by Fran Eaton
(speaking only for myself and none of the groups/persons with which I am affiliated nor on behalf of anyone affiliated with Illinois Review)
Judy bet the bundle on a Chicago casino this week. While I'm not happy about it, I think her all-or-nothing on the table is the signal that she's made a deal with Mayor Daley. . . one that just may make her the next governor of Illinois.
The fix is in. Topinka's budget proposal is one more piece of evidence that Trib columnist John Kass' "bi-partisan combine" is flexing its sagging political bicep one last time. Just read the tea leaves. . .
- Rather than reach out and build on the GOP's conservative base, Topinka is calling in chips she's won over the past decade by dissing Republicans and endorsing Democrats such as Cong Bobby Rush and Bill Lipinski. She's also tapping on the machines of those Democratic aldermen and judges she's helped over the years at local levels.
- Judy Baar-Topinka's base has never been the Republican Party's conservative base. It is, and continues to be, the leftist wing of the GOP and the Machiavellian wing of the Democratic Party. Topinka doesn't like conservatives and wants nothing to do with them. Indeed, she wants to owe them nothing.
- Topinka's budget plan is political, not economic. Not only does it call for a Chicago-based land casino and an increase in gambling seats in other casinos, it also calls for any increase in property taxes to be charged to the state. She has blatantly rejected the Republican principle of smaller government and less spending. It's something we will see more of in the Topinka administration.
- Mayor Daley desperately wants a city-owned casino in Chicago and Republican Topinka views gambling as a way to avoid raising taxes to get Illinois out of a financial bind. Gambling is a tax on the poor. Neither Daley nor Topinka are concerned about the long term financial health and welfare of their constituents.
- The confusion and lack of principled and politically savvy leadership in Illinois' conservative movement will continue to make it easy for the Topinka/Daley combine to ignore them. While conservatives continue to put out Blagojevich-lit political brush fires and burn themselves out on nice, symbolic, but non-productive causes, they will not organize a strong, effective political grassroots army. As long as conservatives continue this foolish strategy, the bi-partisan combine will reign in Illinois.
The question is, how will conservatives respond to four years of Judy Baar-Topinka as the next governor of Illinois? Right now, it appears she and her bi-partisan pals will reign, having successfully stuck their fingers in the eye of Illinois' social conservative movement.
It's time for social conservatives to ask ourselves, "What are WE thinking?"
Fact is, Topinka bet the bundle on a casino. She had nothing to lose.
I look forward to the discussion . . .
