On Friday we gave you the real scoop on why House Republican Leader Tom Cross is making this detour to the Democrats and trying to lead people to believe that the other side has any responsibility for the shame that is Republican National Committeeman Bob Kjellander.

Also on Friday, Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass had a fantastic piece on the same subject of Illinois GOP reform.  Recall that Kass was one of the few over at the Combine-worshiping Tribune cult who refused to drink the Judy Baar Topinka Kool-aid.  Kass' credibility remains firmly intact.

Now all of the pieces fit together.  Cross and his henchman Skip Saviano knew that publication of Kass' piece was imminent - as they had obviously been called for background on the column.

Cross and Saviano knew that Kass' piece was going to generate more support for Senator Chris Lauzen's reform bill - SB600.  The greater openness and accountability that direct elections would inspire is not something that Cross' allies want.

So we get this distraction.  Cross gets to sound like a reformer on this Kjellander matter, even as he promotes a "solution" that actually doesn't even advance the ball.  Cross offers a "compromise" that is anything but a bargain in good faith.  In reality he's asking Republicans to negotiate against themselves.

Once again, Cross and Saviano are trying to play Republicans for chumps.  They are insulting the intelligence of each and every one of us - and it's hardly the first time. 

They offer a phony promise for new legislation that involves going crying to the Democrats regarding Kjellander - even as they tell Republicans to pay no attention to the real reform they wish to keep hidden behind the curtain.

The ugly un-reform that SB600 would simply reverse would be great news for rank-and-file Republicans.  Allowing Republicans to once again directly elect their own representative at the State Party is the same right every Democrat has always retained in their Party. 

Every corporation grants the right to directly elect the members of its senior governing board to even the smallest of shareholders.  Corporations take accountability seriously - at least if they want to stay in business.

Voters officially put the Illinois GOP out of business this past Election Day.  But incredibly, many of the same old faces responsible for the disaster - still refuse to get serious.

Directly electing the members of the Illinois GOP's senior managing board (the 19-member State Central Committee) is a right every Illinois Republican used to enjoy.  But Governor Jim Thompson got the selfish idea about 20 years ago to consolidate power in the GOP under a Republican Governor - specifically himself.  The change has been an unmitigated disaster.

A future client of Mr. Thompson's, Governor George Ryan, would eventually experience the pitfalls of consolidated power.  U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald would be the one to deliver the accountability that Republicans had been denied.

George Ryan didn't like accountability and neither do the Illinois GOP's aging puppet-masters like Individual A (Bill Cellini) and Individual K (Bob Kjellander).  When your whole reason for being in politics is to gorge at the government trough on lucrative relationships and contracts - having more Republicans actively engaged in a more participatory system is hardly a welcome thought.

Another familiar face who is likely upset over the idea of opening-up the Illinois GOP is Cross' political mentor, Kendall County GOP Chairman Dallas Ingemunson.  Ingemunson is also a past State Chairman of the Illinois GOP.

When Ingemunson wasn't busy making gobs of money in questionable land deals in the suburbs with another old pal - soon-to-be-former U.S. Speaker of the House Denny Hastert - he's tried to get his offspring elected as Kendall County State's Attorney.  (The most recent effort failed.  Dallas' son Boyd Ingemunson received a 16 point trouncing in this year's March Primary.)

It's been widely rumored for over a year now that Cross is likely listening to his old crony Ingemunson on how to handle SB600 - instead of Republicans.

It's not hard to imagine why talk of a more open system that would instill at least SOME accountability in the Illinois GOP might have the old players' undies in a bunch.  A more professionally run GOP might actually attract better people to this game.  It's hard to keep a second-rate political dynasty alive when faced with competition from smarter, more professional people.

The last thing this old crew wants to do is to drain and clean the water in the dirty pool that is Illinois Republican politics.  Better swimmers might want to jump in.  So they figure it's best to keep the water filthy and stocked with piranhas.

Tom Cross has merely raised more questions and concerns with his announcement of this legislative strategy for dealing with Kjellander.  We have already asked the obvious question - why hasn't Cross called on another old friend, State Party Chairman Andy McKenna to simply ask for Kjellander's resignation? 

Why hasn't Cross taken the obvious first course before going to Democrats like Rod Blagojevich, House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President Emil Jones? 

Why is Cross willing to pressure the Democrats for help, when there is no evidence that he has put any pressure on his own Republican friends who are actually responsible for whether Kjellander stays or goes?

Even if Cross follows through on the embarrassing strategy of asking the Democrats to help him pass frivolous and unneeded legislation - is Cross' friend McKenna even prepared to do anything at that point? 

Here's a newsflash for Tom Cross - McKenna and his State Central Committee haven't been waiting for legislation to get rid of Kjellander.  McKenna and his cronies haven't been looking for the "authority" to clean house - quite the opposite.  The truth is they have done nothing but protect Kjellander for years against repeated calls for his ouster from regular Republicans.

Good grief, the same Central Committee that Cross implies that he's trying to assist with an enabling statute - are the same people who shamelessly rigged-up a bogus internal "election" in 2004 to give Big Bob another four years as National Committeeman!

We're told now that Cross has gone on vacation and is unavailable.  We can certainly understand that being in leadership during one of the biggest Republican disasters in Illinois history must be very taxing.  We don't begrudge Tom Cross some needed rest.

But Mr. Cross, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, wherever you are, could you maybe place a call to your friend Andy McKenna and ask him to simply take care of this Kjellander matter before we have to trouble the Democrats?  Your talking points haven't worked. 

No one is buying the idea that a new law is needed for the Illinois GOP to do what it can and should have done on its own over a year ago.

We'll also again repeat our call for EVERY Republican to keep up the pressure.  Republicans deserve to be rid of the incompetent, self-serving players in the Illinois GOP like Kjellander - AND they also deserve the right to once again directly elect their own State Central Committeeman.

For Republicans who have watched their once proud GOP home be destroyed by self-dealing and incompetence on an astonishing scale - we don't think this is too much to ask.

Republicans can find more specifics on what they can do, at the end of the article linked here.

There are three days left in the General Assembly's veto session that will resume and conclude in Springfield the week after Thanksgiving.  Now is the time for a FULL COURT PRESS on Cross and Saviano to call SB600 for a vote on the floor by the full House.  Just one call from Cross or Saviano to Mike Madigan and SB600 gets a fair, up-or-down vote.

Don't let Cross and Saviano run out the clock with their latest stalling tactic.

If SB600 fails to clear the House that week after Thanksgiving - the whole process has to start from scratch next year with the new General Assembly.  Lauzen would have to go back to his own Senate caucus too for re-passage.  Lauzen won unanimous approval for SB600 in the Senate last year.

We don't believe that any House Republican will actually vote against more democracy if SB600 gets to the floor - especially while better men and women are fighting and dying for democracy over in Iraq right now.   We don't think even our House "leadership" is that shameless. 

But that crew clearly isn't above playing a bunch of dishonest games to avoid a vote.  That's what's going on now.

Playing games with democracy to avoid a vote on real democracy - no, that's not America.  But that's our Republican House caucus under Tom Cross and Skip Saviano.

Tell them you've had enough.