From the office of Rep. Peter Roskam (R, ILL)…
Roskam: “As our strongest ally and only democratic friend in a deeply troubled region, America must stand with our friend Israel and reject any moves that diminish our special relationship.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Peter Roskam, Chief Deputy Whip, issued the following statement after Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to a Joint Meeting of Congress today:
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Roskam Applauds Netanyahu Speech”
-By Warner Todd Huston
In just one more example of the thousands of examples of political graft in Illinois, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that being a board member of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board is one giant no-show, do-nothing pay off to friends, family, and allies of Illinois’ Democrats. Members make up to $100,000 a year to do practically nothing on this useless board and we, the people, are paying through the nose for it all.
Members of this board have a grueling yearly schedule, indeed. They meet once a month. Well, “meet” is relative as rules allow them to just phone it in… literally… as members constantly “attend” the meetings by listening in over the phone. So, yes, they are paid up to $100,000 a year to make a phone call once a month.
Even so, maybe you’d think that their actual duties are time consuming aside from that big once a month meeting? Not according to the Post-Dispatch. You see, the board also has full time, paid staffers that assemble all the reports and then make the recommendations for the board members to vote on. When the members “meet” they usually just rubber stamp the work of the paid staffers.
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Political Corruption: An Illinois Specialty”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Obama’s National Labor Relations Board made itself infamous not long ago by attempting to tell Boeing in what state it was allowed to build a new manufacturing plant. Indulging his penchant toward anti-business, anti-capitalist sentiment Obama decided that he was the final arbiter on where companies were allowed to move and set up shop. Boeing was evil, you see because they wanted to get out from under the business-destroying grip of unions.
The monsters at Boeing were “retaliating” against the unions said Obama and his NLRB. Boeing was moving its plant from Washington State to North Carolina because in NC the unions have less power. So, it’s the unionista in chief to the rescue of the jobs-killing unions. Boeing needs to be slapped down for it’s evilness, don’t you know?
But, here is where Obama’s ever present hypocrisy rears its ugly head once again.
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Hypocrisy: Obama’s Stock And Trade”
From the office of Rep. Peter Roskam (R, 6th District)…
As I watched the President’s Middle East speech last week, I was pleased to see him affirm America’s support for human rights in the Arab world in light of the Arab Spring.
However, his comments on prerequisites that Israel must offer for peace were downright troubling – and sided squarely against Israel on future peace negotiations. America has always enjoyed a special relationship with Israel, and we simply can’t afford to let this Administration change that.
As the President prepared his speech, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and I penned an op-ed in Politico calling for the halting of U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority, now that Hamas is an official partner of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas is a terrorist organization responsible for the death of both Americans and Israelis, and committed to Israel’s destruction.
We need to stand with Israel and stand up to terror.
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We Need to Stand with Israel”
From the office of Rep. Peter Roskam (R, 6th District)…
Recognized for Supporting Economic Growth and Job Creation
BLOOMINGDALE, IL — Congressman Peter Roskam (IL-06), Chief Deputy Whip, was awarded the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Spirit of Enterprise Award last week. Roskam received the award for his votes last Congress to create jobs and ensure a more positive environment for economic growth, on Wednesday, May 18th, at Zeigler Motors in Downers Grove.
“The Chamber is honored to recognize Congressman Roskam for helping create an environment in which businesses can grow and create jobs,” said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber. “He has shown great conviction by standing on the side of business, at a time when it matters most. Today we honor him.”
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Roskam Receives U.S. Chamber’s Spirit of Enterprise Award”
Tom Cross, Illinois GOP Minority Leader…
Democrats in both the House and Senate released legislative redistricting maps last week. In the House, Democrats waited to release their map until late Friday afternoon giving the public practically no time to review it before a planned Sunday hearing in Chicago. If you wanted an explanation you had to ask for it in writing. Democrats promised an open and transparent process – this isn’t it.
Despite claims from House Democrats that their map is fair and competitive, a number of Latino organizations have stated at hearings and in news reports that their population is under-represented. Since the last map was drawn in 2001, the Latino population grew the most in the last ten years in Illinois.
