For a longtime U.S. senator, Kansas Republican Bob Dole was quite the comedian.

He loved to crack jokes — caustic or otherwise — any time, any place. So why not use a memorial session held for him after his 2021 death for a little kidding on the square?

He noted in a farewell letter read by his daughter, Robin, that death would open new vistas.

“… I’m a bit curious to learn if I’m correct in thinking that Heaven will look a lot like Kansas. And to see, like others who have gone before me, if I will still be able to vote in Chicago.”

Audience members, including Illinoisans, laughed, because if politics in the Land of Lincoln is anything, it’s a grotesque absurdity.

The national audience in Washington, D.C., got another look at “The Chicago/Illinois Way” last week thanks to U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.

The Chicago Democrat allegedly arranged for his chief of staff — Patty Garcia (no relation) — to run unopposed in the primary for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives by waiting until after the filing deadline to announce his planned retirement. Knowing in advance that Rep. Garcia would withdraw, Patty Garcia filed to run in his place.

Others likely would have run, too. But unlike Patty Garcia, they didn’t know of Rep. Garcia’s plan to withdraw.

This classic Chicago political dirty trick is not only an insult to the public but a con run on Garcia’s fellow Democrats, who were angry about the doublecross.

While political outsiders were professing outrage at this assault on the concept of voter choice, the insiders congratulated Rep. Garcia for pulling off another political heist in a city where slicksters are too often knighted rather than indicted.

Republicans, of course, were mere outsiders at this Democratic show.

But they got their chance to participate when Washington’s Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez protested Garcia’s sleazy stunt.

“No one has the right to subvert the right of the people to choose their elected representatives,” she said.

Perez introduced a motion to reprimand Garcia for pulling a fast one that not only is offensive to voters but undermines Democratic arguments that President Trump is a threat to democracy.

The House approved, but not because either Democrats or Republicans really cared about what Garcia did. The GOP majority was happy to embarrass Democrats. At the same time, some Democrats were unhappy to reprimand Garcia but did it anyway for appearance’s sake.

The Chicago Tribune noted Perez was “heckled by fellow Democrats” when she spoke. Still, 23 House Democrats were among those who voted to reprimand Garcia by a 236-183 margin.

They included U.S. Reps. Bill Foster and Eric Sorensen.

Notably, but not surprisingly, absent from the list of those voting to reprimand Garcia was Democratic U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski. The gerrymander queen has zero credibility when it comes to judging political chicanery vis a vis U.S. House seats.

The Chicago Tribune took immense satisfaction with the reprimand, saying it “demonstrated there’s a serious price to pay for such shenanigans.”

It’s nice to think so. But what price did Garcia pay?

He publicly and unapologetically dismissed criticism. Despite complaints, his actions stand. Besides, people will quickly forget. Even if they don’t, so what?

He’s got a sweet public pension — maybe two or three — to fall back on.

Sure he made some Democratic enemies in Chicago by anointing his chief of staff. What does he care?

As for the national picture, everyone knows Illinois politics are irredeemably corrupt. They were probably just laughing about that this morning.