Chicago's Mayor Daley is incensed. Of course, it is an act he has played so many times that its just business as usual and it doesn't even seem to raise an eyebrow anymore, sadly.

You see, every time Mayor Richard M. Daley or one of his close "associates" gets caught with a hand in the cookie jar, the Mayor trundles himself out and plays at mock outrage for the Chicago press. And they eat it up.

And it's been a scandal-ridden year for Mayor Daley so far with revelations of multiple scams, thefts, huge amounts of misspent funds discovered and public hiring scandals perpetrated by members of his administration or those among his cadre of well heeled "associates".

This time he has added a new shade. He is making like he is scared, too. "Da" Mayor is acting as if he and his family have been threatened. You should have seen him with his grave face, standing before the TV cameras playing this one for all it was worth. And, curiously enough, this came just in time to draw attention from his many ongoing scandals.

Well, maybe not so curiously. That one is business as usual, as well.

So, what has caused Mayor Daley's latest attempt to win an Oscar? Nothing short of a bounty on his head, no less. One placed there by Cook County GOP Chairman , Gary Skoien.

"These are challenging, difficult times. But no one, no one, whether in public life or anyone, ever should put a bounty on someone else's head," the "alarmed" mayor told the press in his typically garbled verbiage.

But, this "bounty" isn't what it might seem and it certainly isn't what Daley is attempting to make it out.

Last week, Mr. Skoien announced that he had raised $10,000 and is offering it as a reward (Skoien didn't use the word "bounty") for information that would lead to the conviction of the good Mayor himself. That is not quite the life-threatening situation the Mayor is pretending it is with all his mock outrage.

And now, Mr. Skoien has been fired from his job as chief operating officer with the Prime Group Inc., a real estate development company where he has worked for nearly 15 years. Mr. Skoien claims that his boss was afraid of retribution by parties unknown - read from Daley and his "associates" - so he made the decision to fire the GOP operative. Is it shocking to anyone that Mr. Skoien's now former boss was on King Daley's re-election fund raising committee?

Only in Chicago could the guy who is trying to do his part to end corruption in public office be the one to end up the loser. But for his part, Mr. Skoien is unapologetic and confident.

"We all understand that if you get out of line against this mayor, if you say what you think, you're out on the street," he said in a recent interview with Channel 7 news in Chicago.

In another interview Skoien said, "The arrogance of Richard Daley is appalling.... We hope this reward will inspire someone with critical knowledge to come forward."

Now even the members of the Illinois GOP are turning against Mr. Skoien. Some among the splintered and rudderless Illinois Republican Party are now actively speaking against him and planning his demise as Cook County GOP Chairman. It is so sad when even the GOP seems to do Daley's bidding.

So, mark up another dead political body to add to King Daley's rap sheet proving that corruption is the status quo for the Windy City. But, it must be said that Daly's antics are status quo for the entire Democratic Party and always has been.

Like Son, like Father.