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Illinois Redistricting Update”
-By Warner Todd Huston
This could shape up as a major battle between supporters of infanticide and pro-lifers in 2014. Pro-abortion forces will likely flood the Volunteer State with out-of-state money to defeat a referendum that may appear on the 2014 ballot allowing citizens to decide whether or not their state constitution really does have a special right protecting abortion.
This referendum is aimed at over turning a 2000 state court decision that read all sorts of “rights” into the Tennessee Constitution that had for 200 years never appeared there. The decision erased several state laws restricting abortion under the assumption that the state constitution had even stronger protections for abortion that does the U.S. Constitution.
The referendum will read as follows:
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Tenn. Voters To Get Chance to Say Abortion Not A ‘Protected Right’”
-By Warner Todd Huston
In New York you need a license to work as a gas pumper at a gas station. A contradiction since you do not need that expensive license, training, and government meddling to pump your own gas in New York. In Chicago it is supposedly illegal to fly a kite inside the city limits. In Delaware it is illegal to have a basketball hoop on your driveway. In nearly every city and town it is illegal to build a shed on your own property without government approval and fees spent to “allow” you to do so.
These are all examples of how the United States of America has fallen severely away from the land of liberty and personal freedom we once enjoyed. These are also examples of why we need politicians that will run on eliminating laws, regulations, a government meddling, not adding more.
We are being “governmented” to death, America. The nanny state has reached out to quash everything we as individuals want to do. We cannot put up a yard fence, we aren’t allowed to park certain vehicles on our own property, we cannot have garage sales without licenses, fees, “allowances,” and government meddling.
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American Government Must Be Torn Down and Rebuilt”
-By Warner Todd Huston
On Friday Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu schooled President Obama — who is clearly out of his depth — on Middle East diplomacy. This would not have been necessary if Obama had not tried to turn decades of American foreign policy on its ear, if he had not turned against our only real Mid East friend, and if he hadn’t made to come to the comfort of radical Islamists without conscience who only want to kill Jews and Americans. Obama also proved that just killing bin Laden does not equal foreign policy expertise.
Coming off his high after presiding over the end of America’s number one enemy, Obama thought he saw an opening to help bin Laden’s Islamist pals win a small battle over Israel. He planned his big speech on America’s new Mid East policy. Unfortunately for President Obama, the Hindenburg had a more successful flight than Obama’s new foreign policy ideas.
Most of the president’s speech was pedestrian and meandering, but one sentence was snuck in that completely changed American Middle East policy, or at least it was intended to.
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Obama Was Israiled: Killing bin Laden Was Not Foreign Policy Experience For Prez”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Well, accidental Governor Pat Quinn is finally doing something right. He has pledged to sign HB3500, a bill that will keep confidential and away from the eyes of anti-gun activists and the Old Media alike the personal information of registered firearm owners in Illinois.
The Illinois Senate passed the bill 42 to 1 overturning a decision by left-wing Attorney General Lisa Madigan to turn over to the Old Media the names, addresses, and personal info on file of all citizens that have registered with the state for an Illinois Firearm Owners ID card (FOID).
Illinois citizens are not allowed to buy or sell firearms or ammunition in the Land of Lincoln without registering with the state and because this information is in the hands of the Illinois State Police, the Associated Press imagined that this information should be public.
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Gov. Quinn to Sign Illinois Firearm Owner’s Privacy Bill”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Father Michael Pfleger, one of the most hateful and divisive priests on the American Catholic scene, has been temporarily given back his position as pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church on Chicago’s South Side by Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George.
In a new statement posted on the website of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Father Pfleger apologizes for threats to leave the Church that he made in a radio interview last month saying he feared that his comments were hurting the Church — something he claimed he didn’t intend.
With public apology in hand, Cardinal George has reinstated this hatemonger to his former role as pastor of St. Sabina Church in order to allow him to help find a new pastor and help with that transition. Apparently he has until December to make the arrangements.
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Racebaiter Chicago Priest Reinstated By Spineless Cardinal”
From the Palatine Tea Party…
(Palatine, Illinois) – The Village of Schaumburg clearly indicates in their employee handbook, which we obtained via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, how employee sick time balances can be paid out.
Click here, to view the Village of Schaumburg Employee handbook. Review section 8-4 of the Employee handbook (Sick Time Reimbursement Plan).
