* Dem candidate Foster goes after Bush, Oberweis
* Illinoize: Lauzen negative mailer on Oberweis

* 9 counties, Aurora plan suit in race to replace Hastert

Robert Saar, director of the DuPage County Election Commission, said the suit is necessary because there are only 32 days between the Feb. 5 primary election and the March 8 election. That is not enough time to meet normal legal requirements for such matters as accepting absentee ballots and preservation of election data, he said.

* Center affected by state’s unpaid bills

* Jim Ryan to lead campaign for sales tax increase

* Officials fume at lab cuts

* Sun-Times Editorial: Police Supt. looks like a good fit

* New student driver law thwarted due to privacy

Truant or not, a student’s right to privacy has stopped enforcement of a state law that would prevent dropouts from driving until they attend school.

* Safety net hospitals would get extra $600M under plan

“This plan would be more redistributive, from institutions that have an abundance of resources to those who do not,” said state Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg, D-Evanston, chairman of a key appropriations committee. He has joined County Board President Todd Stroger and several commissioners in backing the proposal, which needs approval from the County Board, the Illinois General Assembly and the Bush administration.

At issue is how to replace a program that has pumped an extra $1.8 billion in federal Medicaid dollars into Illinois over the last three years. That money will dry up June 30 unless a new one is approved.

* Local hospitals facing class war

* Editorial: Gaps in state law on problem teacher puts students at risk

* Rezko lawyers fear ethnic bias on jury

* Rezko lawyers fail to delay trial

* Mark Brown: A few choice words about banning swearing in taverns

But then I remembered reading years ago about all those far-flung places that were banning smoking in bars, never believing it could happen here, and decided that I didn’t want to get caught behind another hot trend.

The way I figure it, if they ban swearing in bars, the next thing you know they’ll ban swearing in restaurants and then office buildings, and before long, I’ll be out there on the sidewalk in the cold with the smokers, walking in circles and cussing up a blue streak. I don’t smoke, never have, but my mouth has failed to delete a few expletives.

* Phil Luciano: Smoking ban picks a tough fight

Here’s how it’ll shake out. In the downtowns of cities (Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, Springfield), smoking will vanish because of high visibility. No police force will allow blatant violations in the heart of a city.

But in cities’ neighborhood bars and in small-town saloons, smoking will continue. I’m not saying that’s legally right, it’s just how it is. The bleeding hearts will have to learn to deal with it. Not everyone wants to be saved by the government.

* Downstate drivers have toll troubles too

* Sun Times debuts smaller paper size; more here

The revamped tabloid, published by Sun-Times Media Group Inc., is about 12 inches tall, roughly an inch shorter than its earlier editions.

Spokeswoman Tammy Chase said the change is part of the media company’s efforts to trim operating costs by $50 million this year.