In an especially hysterical version that had me laughing for a several minutes, there is some scuttlebutt on the Senate. Most important, check out the Machiavelli quote.

US SENATE STUFF Jayne Thompson, the wife of the former governor, reportedly has some interest in running for US Senate. *** DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom and, to a lesser extent, retired CEO Ron Gidwitz are reportedly leaning against a run. *** Jim Ryan? Hmm. *** Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole’s name was floated yesterday as a possible replacement for Jack Ryan. Cole is a cracker jack of a mayor, a very hard worker and is hugely popular in southern Illinois and with many conservatives. He would probably be a great pick if the party decides to build for the future instead of go for the win this year. *** Some well-known hopefuls may not survive the state GOP’s intense vetting process, designed to ferret out everything about a prospective candidate’s past. ? 2004

I think Cole is intriguing, and I’ll include him in the Cattle Calls. I just don’t buy that Jayne Thompson would make the run, but given the way this race has gone, I’m done making solid predictions for a while.