple: McGee wasn't shaking down African-Americans.

He focused most of his dubious fund-raising efforts on Arab, Middle Eastern and Indian businessmen with liquor stores and gas stations in the black community. It's almost as if McGee was exacting his own personal "sin tax." The problem was the money usually went right into McGee's pocket.

Whether he realizes it or not, Kane is calling McGee and his supporters big time bigots. McGee's targets weren't black, so all was well.

And the "sin tax" comment is bizarre, as though there was something noble in what McGee was doing. According to Kane, the problem with McGee's "sin tax" was that he pocketed the money. Really? That was the problem?

Kane ends his column by pointing out that McGee isn't alone among Milwaukee government officials when it comes to crookedness.

Hearing about his extortionist side was no doubt disappointing for many of his supporters, but let's be honest about the current state of local politics. Milwaukee lost its sterling reputation for honest city government more than a few federal indictments ago.

Others have been indicted. So what?

That shouldn't lessen the outrage over what McGee was convicted of doing.

Covering McGee's career path from rabble-rousing politician to convicted felon has been a fascinating journey, but I suspect the ride is just about over. I think the best way to describe McGee's incredible downfall is a waste of potential. In person, he possessed the kind of political talent and charisma that makes for good leadership, but it's clear McGee lacked the self-control to allow that potential to pay off.

As the smoke clears, it's easier to see the real McGee. But that doesn't make it any less of a waste.

Poor Kane gets a little wistful. The "what might have been" is hard for him to accept. I think Kane is kidding himself about McGee's potential. He shouldn't grieve over the lost opportunity.

While McGee may have possessed a degree of political talent and charisma, he lacked what really makes for good leadership. Kane cites McGee's lack of self-control as leading to his downfall.

It was far more than that. McGee lacked the sound judgment, solid principles, wisdom, integrity, honor, decency, conscience, and compassion that make for good leadership. Those characteristics also make for good people.

From my perspective, there wasn't much potential in McGee that was wasted.