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Introducing Schaumburg’s Sick Time Reimbursement Plan”
-By Warner Todd Huston
From a gang of six to a gang of Dicks, Durbin torpedoes compromise once again
The “gang of six” is a group of senators who had taken it upon themselves to come to some sort of agreement over the competing budget ideas between Republicans and Democrats. It was hoped that these six senators could find a compromise that could kick off the debate with some sort of general agreement right at the start. But it was doomed to begin with. In fact, it is easy to understand how the new “gang of six” talks fell apart in the U.S. Senate this week.
The gang of six had the misfortune of having Dick Durbin (D, IL), one of the most partisan, far left senators in America, as a member. Compromise was never in the cards.
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Sen. Dick Durbin Caused ‘Gang of 6’ Talks to Fall Apart”
-By Warner Todd Huston
This week Youtube launched a new channel it is calling the “Youtube Townhall,” a new channel where members of congress are seen in short videos discussing the issues of the day.
Republican Senators Alexander, McCain, Moran, Lugar, Sessions, Isakson, and Hutchison have already uploaded videos to the channel and more are on the way. Republican Representatives Steve Chabot and Phil Gingrey have also added videos.
Interestingly, the identification of the members of Congress do not include party affiliation on the site.
Youtube’s description of its new site is as follows:
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YouTube Launches New Congressional Townhall Channel”
Lawmakers continue to debate pension reforms for current state employees and a decision will be made soon – this year’s legislative session is scheduled to end on May 31st.
This may be our last chance to have our voices heard. Click here NOW to tell your lawmaker it’s time to enact substantive reforms of the state employee pension system that directly affect current state employees.
Illinois’ fiscal problems can no longer be ignored. Illinois is spending beyond its means and has ignored countless unpaid bills! Moreover, the fact that we have no real plan for dealing with these fiscal problems have made our state one of the least attractive places for doing business.
The website 24/7 Wall St. took a look at the pension systems of every state in America and created a top 10 list of states where pensions are running out of money. Sadly, Illinois is second on that list with a $126 billion pension liability.
Take action now to return our great state to fiscal sanity. Click here to tell your lawmaker to fix Illinois’ pensions now.
For more information on pension reform go to: http://fixillinoispensionsnow.com/.
Thank you for your continued support and activism.
Sincerely,
Joe Calomino
State Director
Americans for Prosperity-Illinois
Rebel Pundit of Chicago has once again confronted the hatemongers of the left at one of their so-called protest rallies in downtown Chicago to prove that liberalism is a mental disorder.
Before you click on this video, I have to warn you that these leftists are nothing if not foul mouthed, distempered, and wholly uniformed, not to mention hypocritical.
This one may not be safe for work if foul language is a no no…
-By Warner Todd Huston
Extremist environmentalists have won yet another victory for propagandizing our children in schools by forcing Scholastic Books to junk a proposed energy-themed classroom education packet that treated the subject in a more even handed mode in favor of a program that only pushes extremist enviro policies. Yes, once again, the hard-core, anti-capitalist left has won a victory to control what our kids are taught in our schools.
As we learn from Commentary Magazine, Scholastic’s energy program has been under attack from the far left for weeks. Mother Jones Magazine, The New York Times, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and the group aptly named “Treehugger” have been attacking the children’s book publisher to force them to jettison the proposed series because Scholastic had authored the program in partnership with the American Coal Foundation.
The 4th grade lesson program was built on a larger look at America’s energy products including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power along with the so-called green energies of wind and solar power. But the inclusion of traditional (and technologically possible) forms of energy like coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear was enough to send the heads of the radical enviro-wacko’s heads spinning.
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Children’s Book Publisher Collapses to Radical Environmentalist Pressure”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Here is the waste and fraud that your tax dollars are put to, America. Senator Tom Coburn has alerted the nation to a 30-year-old man in California named Stanley Thornton, Jr., who is paid by Social Security to lay about his house and pretend he is a baby replete with diapers, baby bottles for nourishment and a 300 pound “nurse” to take care of him.
No kidding. This guy pretends to be a baby and we, the people, send him Supplemental Security Income benefits to do it.
