John Kass v. the rest of the Illinois media

We note that a few recent John Kass columns have included references to the Republican nominee for governor of Illinois.

On September 20th he had this to say in answer to a letter writer:

Judy won the Republican primary with less than 50 percent of the party vote. Gov. Rod “The Unreformer” Blagojevich is ripe for a fall on the corruption issue, but voters don’t believe Judy–the handmaiden for the combine–will ever clean things up. That’s her problem. I still figure that if she’s elected, her boys will maintain their hold on the state GOP. If she loses, the party may have a chance to reform itself and stand for something, like low taxes and smaller government.

We agree 100%.

On September 24th Kass wrote about Randy Stufflebeam, the Constitution Party’s write-in candidate for governor:

Hmm. I endorse no one here, but there’s a musical quality to the name Stufflebeam. It’s melodiously attractive, and I think I know why. Stufflebeam sounds nothing like Topinka or Blagojevich.

Kass justifiably hits Blagojevich as “phony reformer,” and adds (emphasis ours):

But surely voters must realize that Topinka is no reformer, not by any stretch of the imagination, and merely the beneficiary of the Rod thwacking festival.

Yet there are few, if any, stories about Judy’s associations with Boss Hog Republicans.

Like Big Bob Kjellander (state pension fund investments) and Bill Cellini (casinos, asphalt, Springfield hotel loans). Kjellander and Cellini don’t interest the pundits, at least on the record. They have been powerful political string-pullers for years, working with Democrats and Republicans. Their relationship with Topinka was at the center of the Republican gubernatorial primary. Every major newspaper editorial board in the state asked Judy about them.

Yet Cellini and Kjellander have never been the subjects of in-depth investigative profiles and the election is only weeks away. Amazing. Are Judy’s P.R. people that much smarter than Rod’s P.R. people?

The fact is most of the media loves Judy and her press people because of what they represent: the end of the two party system in Illinois. If Judy and her gang were to occupy the Mansion, the Illinois Republican Party would officially be dead. Illinois media members – who see themselves as the enlightened – would rejoice at its fall.

Much of the Illinois press yearns to play Woodward and Bernstein when it comes to Blagojevich yet willingly turns a Pravda-like blind eye to things pertaining to Topinka. A guess as to why has been posted on these pages.