hiya

2010-11-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

hello,

At an English bar, on Chicago's La Salle Street, members of the Illinois Republican Party are holding a meet and greet for their newest candidate.

Unfortunately Patrick John Ryan isn't here.

Behind the mock disappointment, no-one is expecting him to show up.

US Elections 2010

That's because Mr Ryan is a "shill" candidate, an employee of the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation, nominated by long-serving Illinois House Speaker, Democrat Michael Madigan, to run against him in a district so safe the real Republicans don't even bother.

Welcome, as Pink Floyd might say, to the machine.

"That is kindergarten behaviour compared to what we see," says Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady.

"It's not as bad as it used to be, but the machine still exists, and that's what we're fighting against. And I think that's what people are really fed up with."

'One-party state'

It's the machine that produced two Mayor Daleys, disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and one Barack Obama.

Mr Brady calls Illinois a one-party state.

It's solidly Democratic and Mr Obama won here by a landslide in 2008.

Mr Obama received large support from Chicago residents in 2008

But the Republican chairman relishes the thought that Illinois could be the most symbolic victory on election night.

"We'd love to get Barack Obama's old seat," he says. "We'd love to get Joe Biden's in Delaware, and I think we're going to get Harry Reid's seat in Nevada," Mr Brady says.

He calls that the Republicans' "trifecta" - a triple whammy.

With the polls putting Republican Congressman Mark Kirk in a near dead heat with Democratic state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and the governor's race also a toss-up, this is probably the Republicans' best chance in a couple of decades to make inroads in the fifth most populous state in the union.

The Senate race is nasty and negative. Republicans are trying hard to suggest that Mr Giannoulias is cut from the same tainted cloth as the former governor.

One attack ad alleges the Democratic candidate is linked to the mob, citing revelations that his family's bank made loans to organised crime figures

"He'd make Tony Soprano proud," the ad says.

For his part, Mr Kirk has had to deal with accusations that he embellished his military record.

waddup

hiya

US Elections 2010