U.S. Senate: John Arrington Presses President, Pentagon for Manufacturing Jobs at Rock Island Arsenal and Across U.S.‏

From the John Arrington for Senate campaign…

On Friday, January 29th at 2:00 p.m. Senate candidate John Arrington will be holding a press conference at the iWireless Center near the Rock Island arsenal. In response to President Obama’s State of the Union speech, Mr. Arrington will be sending letters to the President, Congress, and the Pentagon today demanding that an assessment be taken of defense systems manufactured overseas, and that all defense related products be returned to the U.S. for production. “Discussing jobs without including our disappearing manufacturing industry is like discussing healthcare without tort reform, it’s a Band-Aid approach,” stated Arrington. “Americans must produce in order to sustain our economic future, and that must start with our Department of Defense.”
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U.S. Senate: John Arrington Presses President, Pentagon for Manufacturing Jobs at Rock Island Arsenal and Across U.S.‏”


8th District: WALSH VS WALSH, II – The Candidate Defends the Tea Party Movement

For those unaware, candidate Joe Walsh made a parody of a song by rock star Joe Walsh of the Eagles and the singer has sent a threatening letter from his lawyer over it. So, candidate Walsh is replying. From the Joe Walsh for Congress campaign…
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8th District: WALSH VS WALSH, II – The Candidate Defends the Tea Party Movement”


8th District: Joe Walsh on State of the Union Speech

From the Joe Walsh for Congress campaign…

Tonight, as required by our Constitution, President Obama gave the annual State of the Union Address to both houses of Congress.

The President and I agree on some of his ideas, and disagree on others. Firstly, I must applaud the President when he said “I do not accept second place for the United States of America.” Further I completely agree with the President that we the voters should “Give our people the government they deserve.” You, the voters of the 8th deserve so much more than Melissa Bean. You deserve a voice!
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8th District: Joe Walsh on State of the Union Speech”


U.S. House Candidate David Ratowitz (IL-5) Responds to SOTU Address

From the David Ratowitz for Congress campaign…

“The president’s proposals are like a surgeon only using the dullest and rustiest of scalpels.”

Like many Americans, I enjoyed the introductory comments of President Obama’s first State of the Union address. The president is absolutely correct in his assertion that Americans working together have overcome our greatest challenges. However, that is about where our agreement ends.
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U.S. House Candidate David Ratowitz (IL-5) Responds to SOTU Address”


10th District: Dold’s ‘Get America Back to Work’ Bus Tour Thursday‏

From the Robert Dold for Congress campaign…

Today Dold for Congress will embark on a mission that will take us throughout the district to meet face-to-face with thousands of voters over the next six days leading up to Election Day. As part of the Get America Back to Work Tour, Robert and his supporters will ride around the district in a giant Dold-themed tour bus visiting small businesses, restaurants, train stations, senior communities, and anywhere and everywhere voters can be found. We will be making more than 60 stops during the tour, and will be picking up supporters along the way. We would like to extend an invitation for you to join us at any time during the tour for this very special event. To view the bus tour schedule click here.
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10th District: Dold’s ‘Get America Back to Work’ Bus Tour Thursday‏”


David Ratowitz Pushes Across-the-board Tax Cut Agenda

From the David Ratowitz for Congress campaign…

CHICAGO – January 27, 2010 – U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz’s tax proposals resonated with 5th District entrepreneurs and community leaders who attended the Asian American Coalition candidate forum on Saturday at the Hyatt Rosemont.

Ratowitz, a Republican candidate in Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary election, fielded numerous questions regarding the impact of burdensome federal regulations and taxes on the 5th District’s small business community, which includes Albany Park’s Koreatown.
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David Ratowitz Pushes Across-the-board Tax Cut Agenda”


What Lesson Did Brown Teach Obama/Democrats? Apparently Pass Bad Stuff Faster

-By Warner Todd Huston

Once Scott Brown took away the Democrat super majority in the Senate by becoming the Republican’s 41st vote based in large part on the fact that Massachusetts voters were unhappy with Obamacare, one would think that President Obama and the Democrat Party would learn a vital lesson. A look at a dozen or so stories across the media over the last few days shows that the Democrats have indeed learned a lesson from Scott Brown’s victory. But is it the right lesson?

Did they learn that they’d better slow down their freight train of extremely left leaning policies? Did they learn that with 58% of Americans standing in opposition to Obamcare they’d better reassess their direction? Have they learned from an entire year of raucous healthcare townhalls, multiple loses at the polls, and tea party protests that brought out over a million people that they might be agitating the American people?

