Congressman Peter Roskam: Obama’s Bipartisan Past

-By Congressman Peter Roskam (R, Illinois)

Mr. President: Business in Washington doesn’t have to be this way. You need not be pushed to the left and you can work across the aisle like you have in the past.

That is what I told President Obama a few weeks ago at the GOP caucus. He really does have an ability to work in a bipartisan manner. I know because we worked together for years to solve problems in the Illinois Senate.

Today’s health care summit doesn’t have to be a regurgitation of an unpopular health care bill. Nor does the President have to embrace Congressional Democratic leadership, which has systematically stiff-armed Republicans out of any conversation about solutions. Sure, health care is a contentious issue, but President Obama has successfully worked with Republicans under similar parameters.
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Congressman Peter Roskam: Obama’s Bipartisan Past”


Republican Challengers in Chicago Unite for March 4 Fund-raiser

CHIGAGO – February 25, 2010 – Four Chicago-based Republican candidates will host a joint fund-raiser on Thursday, March 4 at 6:00 p.m. at The Stretch, 3485 North Clark St. in Chicago. Illinois state hopefuls David Anderson, Adam Robinson and Scott Tucker will join federal candidate David Ratowitz in a mass muster of support for their individual General Election campaigns.

Admission to the event is two-tier: $30 covers cash bar and appetizers; $60 includes appetizers and open bar from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The public is welcome; no RSVP is required.

Promotional opportunities are available for third-party organizations. Prospective event sponsors are asked to contact Caitlin Huxley, 312-841-0172 or CaitlinHuxley@gmail.com. Co-sponsors currently include Chicago Young Republicans and Illinois Log Cabin Republicans.
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Republican Challengers in Chicago Unite for March 4 Fund-raiser”


8th District: Joe Walsh Jumps in Fox Lake

From the campaign of Joe Walsh for Congress, 8th District…

Participates in Special Olympics Polar Plunge Charity Event

(Lake Zurich, Illinois) – February 25, 2010 –

Taking a break from his own campaign fund-raising, Joe Walsh, Republican candidate for Congress in the Illinois 8th, will be participating this Sunday in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge Charity Event to raise funds for the Special Olympics.
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8th District: Joe Walsh Jumps in Fox Lake”


Fiscal Responsibility Lasted Two Weeks In Senate

-By Warner Todd Huston

Two weeks ago the U.S. Senate passed new rules that would require new spending to be offset somewhere else in the budget, the so-called paygo rule. They did this because Democrats and Obama got tired of being called big spending socialists and wanted the veneer of fiscal responsibility with which to cloak themselves. It lasted two weeks before the Senate broke its own new Obama-sponsored rule and went headlong for just another big spending program with its supposed jobs bill.

On February 13 President Obama celebrated the paygo rule as a “common sense” rule that would “rein in spending.” Obama then said that the new rule would assure that Congress would be forced to “pay for what it spends, just like everybody else.”

It all sounds so grand. But it wasn’t to last. Maybe that’s why the Senate couldn’t abide by the rule, it was too much “common sense” for them to put up with?
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Fiscal Responsibility Lasted Two Weeks In Senate”


Can Tea Party Help 8th District Candidate?

-By Warner Todd Huston


Republican Joe Walsh won his party’s nomination for the Illinois 8th District Congressional seat this February. He’ll face Democrat incumbent Melissa Bean in November. But as of right this minute he’s broke.

Mr. Walsh is fond of calling himself the “tea party candidate,” but with his empty campaign coffers this is an excellent time to ask the question: can the tea party groups that endorsed him help him raise money?
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Can Tea Party Help 8th District Candidate?”


Brady Still Leading By 247 Votes — No Final Decision Yet

-By Warner Todd Huston

We are still waiting to find out who the heck will be our Illinois GOP nominee for Governor. Bill Brady still leads Kirk Dillard by 247 votes but it looks like we won’t know for sure until March 5.

