Illinois

Barack Obama - Bobby Jindal - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Chris Christie - Christianity - Communism - Congress - Democracy - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Health - Herman Cain - House of Representatives - Illinois - Islam - Islamofascism - Jihad - Jobs - Joe Walsh - Koran - Liberals - Marco Rubio - Mitt Romney - Newt Gingrich - Obamacare - Peter Roskam - Politicians - President - Randy Hultgren - Redistricting - Regulation - Republicans - Rick Santorum - Rights - Senate - Socialism - Taxes - Terrorism - Unions - Warner Todd Huston - Wisconsin

CPAC Chicago, Wisconsin Praised, Obama Razed — Part One: Rick Santorum, Ron Johnson

June 10, 2012 by 6 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, Friday evening, June 8, 2012, we marked the end of the first CPAC event held in Chicago and what a great event it was. The triumph in Wisconsin was on everyone’s mind but so was Obama’s dismal record. Not just dismal, but according to several speakers, even dangerous. The economy and the election of Romney were focal points but so was foreign policy this day. One theme, though, was constant: Obama has to go.

Because of other things going on and the several press availability sessions, I didn’t catch every speaker in the main hall, but I did hear the speeches of (in this order) former Senator Rick Santorum, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, Indiana Senate Candidate Richard Mourdock, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Illinois Representative Peter Roskam, Minnesota Representative Michelle Bachmann, and Illinois Representatives Joe Walsh and Randy Hultgren. I also heard and recorded the press availability sessions of Herman Caine, Peter Roskam, and Michelle Bachmann and I caught most of Kansas Representative Tim Huelskamp’s.

Other notables whose speeches I missed were Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, Heritage Foundation President Ed Feulner, and Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.

The event was a great success with well over 2,000 participants, all seats filled for the most part during the speeches and some great groups like the United Republican Fund, the Illinois Policy Institute, the Heartland Institute, Champion News, and others hosting and participating.

I’ll say a few words about the speakers I did see in the order I saw them and I’ll do this in a few installments so that this won’t be one long, overly taxing post. Now, as each of these speakers appeared before us I live Tweeted their comments, so the following quotes are pulled from my Twitter feed.

But before I do that, each speaker was quite enthusiastic over the win of Governor Scott Walker who defeated an effort by the far left and their union overlords to recall him in Wisconsin. Each speaker praised Walker and crowed about the left’s loss in there. I won’t regurgitate the Wisconsin hunk of each speaker as they were pretty much all the same; exuberant. The essential point was that we are all cheeseheads now.

Rick Santorum


Rick Santorum on the main stage

Former Pennsylvania Senator and recent GOP Presidential candidate Rick Santorum gave one of his well-crafted, typically workman-like speeches. One of Santorum’s early points was that America is at a “tipping point” and we’d better be there to tip it in the right direction.
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CPAC Chicago, Wisconsin Praised, Obama Razed — Part One: Rick Santorum, Ron Johnson”

Andrew Breitbart - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Ethics - Free Trade - GOP - Government - Illinois - Jobs - Liberals - Paul Ryan - President - Republicans - Scott Walker - Senate - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston - Wisconsin

Racine Tea Party Rally for Scott Walker/Kleefisch (Also Paul Ryan, Dana Loesch, Tony Katz, More)

June 2, 2012 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

This morning I got up bright and early, jumped into the car and took a drive up into Wisconsin to witness the Racine Tea Party rally in support of Wisc. Governor Scott Walker. Speakers included the lovely Rebecca Kleefisch (Wis. Lt. Gov.), Rep. Paul Ryan, State Senator Van Wanggaard, Talk Show Host Tony Katz, Breitbart Editor Dana Loesch and more.


Racine Tea Party Main Stage

It was a beautifully sunny day, perfect temperature, a nice breeze swept over those 3,000 or more gathered, and, in fact, you couldn’t ask for a better out doors experience. But beyond the wonderful weather was the upbeat enthusiasm bubbling up from crowd and speakers alike. This was no down in the dumps group. They were ebullient and thrilled to be out and active for the conservative cause.


The crowd as seen from the main stage


Sign: “Republicans are Makers Democrats are Takers”

This recall election is a total sham. For one thing it is practically illicit. The Democrats never gave Walker a chance to do anything before claiming he needed to be recalled for cause. They’ve abused the recall law, too. Officials are supposed to be recalled for malfeasance in office, not mere political temper tantrums. One way to prove that these leftists violated the spirit of the law is the recall Walker website was registered the same day Walker was elected!

