News that former police commander Jon Burge was arrested yesterday -- three decades after allegations were first raised that his Chicago police detectives tortured murder suspects -- led to some interesting reactions. The first came from Mayor Richard Daley, who at the time Burge was accused, served as Cook County state’s attorney. Two years ago, Daley offered to “apologize to anyone” for the torture.  Yesterday, he changed his tune:

“I was very proud of my role as prosecutor. I was not the mayor. I was not the police chief. I did not promote this man in the ’80’s,” Daley said Tuesday.

“Brzeczek ran against me in ’84. He was the head of the Police Department….The Police Department cleared him and they promoted him in the `80’s. I was not the mayor then.”

As one might expect, that response obscures a great deal of history. As John Conroy has documented, Daley was "put on notice several times, most dramatically in the case of Andrew Wilson" the first victim to speak out in 1982. Not only was Daley handed photographs of Wilson’s stitches, burns, and alligator-clip wounds, but Chicago Police Supt. Richard Brzeczek sent Daley a personal letter warning about the evidence. The Tribune's John Kass theorizes that there was a simple reason Daley kept his mouth shut:

Instead of opening his own investigation and convening a grand jury like he did to investigate Byrne's towing contracts at City Hall, Daley decided to be reasonable. He reasoned that white cops vote in elections, and he wanted their vote. So he did the prudent thing: nothing.

Aldermen who previously pushed for Burge's indictment -- Bob Fioretti (2nd Ward), Pat Dowell (3rd Ward), Billy Ocasio (26th Ward), Ed Smith, (28th Ward) and Helen Shiller (46th Ward) -- were thrilled with the news, particularly because they believe these proceedings will strip the former officer of his city pension. The Tribune says it's about time Burge sees the inside of a courtroom. The Sun-Times editorial board commented that the indictment was more bittersweet than anything else:

It was a good day for justice, for the rule of law, for Chicagoans from Rogers Park to Hegewisch and — best of all — for the Chicago Police. [...]

The sad truth is Burge was allowed to skate because too many Americans care more about catching bad guys than about protecting our rights and liberties. And too many cops turn a blind eye when a fellow officer crosses the line. They forget that their devotion to the law should be as great as their devotion to each other.

Burge is expected to be arraigned in a Chicago-based federal court Monday. He's been charged with two counts of obstruction of justice and one count of perjury, meaning he could face a maximum of 45 years in prison.