OTTUMWA — Illinois politicians are in the news again.

Former Gov. George Ryan was convicted on corruption charges this week, the latest official to reinforce the state’s political stereotype. John Cox may share a state and party with Ryan, but he stresses that he’s not that sort of politician.

“I’m from the non-George Ryan wing of the party,” Cox laughed.

Cox, 51, is a self-described conservative Republican. The Chicago resident brought his bid for the presidency to southeast Iowa on Tuesday. It’s not the first race for Cox; bids for Congress and the U.S. Senate fell short. But he thinks he can do better on the national stage, saying his conservative stances do not play well in a blue state like Illinois.

Cox says he supports President George Bush’s foreign policies, but detests the expansion of domestic government. He called the “No Child Left Behind” program a “noble effort” whose failing is that it expanded government at the expense of local people. Cox levels that same basic charge at more popular items like the McCain-Feingold limits on campaign donations.

But it is the federal tax code that really draws Cox’s ire. He said his credentials as an accountant put him in a unique position to address needed changes.

“There’s never been a CPA elected president. We’re working with a tax code that’s 30 years old and it’s an absolute abomination,” Cox said.

Cox wants to abolish the IRS and the income tax in favor of a national sales tax. The plan is similar to other “fair tax” plans. He said experts typically put the sales tax at about 23 percent.

That sounds high, but Cox said the consumers won’t see the cost of purchases rise by nearly one-quarter. The elimination of the income tax means companies have their costs reduced, allowing them to lower prices. He said fear of being undercut will drive the changes.

At the same time, people no longer have a chunk of their paychecks taken before they even get them. That means they have more net income to deal with a national sales tax.

Cox didn’t speak much to the Courier about his views on immigration, but his campaign Web site does include a section on the issue. In it, Cox is cited as believing employers should be penalized for hiring illegal immigrants and it says he does not support a guest worker program.

Matt Milner can be reached at (641) 683-5359 or via e-mail at mwmilner@mchsi.com.