This is the sort of thing that I like most about Topinka.

“Is it great? Probably not. Is it the very best in the world? Probably not,” Topinka said, describing her plan to the Sun-Times editorial board. “But it does the job. It’s practical.”

And this is the sort of thing that I like least about Gov. Blagojevich:

The Blagojevich campaign also immediately pointed out via an online ad that Topinka was flip-flopping on gambling, citing her previous comments that relying on more gambling to balance the state budget was a bad path to take.

Blagojevich himself has flip-flopped on his own 2002 promise not to expand gambling, at various times proposing expansion of existing casinos and adding keno, ideas which have gone nowhere.

Sen. Link makes a good point:

The plan does not contain new casinos, which allows Topinka to claim she’s not expanding gambling. But that absence also makes it tough to get the idea through the Senate.

“Why should the people in the South suburban area and Waukegan be written out of this?” said state Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat.

And the Tribune editorial board lays down the gauntlet.

The initial response Wednesday from Team Blagojevich wasn’t encouraging. The governor’s campaign sharpshooters immediately issued pages of rhetoric intended to discredit this or that line item of Topinka’s four-year financial plan for resolving Illinois’ bleak plight.

The Blagojevich response was a classic exhibition of a terrible political instinct. Governor, the hope here is that you’ll engage the Topinka plan for what it is, a rescue proposal, rather than attacking its line items in so-many talking points.

Voters will decide whether they like her proposals, for example, to expand gambling and better manage Medicaid dollars. Topinka and Blagojevich can disagree on those and dozens of other specifics. That’s the debate voters deserve.

On Wednesday, Topinka in effect declared that this campaign should be about the two candidates’ competing, long-range visions for confronting financial obligations that threaten to bury this state. Governor, it’s your turn.

UPDATE: Something I forgot to mention today was that Sen. Steve Rauschenberger is handling the detailed budget questions for the Topinka campaign, which may seem a little odd considering Rauschenberger’s harsh comments about Topinka last year.

I just talked to Steve and he has agreed to write a detailed response to Budget Director John Filan’s claim that the JBT proposal would produce a $5.7 billion annual deficit. Hopefully, I’ll be able to post it tomorrow morning. Director Filan will, of course, be offered the opportunity to respond. The resulting back and forth may bore some of you, but the idea is to move beyond the pimpy little digs and get to the heart of the matter.

UPDATE 2: Bill Brady backs the plan had some not unkind words.

State Sen. Bill Brady, a conservative GOP member who ran against the moderate Topinka in the March primary, said he’s pleased that the proposal doesn’t raise taxes.

The Bloomington businessman conceded that “there are a number of conservatives concerned about Illinois becoming over-reliant on gambling,” but he said it was doubtful they’d vote for Blagojevich in the Nov. 7 election.

UPDATE 3: Missed this one.

Reaction among lawmakers who will have to vote for it if Topinka beats Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich in November was tepid.

“I have traditionally voted against expansion of gambling in the past,” said state Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, an Okawville Republican.

“I probably wouldn’t vote for it,” added state Sen. John Jones, R-Mount Vernon.

State Rep. Bob Pritchard, R-Hinckley, said he’d study the proposal, but, he said, “I’m not excited about the expansion of gambling.” […]

State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, who is now running for secretary of state on the same ticket as Topinka, said in 2005 that gambling is “an inappropriate way to feed the jabberwocky of a hungry government.”