Well, all of 'em except Brady

"It's nice to be in a friendly crowd after last night," Topinka, the state treasurer and a Riverside resident, said of a debate Wednesday that included her opponents in the March 21 race. "It's hard to have a debate when you have to debate a bunch of morons. I'm sorry, but that's the way they acted."

Topinka's comments to the Proviso Township Municipal League at the Riverside Country Club reflected the growing personal bitterness in the contest, even though the debate held by the League of Women Voters of Illinois was considered civil.

Later, Topinka said she did not mean to include state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington in her critical remarks because Brady had largely avoided any attacks. During the previous night's debate, Topinka said she would support Brady if she were not a candidate because he had avoided a campaign featuring personal attacks.