Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Illinois:Legacy of the Combine

Dennis Byrne, RCP:
Truth is, the loss of the historically Republican district has virtually no national meaning. It is a measure of the moribundity of the Illinois' Republican Party, whose national consequences seem not to be fully appreciated by the GOP's national proprietors. The once proud and powerful party of the late senators Everett McKinley Dirksen and Charles Percy, and more recently former Gov. Big Jim Thompson, has sunken to such depths it didn't even bother to field token candidates in the populous Cook County.
The star prosecution witness at the Rezko trial was a Republican fixer who switched sides to support the current Dem governor, Public Official A. He's now testifying in a trial that may lead to charges against Governor Blagojevich, and exposes for the nation the seamy side of Chicago and Cook County, where decisions can be overturned with a whispered word. (And when Obama says he's a uniter, remember he comes from this milieu of complicity in corruption, and unlike some, has not lifted a finger to challenge it.)

Maybe the Rezko trial will finally purge this go along to get along mentality. And maybe the Illinois GOP will finally look for and support candidates with integrity rather than big bucks.

Related posts: Rematch in the 14th, Dump Kjellander Now

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