Yet, curiously enough there was no hate spewed — though certainly opposition expressed. There was also no upside down American flags, no communist propaganda, no signs with anyone called “Hitler,” and on top of all that there wasn’t a scrap of garbage left on the ground after everyone left. Not much like an Occupy Whatever rally, eh?

The morning started with the Americans For Prosperity bus pulling in and a short address by AFP President Tim Phillips who was introduced by California talk show host Tony Katz. Katz also emceed the later Racine rally, as well.
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Racine Tea Party Rally for Scott Walker/Kleefisch (Also Paul Ryan, Dana Loesch, Tony Katz, More)”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Ethics - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Rage in the Illinois House

May 30, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois House Rep Mike Bost (R, Murphysboro) came to his wits end over the last second introduction of a pension reform bill by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D). The bill was introduced only minutes before Madigan wanted to force the House to vote on the bill. As the bill was introduced, Bost went nuts on the floor screaming and throwing papers in a rage.

“These damn bills that come out here all the damn time, come out here at the last second!” Bost yelled. “I’ve got to figure out how to vote for my people!”

Bost’s biggest complaint is the fact that for years only one man has had total control over the entire state. That one person would be Democrat House Speaker Mike Madigan.
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Rage in the Illinois House”

Aaron Schock - Adam Kinzinger - Anti-Americanism - Bobby Schilling - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Crony Capitalism - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Jobs - Joe Walsh - Liberals - Pensions - Peter Roskam - PLA - Randy Hultgren - Regulation - Robert Dold - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Too Many Republican Congressmen Giving Unions Free Tax Dollars

May 29, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

For such a blue state, Illinois has some rather good Republicans in Congress, but on one issue many of them consistently fail. That is in their unfortunate support for Big Labor. The issue of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) is a perfect example of this penchant to support issues dear to the hearts of Big Labor.

Unions love PLAs because the rule forces government construction projects to be conducted under union rules, to pay union pay scales to workers as well as pension payments to the union plans, and requires all work to be controlled by union bosses even if the companies hired to do the work are non-union. With PLAs unions feel they have the best of both worlds because they can still benefit from free government money even when they aren’t hired to do the work. In short, PLAs are a sop to unions.

The main problem with PLAs is that they drive up the costs of government building contracts from word go. This costs us all money and in this era when we need to be cutting back the skyrocketing costs of government adding rules that drive up costs before the first foundation is dug is madness. Worse it is unfair to the largest number of construction companies that aren’t union members as they are forced as a condition of getting the work to pay unions thousands out of their pockets even as they’ll never benefit from union pensions or other programs.

Sadly, too many Illinois Republican Congressmen have been consistently in favor of allowing unions this free government handout. It is probably not a huge surprise that even Republicans in deep blue Illinois might end up bowing to the needs of greedy Big Labor initiatives. But it is not a healthy support regardless.
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Too Many Republican Congressmen Giving Unions Free Tax Dollars”

Afghanistan - Animal Rights - Animals - Anti-Americanism - Anti-Semitism - Anti-War - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Ethics - Government - Green Energy - Health - Illinois - Iran - Islam - Israel - Journalism - Koran - Liberals - Media Bias - Military - NATO - News - Obamacare - Palestinians - Patriotism - PCism - Police - President - Race - Religion - Society/Culture - Solar - State Department - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston - Western Civilization

A Blogger at NATO 2012, What I Saw on Day One

May 21, 2012 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

I was awarded press credentials for NATO’s 2012 Summit in Chicago and, having no idea what to expect, what I found on day one was a study in contrasts. What occurred was sometimes amusing, often mundane, and sometimes even violent. But it was all democracy in action.

Early on the morning of day one, Sunday, May 20, I boarded a western Metra train under threat of having my equipment bags confiscated or at least me prevented from boarding the train with them. I was not ruffed up the “the man,” though and downtown I went riding high on the rails. Literally. I took a seat on the top tier of the train.


The Summit didn’t start well as the NATO advance video called Chicago the Illinois Capital (It isn’t) and the place where Obama grew up (Again, it isn’t).

Upon reaching the gathering point for the press in beautiful downtown Chicago I boarded the super, double, secret press shuttle bus that took us down the service streets, steering well clear of the surface roads, straight to Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center, site of the NATO Summit.

