I want to say right up front that this post is not directed at all of you, but since I can’t talk to everyone individually, you’re all gonna have to suffer through it. Most commenters here are bright, educated, reasoned, experienced people. I’ve often bragged that, on whole, I have by far the best commenters of any political blog I’ve ever seen. Occasionally, though, I need to step in and cool things out. It’s way past time I did what I’m about to do.

Every time I’ve posted details of HB 750, which would jack up personal and corporate income taxes and impose a brand new service tax on Illinois consumers, almost nobody has even said “boo.”

This got me to thinking about a lot of things, but mainly about hate. I can’t help but wonder what the reaction in comments would have been if Gov. Blagojevich had come out in favor of 750 instead of proposing his deservedly controversial gross receipts tax. I imagine there would’ve been plenty of blood-curdling screams about this “business killing” tax hike that the governor was trying to force down our throats.

Everyone who has ever read this blog, my Capitol Fax, my syndicated column or my Sun-Times column knows that I’ve been rougher on this governor than pretty much anybody else. Someone once asked me when the “honeymoon” ended for me. “What honeymoon?” I asked, pointing out that I was writing negative stuff about him before he even formally announced his first campaign. I told Blagojevich yesterday that all lhe had to do was keep being himself and he would eventually make me a wealthy man. He laughed so hard I thought he would cry.

While I’ve had more than my share of differences with the guy, I’ve always tried to be intellectually honest. I haven’t always succeeded, but I despise duplicity and I’m detecting more than a little of that in comments.

The ridiculous worries expressed in comments here that I might drink the Kool-Aid because I’ve spent some time on the bus with the man are so far-fetched as to be borderline insanity and shows more about a few of you than you may realize. He’s not a voodoo chief capable of weaving evil spells. And I didn’t start this job yesterday. Really, people, get a clue. Stop allowing your hate to rule your mind.

The bottom line is that I’m asking you to raise this level of debate above the base hatred. Let me make this clear: There are plenty of legit reasons to oppose the GRT, and I respect most of them and agree with many of them.

But for many of those same commenters to offer zero counter-arguments whatsoever to 750 indicates to me that there is more at work here than a single “issue.” Others here legitimately support 750 and oppose the GRT, but some of them are brazenly taking advantage of the ever-present hatred to bash the governor’s plan.

In case you forgot, he won the election last year and, barring a conviction (which is seriously doubtful in the next four years - George Ryan isn’t even in prison yet and that investigation started in 1998) we’re all stuck with this guy for another term, for better or for worse. You can stomp your little feet all you want, but you can’t change that fact.

Legitimate opposition and reasoned debate is always highly encouraged here, but hatred is not. And, frankly, I’m getting tired of deleting some of your goofy comments. You want to bash the governor? Fine with me. Go right ahead. But try to do it from an intellectual perspective rather than over-the-top emotion.

I’m an agnostic about the GRT. I don’t take positions on legislation. Personally, however, I am not at all thrilled with 750, which takes a lot more money out of my pocket while doing absolutely nothing to address the problem of corporate avoidance of taxation. Is the GRT the right way to go? Probably not. But I just can’t stop myself from thinking that many of you would feel the same way about 750 if the governor wasn’t so drastically opposed to that particular bill.

Thanks for listening.

By the way, here are a couple of audio clips of the raucus Quincy crowd provided by our good friends at Metro Networks. The protesters kinda reminded me of the tiny minority here that this post is addressed to…