Nope.
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What Lesson Did Brown Teach Obama/Democrats? Apparently Pass Bad Stuff Faster”


The Federal Reserve Is Inflating Another Bubble

-By Thomas E. Brewton

Stock market exuberance is symptomatic of a rapidly expanding money supply’s corrosive effect.

In the last two trading days of the week ending January 23rd, the Dow Industrial Index plummeted 430.170 points, the worst decline in a year. Major factors, according to Street gossip, were continuing weakness in corporate sales and growing fears that Helicopter Ben Bernanke might not be re-appointed Fed chairman.

As the Wall Street Journal reported:
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The Federal Reserve Is Inflating Another Bubble”


US Senate: Arrington Challenges Mark Kirk To Debate‏

From the John Arrington for Senate campaign…

U.S. Senate candidate John Arrington has challenged front runner Mark Kirk to a serious debate to discuss critical issues facing Illinois and the nation. “Mark Kirk has not participated in one debate to discuss challenges facing Illinois residents and this is unacceptable” stated Arrington. Arrington strongly believes that a debate focusing on the serious issues of job creation, revitalizing our economy, stances on education, health care, corporate bailouts, and taxes is vital. Without a fair and balanced debate for candidates to discuss their platform and express their differences, Illinois voters will once again be kept in the dark and uninformed on the critical issues facing our nation. Mr. Kirk has thus far has not been involved in a single debate with any other candidates, and John Arrington feels this is an offensive breach of the electoral process.

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US Senate: Arrington Challenges Mark Kirk To Debate‏”


U.S. Senate: Arrington Defends Educational Choice

From the John Arrington for Senate campaign…

John Arrington, Republican candidate for US Senate (IL), supports the rights of parents to make educational choices for their children, be it through public, private, charter, or home schools. With a varied background that includes private and public school teaching and Illinois certification in educational administration with a superintendent of schools certification, John Arrington has a unique perspective among the senatorial candidates. He deems the choice of educational venue to be the right of parents—the first and foremost educators of their children.
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U.S. Senate: Arrington Defends Educational Choice”


A Sneak Peek At Barry Obama’s Year End Grade School Report Card

-By Ann “Babe” Huggett

Punahou School Report Card – 1979
Name: Barry Obama

Performance

Effort

Reading: Daydreams in class and affects strange cadence when reading out loud.

D

D-

English: Absolutely hopeless as a writer and needs constant help in stringing together even the most basic of sentences. Failed the Public Speaking section for being too dependent on notes, refusing to make eye contact or to engage the audience in a genuine and meaningful way.

D-

F

Mathematics: Good on basic concepts but hopelessly uninterested in applying that information to real world economics or budgetary principles.

C-

D-

Geography: Interested in anywhere but the United States of America.

C-

D

History: Has regrettable tendency to rewrite American and English history to reflect personal bias but shows remarkable grasp of the French and Russian Revolutions.

D

D-

Civics: Shows little interest in US Constitution or understanding of the 3 branches of government.

F

F

Sports: Excels at basketball and is very aggressive on the court.

A

A

Social Skills: Although outwardly friendly, is secretive, oddly manipulative and does not let people know the ìrealî Barry Obama. Has a tendency to run from problems. Expects other people to clean up after him.

D-

D-

Secondary Language: Excels in Indonesian.

A

A

Elective Language: Excels in Arabic

A

A

Grade Average

D

D

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A Sneak Peek At Barry Obama’s Year End Grade School Report Card”


14th District Race: Sen. Lauzen Asks About All That Outside $$ For Ethan Hastert

-By Warner Todd Huston

During the January 14 Republican meeting and candidate forum in Geneva Township a question was raised by speaker Chris Lauzen (R, Aurora), State Senator from the 25th State Senate District. That question focused on all the support not only from outside the district but outside the entire state that is streaming in to shore up the campaign for Congress of the young Ethan Hastert. Senator Lauzen questioned the propriety of all this outside money pouring into the 14th District when there was already a worthy, proven candidate in the person of Randy Hultgren running for that seat. (Note: I’d have gotten this reported sooner, but was waiting on a few sources to confirm events)

This is a question that I have echoed and one that has formed one of the main reasons why I chose to endorse Randy Hultgren for the 14th District instead of Ethan Hastert.

