State GOP acknowledges Obama factor but sees upside in governor's downside
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- In a year when Barack Obama is expected to have long coattails, Illinois Republicans arrive here today for their national convention intent on finding ways to avoid a November bloodbath.
Besides cheerleading for GOP presidential candidate John McCain, hapless state Republicans will be doing everything they can to keep from losing long-held Republican congressional seats in the suburbs, avoid giving Democrats a veto-proof majority in the Illinois House and prevent Democrats from padding the gigantic 37-seat hold they have over the state Senate.
(AP)
With such a daunting set of challenges, expect Illinois Republicans to come out of the gates in the Twin Cities showcasing one big difference between themselves and Illinois Democrats, who capped off their week at Denver's Democratic National Convention with a series of touchy-feely group hugs between all of the party's feuding factions.
"We won't be stabbing people in the back. We won't put on these ridiculous, false displays of friendship," said Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Westchester), Illinois co-chair of John McCain's presidential campaign. "We'll talk about what we as a party have to do to take care of the problems of this state."
With 80 elected and at-large Republican delegates converging on the Twin Cities, the weeklong event will bring together a group of potential 2010 statewide hopefuls, including Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett, Sen. Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) and Sen. Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac).
So far, the only Illinois Republican expected to have a speaking role at the GOP convention is U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who is in a tight re-election rematch for the North Shore 10th congressional district with 2006 rival, Democrat Dan Seals. The convention begins Monday.
Other congressional seats in play include the 11th Congressional District where Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete) and Republican concrete contractor Marty Ozinga of Homer Glen are vying to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.).
U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) and U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) also are having to fend off well-financed challenges in what has been traditional GOP turf in DuPage County.
Top Republicans freely acknowledge the Obama factor could spell trouble in November, but the GOP hopes to counteract that effect by beating the drum -- loudly -- over how badly Democrats have done in Springfield under Gov. Blagojevich.
"I think there will be favorite-son effect. There is not a single race we're taking for granted. But the case we're making is to challenge what does Democratic leadership mean," said Andy McKenna, chairman of the state Republican Party. "We view the governor's unpopularity as something voters feel. They are very frustrated with what's happened in Springfield."
House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego), a moderate and one of the party's rising stars, will come to the Twin Cities with a focus on keeping House Democrats from boosting their ranks from 67 members to 71.
If Republicans lose four seats, especially in traditional Republican areas in the suburbs, they'll become irrelevant in the House. But Cross said he thinks McCain and general disgust over Democratic rule in Springfield will stave off losses.
"The disgust and the anger with what the Democrats at the top of this party and state are doing is what's going to offset the Obama factor," Cross said.