As Illinois Republicans fight for some key victories in a very blue state, it seems only natural that they would play to the middle, moderating their conservative views to win over independent voters.
But in fact, they're doing just the opposite: three statewide GOP leaders are hosting a gathering of some of the nation's most divisive right-wing figures in a massive conference outside of Chicago this September.
Right Nation 2010 announced Tuesday that pundit Andrew Breitbart would join Glenn Beck, former Majority Leader Dick Armey, recently-prominent black Tea Partier Herman Cain and others at the September 18 event.
The event's hosts include House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno and Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady.
Their decision to align themselves with such hard-line conservatives as Breitbart, Beck and Armey mirrors the Republican Party's strategy in the upcoming November elections. Illinois gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady, who won his party's primary by a narrow margin over the much more moderate Kirk Dillard, is not shying away from his far-right positions on such social issues as abortion, gay rights or the minimum wage.
And Mark Kirk, who has been known as a moderate Republican during his ten years in Congress, is running on a significantly more conservative platform as a candidate for U.S. Senate. He has repudiated his vote for the House's climate change legislation, touted his oppositionto the stimulus bill, and portrayed himself as a foe of big government.
While neither Kirk nor Brady is scheduled to attend Right Nation, the Republican leadership in Springfield will play host to the right-wing convention, scheduled for the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, a short drive northwest of Chicago.
The list of the event's "partners" gives a sense of its politics. From RightNation2010.com:
Chicago Tax Day Tea Party, Chicago Tea Party Patriots, Chicago Young Republicans, Cook County Tea Party, DuPage Tea Party, Frankfort Tea Party, Homer/Lockport Tea Party, Illinois Patriot Alliance, Tinley-Orland-Palos, Illinois Tax Day Tea Party, Illinois Tea Party, Joliet/Will County Tea Party, Lake County Tea Party, Lake County Young Republicans, LeMont Tea Party, McHenry County Young Republicans, New Lenox Tea Party, Palatine Township Republican Organization, Palos Tea Party, Schaumburg Tea Party & Schaumburg Tea Party Patriots, Tri-County-Teas
To say that statewide Republicans are aligning themselves with the Tea Party this election cycle doesn't seem like all that much of a stretch.