At the event, Senator Lauzen stood before the audience and wondered aloud if there was a candidate from the 14h District that deserved the voter’s support based on “merit” or should the voters lean toward the candidate of “privilege”? Lauzen wondered whether the voters should support a man with a record of service or whether that support should be bestowed on the candidate with a mountain of outside support? Lauzen was primed to ask this question because of a campaign flyer being passed out by candidate Ethan Hastert that advertised an upcoming appearance by Georgia Congressman Tom Price who was in Illinois to stump for Hastert.
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14th District Race: Sen. Lauzen Asks About All That Outside $$ For Ethan Hastert”


8th District: Candidate Walsh Sued by Frmr Campaign Manager

-By Warner Todd Huston

8th District Congressional candidate Joe Walsh seems to be in a bit of a legal jam. His one-time campaign manager, Keith Lisico, has filed a lawsuit against Walsh for not paying his campaign managing bills.

Lisico left the Walsh campaign in December of 2009 over a dispute with Walsh’s less than timely payment of contracted consulting fees and has filed suit over the dispute. The suit alleges that Walsh owes the firm of Patrickson-Hirsh Associates $20,000 for services rendered.
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8th District: Candidate Walsh Sued by Frmr Campaign Manager”


5th District: David Ratowitz Stands Strong for Social Security Fairness

From the David Ratowitz for Congress campaign…

Republican U.S. House candidate (IL-5) assures frustrated retires: “Bad policies cannot be solved by cheating.”

CHICAGO – January 21, 2010 – Republican U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz (IL-5) shares seniors’ widespread worries about deep cuts to Social Security benefits brought by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and similar modifications. Ratowitz addressed the concerns of hundreds of frustrated beneficiaries Saturday at a Polish American Congress candidate forum in Niles.
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5th District: David Ratowitz Stands Strong for Social Security Fairness”


SEIU Wastes $1 Million on Coakley, Blames GOP

-By Warner Todd Huston

Michelle Malkin has a post that reports about the hilarious episode of union whining that is being laid out by the President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Andy Stern. He wasted $1 million of his member’s dues money trying to shore up Massachusetts loser “Marcia” Coakley but is he blaming the Democrats for this debacle? Nope, he’s mad at Republicans!

Why did Coakley croak? Why it’s because of those dastardly Republicans that have held up Obamacare, dontcha know?

From the SEIU website we get these hilarious words:
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SEIU Wastes $1 Million on Coakley, Blames GOP”


5th District: Ratowitz Slams Sun-Times Endorsement of Opponent

From the David Ratowitz for Congress campaign…

U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz has released the following statement in response to the Chicago Sun-Times endorsement of his Illinois District 5 opponent Ashvin Lad.

“Today of all days, with its high-profile Senate contest in Massachusetts tipped in favor of the limited-government Republican, it is highly ironic that the Chicago Sun-Times would choose ‘moderate’ Ashvin Lad as a ‘best bet’ in any race. That ‘firebrand’ Republican reformer Tony Peraica enthusiastically endorsed my campaign, along with Tax Accountability (NTUI), will resonate with voters seeking an absolute end to all federal bailouts and stimulus schemes that are being foisted upon the public quite obviously to enrich special interests.
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5th District: Ratowitz Slams Sun-Times Endorsement of Opponent”


8th District: Dirk Beveridge Cautions Republicans

From the Dirk Beveridge for Congress campaign…

Conservative Congressional Candidate Warns Against Complacency

Last night at a voter rally for Beveridge for Congress, Dirk Beveridge, Republican candidate for the 8th Congressional Seat, surprised some voters with his comments about Republican Scott Brown’s epic Senate victory in Massachusetts.
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8th District: Dirk Beveridge Cautions Republicans”


CATO on Brown: This is like Ted Kennedy being elected in Utah

-By Warner Todd Huston

There’s a lot of analysis out there on why Scott Brown defeated nearly 50 years of Democratic rule of the Massachusetts Senate seat, but the CATO Institute has some cogent, logical points that we should all carefully consider.

But before I give you the CATO video, remember this…. it’s time to get serious, get to work and NOT time to get too cocky. Yes we won Virginia, yes we won New Jersey and now Massachusetts. But let’s make no grand assumptions, let’s not let down our guard, and let’s hear and learn these electoral lessons.

This is a formula that can be used in every state. Yes some of the issues that Scott Brown ran on are local, Massachusetts issues. But since the Democrats have been pretty successful in making the American political scene a national scene and not merely a local one, Brown’s campaign can serve as a successful template for every Republican campaign across the country.
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CATO on Brown: This is like Ted Kennedy being elected in Utah”


Louisiana Legislature Floating Bill Making Obamacare Illegal in State

-By Warner Todd Huston

Louisiana State Senator A.G. Crowe (R, Slidell) is introducing a bill for the 2010 legislative session in Baton Rouge that would make Obamacare illegal if it violates state laws, effectively making Obamacare null and void in the Pelican State.

