Roesser fires, aims ready into the circlular fire squad that is the Illinois Republican Party. Actually, the most recent numbers suggest the Dems aren’t going to sweep. Topinka is leading Dart and Madigan is in a tight race with Birkett. Then again, more talk like this and Rs aren’t going to turnout. This seems to be driving the most recent results in the 19th where Phelps surprisingly has a slight lead.
Roesser than makes some rather telling comments about homosexuality.
“School sports teams objecting to homosexual or transsexual behavior may be barred from participating in the state’s interscholastic sports. State workers with homosexual partners can receive equivalent benefits for partners at state expense; nonprofit groups such as the Boy Scouts of America may be fined up to $150,000 for refusal to hire homosexuals. ”
The first sentence is hard to figure–I’m guessing it means a school’s sports team can’t discriminate based on sexual orientation. I see no problem with this as long as there is some flexibility on religious ground. Anyone know if California allows for thisl?
I see no reason why state workers with same sex partners shouldn’t get the same rights as I have with my wife. And in Illinois, G-Ry has suggested he is open to such rules even. That is a moderate position. I’m guessing the fines are related to if the non-profits are working with state agencies and then we have long held that states may enforce non-discrimination with partnering organizations.
More importantly, Roesser demonstrates the circling fire squad isn’t learning a lesson from this year. Why have the Republicans controlled the Governorship for 26 years? Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar, and G-Ry are moderates of sorts. Thompson (with questions about his orientation rampant) never race or gay baited. Neither did Edgar. G-Ry did back in the good ‘ole days when he was shooting down the ERA, but has since turned into a social moderate on everything, but abortion. The Republicans haven’t won because they are pure conservatives. They have won because they aren’t Chris Lauzen, CPA, O’Malley, Al Salvi or Gary Bauer.
Who is going to win this year? Topinka–a moderate Republican woman from the ‘burbs. Who should be the future of the R’s if they want to win? Topinka and those like her. Who are the R’s likely to turn to? O’Malley and the jihad wing. Who is going to win state elections for a long time if that happens? The Dems.
The Illinois Republican Party can be right squared (meaning ideologically pure and conservative) or they can choose to be competitve. The most successful Rs in the last 26 years are telling them how, but will they listen to Thompson, Edgar, and G-Ry? Or will they delude themselves into believing ideological purity will somehow win over an increasingly liberal state?