A Sun-Times columnist recently called Judy Baar Topinka a “zombie” and meant it as a compliment. His point is that she has outlasted many attempts to drive a stake through her heart (notably the last primary). Gee, she’s ahead of Blagojevich by a smashing two points when last I checked and got fewer votes than were cast for others. But since a zombie usually is pictured as a creature from another era, I’d say the portrait is accurate in that when she’s electrified she gives the distinct picture of the Thompson-Edgar-Ryan throwback …
Still, study where the favorable media mentions are coming for Topinka are coming from. Usually from those organs that rarely, if ever, disagree with House Speaker Mike Madigan. Madigan, whose mum cat-ate-the-canary smile reflects “ah, if you only knew what I know” is actually following a complicated game plan that almost defies political gravity. For one thing, he wants to preserve his House majority which would warrant his supporting Gov. Blagojevich. But for another, he knows that if Judy Baar Topinka wins the governorship, she will impose a general tax hike which will detonate the Republicans in the same manner Dick Ogilvie’s inauguration of the state income tax did in 1969. That tax hike could easily lead to the ascension of his daughter Lisa as governor in four years and the heralding of a Democratic dynasty. This necessitates that Madigan play on both sides of the net, difficult for some but nevertheless do-able for this inscrutable Buddha. But he must have big-time media help.
Such help must make it appear that Madigan supports Blagojevich but actually accomplish a feat that gets Topinka elected while Madigan keeps or adds to his majority. This causes the oh-so-gentle coverage of Topinka by media oracles close to Madigan and faintly flavored reports about Topinka’s campaign which is non-existent coupled with the savaging of Blagojevich…
Those of you who were waiting breathlessly for the next intellectual
rumble of analysis from the Sun-Times’ Carol Marin and happened to miss it Sunday, here it is. She discovered two aldermen talking dirty, couldn’t publish their words, regrets that a male columnist can and she can’t…Meanwhile Lynn Sweet adds to her laurels in the city’s Democratic newspaper of record by becoming a celebrity watcher, ooh’ing and ah-ing over lefty George Clooney…
Earlier the Sun-Times publisher’s wife who writes under the nom de plume of Jennifer Hunter (and writes lefty editorials that are unsigned but have to be accepted) issued an ultimatum to Saudi Arabia to stop discriminating against women. That takes guts…Some conservatives planning another big annual day-long bash are trying to get the Oberweis and Brady forces together. You mean there are still some conservatives for Brady after his savaging of Oberweis rather than Topinka which gave the nod to Topinka? Lots of luck…
Inside the Trib’s editorial board, the word is that one of the reasons Topinka wasn’t endorsed by the paper was because she wouldn’t disavow Bob Kjellander. But that’s only one reason: the main one was lack of substance…Illinois has had governors who could beautifully write and speak the king’s English. John Henry Altgeld brilliantly defended his freeing of some Haymarket immigrants. Language lifted Frank O. Lowden to become a major challenger for the Republican presidential nomination in 1920. Graceful language, delivered in writing and orally, propelled Adlai Stevenson to national attention. Now we have a Democratic governor who responds to criticism by saying, “that’s a bunch of baloney!” We have a Republican challenger who relies on the cliché “this hen will deliver!” Line up all the challengers on both sides of the aisle on the issue of English usage and you’ll do better than this duo
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