One of the sad things abut this election, though, is that only 760,000 Republicans participated in the primary for governor. Unfortunately for the GOP nearly a million voters voted for the Democrat’s gubernatorial candidates (912,695 votes). This tells me that the GOP has less of a chance to win this election just on that basis alone.

So, we still wait.


The Mount Vernon Statement, A Poor Man’s Manifesto… VERY Poor

-By Warner Todd Huston

A group made up of some of the biggest names in contemporary conservatism got together a few days ago and crafted what they are calling the “Mount Vernon Statement,” a manifesto of sorts meant to give direction to today’s conservative movement. Put succinctly, it fails to fill the bill.

Taken as a whole this statement is fine as a short history lesson. It explains pretty clearly what the founders had wrought when their basic work was done with the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. But as a statement of principles that might guide today’s discussion I do not think the letter works.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that this effort is harmful. In fact, I think every young person should read it for its explication of our historically conservative American principles. The problem is that this thing doesn’t seem to speak directly to what we are facing today like a statement that perhaps aims to become boilerplate should.
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The Mount Vernon Statement, A Poor Man’s Manifesto… VERY Poor”


David Ratowitz: A Win in Illinois’ 5th CD Is a Win for Republicans Nationwide

From the David Ratowitz for 5th District Congressional campaign…

“It’s time that we made the Chicago Machine fight – and lose – on its own home turf.”

WASHINGTON – February 20, 2010 – U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz this week proclaimed his high-profile Illinois District 5 a bellwether of Republican success nationwide and his organization in ideal position to focus opposition resources close to home to limit Democrat victories elsewhere. “A win in Illinois 5,” Ratowitz said of the infamous district formerly represented by Rahm Emanuel and indicted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, “is a win for Republicans nationwide.”
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David Ratowitz: A Win in Illinois’ 5th CD Is a Win for Republicans Nationwide”


Walsh: Wow, Bean just doesn’t get it

From the Joe Walsh for 8th District Congressional campaign…

Republican Responds to Rep. Bean’s Daily Herald Interview

(Lake Zurich, Illinois) – February 20, 2010 – Joe Walsh, Republican candidate for Congress in the Illinois 8th, today said “Melissa Bean is amazingly out-of-touch with her constituents. She arrogantly dismissed the economic hardships most of her constituents are going through right now and she dismisses their anger and activism at speaking up against this government’s spending,” in response to Beans’ comments published Feb. 19 in the Daily Herald.
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Walsh: Wow, Bean just doesn’t get it”


Put Back Amendment: Support the Mike Madigan Retirement Act of 2010

Something extraordinary happened yesterday. The Democrat controlled State Senate led by Democrat John Cullerton discussed our state fiscal crisis. What was extraordinary about it is that they met in secret and locked out the press, the cameras and the public. You read that right, they dealt with state business (and likely their massive tax increase plans) in a backroom.

Despite our Constitution requiring the Senate to meet in the open and the intent of the Open Meetings Act to require it, they discussed the mess they caused and how they’ll take more of our money behind closed doors. They have no shame.

Democrat called it a “joint caucus” meeting, so he says it’s ok. I could put on a black cape and run circles under the rotunda and call myself Batman, that doesn’t make it true. But Democrats like Cullerton get away with word games because they have *complete* power in the legislature. So does Mike Madigan, and that is the problem.

How do you deal with a problem like Mike Madigan?
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Put Back Amendment: Support the Mike Madigan Retirement Act of 2010″


Ill. GOP Says: Put Alexi on the Phone!

Alexi Giannoulias has a very shady past yet the Illinois Democrat Party is still running him for the Senate. But the Illinois GOP has a few question for the nominee…

"Voters want to know about his role in his family’s struggling Broadway Bank, and Giannoulias promised he’d provide those details after the Feb. 2 primary election. "If I’m fortunate enough to make it out of the primary, we can have that conversation," he said. His plan now seems to be to stonewall until November." – Chicago Tribune Editorial, February 12, 2010

CHICAGO – Today marks the 20th day of Alexi Giannoulias’ silence since promising reporters he would answer questions surrounding his role in the near-collapse of his family’s Broadway Bank.

