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It certainly shows God has blessed us with humor.

From the new Political Radar column at the Family Taxpayer Network we learn that Bill Brady isn’t donating $50,000 to Jack Roeser, and Roeser is pissed because:

Jack Roeser personally contributed the lion?s share of funds to make the incredibly successful petition gathering effort possible. Jack is merely calling on his fellow Republican ? another wealthy man ? to carry his weight. Jack is asking that the donation go to the independent Protect Marriage Illinois, not to FTN as a reimbursement. As everyone knows, there is still work to be done to ensure that the Referendum stays on the November ballot.

If there is a stupid conservative idea in Illinois, it’s probably funded by Roeser. Now the standard has become if you don’t donate to a Jack’s pet peeve and don’t try and burn down the party, you are spoiler responsible for Oberweis’ loss.

It has to be really nice to be rich enough to pay enough people to run your personal pet peeves around the state and have them attack everyone else.

According to him, it was Topinka, not Kimme who said Bush should do fundraising for her late at night….

Now it develops that the source of those comments was not an aide, not Nancy Kimme but Topinka herself! Her campaign sought to protect her by saying that an aide was responsible for the devastating insult to the president from an establishment-anointed Republican nominee for governor. Some unnamed aide was given the blame, but it?s not true: no matter how many denials they make. Result: the dinner which Topinka hoped would raise big bucks has been shelved for now, despite Blagojevich?s stepping up his paid media attacks. Yet, understandably, the White House feels that for a statewide Republican candidate to say this to a national correspondent is almost unforgivable. Don?t be too easily convinced by a quick Topinka tut-tut denial. After all, she continues to steadfastly deny refusing to endorse U. S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald for reelection even though more than 75,000 listeners heard her wiggle out of providing support?

Just keeping the stories alive…

Sound familiar?

Sun-Times August 1, 1994

HEADLINE: Radio Ads Back New Party

BODY:
With just a week left to file third-party ballot petitions, a newly formed conservative group is airing radio commercials designed to support the Term Limits & Tax Limits Party.

The group, Illinois Pro-Family Voters, said in a statement that Gov. Edgar and his Democratic challenger, Dawn Clark Netsch, hold “the same liberal positions on gays, gambling and abortion.”

Monty Johnson, the group’s spokesman, said, “Unless Steve Baer enters the race, we’re all being held hostage by liberals like Edgar and Netsch.”

Baer, a Chicago businessman, challenged Edgar in the 1990 Republican primary. His name heads a ticket on petitions being circulated by the Term Limits & Tax Limits Party, though he has not announced his candidacy for governor.

For inclusion on the Nov. 8 ballot, petitions with at least 25,000 voters’ signatures must be submitted to the State Board of Elections by Aug. 8.

Lee Newcom suggests Judy may not fired up the base:

A significant part of the Republican base has some serious questions about Judy Barr Topinka. If she fails to aggressively address those issues there will be no one to blame but her for depressing GOP turnout in November. In the primary I predicted her to be our weakest general election candidate of the 4 candidates. That calculation was based on 1) losing a significant part of the base GOP vote because of her liberalism and 2) her inability to articulate a message of leadership to the people of this state.

The one thing I can’t figure out is why Roeser is pushing the marriage amendment this cycle now that Topinka is on the ballot. Even though many of the voters may not like Topinka, they would probably vote for her rather than the Guv. Then again, it probably won’t be on the ballot so who cares.

The ultimate problem right now for Judy is that Judy is getting hit from the right and the left and she doesn’t have the money to keep up counter attacks for months. Unless she can figure out how to break the cycle she has a real problem.

Burning Down the House!

He offered to allow Bob Wiggins to stay on as State Central Committeeman if he won.

Of course, Oberweis lost.

Unlike Rich, I want Oberweis around so we can continue to kick him around. At least he’s a home grown nut.

Apparently John Cox doesn’t get that he’s a huge joke and is actually advertising for staff for his Presidential run.

NATIONAL (R): Currently seeking staff members for Republican Presidential campaign. Positions include State Directors, Political Directors, Finance Directors, Political Field Representatives and Administrative Staff. Residency in key states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina are required. Frequent Travel is a must. John Cox’s iIssues are on the website. Salary between 10,000 and 1,000 monthly depending on experience. Please email manager@cox2008.com with your resume. Posted 4/2/06

I guess if people need a paycheck and can hide it on their resume…why not.

Be sure not to miss his public campaign announcement on April 17th in Des Moines

If you thought the Topinka Tattler might be in mothballs after the primary, nope, this is the group that thinks you have to burn down the village to save it:

We want to be crystal clear about this. No Republican has a duty to support a dishonest Democrat like Topinka – any more than they have a duty to support Rod Blagojevich. To the extent Blagojevich at least has the decency to put a ?D? by his name – he?s more honest than Topinka. A sound case could be made that Blagojevich represents the lesser of two weasels.

Protecting the Illinois Republican brand from further destruction (if that?s possible) is job one. Topinka does nothing but hurt the Party. Topinka and Blagojevich are about equally bad. But Topinka?s bad acts and classless behavior all accrue to the Republican brand and speed its deterioration.

At least we can build the IL GOP with Blagojevich as a foil ? at least we could if we had Party leaders in Illinois who knew what they were doing. Mike Madigan did it when Republicans were in power here, and Republicans did it at the national level when Bill Clinton was President.

Many Republicans will rightly say that this is just a small group, and that is true, but it’s a small group that fights nasty and spends a lot just to make themselves feel better. Rod’s vulnerable, but Judy has a right flank that’s just as hard to protect. Assuming Meeks doesn’t get in (which I’m hearing is a bad assumption), Judy is going to be facing a two front attack for over six months.

