Yep, that's the Combine alright. Here in Illinois when we say "The Combine", it means a group of GOP and Dem insiders that are in kahoots with each other to protect their own careers and power. Republican members of the combine will not hesitate to assist the Dems behind the scenes to defeat another Republican, if they can use it to advance their own career. And combiner doesn't automatically mean "RINO" either, there are several politicians with very conservative voting records in office that are controlled by the combine -- Dennis Hastert, for example (who worked to undermine Peter Fitzgerald and Chris Lauzen). Likewise, the Democrat members of the combine won't hesitate to knife a "fellow Democrat" in the back if that Democrat is anti-Chicago machine and anti-Daley. They will work to elect a combiner RINO instead, as someone else illustrated was demonstrated in 1998 when the combine helped DIABLO George Ryan get elected Governor over southern Illinois Democrat Glen Poshard.
Of course the ironic thing is that Jim Ryan was the ultimate GOP "insider", and the preferred choice of the party bosses in 2002 (he's kind of the Illinois version of Bob Dole or Bill Jones -- acceptable conservative, but drab establishment hack), but they threw him to the wolves when it became in their best interests to elect Blago. I even know a high-ranking official in the Jim Ryan campaign who told me confidentially that combine enforcer Ray Thug (a DIABLO who is now Obama's Transportation Secretary), worked the rounds of the Illinois media the last couple of weeks of the election when the polls tightened during Blago's last debate flub and Jim Ryan was within single digits of beating Blago. To depress the GOP turnout, "Republican" Ray La Thug gave interviews to media throughout the state saying Jim Ryan had no chance and Republicans should not bother to campaign for him. LaThug has helped purge at least five major conservative GOP officials in this state. No wonder Obama loves him so much.
Mark Kirk is well known as a major player within combine circles, during Chicagolady's bid for Congress last year he was caught placing a phone call to sleazy Chicago machine Democrat John Frichley (the preferred choice of the combine), telling Frichley he could "endorse you or condemn you, whichever you think would help more", although Frichley ultimately lost the Dem primary to phony "reformer" Mike Quigley. And of course Mark Kirk has been bankrolled by such infamous figures as Tony Rezko.
Excellent post - thanks! Great insight for those of us outside the Chicago machine. Things make much more sense now.