Republicans to Run Full Speed Into Illinois

By Alicia Dorr in News on Jul 11, 2006 3:30PM

Bush’s stop in Chitown the other day involved a lot of Daley-praising, especially for such a religiously (pun intended) Republican president, but that wasn’t that big of a surprise to anyone. It must have caused a couple of his clan to squirm in their seats at the $500-per-plate dinner to raise money for Topinka, but everyone knows better than to complain about the Daley-love.

It was the one name that wasn’t mentioned that was the tell, however obvious to insiders: Every single Republican in the free world is going to travel to Illinois before the gubernatorial election to raise every damn cent they can to get Blagojevich out of office. It’s entirely possible that there will be so many of them, in fact, that they will create a Republican vacuum and ne’er an Illinoisan shall be seen again.

It started with Bush, and will move quickly to Giuliani on Tuesday and then McCain this Saturday. It’s not a surprise, of course, that Republicans would want to oust Blago. Topinka didn’t play up the president’s visit; tiptoeing around questions regarding her view of his policies by saying he does a good job for Chicago. While Bush says that Daley does well for Chicago. And somewhere, a loon cries out softly.

It’s just that watching the elephant army march into Chicago is sort of like watching someone slip on ice in front of their crush or something—you’re just a little embarrassed for them. Besides, Democratic, Republican—it doesn’t matter, it’s always embarrassing to see politicians fall all over themselves praising other politicians. It’s not embarrassing when President Bush mispronounces Blagojevich’s name, though. The extra letters he makes up in it are still funny.