Senator Crowe states that his bill “provides that no law or rule shall compel, directly or indirectly, any person, employer or health care provider to participate in any health care system or health insurance.”

Crowe’s proposed Senate Bill (download .pdf file) begins as follows:

HEALTH CARE. Prohibits state or local governmental coercion of any Louisiana employer, health care provider, or individual to compel participation in any health care system or health insurance plan.

Crowe insists that Obamacare violates Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution and “is therefore unconstitutional.” He also feels that the president’s plans violates the 10th Amendment among others.
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Louisiana Legislature Floating Bill Making Obamacare Illegal in State”


Republican Takes the ‘Teddy Kennedy Seat’

Congratulations Senator elect Scott Brown!

Amazingly a Republican has swooped in and stolen away from the Democrat Party the Senate seat that Teddy Kennedy once deigned to imagine was permanently in the hands of the Democrat Party.

Massachusetts now has a Republican Senator headed to Washington!

Congratulations goes to one of the most smoothly run Senate campaigns in quite a while. Scott Brown beat Martha Croakley… uh, Coakley…. and is headed to D.C. to help defeat Obamacare!


14th District: The Ethan Hastert Candidacy Mystery

-By Warner Todd Huston

14th District voter Steve Youhanaie had a few thoughts on the 14th District race between newbie pol Ethan Hastert, son of former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, and current State Senator Randy Hultgren. Like myself, Mr. Youhanaie is irked by the outsiders that have flooded into the 14th District to shower money and support on Ethan Hastert and Youhanaie wonders why they are doing it when we have a perfectly good candidate in the person of Randy Hultgren? Hultgren is a candidate that has a proven record of electability in the very district in which he’s running. So, Ethan’s support from outside the district is somewhat of a mystery to Mr. Youhanaie:

When I found out that Ethan Hastert would appear on the ballot for the GOP nomination in the14th Congressional District, I thought to myself, “This doesn’t make sense.” Could it be true that people with a lot of money believe that a 31-year-old with no background in the community could move into the district and in less than two years become the Republican nominee for the United States House of Representatives? Additionally, do they honestly believe that this 31-year-old could defeat an incumbent Congressman in a near 50/50 Congressional District just because of a name, a party affiliation, and a few well chosen words?
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14th District: The Ethan Hastert Candidacy Mystery”


10th District: Dold Receives Key Endorsements from Chicago Tribune & Sen. Richard Lugar‏

From the Bob Dold for congress campaign…

It’s only Tuesday, and Dold for Congress is already having an outstanding week. Today we received two major endorsements that have catapulted us into the media spotlight. The first endorsement is from the Chicago Tribune, who announced this morning their support of Robert Dold. We are thrilled to have the endorsement of Illinois’ number one newspaper. Dold was also endorsed today by U.S. Senator Richard Lugar, the most senior Republican in the Senate.
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10th District: Dold Receives Key Endorsements from Chicago Tribune & Sen. Richard Lugar‏”


5th Districtt: Chicago Sun-Times Rebuffs Conservative “Firebrand” Candidate Ratowitz

From the David Ratowitz for Congress campaign…

“I embrace the conservative banner,” Ratowitz retorts. “The people are calling for substantial reform; moderation will only bring us more of the same.”

CHICAGO – January 19, 2010 – U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz has released the following statement in response to the Chicago Sun-Times endorsement of his Illinois District 5 opponent Ashvin Lad.
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5th Districtt: Chicago Sun-Times Rebuffs Conservative “Firebrand” Candidate Ratowitz”


We-Do-Care Founders and Military Supporters Endorse Joe Walsh for 8th

From the Joe Walsh for Congress campaign…

Lake Zurich, Illinois -January 18, 2010 – Joe Walsh, Candidate for Congress in the 8th Congressional district, today received the endorsement of We-Do-Care founders Jeanmarie Kapp, and Tom & Cara Kretz, along with We-Do-Care military supporters Joe Cantafio and Capt. Mike Saubert (Ret.). Miss Kapp and Mr & Ms. Kretz are three of the five Barrington residents who started We-Do-Care in 2004 with its first and biggest Barrington Freedom Festival, created to support and honor the troops.
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We-Do-Care Founders and Military Supporters Endorse Joe Walsh for 8th”


Obama’s Tax On The Banks

-By Dan Scott

President Obama and his advisors announced they were asking Congress to pass a tax on banks to loosely as he put it, pay back every dime of TARP funds used to save them. His condescending announcement blaming the banks was laughable ignorance at best and deceitful at worst. He further went on to imply that the banks should desist from sending lawyers and lobbyists to Washington and just do the responsible thing as though the banks have been shirking this financial obligation. This is great populist sloganeering, however, like most liberal assertions; they are falsehoods just waiting to be exposed. So is this a simple case of ignorance on President Obama’s part or was he lying for some ulterior motive?

