Doug Ibendahl

Uninitiated school kids reading Orwell's classic metaphor about the Russian Revolution may sometimes feel it is exaggerated or hard to relate to. But for an even more surreal education into the expert use of political double-speak as a tool, and the ability of power to corrupt - look no further than today's Illinois Republican...

We're delighted to have some very positive news for a change.

Recently we asked, what would a Topinka Administration look like? How Republican would it be?

What would a Topinka Administration look like? How Republican would it be? Answer: about as Republican as her operation is now - that is to say - not very Republican, and not even very "moderate." Let's have some honesty in our Illinois GOP for a change.

Judy Baar Topinka and her mentor George Ryan long-ago abandoned the Republican base, and the alienation is largely mutual. Among real Republicans, any reminder of either brings the sort of uncomfortable conversations one might experience at Thanksgiving Dinner when excuses are made as to why the black sheep of the family isn't present. Republicans...

President Ronald Reagan created a "commandment" for Republicans. It states that no Republican shall speak ill of any other Republican. Reagan created the 11th Commandment to promote unity and to minimize dissension within Republican ranks.

Well, that didn't take long. Less than 24 hours after Topinka's entry into the Governor's race - the first smear campaign against a Republican candidate for Governor was launched. No surprise, its target was the leading reform candidate, Jim Oberweis.