Shaw's mud won't stick to Meeks State senator, not his political rival, is the real agent of the GOP

State Sen. William Shaw, who is facing an uphill contest for re-election, is getting desperate.

Shaw, 65, an old-style political hack, is a nominal Democrat whohas often played footsie with Republicans at the expense of his ownparty.

Yet on Sunday, Shaw made the wild allegation that his challenger,the Rev. James Meeks, is "an arm of the Republican Party."

That's an absolute falsehood and Shaw knows it.

Meeks, 45, who is running for the Illinois Senate as anindependent, is a lifelong Democrat and has no ties to the GOP. IfMeeks is elected to the Senate--and recent polls give him the edge--he will vote with the Democratic Party to organize the …