The facts are: all the banks except Citicorp and Wells Fargo have paid back every dime of TARP money they in some cases were forced to accept from the government lest CEOs be removed from their positions. Both of these two banks are working diligently to pay this money back. Why? Self-interest, they don’t want to be under the government’s control. Which begs the question, didn’t Obama appoint a czar to “regulate” the salary and bonus issue of TARP borrowers that he is railing about? It wasn’t until the banks publicly complained and the Taxpayers (Tea Party Protesters) demonstrating in the streets against spend thrift behavior that the government relented to allow these institutions to pay back the TARP funds. In the liberal world apparently this was all done for the benefit of these institutions when many of them didn’t want a dime of government money in the first place, then the banks had the audacity of still turning a profit and paying bonuses to employees who’s activities made that profit possible. You see, since the banks are turning a profit and paying bonuses during the very same period they received TARP funds, then clearly they never needed the money in the first place thus conflicting with the liberal narrative, “it was a crisis, they had to do something.” The reality was, what they did wasn’t necessary much less proper, most Americans already knew this intuitively, the banks just proved it in black and white on their financial statements. Liberals really hate those pesky facts.

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Obama’s Tax On The Banks”


10th District: Fmr VP Quayle Endorses Dold

From the Bob Dold for Congress campaign…

As many of you know, Robert Dold was honored to receive the endorsement of former Vice President Dan Quayle this week. Quayle, who traveled to Northbrook Thursday on Robert’s behalf, told friends and supporters that he is confident that Robert’s goal of bringing small business common sense change to Washington is exactly what the people of the 10th District need. Quayle said Bob’s background in small business and in Washington, combined with his fiscally conservative values and deep roots in the 10th District, make him the best candidate for Congress. A seasoned veteran of not only the White House, but also the House and Senate, Quayle invested his faith in Robert as the next great Republican Congressman from Illinois.

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10th District: Fmr VP Quayle Endorses Dold”


Publius Forum Republican Primary Endorsements

-By Warner Todd Huston

As a follower of politics who wants to associate with other followers of politics, the worst thing one can do to muck things up is to make a public endorsement of a candidate for office. As soon as you pick a candidate you risk a schism with friends. It won’t take long before some of them will begin to look aghast at you, raise a pointing finger and start making that screeching noise that the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers made when they found an evil human amongst them. It is the best way to get people to scream “you’re no REAL (insert party affiliation here)!!”

Yes, politics is a hard game; it ain’t bean ball, as the saying goes. Still, we are all compelled to make our choice to show that we’ve been paying attention at least. Then there’s that whole citizenship “thang” where it’s our duty as citizens to make an informed choice. So, at the risk of becoming an enemy to the masses, here are my choices for the upcoming primaries.

Senate
There are only two credible candidates for Senate, John Arrington and Patrick Hughes.

Mark Kirk’s campaign commercials portray him as a “center right candidate.” This is a lie. Kirk’s career rating from nearly every conservative group shows him to rank 50% or less on a conservative scale. This makes him a center left candidate, not a center right candidate. So, Kirk is not a contender for me.
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Publius Forum Republican Primary Endorsements”


Now WE Will Pay for Unions Fancy Healthcare Packages

-By Warner Todd Huston

As if there were ever any doubts, the unions bosses that descended upon the White House earlier in the week appear to have succeeded in getting their members excluded from the so-called Cadillac taxes on expensive healthcare packages.

The Obama administration, having been bought and paid for by unions, agreed to demands that unions be excluded from the onerous taxation that many of the rest of us will be forced to pay to float Obama’s budget busting Obamacare plans.

The unions pretended themselves to meet Obama in the middle by agreeing to put a time limit on this sweetheart deal. It was agreed that the unions would be exempt from these taxes for the next 18 years after which they’d then have to pay the tax like everyone else.

But, come on. Does anyone believe that 17 years from now that the unions would not be right back up at the White House demanding to have that 18 years extended or the tax exclusion made permanent? And does anyone believe that their demands would not be easily agreed to by pliant politicians looking for Big Labor’s giant political donations?

If anyone doubts that once Big Labor gets an exclusion it will never be rescinded, then they are not very bright!
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Now WE Will Pay for Unions Fancy Healthcare Packages”