Of course, before I was allowed on the super, double, secret press bus, bomb-sniffing dogs were loosed to make sure I had no underwear-bomb on my person or in my equipment bags. After I was officially cleared, I boarded the bus with local Chicago TV newsreader Jay Levine.

Everywhere I went there were knots of security personnel. A LOT of security personnel. The last time I saw that many security people I was in Cancun, Mexico during the 2010 UN Climate Conference.

There were members of the FBI, Homeland Security, Chicago Police, the U.S. Marshals as well as U.S. Airmen and Army officers all there on duty to make sure our tender media people were safe and secure.

I was later to learn that out on the streets of Chicago the number of security of all sorts made the way to McCormick Place seem like it was lightly guarded!
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A Blogger at NATO 2012, What I Saw on Day One”

Chicago - Congress - Elections - GOP - Illinois - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Family Institute’s 2012 Illinois Voter Guide: 2012 Primaries

March 20, 2012 by

**NOTICE**
This is the 2012 primary guide. For the 2012 general election CLICK HERE.

Congressional District Breakouts of IFI’s 2012 Primary Election Voter Guide are now available for download!!

With Primary Election Day here — March 20, it is imperative that voters have information available to help them make educated decisions as they cast their votes for the different candidates.

IFI has 18 different two-page local Voter Guides — one for each of Illinois’ Congressional Districts. By printing the two-page local Guide front to back on legal size paper (8.5″ x 14″), you can easily make this a one-page handout, which you can then distribute in your neighborhood and local church. These are non-partisan and completely legal under IRS guidelines for distribution in churches.

Download them today. http://illinoisfamily.org/actions/voter-guide/

Also available is the IFI Presidential Primary Voter Guide. http://illinoisfamily.org/documents/presidential-vg.pdf

To download these guides, you will need Adobe Acrobat and will need to know in which of the 18 Congressional Districts you live. (Look up your Congressional District HERE or call IFI at 708-781-9328.) Your Congressman will be listed under “Your Federal Elected Officials” as Representative. The Congressional District number will be found after his/her name. Then simply come back to this page and click on your Congressional District below to access your customized one-page Voter Guide.

Or go to the IFI website to download your district’s guide.

Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Ethics - GOP - House of Representatives - Illinois - Liberals - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago Democrats Say Voting for a Criminal is Better Than Voting for Republicans

March 20, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

If you want an example of why Democrats are truly a party of criminals, you have but to look to Chicago for your examples and not just because Chicago has one of the highest rates of Democrat pols being convicted of crimes. This particular election, Chicago Democrats are actually urging voters to vote for a state rep. that was just this month arrested and charged with bribe taking instead of voting for his opponent that has a clean record — but was a Republican.

That’s right, Chicago Democrats want you to vote for someone we already suspect is a corrupt, bribe-taking, politician over one who is not.

A cadre of Democrats led by U.S. Rep. Danny Davis held a rally for Smith’s election saying that it was better to vote for their arrested friend than to vote for his opponent.

“We know that our colleague is charged with criminal activity,” Davis said. “But we also know that a charge is not a conviction.”

Why would they do this? Why would they come to the aide of a guy arrested for bribe-taking?
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Chicago Democrats Say Voting for a Criminal is Better Than Voting for Republicans”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Economy/Finances - Elections - Fox Business Network - GOP - Illinois - Mitt Romney - Newt Gingrich - Republicans - Rick Santorum - TV - Warner Todd Huston

Fox Business Network Covering Illinois Primary Tonight at 7PM

March 20, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

If you’re looking for some expert commentary on the Illinois primaries, Fox Business Network will be providing up-to-the-minute coverage tonight anchored by the inimitable Neil Cavuto. The coverage will kick off at 7PM and will feature Jeff Flock here on the ground in Chicago.

FBN’s Neil Cavuto has been covering the primaries quite extensively. Cavuto has even chided his rival cablers for practically ignoring the primaries, saying that he has been surprised at how “competitors drop the ball” on their coverage. He feels viewers deserve more.

I see rival networks giving a perfunctory, ‘So and so won this primary,’ and then they’re back to a Teflon commercial, or they’re running a seven-year-old special, and I think I owe my viewers more. I think that they deserve more. People are into this. And we as a financial network owe it to (our viewers to) be into this ourselves.

