It shouldn't have been much of a surprise that Republican
gubernatorial candidate Jim Oberweis hogged the spotlight at last week's annual
Illinois State Fair Republican Day event.
Oberweis' three statewide campaigns have provided ample
evidence that he has a propensity for making outrageous claims designed to
focus media attention on himself.
Oberweis compared pro-life activists to the Taliban the
first time he ran statewide, provoking howls of protest. He vastly overstated
the illegal immigration problem the second time he ran, provoking more howls of
protest.
Last week, on a day meant to highlight the Republican
Party (hence the name: "Republican Day"), Oberweis decided he would
use his moment at the microphone to highlight himself and slam his state
party's national committeeman, Bob Kjellander. As you've probably heard by now,
Oberweis demanded that Kjellander resign while Kjellander sat a few feet behind
him on the podium.
In that brief moment, the state GOP's efforts to portray
a modicum of unity and focus their ire and the public's attention on the
failings of Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich were completely undermined.
Oberweis and Kjellander became the story, along with Republican disunity and
alleged Republican corruption.
Oberweis and other Republicans, and lately, some
Democrats, have said they believe that Kjellander is too heavily steeped in the
"Old Way" of doing business. The longtime lobbyist and insider has
reaped millions from advising major corporations on the ways and means of Springfieldia,
including a recent $4 million fee for putting a company together with the
Teachers Retirement System's pension fund.
The stream of negative news stories about Kjellander has
become a needless distraction, or a downright abomination, depending on who is
speaking. His unfortunate profane outburst at a high-profile Chicago columnist
has provoked several retaliations in print, and all but guaranteed that his
name will be elevated in the public consciousness as the weeks and months
progress.
Oberweis and those of his ilk believe that the Republican
Party must be purged of the old at almost any cost. They believe that as long
as Kjellander and those like him are around, then Governor Blagojevich will be
able to proclaim next year that the GOP has refused to learn any lessons from
the George Ryan debacle.
It's a good point, and most likely prescient. Now that
some Republicans have made Kjellander an issue, Blagojevich will undoubtedly
try to use him against the GOP - even though Kjellander has made a big pile of
money during the Blagojevich administration, which tends to disprove the notion
that the governor has eradicated the "Old Way," despite all of his
public posturing.
On the other hand, Kjellander hasn't been accused of
doing anything except convincing businesses to give him lots of money. If he
did something illegal, then he should twist in the wind. But Republicans always
say they want government to run like a business, and, obviously, many
businesses feel that large finders' fees are appropriate.
Oberweis, however is not the most credible critic on the
planet. He is now just as pro-life as the so-called "Talibani" he
slammed three years ago. He has backed away from the beastly immigration ads he
ran just last year. With this record, we might half expect him to ask
Kjellander to chair his next futile statewide crusade. He hasn't shown that he
is sincere about anything.
Not to mention that there are those who believe that a
particular branch of the party's right wing is attempting to depose Kjellander
so that they can install one of their own in his place.
One of Kjellander's oldest enemies is Jack Roeser, an
ultra-conservative millionaire who has backed dozens of candidates for public
office. Roeser supported state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger's US Senate bid last
year, and Rauschenberger led the charge against Kjellander. This year, it's
Oberweis trying to lead the charge and, lo and behold, Roeser is supporting the
milk magnate.
Kjellander was recently elected treasurer of the national
Republican Party. He is close to President Bush and Karl Rove, Bush's top
political advisor. As long as those two guys stick with him, it will be
impossible to blast Kjellander out of office, no matter what the merits may be.
And there's no way that Kjellander wants to allow Oberweis and Roeser to push
him out.
This Republican family feud is a complete standoff, and
it has "disaster" written all over it.
-30-
Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political
newsletter. He can be reached at capitolfax.blogspot.com.