[deport]

I join Miss Marple in predicting that if things don't go well with Keyes, Bush will be his target.

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That is a very good possibility.....

But until it happens I'm going take a supportive approach and hope that Keyes can bring something to the table besides dissension and derision among the members that make up the big tent under which the GOP flies its banners......

If the Keyes campaign can focus on winning the race and attracting the necessary voters from all spectrums of the voting populace then the bottom line is it will help President Bush in his reelection bid. That is my main objective

[Howlin]

Well, I tend to agree with you, but I am waiting to hear how he addressed the Hillary thing today.

[Luis Gonzalez]

There's a deeper issue here; the damage to the pro-life, pro-second Amendment, pro-constitution message that this loss will bring about. And while I hope and pray that the people of Illinois can pull this off, it s apparent from this article, and from the commentary within Fr, that it will not happen.

The resounding defeat by a relative newcomer to politics of a conservative icon of Keyes' stature, will be blamed on the GOP by the Keyes camp, and on his message by the left; and that will be the biggest loss of all.

The left will argue that Keyes' pro-life, pro-second Amendment, pro-constitution message does not resonate with the American people, and that pro-life, pro-second Amendment, pro-constitution candidates are unelectable.

If there was shouting in Illinois over whether to invite Keyes in or not, there will even louder shouting when it comes time to play the blame game.

The Illinois GOP invited Keyes in, so they better be prepared to either deliver a victory, or accept full responsibility for the loss...Keyes will not do the latter.