I recall the liberal weeping and gnashing of teeth when Tom Delay engineered a coup in the Texas redistricting process that gave the GOP an additional 6 seats. The Justice Department eventually ruled that it was legal because it carved out new districts from Hispanic and black voters.

So I'm sure we'll hear the same outcry over Illinois Democrats and their shameless gerrymander of congressional districts:

Both in Springfield and in Washington, the GOP reaction to the grim reality of the state's new congressional map is downright funereal, with some Republicans shaking their heads and marveling at the evil genius behind a gerrymander that could end up costing the GOP as many as five House seats.

Just seven months ago, Republicans were euphoric over the capture of four seats in a blue state dominated by Democrats for decades. Now, with the new map expected to be signed into law by Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, they're staring at the prospect of losing every one of them and more - a handful of promising freshmen and maybe even a veteran congressman, too.

While state lawmakers have completed or are nearing completion of congressional remaps in more than a half-dozen states this year, none has had the wide-ranging sweep of the Illinois blueprint - and no state going forward has the potential to inflict a similarly devastating map on the GOP.

In Illinois, the politically rich get politically richer.