Customer Reviews

The Maverick and the Machine: Governor Dan Walker Tells His Story

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A friend, knowing of my long-standing interest - and occasional activity -- in politics, sent me this book. It turned out to be a fascinating read!

It is really three stories woven into one. The first is Dan Walker's rise from Navy enlisted man to Annapolis graduate to U.S. Supreme Court clerk to Governor of Illinois. The second is the inside story of how politics and government really worked - and probably still works - in Mayor Richard J. Daley's Chicago and Illinois. And third, an improbable prison memoir, for Governor Walker served 18 months in Federal prison for the failure of his S&L.

Governor Walker, who served one term as the Independent Democratic governor of Illinois from 1973 thru 1977, was a reform-minded, anti-machine, "good government" administrator. He took on the pay-to-play practices of the Chicago machine that are still too-prevalent today - the Jack Abramoff scandal is just one example still making headlines - and paid a huge political price. Challenged by Mayor Daley's hand-picked candidate in his re-election primary, Walker lost. The Democratic candidate then lost to the Republican, "Big Jim" Thompson, and the GOP controlled the Illinois state house for the next 20 years.

It is the story-behind-the-story, however, that is truly fascinating. How politicians - from both parties - controlled jobs and votes is the real story. The real workings of machine politics -- from the ward level up thru the governor's office and into the U.S. Attorney's prosecution for a victimless regulatory error - are conveyed clearly and dramatically. Few political science texts come close to this insider's insight.

The most disturbing parts of the book are Governor Walker's reminiscences about life in the (so-called "minimum" security) prison in Duluth, Minnesota. Every chapter of the book starts with a scene from prison life, and each is more depressing than the previous one. Perhaps what was so surprising for me was that while I never thought of myself as "pro-prison reform," I came away from this book angry about the official abuses and degradations.

"The Maverick and the Machine" should be required reading in every college political science class that even touches on American politics or government. And for the political junkies among us, it is the must-read sleeper of the year!

Dan Walker did his level best to reform Illinois politics. Most notable was one of his first executive orders, banning state employees from engaging in party politics, raising money, or otherwise using state taxpayer time to advance the interests of individual candidates or either party. Of course, this order, and others, rankled just about everyone in the power structure. Notably, his successer, upon gaining office, tossed out most of Governor Walker's reform initiatiaves, with the result that more recently, Governor Ryan was convicted in large part because he engaged in such activities.

Dan Walker inspired an entire generation of citizens to get involved in government, to make it better, to serve the needs of their communities and the State of Illinois. This inspiration was provided by a vision to clean the system up, the improve it, and to make it accountable. Sadly, the power structure recognized his popularity in the state, and after he left office, engaged in an 8 year effort to discredit him. Ultimately they found something. Trivial, but sufficient to bring him down.

This book chronicles the entire story, from its earliest beginnings deep in the early days of the Daley Machine, all the way through his walk through the state, election, term as Governor, and ultimately his downfall. Notably, he was convicted not for anything he did while in government, but rather for technical violations of Savings and Loans regulations. If you had any doubt about the viciousness of the party regulars in Illinois, on both sides of the aisle, this book ought to be a reference point for your investigations. And, you can expect the fireworks again, should this book be reviewed in the coming months in and around Chicago.

Read it for yourself. I did, and though I lived through the events, there was still much to be learned by looking back. Equally important are the lessons it provides today for students of Illinois politics, Mayor Daley, Barak Obama, and anyone thought to have a seat "at the table" in our government today.

I came to Illinois after the Walker administration, and I had the great fortune to learn from Vic deGrazia -- one of the most brilliant political minds of the era. As a young politico listening to Vic and others from the Walker team, I often lamented the fact that I had missed out on working with them all through a time of reformation and - yes - fascinating political intrigue. This book fills in a lot of that history, and I recommend it for anyone who wants to truly know Illinois Democratic politics.

Thank you, Governor, for writing this book.

To read this book is to be transported into a world of high office, political courage, social corruption, and the horrors of prison, all as seen through the eyes of ex-governor/ex-convict Dan Walker. At age 84, Walker has been able to reflect on a remarkable life with such candor and humility that I am changed, with rich vicarious deposits having been added to the bank of my own experience. Walker's rise to power, his hard-won successes in promoting civil righs and fighting the widespead political corruption in his state of Illinois, and the politically-motivated retaliation that landed him in prison make a riveting story that stirs one's conscience and urge for the kinds of reforms for which he fought. It is an amazing commentary on the world in which we live, as inspiring and enlightening as it is disturbing.

Having been born during Gov. Walker's term, I can't say I knew much about him. Actually, I had never heard anything about him with the exception of my parents' description of him as being "crazy." Actually, they seemed to remember him fondly, though ("crazy" was also their term for Steve Garvey, who my parents definitely did not seem to dislike, so you can see where I'm going here). The book is pretty candid, as the Governor opens up his soul somewhat and shares quite a few memories about living and life in general. I read it awhile back. I read it once, and I can remember most of it. Specifically, the highlights are as follows:
1. Recollections of conversations he had with inmates (and guards) while imprisoned
2. The "Walk" that helped him win election, where he took time out to speak to thousands of people while walking, on foot, throughout Illinois (he admits that a car helped out later, though)
3. The events surrounding his marriage and subsequent move into a "whiter" and, therefore, "safer," community and the actual reasons behind it
4. His clashes with Mayor Daley and the Machine, which, arguably, brought him down

He does seem to exhibit some guilt over what led him to the big house, but he is less open about the specifics, which is understandable.

If the stories within are true, this is a hell of an autobiography.

Dan Walker's book gives a depth and breadth to his campaign and administration as Illinois Governor that I never dreamed existed, although I was on the scene during much of it. His detailed and candid descriptions of the Illinois political practices that he was trying to reform, his own meteoric professional progression through life and his catastrophic descent into a federal prison make for a gripping narrative and a very moving personal story, although it may not do much for reform politics where they are still sorely needed, in Illinois and elsewhere.