Not content to be a sore loser, Jack Roeser continues his attacks on the Republican Party and Topinka in particular.

With Judy Topinka, Republicans nominated a liberal Democrat as their candidate for Governor to take on Blagojevich. What now?

And let?s not dicker here about that characterization. We and others have long made the case for truth in advertising when it comes to Topinka?s real political affiliation. It?s not just her liberal stand on social issues or her close ties to the Chicago gay activist community. It?s more about who she works with and who she works against.

One has to look at the totality of an individual?s deeds. Appearing on a ballot once every four years with an ?R? by your name doesn?t make one a Republican ? especially in Illinois. We?ve allowed our Illinois Party to be a dumping ground for too many wacky left-wingers that lack the professionalism to make the ballot slating cut performed by Democrat Leader Mike Madigan.

When you get your ass kicked, declare VICTORY!

A Moral Victory

Sixty-two percent of Republicans rejected Topinka on March 21st. In other words, nearly two of every three Republican voters looked at this 25-year incumbent and said ?no thanks!?

The best part is where the wonderful Tattler tries to make the case that Topinka is weak because she only barely got more votes than Eisendrath. Even better, hold up Keyes as a better example.

Keep running to the right and burning down the moderate portion of the party guys, you might just yet reelect Rod Blagojevich. He should send you some flowers.

Judy has raised the ire of the Conservative Blogosphere for daring to criticize Dear Leader. I find it rather endearing when she makes a gaffe as defined my Michael Kinsley as accidentally telling the truth.

Hugh Hewett, competing with Powerline to be the biggest shill for the Administration, takes Judy to task for not rebuking her aide

Does the candidate and staff imagine that no one reads Will’s columns in the White House? Or are they counting on the president’s very thick skin to absorb the slight, and Laura as well to put it down to inexperience with the national press?

When I see candidates wanting to have the president’s friends and their money but not without an obligatory shot to satisfy critics, I know that I am observing a real rookie.

Lynn Swann and Ken Blackwell are also running for governor in crucial swing states. They have managed to do so thus far without playing to the anti-Bush MSM. What pro-Bush donor is going to skip over them to dig deep for Topinka?

Illinois hasn’t done much for the GOP in recent years, and if it joins California and New York as a deep blue safety zone for Democrats in presidential years, the answer is not to prop up occasional governors, but to match up a third big state to go with Florida and Texas in the deep red category. I know that Illinois isn’t going to go from blue to even light red with a governor who starts her campaign by blasting Bush.

Apparently Judy wasn’t assimilated into the Collective and so must be cast out for even mild criticism. On one hand I want to see a good competitive race that holds everyone’s feet to the fire–on the other, I love watching the Illinois GOP meltdown over arguments about ideological purity.

It gets better at a lessor blog that sounds like the GOP has turned into Office Space: Ill. GOP Gov. Candidate–NOT a Team Player?

What in the heck is this woman doing? She has told all Bush voters that she doesn’t want their support as WELL as telling the president — a president whose own political director urged her to run — that she doesn’t want his help, just his cash! So, even if Rove was willing to help her, why would he do so now that she has basically told him she doesn’t want the president’s help?

I’m imagining Ron Livingston sitting at the table with Mehlman and Racicot talking about how he doesn’t actually do anything…

Calling Gary Cole.

Buy Oberweis milk. The dude is not only comedic gold, but a goldmine of intraparty warfare within the Republican Party. If his business were to slow down he might go and get out of politics. So drink up.

Via Rich in the Courier News

Months of hard work and jockeying for position came down to the wire Tuesday night, but when the final results were posted it was clear that high school athletics scored a huge victory in Dundee Unit School District 300.

With the passage of the education tax rate referendum by less than 1,000 votes of the over 23,000 ballots cast, Dundee-Crown, Jacobs and Hampshire avoided the threatened loss of all extracurricular programs ? including sports ? as a way to meet the district’s budgetary demands. The referendum’s passage will increase the maximum annual tax rate from 2.7 to 3.25 percent.

It would appear the entire post by Rich is a nice jab at the fine Roeser political machine (and entirely with merit)

The Unity Breakfast was not so unified

Better than O’Malley, but not what one hopes for.

Kosel beat McNeil in the Republican primary for State House in District 81 . Roeser loses again.

More fun from the FTN:

Mr. Brady just needs to understand that if Topinka does win on Tuesday, and Brady finishes no better than third ? his name is Mud. He?s done. And he WILL have a Primary challenge for his State Senate seat in 2008.

No. I’m not a fan, but Bill Brady works hard and he fits his District very well. He has good ties with State Farm and the Republicans there. There might be some grumbling about him from time to time from the McLean County oldtimers, but Family Taxpayers Network is a non-entity in McLean County. If anything, his relatively good run has earned him some more respect.

This entire screed by FTN is one of the most over the top tantrums I’ve ever seen thrown in politics. At least when Kit Bond went nuts in 2000, everyone knew he was sauced and he could joke about it.

It’s not as if its some over the top supporters. Roeser is the FTN and Roeser handpicked Oberweis because he’d do what Roeser would tell him to do. Roeser interviewed Rauschenberger and as weird as Steve has become, he wouldn’t give up his platform for Roeser’s. Obie would. FTN’s former Director is Obie’s campaign manager. FTN is the Oberweis campaign minus the ice cream.

“Oberweis has also put together a vastly more serous campaign operation.”
–Topinka Tattler

Feel free to expand on this fine assertion in comments. Big no-prize for the best line.