CHICAGO —  When the Illinois GOP chose Alan Keyes (search) as its replacement U.S. Senate candidate, Land-O-Lincoln Republicans predicted they had someone who could verbally go toe-to-toe with the overwhelming favorite in the race, Democrat Barack Obama (search).

But since entering the race, Keyes has had to explain a number of changed positions on issues, beginning with getting into the Senate contest.

When Hilary Clinton (search) moved to New York four years ago to run for a Senate seat, Keyes said that was wrong. But he then recently moved from his Maryland home to a Chicago-area townhouse to meet Illinois' residency requirements.

While running for president eight years ago, Keyes suggested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture be dismantled because it was a money-wasting bureaucracy. But last week, at the farm-product dominated Illinois State Fair, Keyes said the department is more efficient and now worth keeping.

On the subject of reparations, Keyes has said slavery was paid for in the blood spilled ruing the Civil War but now he suggests that descendants of slaves shouldn't get money but a tax break instead.

Click on the video link near the top of this story to watch a report by FOX News' Steve Brown.