Of course, this California nut claims that he is mentally unable to cope with life and that his SSI benefits are needed because he is “disabled” by his mental state of thinking he is a baby. But Coburn thinks this guy is just scamming the government.
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Tax Dollars Going to a 350-Pound Guy in Calf Who Pretends He’s a Diaper-Wearing Baby”
-By Doug Ibendahl
“Tom Cross has a brick on SB35.”
That’s a quote from State Senator Kirk Dillard from a few days ago. He simply stated what nearly all of you I’m sure already know.
It’s hardly some secret that Tom Cross – the House Minority Leader – is viciously opposed to the idea of regular Republicans having a voice again in their own party.
Now for the third time in six years, the direct election reform (now designated as Senate Bill 35) – has passed out of the Senate and over to the House. The most recent Senate passage was last month and this time the vote was unanimous. Even several Republican Senators who had been pressured by the old guard to vote “no” in 2009 are now waking up to the reality that our Illinois Republican Party needs an overhaul from the bottom and the top.
But in the Illinois House it’s different. Not a single Republican has stepped up so far to co-sponsor SB35 in the House this session. It’s really shameful.
It’s especially shameful where the 13 new GOP State Representatives are concerned (some won in November and some were appointed to fill vacancies post-November).
And by the way, I’ve talked to several of the freshmen, as well as with many of the longer serving GOP House members. I’ve not heard a single one voice an argument against SB35 – in fact many are clearly in favor of the bill and its reform. But their “support” is pretty meaningless if they won’t stand up…
Read the rest at RepublicanNewsWatch.com.
By Jeff Dunetz
The past few months have seen unexpected developments in the Middle East, the continuing “Arab Awakening,” Egypt’s slide toward being controlled by the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, Syria and Libya in revolt; it seemed as if for the first time in recent history the Israeli-Palestinian dispute represented the calmest place in this violence-prone area of the world.
That all changed in early May when the Palestinian Authority, run by the “moderate” terrorists of the Fatah party, agreed to reunite with the more overt terrorists of Hamas who rule over the Gaza Strip.
…This morning Politico carried an op-ed composed by two members of the House GOP leadership: Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), and Peter Roskam (R-Ill) Deputy Majority Whip and Co-Chair of Republican Israel Caucus.
I had the opportunity to interview Congressman Roskam this morning. We discussed the Politico op-ed as well as other key issues regarding American foreign policy as it relates to Israel and the Middle East. Below is that interview, beginning with an overview of the situation provided by the Congressman….
Read the rest at YidWithLid.
-By Rep. Eric Cantor and Rep. Peter Roskam
As the news of Osama bin Laden’s death spread, the free world breathed a deep sigh of relief and praised the United States for its accomplishment.
But in the Palestinian territories, such sentiments were not shared.
In the eyes of Ismail Haniyeh and the infamous Hamas terrorist organization he leads, the operation “marks the continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood.” Really?
If killing the man responsible for the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history — not to mention the aggressor who did more to subjugate and kill fellow Muslims who disagree with his worldview than perhaps any other individual on earth — makes us oppressors, then how would Hamas describe bin Laden?
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Hamas Poisons Peace Process”
I returned from maternity leave just in time to take part in the epic debate over public pension reform. Get the teachers’ pension costs will top General State Aid education spending this year unless we act now.
To date the working model for pension reform has been House Bill 149, introduced by House GOP Leader Tom Cross. The language in that legislation is being modified and likely will be placed on Senate Bill 512, a shell bill assigned for hearing in tomorrow’s House Personnel and Pensions Committee.
Given Illinois’s worst-in-the-nation unfunded liability and “blue state” politics, what unfolds over the coming days will be a bellwether for the rest of the country. Has your legislator heard from you? (Click here to find your state legislator)
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Ill. Policy Institute: One Week’s Lost Pay for Pensions”
Newt has been the talk of the town. If only it was for good things.
So, let’s give Newt a hand for the fastest crash and burn in presidential campaign history.
Yep, Newt crashed and burned even faster than Gary Hart, Edmund Muskie, and Teddy Kennedy.
-By Warner Todd Huston
Bill Clinton wants the government to “correct” what you say on the Internet, folks. Should the government listen to the former panderer-in-chief, we’ll go from Big Brother to Big Bubba on the ol’ Internet tubes.
