Desperation in Illinois

In 2000, Al Gore carried Illinois by half a million votes. When Jack Ryan, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senator had to bow out of the current Senate race in disgrace, the Repubs were left scrambling against the rising Democrat star Barack Obama.

With less than four months to go before the election, they pushed former NFL football coach Mike Ditka, who knows less about being a senator than any of you do - but, he was smart enough to decline.

Now, in D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-I-O-N, the Repubs are pushing former Oklahoma Rep. Alan Keyes to take on Obama. Do you smell the race card being played just a little? Keyes is the only black Repub to have held some national prominence in elective office in recent years - and had, for a time, run for president in 2000 - but then retired from the House and now resides in Maryland. Keyes is considering over the weekend whether to move to Illinois to respond to desperate Bush administration pressure. If Keyes is smart, he will realize that he is being used in a futile effort by the White House, and refuse the offer.

Then who is next? Who would have the name recognition to compete with Obama?

Well, I have a couple of ideas for the Repubs. First why not Arnold Schwarzenegger? If he can run one state for the Repubs, why not two? If that doesn't work, why not John Ashcroft? He was born in Chicago, but Bush needs to get him out of Washington anyway. One small problem: Ashcroft lost his last run for the Senate in 2000 to a dead man, Mel Carnahan.

OK, I was just trying to help...