Compartmentalizing Republicans

Like former President Clinton, many Illinois Republicans have an uncanny ability to “compartmentalize.” They can take —
  • their pro-life views,
  • their support for defending traditional marriage,
  • their opposition to the extremist “gay rights” agenda,
  • their opposition to expanding gambling,
  • their frustration with an ineffective and corruption-ridden IL GOP –

— and set them aside as if they didn’t exist so they can ride atop the Topinka float heading to the November election.

We haven’t been afraid of calling it like we see it regarding Topinka’s lack of fitness for the governor’s office. The good news is that we’re not alone. In fact, a growing number of Illinois citizens are realizing that neither party is offering a good choice for governor. Let’s compare Topinka and “None of the Above.”

Topinka:

Let’s ask a couple easy questions. “What would a Topinka Administration look like? How Republican would it be?” Let’s let the Topinka Tattler give the answer:

About as Republican as her operation is now – that is to say – not very Republican, and not even very “moderate.” Let’s have some honesty in our IL GOP for a change. Topinka is no moderate – she’s a liberal extremist.

One of Topinka’s closest allies and most loyal supporters is Rick Garcia, political director of the gay rights group Equality Illinois.

Garcia and Topinka have been political allies since Garcia founded Equality Illinois in 1992. They have teamed up repeatedly to support special rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons in the state of Illinois.

But Garcia’s support for Republicans is strictly limited to those who promote the gay agenda, like Topinka.

To be fair, Rick Garcia has performed a public service by helping voters better understand the linkage between George Ryan and Topinka. In an interview in 2002, Garcia commended Topinka and her mentor Ryan: “Our state is one of the few states that doesn’t have anti-gay planks in the Republican platform, and that was due a lot to George Ryan, but also Topinka.

In the same interview, he heaped even more praise on Topinka: “She has gone above and beyond what one would expect from a Republican from North Riverside, Illinois. And she also has a lot of openly gay and lesbian staff, which always gives me a comfort level, knowing that our folks are inside.”

This obvious observation about the composition of Topinka’s current staff should give pause to the remaining Republican dinosaurs out there who want to go back to the good-old-days of Republican patronage, and who think Topinka would be the Second Coming in this regard. Putting aside that those days are long gone and that folks are going to jail now for still clinging to the old practices – what will you do when it’s your turn to march with Da Boss in the Gay Pride Parade?

But what exactly is Topinka’s position on gay marriage and gay rights?

During an interview with a Chicago news station earlier this November, Topinka said, “As far as gay rights? My goodness. […]  It’s a matter of civil rights for everybody.”

Is that what Topinka really believes – that everyone and every behavior should get the same civil rights protections as race and gender? So Topinka would argue that a brother and sister should be able to marry and be accorded equal benefits under the law? What if a grown son wanted to marry his own elderly mother in order to avail her of better health care benefits? Actually, we don’t have to speculate. That’s exactly what Topinka is saying – she says “everybody.” So open up the floodgates.

What has Topinka done for the gay community? As Treasurer, Topinka was credited with securing state funding for the new Gay & Lesbian Community Center on North Halsted Street in Chicago. State funds that had previously gone to the Salvation Army for projects in the same neighborhood were redirected to the gay and lesbian project – all thanks to Topinka. During a groundbreaking ceremony in 2002, Topinka presented a $10 million link deposit to get things going.

And as everyone knows by now, Topinka is a participant every year in Chicago’s Gay Pride Parade. This past summer, she was still serving as State GOP Chairman, and she joined the usual bevy of Democratic elected officials, Democrat election hopefuls, nearly naked prancing men, cross-dressers, public sex acts, and a float hanging George W. Bush in effigy for his support of traditional marriage. Topinka was once again the only Republican elected official in the parade.

Topinka rode a float labeled “Celebrate with Pride.” A reception was also held in her honor at Sidetrack, a gay bar on Halsted Street. During the reception, Topinka said she supports a state gay rights bill and reminded the bar’s patrons that she voted for similar measures when she was in the State Senate.

The Tattler would ask you to re-read those two paragraphs above – and let it all sink in. Topinka’s in a gay bar, and she’s riding a float in a parade celebrating the gay lifestyle. This is on a Sunday. Just two days before, on Friday, Topinka and her pal Bob Kjellander had just gotten the good news that their crucifixion of Jack Ryan over an unsubstantiated sex scandal (with no sex) between Jack and his own wife was complete.  With the rank-and-file still behind him, but with the old guard still shoving the knives, Jack had thrown in the towel.

Topinka had absolutely no remorse for her leading role in the vicious destruction of a good man. On that Friday, she said a Jack Ryan candidacy would have retained the “ick” factor. Then it was off to a gay bar and a celebration of homosexual sodomy.

None of the Above.

Free from any such moral confusion – and thus a vote you can be proud of.