For his part, reporter Jeff Flock provided some of his analysis on the GOP filed from which Illinois will choose this primary election day.

“If you are a deficit hawk there is not much difference between the three front runners. Romney, Santorum and Gingrich all push lower taxes, spending cuts and changes to the Social Security and Medicare programs,” Flock said. “All would, by most economist’s measures, add trillions to the deficit over the next decade. Only Ron Paul’s plan would cut the deficit over time.”

Flock says that Romney will appeal quite a lot to the business class.
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Fox Business Network Covering Illinois Primary Tonight at 7PM”

Barack Obama - Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - Mitt Romney - Newt Gingrich - Republicans - Rick Santorum - Warner Todd Huston

Ill. Non-Romneys Your Choice on Tues is Rick AND Newt–That’s Right, You’ll Vote for BOTH of Them!

March 19, 2012 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

If you are an Illinois voter that considers himself an ABR (anybody but Romney) you have a bit of a dilemma. Rick Santorum has been surging across the country as the final non-Romney but he has a major problem in Illinois. He can win the popular vote and still not get all the delegates he’d like. In fact, because of the way the system works in Illinois, he can’t get the delegates.

So, what do non-Romney voters in Illinois do? If you want to stop Romney from winning (or at least running away with it easily) the only answer is to vote for both Newt and Rick. Oddly enough it can be done even without the famous Chicago corruption aiding you.

How can this be done? Read on, dear readers.

For those unaware, in Illinois we don’t just have a say in the beauty contest that is the popular vote. We also directly elect our delegates to the GOP convention. When you go to the voting booth you’ll vote for Rick, Newt, or Romney, of course, but you also have to continue down the ballot and vote for their delegates. Just voting for the top of the ticket won’t suffice to send your candidate to the big game, you must vote for his delegates too.
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Ill. Non-Romneys Your Choice on Tues is Rick AND Newt–That’s Right, You’ll Vote for BOTH of Them!”

1st Amendment - Budget - Chicago - Conservatives - Constitution - Cook County - Elections - Free Speech - Freedom - GOP - Government - Illinois - President - Republicans - Rick Santorum - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Rick Santorum’s Illinois Rally

March 17, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Rick Santorum visited Illinois last night stopping at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights, a Chicago suburb, for a 7PM rally that drew over 2,000 people who came to hear the presidential primary candidate speak.

The place was packed with all the gym bleachers filled and most of the balcony seating also filled, not to mention standing room only on the gym floor. The capacity seating of the place was 2,500, but one is tempted to think that they allowed a bit more than capacity to rally for Rick.

An array of elected officials and long-time activists appeared to support the candidate. The crowd was energetic and Santorum signs were waved enthusiastically at many moments during Rick’s address.

On the dais before Sen. Santorum took the podium were such notables as Al Salvi and his wife Kathy, former Illinois politician Penny Pullen, State Rep. Tom Morrison, and New York Times writer Brad Thor.

Senator Santorum took the stage to raucous applause and gave a speech laden with allusions to the founding fathers, the economy, and religious freedom. He also bashed President Obama over Obamacare and his abject failure to fix this economy.
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Rick Santorum’s Illinois Rally”

Aaron Schock - Congress - Conservatives - Cook County - Dan Patlak - Elections - GOP - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Joe Walsh - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Robert Dold - Tom Cross - Warner Todd Huston

Annual NW Suburban GOP Lincoln Day Dinner — Newt, Roskam, Walsh, Dold, Schock

March 14, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I attended the annual Northwest Suburban Republican Lincoln Day Dinner March 14 and took a handful of photos for your interest. This year’s special guest speaker was Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, in town making the rounds for his run for the White House.

The program was emceed by WLS Radio personality and political gadfly Dan Proft. Also speaking were Congressmen Joe Walsh (8th District), Robert Dold (10th District), Peter Roskam (6th District), and the keynote speaker was Rep. Aaron Schock (18th District).

I got a bit rushed by the Secret Service, sadly. I had taken a chair just to the right of the stage (audience right, not stage right) and had all my computer gear and whatnot out and in use and the Secret Service decided I wasn’t allowed to be there for what ever absurd reason. I was 5 tables away from the stage and in a corner, not in an aisle. Anyway, they grabbed all my gear and rushed me to the back of the room. Sheese.