Bubba is not happy with what he claims is the “misinformation” on the Internet and he wants the force of government to stop it all. Politico is reporting that Clinton makes the proposal in an upcoming CNBC interview saying, “It would be a legitimate thing to do.”
No, Bubba, it would not.
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Big Brother Bubba’s Ministry of Internet Facts”
… and Why Liberals are Our Weak Spot
-By Warner Todd Huston
For the online, left-wing magazine Slate, William Saletan thinks he’s found something that will damage Osama bin Ladden’s reputation in the Islamic world. But what he thinks is such a big deal proves that he doesn’t understand radical Islam or even the Muslim world. Worse, it proves why liberals are our soft spot and why they could be the death of us.
Saletan is all excited over the fact that the U.S. found a large cache of pornography in bin Ladden’s living quarters. This, Saleton is happy to say, will undermine bin Ladden’s reputation as a strictly holy man. This hurts bin Ladden, says Saleton, because, “they’re more upset by porn and hiding behind women than by suicide bombing”
Saleton contends that in our fight against bin Ladden, we’ve found the right “argument” to level against our opponent.
Why is porn such a big idea?
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Slate: Proving Once Again Why Leftists Don’t ‘Get’ Radical Islam”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Everyone’s jaws are jamming about the fact that ten years ago Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child out of wedlock with some hussey or another. The follow up shocker is that his wife of 25 years, Maria Shriver — a member of the Kennedy clan — has left him. It all makes me wonder what is wrong with Maria Shriver? What sort of Kennedy IS she, anyway.
I was recently on Political Vindication Radio and we came to several conclusions about this whole Shriver woman business.
Maria Shriver simply can’t be a Kennedy. I am convinced she was adopted or something.
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Maria Shriver Leaves Ahnold… What Kind of Kennedy IS She Anyway?”
From the Palatine Tea Party…
(Palatine, Illinois) – The Village of Schaumburg went out of its way to hide employee sick time balances when we attempted to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to obtain employee balances. Government agencies expect taxpayers to pay their expenses, but when asked to view the data the answer is met with clear opposition. The Village tried to hide behind HIPPA law as their excuse. We then appealed the Village’s decision with the Illinois’ State Attorney and won, click here.
Click here, to view Village of Schaumburg’s line-by-line employee sick time balances.
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Village of Schaumburg Attempts to Hide $17 Million in Accrued Village Sick Time Liability”
-By Warner Todd Huston
I just finished with a blogger conference call held by Speaker Gingrich in which he tried to further explain where he stands on Paul Ryan, the budget, and Obamacare.
Newt has have been characterized as “trashing Paul Ryan,” and Ryan himself took a swipe at him on a Chicago radio show (Ryan said something like, “with conservative like him who needs enemies?”), and of course many see his purported attack on Ryan as a violation of Reagan’s famed 11th Commandment. So Newt has a lot to answer for, for sure.
He’s badly confused the situation and some are calling for him to drop out and give it all up. Even Rush Limbaugh is claiming that Newt knows he can’t win the nomination and this whole thing is just an effort at positioning himself for other things in the future. (Rush says Newt might just be angling for a position at the Aspen Institute)
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Newt’s Tuesday Blogger Conference Call”
Profit is not “taken,” it is earned. Profit is as moral as can be.
Courtesy of the Atlas Network.
The Atlas Economic Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization connecting a global network of more than 400 free-market organizations in over 80 countries to the ideas and resources needed to advance the cause of liberty.
Atlas Network Your Tube Channel.
-By Warner Todd Huston
The Washington Post had a recent piece saying that it looks like Washington is finally coming to the stark realization that the benefits and pensions of federal workers are wildly over promised and even Democrats are finally contemplating cuts in federal pensions.
The GOP has already targeted these pensions by proposing that federal workers contribute more toward their own pension benefits. As the Post slantedly puts it, this policy plan would “effectively impose an immediate 5 percent pay cut on more than 2 million federal employees”
Of course, it would not be cutting their pay at all, sadly. It would merely be deferring until retirement when they get the cash. Sure their pay should be cut — heck thousands need to be simply fired outright — but there is no pay cut being proposed.
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Democrats FINALLY Talking of Cutting Back Govt Employee Pensions”