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Ill. GOP Says: Put Alexi on the Phone!”


Dillard Won’t Contest, Unless…

-By Warner Todd Huston

State Senator Kirk Dillard has said that he won’t ask for a state-wide recount of February’s primary votes unless he trails presumptive nominee Bill Brady by less than 100 votes.

After that Tuesday night, Bill Brady only led Kirk Dillard by 400 some votes and now that lead is down to 250. But there are still some downstate votes left uncounted. I wouldn’t guess that Dillard will pick up too many downstate votes.

What ever happens in the next few weeks, one thing should be said about the way Mr. Dillard has conducted himself during all this. He’s been quite even tempered and grown up about it all, I must say.
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Dillard Won’t Contest, Unless…”


Northside Republican Candidate Fundraiser!

PUBLIC NOTICE: Everyone’s cordially invited to our in-person fundraiser held by David Anderson, David Ratowitz, Adam Robinson & Scott Tucker. All of whom are working on Chicago’s north side to fight corruption & keep the Democratic machine at bay. They’re all coming together for 1 night to hold this event.

This event will be held at The Stretch on Clark just south of Addison.
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Northside Republican Candidate Fundraiser!”


U.S. House Candidate David Ratowitz Announces Small Business Listening Tour

From the Ratowitz for 5th District Congress campaign…

Illinois 5th District Republican challenger, frustrated with ‘jobless recovery,’ gathering feedback for alternate economic plan.

CHICAGO – February 15, 2010 – Illinois District 5 U.S. House candidate David Ratowitz today announced that his campaign will undertake a three-month “Small Business Listening Tour.” The initiative, slated to kick off in early March, will involve an extended series of individual consultations with area entrepreneurs, culminating in a proposed economic recovery plan that aims to bolster the disenfranchised small business sector.
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U.S. House Candidate David Ratowitz Announces Small Business Listening Tour”


Oh Lord, Bill Brady Goofs American History

-By Warner Todd Huston

Greg Hinz, the lefty columnist from Crain’s Chicago Business, has a quick post on our presumptive GOP nominee for Governor that doesn’t put him in the best light. It seems that Mr. Brady is a tad sketchy on American history, sadly.

After being asked by the media if his running mate, the 27-year-old Jason Plummer, was too young to be a proper Lt. Governor candidate, Brady said this:

“How old was Thomas Jefferson when he wrote the Constitution?” Mr. Brady asked. “Age isn’t the only barometer of qualification.”

Ugh. Brady needs to read a few history books as there are several things wrong with this statement.

First of all Jefferson was 33 when he penned the first few drafts of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Secondly, the Constitution was written in 1787, just over ten years later and by then Jefferson was in his 40s.

Thirdly, Thomas Jefferson had precisely zip to do with the Constitution. It was written while he was an Ambassador to France. Jefferson wasn’t even in the country at the time!

Columnist Hinz missed that third fact, as well.

Sigh. It’s such a shame that so many Americans just plain have no clue about American history. In this case a man who would be Governor and another in the media that thinks he’s in a position to critique him.

Maddening. Simply maddening.
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Oh Lord, Bill Brady Goofs American History”


A Conservative Candidate to Face Kirk and Giannoulias in Nov? Better Be Careful!

-By Warner Todd Huston

There has been some loose talk around conservative circles in Illinois about finding a more conservative candidate to run against both Alexi Giannoulias and Mark Kirk for the Illinois Senate in November. But the time for this was during the primary and that time is now passed. If we wanted a more conservative candidate than Mark Kirk we should have nominated him on February 2. A third party candidate at this time will only elect the mob banker, Alexi Giannoulias, to the Senate.

The only thing that wouldn’t make my statement above untrue is if a more conservative, third party candidate can mount a seriously funded campaign and can build a state-wide coalition over the next few months. By seriously funded, I’m talking at least four million dollars. The likelihood of this is remote at best.

