The real electoral surprise last week was not in Chicago, where five tired, old incumbent hack aldermen went down to defeat. The big shocker was the Carbondale mayor's race, in which Sheila Simon - the daughter of the late U.S. Senator Paul Simon - was trounced by Republican incumbent Brad Cole.

Governor Rod Blagojevich insists that his proposed gross-receipts tax on business doesn't break his campaign promise last year not to raise income or sales taxes, but a recent poll finds voters think otherwise.

The very last question of the 45-question poll, in which voters were told both positive and negative aspects of the proposal, asks this: "Now, during the campaign, Governor Blagojevich promised not to raise income or sales taxes. By increasing business taxes, do you think he is keeping his promise or not?"

Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie usually hangs back and lets others make news. Since getting the number-two job in the House Democratic caucus in 1997, she hasn't been known for being way out front on major issues. And as far as I can remember, she's never once publicly criticized Governor Rod Blagojevich.

It's not often that someone who worked on a state legislative staff actually wins a campaign for himself, but it happened last week in Chicago.

Former House Democratic staffer Brendan Reilly won his aldermanic race against longtime Chicago Alderman Burton Natarus last week by about nine points, stunning the Chicago political world, which didn't think that Natarus - who joined the city council in 1972 - could be defeated. Reilly silenced the critics by bringing a new level of sophistication to the Chicago political game.