We lead today with a State Journal-Register story written by Doug Finke about how the state may have to give the federal government a whole bunch of money. Oops.

Federal auditors contend Illinois was overpaid $140 million in Medicaid reimbursements, and they want the money back.

However, state officials plan to challenge the findings of auditors for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [Snip]

The impact of the audit on the cash-strapped state is unclear. Dan White, spokesman for HHS’ Office of Inspector General, said that with Illinois challenging the findings, a resolution could take “six months, at least.” In many cases, states and the federal government negotiate a settlement that can be for a smaller reimbursement than is initially demanded.

Read the whole thing.

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A story you might want to avoid is the Tribune’s south suburban legislative race article, which is just unbelievably weak.

Whatever. It’s reporting like that which has given me a such a good living, so I won’t complain too much.

A better Trib story is the profile of House Speaker Denny Hastert’s race against a fiesty challenger.

You’d have to be living under a rock the last year to miss the presidential and vice presidential races. But the campaign of the man two heartbeats from the presidency has hardly registered–particularly outside his staunchly Republican district, which starts in Chicago’s outer suburbs on the western edge of DuPage County and stretches through farmland almost to the Mississippi River.

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Moving along, Illinois Leader co-founder Brian Timpone (an old buddy of mine from when he was the House GOP spokesman) has a new online newsletter in the Metro East that rips the trial lawyers a new one on a daily basis. A recent story lays out which individuals and firms have been contributing to, and on behalf of, Democratic Supreme Court candidate Gordon Maag.

Randall Bono, a powerful asbestos lawyer and former Madison County Judge, has dug into his pockets again donating another $200,000 to the newly formed Justice for All political action committee aimed at helping Illinois Supreme Court candidate Gordon E. Maag.

Bono had previously given $195,000 to help jump start the organization which launched an ad campaign promoting the positive qualities of trial lawyers.

In total, Justice for All has raised $850,000 with help from the East Alton firm of SimmonsCooper, Alton asbestos lawyer John Barry Julian and Bono.

It’s worth a look, especially these days.

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The Daily Southtown has a piece today on Barack Obama stumping in GOP territory.

Obama, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, dropped behind enemy lines for a Democratic rally in Frankfort, a staunchly Republican suburb where Democrats often feel outnumbered.

“I think this is all of us,” joked one Frankfort resident, gesturing to the crowd of about 150 who gathered in a Halloween-decorated garden center to hear Obama, along with other Democrats running on Tuesday’s ballot.

The Southtown also has an AP story about the Statehouse shooter being indicted.

Chief Circuit Judge Robert Eggers announced at an afternoon court hearing that Derek W. Potts faces nine counts, including charges of first-degree murder, burglary and several gun violations.

Public Defender Brian Otwell said a report by psychiatrist Dr. Philip Pan of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine found Potts, who has a history of mental illness, unfit to stand trial but capable of becoming so within a year under state mental health supervision.