By John Biver

The idea that anyone is considering supporting Bill Kelly or Judy Baar Topinka for Illinois Comptroller shows how much work is up ahead for reform minded Republicans. Two years ago this month I wrote an article titled "Candidate vetting for dummies," and what I wrote applies perfectly to today's primary race for Comptroller.

There is only one credible and corruption free candidate in that three way contest - Jim Dodge. You can learn more about his candidacy and his background at www.jimdodge2010.com. Those of us at Champion News enthusiastically endorse Jim, and we've compiled articles on that campaign here.

Let's start with Bill Kelly. Those who have been following this race have no doubt seen a few of the many videos on the Internet of Kelly getting drunk on his embarrassing TV shows (we've linked one here - more will follow in the coming weeks).

Clear thinking people who have stumbled on his radio shows over the years have quickly changed stations unless they were in the mood to listen to the radio version of a train wreck.

His current and past TV shows are cut from the same cloth - inane, pointless, and mostly serve to make most of the rest of the trash on television seem highbrow. The episodes of his "Upscale Chicago" followed this basic outline: Kelly, inebriated, visiting night clubs talking to people who mostly appear confused about why he was there with a camera and a microphone.

One of his gimmicks a couple of years ago was the website "Rebuild Illinois" which described itself as:

"a political action committee organized for the purpose of building a statewide apparatus to help rid Illinois of corrupt leaders and practices."

This writer could find no PAC registered with the State Board of Elections, and has seen no evidence anywhere that this silly thing has accomplished anything but taking up space in cyberspace.

Bill, having been around politics for a number of years, knows the conservative rhetoric and so is able to fool some people who don't yet know better. Champion News publisher Jack Roeser has known Kelly for a long time - and Jack asked a good question recently on the Champion News Talk Radio program: "What qualifies him to handle billions of dollars?" The answer, of course, is that Kelly is the last person you'd want near state government or taxpayers' money.

Jack also said this:

"Kelly may be the answer to this if we're just running out some tragic joke here in Illinois...I can't believe he would insert himself [into this campaign]..."

Several weeks ago Jack called Bill to discuss him leaving the race. Kelly wanted a couple of things in return. One was for Jack to go public dispelling rumors about some ancient event - which Jack agreed to do here. Two, Kelly wanted to be a guest on Champion News Talk Radio - which of course was never going to happen.

Over the course of several days and several conversations, Kelly pledged to exit the race. My guess is that key friends of Judy Baar Topinka encouraged Bill to go back on his promise to Jack and stay in.

Again, my guess is that those Topinka friends - who happen to be Democrats, who run a public relations firm, are pleased with how Kelly accomplishes three things by continuing his campaign:

1. He continues to add insult to injury to the sorry Republican Party image in Illinois.
2. He splits the vote three-ways enabling Topinka to have a better shot at victory in the primary.
3. And since Topinka couldn't even win in 2006 against a corruption-riddled Rod Blagojevich, Judy winning the GOP primary insures the Democrats hold onto the Comptroller's office next November.

Kelly is an unserious person running for a very serious office. Republican primary voters should not feed his attention starving psychosis. They should dismiss him as a crank.

crank

-adjective

 unstable; shaky; unsteady.

To learn more about the only - and best choice for Illinois Comptroller, visit www.jimdodge2010.com.

Up next: The other clown act candidacy in the GOP primary for Comptroller.

John Biver is the Editor of Champion News.