Doug Ibendahl

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.