And here is the thing: if a serious conservative candidate was able to get four million dollars together in only three months that candidate would have done so last October or November and would have been on that primary ballot.

It should also be pointed out that the state GOP will not be helping anyone but Kirk. Any insurgent candidate would have to build a state-wide network, or already have one, that could best the entire GOP establishment in order to run a credible race.

With Patrick Hughes out of the campaign due to his primary loss, there is no one else with the name recognition, state-wide network, or money to mount a serious campaign. Would that there was one.
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A Conservative Candidate to Face Kirk and Giannoulias in Nov? Better Be Careful!”


Anti-Robo Call Bill Introduced in Springfield

-By Warner Todd Huston

There was an earlier attempt to do this, but here it is again. Senators Dale A. Righter (R, Matoon) and Chris Lauzen (R, Aurora) have introduced the Electioneering-Autodialer Call bill. This bill would provide for citizens being able to sign a registry that would prevent their phone numbers from being susceptible to the ever present political Robo-call during election time.

Synopsis As Introduced
Amends the Automatic Telephone Dialers Act and the Restricted Call Registry Act. Provides that the Automatic Telephone Dialers Act applies to electioneering autodialer telephone calls but does not apply to other telephone calls made by an autodialer and placed on behalf of a political organization. Prohibits electioneering autodialer telephone calls to telephone service subscribers who have registered their telephone number or numbers on the Restricted Call (“Do Not Call”) Registry. Defines “electioneering autodialer telephone call” to mean any voice communication over a telephone line, through the use of an autodialer or autodialer system, that refers to a clearly identified political candidate, political party, or question of public policy and is an appeal to vote for or against a clearly identified candidate, political party, or question of public policy. Effective immediately.

The bill has already had it’s first read and is now in the Assignments committee.

Well, I guess I am for this one. It doesn’t make robo-calls illegal which I think would violate political free speech of politicians and their supporters, but does provide for citizens to opt out from having to be bothered with them if they’d like.

I can get behind this one as long as it doesn’t outlaw the calls, as annoying as they are. I think this strikes the right balance between Constitutional rights to political free speech and a certain amount of an expectation of privacy.
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Anti-Robo Call Bill Introduced in Springfield”


Dillard Blames Schillerstrom and Ryan for Loss

-By Warner Todd Huston

Kirk Dillard told Pioneer Local reporter Amy Deis that he lost because Bob Schillerstrom dropped out too late and Ryan came in too late, both, he said, took thousands of votes from him leading to a bare primary edge-out by Bill Brady.

He especially pinpoints Schillerstrom for the loss.

“His 7,000 votes would have made the race; I was very much hindered by them,” Dillard said.

It may sound like sour grapes on Dillard’s part, but I cannot dispute that the thought rests on solid ground.

After all, Bill Brady hardly showed up at all in Cook County, DuPage County and the immediate collar counties. On the other hand, Schillerstrom didn’t show up at all south of Interstate 80! And north of that east/west tollway was Dillard country, as well as Schillerstrom’s.

It is very likely that most of Schillerstrom and Ryan’s votes would have gone Dillard’s way since both candidate had their base in the same area from which Dillard hails. The same areas that Brady was very, very weak.

But, that’s the way the primary crumbles, if you will.

There is a final word to say about Kirk Dillard’s conduct in this race. He never much got into mud slinging with his campaign. Oh, sure there were some sharp words, but he never got mean spirited. Additionally, even in this final waiting out of counting the last absentee ballot he’s been above reproach in his actions. He’s firmly invoked his rights to wait for the final counting before a victor is announced but he’s done so without much over-the-top vitriol.

Good for him on that level, anyway.
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Dillard Blames Schillerstrom and Ryan for Loss”


State Rep. Skip Saviano: An Illinois Republican to Dump

-By Warner Todd Huston

77th District State Representative Skip Saviano is a perfect example of the sort of Republican that may as well be a Democrat. Saviano’s latest gaff is to side with the big government, big spending Democrats on the video gambling issue.

