Crook County: Indicted for bribery last week, state rep wins primary

Last week state Rep. Derrick Smith (D-Chicago) was indicted for bribery. He's accused of accepting $7,000 to arrange a state grant for a day care center. But I'm sure it was "for the kids." In yesterday's Democratic primary race against Tom Swiss, Smith collected three-quarters of the vote. Swiss is a former Cook County Republican Party official, his campaign billboards featured an African American construction worker. Swiss is white and not a construction worker.

Swiss: Next time run as a Republican and don't pretend to be something you are not.

In other primary news, US Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for his role in Rod Blagojevich's attempt to sell President Obama's senate seat, crushed his primary challenger, Debbie Halvorson, a former member of Congress who was defeated by Republican Adam Kinzinger two years ago. Halvorson is no angel, she was the majority leader in the state Senate when Blago was governor, the upper chamber was a Springfield refuge for the now-imprisoned pol.

Democratic gerrymanderers forced Kinzinger and veteran congressman Don Manzullo into a primary in the new 16th district--Kinzinger, buoyed by the endorsement of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and PAC money, comfortably prevailed.

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