Ill. GOP proposes bill to ban Emil Jones-style nepotism replacements

Over the last few months, the Illinois Republican Party has begun to emerge from its slumber. Much of the credit goes to the scandal-ridden administration of Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Chicago Democrat, which has given the GOP an opening to present its message. "Blago" was joined at the hip with convicted fixer Antoin "Tony" Rezko. In Chicago, the Dems have discovered that three times is not a charm. In what has become a biennial tradition in Cook County, a prominent Democrat has withdrawn his name from the general election ballot after winning in the Democratic Primary earlier in the year.

In 2004, Rep. Bill Lipinksi, after winning the Democratic Primary, mysteriously decided to retire. After an exhaustive search, Dan Lipinski replaced his father on the gerneral election ballot and became congressman in Illinois' 3rd District. Two years later, after surviving a spirited primary challenge from a reformer, Cook County Board President John Stroger--who suffered a devastating stroke a week before his win--chose to bypass his runner-up and picked, surprise, his son, Todd "Corruption Tax" Stroger to replace him on the fall ballot.

Last month, State Senate President Emil Jones, Jr., who ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary, said he'd be moving on the the Old Pol's Home. What name will voters in his Chicago district on the ballot instead? Emil Jones III.

Jones, pictured above with Obama, is arguably the man who took the Democratic nominee for president out of Springfield and moved him to Washington.

All three candidates, presumably with some arm twisting, were chosen by ward and township party bosses, not the voters. And the Illinois Republican Party wants it to stop, and has proposed a bill that would call for a special election after the general, so voters, not the party hacks, can choose among candidates in a primary election. The new election will also allow the opposition primary the opportunity field a strong candidate.

Sounds good, but there is one problem. Emil Jones, a classic machine-style politician, is still the president of the Illinois State Senate.

Don't look for Barack Obama to comment on the Republican proposal.

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Technorati tags: politics Illinois Election Democrats Chicago Obama Barack Obama Emil Jones cronyism nepotism Dan Lipinski Rezko Illinois Politics