SWEETNESS AND LIGHT

Lynn Sweet's column also explores another aspect of the NYT ad paid for by Crown Publishing Group/Random House, the publisher of Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.

At the very bottom of the ad, the last line lists Obama's campaign Web site, ObamaforIllinois.com.

Federal campaigns are banned from taking corporate contributions, either in cash or in-kind gifts.

Jason Gerwig, the spokesman for the Republican Party of Illinois, said, "We hope the FEC [Federal Election Commission] will look at this as it raises serious questions as to whether or not Obama's publisher is using corporate soft money to publicize the senator's Web site."

Wow, if the Illinois Republicans are going after a single line in an ad that refers to an inactive website -- Sweet says no money had come in through the site since the ad ran -- they must really have their own house in order.

Well, not quite.

Sweet also revealed that State Sen. Peter "Just Disgusting" Roskam, the GOPer who visited D.C. to lay the groundwork for replacing Henry "Youthful Indiscretion" Hyde in Congress, might not yet be ready for the big time.

It seems that Roskam has been using his state campaign funds to pay for $40,000 in issue ads on WLS, WIND and WYLL radio. But only money raised under the stricter federal rules can be used to promote a federal candidacy like a run for Congress.