A Republican trying to snarf up some of that Obama vibe

Terri Ann Wintermute, running for Illinois State Senate, is all over the news shows with her TV ads. She's a Republican, though you'd never know it, since the fact isn't mentioned in audio or even on an end tag in her commercials.

The campaign must have calculated that Barack Obama's approach in tying John McCain to the president is paying off because Wintermute borrows the line and brings it down to the state level in stating that her opponent has voted with the governor 90% of the time.

Now a new ad rides on the faux coattails in another way, by charging that her opponent wants to give tax breaks to the wealthy. Come on!

Advice to the low-info voter:

Wintermute is a Republican.
Republicans always want to give tax breaks to the wealthy (they still want you to believe it will trickle down to you).
Her opponent is Linda Holmes. She's the Democrat. Vote for her if you live in Illinois's 42nd District.

What a crazy mixed-up set of ideologies this financial and McCain meltdown has thrown us into. GOP candidates are likely to lay claim to any old position that sounds like it might be popular. Voters will have a hard time sorting it out since McCain -- who should serve as the party's leader -- is no compass for them. He's eager to play populist and to please the base at the same time. He's all over the place, and so is every other GOP candidate.

What's a voter to think?

Just vote a straight Democratic ticket. It's a much safer bet this time around.