On Feb. 1 I wrote about how the Democrats are trying to pull a tax bait and switch on those communities that legally decide to employ the opt-out clause in the State’s new video gambling law. Democrats, and wild spenders on the GOP side like Saviano, want to penalize those communities that have voted their conscience on this destructive gambling measure.
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State Rep. Skip Saviano: An Illinois Republican to Dump”


PuffyPost Shows Political Ignorance Once Again: Joe Walsh ‘The Party Candidate’

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, the Puffington Post has once again shown that it is wholly un-credible as a source for serious political analysis. This time it’s the “work” of HuffPuffer Will Guzzardi who doesn’t seem to know what a primary is or what it does, at least if his headline can be used as an example.

In his titled “Joe Walsh, First Tea Party Candidate To Win Election, Starts Attracting Attention,” Willie Guzzardi attempts to regale us on his deep knowledge of what occurred in the late Illinois primary. Unfortunately, we can doubt that pretension of depth without getting any further than his header. After all, Joe Walsh was not elected to anything as the headline claims. He did win the nomination of his party in order to run for election, but he didn’t get elected.

Additionally, we can easily take issue with Guzzie’s claim that Walsh is “the tea party candidate.” Yes, Mr. Walsh ran as “the tea party candidate” but previous to December 2009 Mr. Joe Walsh had never once BEEN to a tea party event in his life. And to this he admits openly. His running as “the tea party candidate” was a campaign strategy, not a grass roots reality.

Now, just before the primary on Feb. 2, Walsh did get the endorsement of a local tea party group. So, though belatedly, he did become a “tea party candidate.”
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PuffyPost Shows Political Ignorance Once Again: Joe Walsh ‘The Party Candidate’”


False Attacks on Kinzinger

-By Warner Todd Huston

Looks like the Democrats have found a surrogate to attack the honorable service of 11th District candidate Captain Adam Kinzinger. Some fellow named William Walter is trying to use his FaceBook page to smear Capt. Kinzinger’s service.

The Hill has a post on it now, but the long and short of it is that the Democrats must be pretty scared of Mr. Kinzinger’s candidacy if they are stooping to such low tactics.

“I know where I’ve served and I know what I’ve done,” Kinzinger told The Hill.

This Democrat FaceBook plant is questioning Kinzinger’s bio on his website saying that the military history stated there is untrue. After the faux controversy Kinzinger changed the entry to be more explicit of what he did in the Air Force.
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False Attacks on Kinzinger”


Illinois GOP Nominee Likely to be Bill Brady

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, it seems that the GOP nominee for Illinois Governor will remain Bill Brady unless Kirk Dillard wants to spend a ton of money to fund a recount effort.

NBC 5 reports that with the 400 votes still separating Brady over Dillard, that may be too much for Dillard to over come without a recount effort.

And even if Brady has only a 400 vote advantage, the difference may be too great for Dillard to ask for a recount. Not only would Dillard be required to pay — and the prospect is expensive — he’d have to prove fraud or tampering with the vote. No easy task.

I do not believe that Dillard has enough money to float a recount, so it looks like around the middle of February we will get a certified Brady candidacy.
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Illinois GOP Nominee Likely to be Bill Brady”


Another Voice Agrees With Us: Gov’t Unions Are Un-American

-By Warner Todd Huston

Yeah, I know… it’s like a broken record around here. But, here is another voice coming to our side to agree with us that public employees unions are antithetical to good government, wholly un-democratic, and, therefore, quite un-American. This time it’s the well-regarded Michael Barone echoing our mantra.

Barone is one of the best political reporters in the country and in his own inimitable way has jumped on the anti-union bandwagon (not that he never has in the past, just that this piece is particularly on par).

