While the 2010 midterm elections seem far off (especially today), there are some early rumblings across the state as congressional challengers gear up to start raising money and building their profile.  Case in point: Rep. Debbie Halvorson may already have an opponent.  Following suggestions to this effect on several local conservative blogs last month, Roll Call reports today that Air Force pilot Adam Kinzinger is "aggressively" exploring a 2010 bid on the GOP ticket:

Kinzinger met with the National Republican Congressional Committee on a trip to Washington, D.C., earlier this month. Additionally, Kinzinger’s campaign also said in a press release that he met with GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) as well as Illinois GOP Reps. Mark Kirk and Peter Roskam.

Kinzinger has a somewhat janky campaign website up and running.  On it, he argues in favor of cutting taxes by repeating the misleading claim that the corporate tax burden is higher in the U.S. than most other countries, makes the case for increased border security by fearmongering about terrorists infiltrating our country via Mexico, and says this of our presence in Iraq: "We must not leave this theatre until the United States can do so without any loss to the objectives that define her involvement."

Is this the path Illinois Republicans see to a "restoration" of their party?