formerly ballots are totaled in the March 21 Republican gubernatorial primary.

formerly ballots are totaled in the March 21 Republican gubernatorial primary, Jim Oberweis' political career can be summ up from one of two cliches: Either three strikes and you're abroad or third time is a charm.

Oberweis' haste for the Executive Mansion marks the third time in three election periods he has set his sights forward a highly sought political office. In 2002 and 2004 Oberweis wanted to be U senator nevertheless each time wound up finishing next to the first in crowded Republican primaries.

Hits hard at GOP leader

The message Oberweis has fashioned this go-around is that he is the GOP's reform candidate for governor, someone not favored according to the party establishment nor someone who was in Springfield as corruption flourished in subordination to Republican George Ryan.

"We'll fall of the curtain this culture of corruption that has been in such a manner prevalent in this state," said Oberweis, a multimillionaire who has pledg not to accept campaign contributions from state contractors, zeroing in upon an issue that promises to dog Gov Blagojevich should he win the Democratic primary.

"He's not associated with all this crap, corruption, and mes inappropriate legislation and pay to play, the bipartisan tillage of sleaze," said Jack Roeser president of the Family Taxpayers Network, his largest financial patron.

To that last the dairy magnate and investment manager doesn't frame the ethics issue solitary around Democrats. Oberweis has slammed his possess party with fervor.

He has hit the fund-raising practices of GOP rival Judy Baar Topinka and lashed gone out at Illinois' National Republican Committeeman Robert Kjellander for reeling in $809000 in consulting feuds from Bear, Stearns & Co which the administration chose as the lead underwriter for its 2003 $10 billion pension borrowing deal.

"This is a placard child for what's wrong with the Republican Party. Here's a fright who's supposed to be a high-ranking officer of the Republican Party, still he's paid an $809,000 commission to lobby onward behalf of the Democratic governor's fastening debt deal," Oberweis said.

Kjellander, treasurer of the National Republican Committee, dismisses Oberweis as an irrelevant opportunist.

"This is a stay who desperately wants to be important. Jim cares about no kind of principle, other than he desperately, desperately wants to be pick outed to something. He's really rather pathetic," he said.

forward other issues, Oberweis, 59, has a platform consistent with the agenda of the GOP's far right. He withstands tax increases and all abortions excepting to save the mother's life. He believes minors seeking abortions should have a parent's OK He favors educate vouchers and opposes gambling expansion. He backs allowing concealed weapons.

Supporters say his background running the family dairy operation and a $2 billion investment firm bearing his name make him ready to take command of the state's $54 billion package

"I think he'd make a great governor. Jim's great asset is he knows to what extent to run something, and in the proces he might achieve free from shams budget cuts instead of show-and-tell and magic," said former U Rep ed Derwinski, chairman of Oberweis' political store and a veteran of GOP politics.

nevertheless Derwinski, who first met Oberweis while chairing Republican Barry Goldwater's 1964 Illinois campaign, said he worries Oberweis may have swung too far to the right.

"I've been a little frustrated, being the wise not new statesman, that I haven't been confered a lot in their campaign. When I have, I've said, 'Don't secure painted into the far right corner, and leave yourself any room for the fall,' " Derwinski said. "I don't really know who's calling the bullets sometimes."

OBERWEIS' PICKS

Tastiest thing you can cook: "I don't dress up but I make the best ice cream in the world."

TV indicate you hate to admit you like: "Alias"

Last live music performance you attended: The Rolling Stones at Soldier Field

Biggest mistake? "I think the biggest mistake we make is not to disclose our loved ones how frequently they mean to us."

Celebrity you'd like to be stuck in an elevator with? "Julie Wilkinson, my fiancee. She's a celebrity to me"

work you have read cover to shield the most times: "I read most numerous books just once."

Childhood nickname? OB

David Letterman or Jay Leno? Leno

turn of expression

To take a bribe for himself as a homespun conservative digested in Midwestern values, Jim Oberweis takes a cooler well stocked [i]or[/i] provided of vanilla ice cream samples from his Aurora dairy to political functions, doling abroad frozen treats to supporters and the curious.

on the other hand on the stump, he has a fashion that is anything but soft- conduce to He seems to relish confrontation to make a point. However, a trait supporters call plainspokenness has created backlashes and raised questions about his temperament and political savvy.

the same of the most memorable images of Oberweis was his August 2005 appearance at Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair, an issue designed to be a political pep rally.

Oberweis took the dais and wasted no time calling for the ouster of National Republican Committeeman Robert Kjellander, who was seated a scarcely any feet behind him on the stage and left with no option on the other hand to listen to Oberweis' searing words with a sour turn the thoughts on his face.

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