Before he gets to government unions, one of his points is that unions aren’t even needed in the private sector anymore because all the evils that employers perpetrated in the days of yore have now been regulated away by governments and laws. Because of an active government unions just aren’t needed to protect workers anymore, says Barone. It is a good point, after all.
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Another Voice Agrees With Us: Gov’t Unions Are Un-American”


Ill. Congressional Candidates Added to ‘Young Guns’ List

-By Warner Todd Huston

Three hot Illinois primary winners have been added to the National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) “Young Guns” list of top recruits for 2010.

Added to the list were Bob Dold (10th District), Adam Kinzinger (11th District), and Randy Hultgren (14th District).

Now, being “young” isn’t necessarily the only criteria for being added to the NRCC’s young guns list. Let’s face it Bob Dold and Randy Hultgren are hardly spring chickens! Seriously, what this does is open these candidates for campaign assistance from the NRCC and the national party.
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Ill. Congressional Candidates Added to ‘Young Guns’ List”


Put Back Amendment: Fight Back against Michael Madigan’s Iron-Grip of the Legislature!‏

Now that the primary election is over, we turn our sights towards the Democrats and ending their destructive reign over the State of Illinois. Of these, none is more dangerous and powerful than House Speaker Michael Madigan. As we all know, he wields complete control over the Illinois General Assembly. Whatever law he does not want considered is dead on arrival. All important legislation he does in a back room free from scrutiny. This needs to end.

That is why the Put-Back Amendment was conceived. Despite the fact that over 99% of Illinois citizens do not, nor cannot vote for Mike Madigan, he is in complete control. We send 177 legislators to Springfield for a reason, so each corner of this state can be represented. It is time to end his iron-gripcontrol.
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Put Back Amendment: Fight Back against Michael Madigan’s Iron-Grip of the Legislature!‏”


Regional Vote Breakdown for Gov./Lt. Gov. Primaries

-By Warner Todd Huston

Ryan Keith and Brian Feldt of the State Journal-Register in Springfield, Ill. did some great work identifying the regional strengths of the candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor of both Parties in this primary season.

I don’t usually do this, but I’m going to reprint their whole piece because it isn’t too easy to excerpt without losing context, not to mention that the info is pretty important in order to uderstand the electoral reality in the state. So, here it is but be sure and understand that it came from the State Journal-Register.

Regional changes could have altered primary election results

By RYAN KEITH (ryan.keith@sj-r.com) and BRIAN FELDT — THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER

Electoral craziness wrote another chapter last week in the zany book of Illinois politics.

The two races for governor ended in virtual dead heats, with two Republicans still waiting for a final count. Both races for lieutenant governor were close.

But the overall results don’t show just how close the losing candidates really came to victory – and how in some areas the tallies were lopsided in favor of those who came up a little short.

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Regional Vote Breakdown for Gov./Lt. Gov. Primaries”


Start Over on Healthcare: Now I Give John Boehner a Pat on the Back

-By Warner Todd Huston

The other day I was slapping Congressman John Boehner (R, OH) around for his absurd claim that there was no difference between the Tea Party movement’s principles and the GOP establishment’s principles (or lack thereof). Well, today I have to give our Congressional Minority Leader a pat on the back for his letter to Obama about healthcare.

For those unaware, Obama has offered to come have another one of his odious “summits” with the GOP. Obama is claiming he wants to “listen” to the Republican’s ideas and that its time to work together. It’s all a sandbag, though. Obama is a liar and doesn’t intend to “listen” to anyone. It’s a move for show, a bright shiny bauble that the Old Media wonder at like the lap dogs they are.

Obama’s played this lie out many, many times in the past. It was his common mantra when he was a State Senator here in Illinois. He’d make all sorts of soothing noises about “listening” to all sides and “working together.” Then he would ignore all offers of collaboration and all ideas offered as he would go on to propose a strictly, down-the-line socialist styled liberal agenda. He’s never once in his life ever included any ideas from the other side in anything he’s ever done in politics. The man is simply a liar. There just isn’t any other way to say it.
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Start Over on Healthcare: Now I Give John Boehner a Pat on the Back”