Still I settled in and was at least allowed to take my photos. So, as the program began Radio talker Proft began the night with a joke. Not that this is uncommon, for an emcee to start with a joke, but it was an amusing one, so I’ll recount it here.


Dan Proft, WLS Radio
Callista Gingrich

“What is the difference between a Democrat politician in Illinois and a mobster,” Proft asked. The answer: “A pension.”

Proft next introduced Newt’s wife Callista who then introduced the Speaker.


Newt Takes the Stage

Seeing as how this was the Lincoln Day Dinner, Newt began with some words about the 16th President, noting that he was the president of technology for his day. Lincoln held a patent as an inventor, was a railroad booster (and corporate lawyer) and was always keenly interested in new war tech as he led the union to victory.
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Annual NW Suburban GOP Lincoln Day Dinner — Newt, Roskam, Walsh, Dold, Schock”

Chicago - Democrats/Leftists - Ethics - GOP - Government - Illinois - Liberals - Taxes - Transparency - Warner Todd Huston

Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Secret New York Trip, Transparency OFF The Agenda

March 8, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, looks like the RahmFather isn’t going to be one of those mayors that gets all excited by that silly old transparency stuff. Fox Business Network revealed that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was in New York on a secret visit on Tuesday and this is the second secret trip that Mayor Emanuel has made on Chicago tax payers’s dime.

Emanuel ended up in Manhattan at a high-end restaurant named Sistina where he was seen hobnobbing with a retinue of his old buddies in the banking industry along with his chief economic adviser.

FBN’s Charlie Gasparino wonders if Rahm was in the Big Apple to raise cash for team Obama. After all, Rahm is still an active fund raiser for his former White House boss so it’s a good bet that he was wringing wallets dry for Barack “One Billion Dollar Campaign Fund” Obama.

Emanuel’s office, though claims the Mayor was in New York in order to bring new business back home. Yeah. He’s meeting with old friends established heavily in New York to convince them to drop the financial center of the country in order to come to the state with the worst business climate of all fifty? (Not to mention most corrupt city and worst in nearly every other category, too.)
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Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Secret New York Trip, Transparency OFF The Agenda”

Business - Government - Illinois - Jobs - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

Competition or Cartel Control? An Entrepreneur’s Fight for Fairness

February 29, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

How government uses its powers to regulate and license to act as a cartel for established businesses and to exclude new businesses

Artist, veteran, and entrepreneur Julie Crowe wishes to provide a female-friendly vehicle-for-hire service for students in the Bloomington-Normal community, but her attempts are thwarted by city officials who insist students have no need for her services. With the help of the Liberty Justice Center, Ms. Crowe fights back.

In Bloomington, Illinois we have just such a case. Julie Crowe had an idea for a business, one that seemed to be in demand in that college town. Crowe had the idea that she would start a driver-for-hire business, one where she would be sure to take passengers not to a single drop off and pick up spot but right to their door if they wanted.
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Competition or Cartel Control? An Entrepreneur’s Fight for Fairness”

Chicago - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Ethics - Government - Illinois - Liberals - PCism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston - Western Civilization

We Finally Didn’t Rank as Worst: Chicago 14th Rudest City

January 20, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Finally. Illinois isn’t coming in as the absolute worst of something. This time is is rudest American city as ranked by Travel and Leisure magazine.

Chicago did rank into the top 20 rudest cities, but the Windy City — apparently “windy” for all the yelling at people a’going on — slides in outside the top ten at slot 14. Not bad. Even some southern cities are supposedly worse than Chi-Town.

Here is what T&A says:

Chicago

Can these not-so-sunny midwesterners blame their demeanor on those frigid winters? If you want to get Chicagoans to warm up, try complimenting their city — by pointing out that you love their music scene or find their pizza much preferable to that thin New York stuff. Chicago ranked fourth for its glowing civic pride.

So, for a welcome change, Illinois has something going that doesn’t put us in the worst of the worst category. Finally!
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We Finally Didn’t Rank as Worst: Chicago 14th Rudest City”

Andrew Breitbart - Conservatives - Entertainment - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois Policy Institute - Media - Republicans - Talk Radio - Warner Todd Huston

Dana Loesch Replies to the Illinois Policy Institute’s Disinvite

January 16, 2012 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Today on her radio show, Dana Loesch told her audience about being disinvited to an event hosted by the Illinois Policy Institute over the weekend.

I detailed this story here: Appearance by Andrew Breitbart Employee Canceled By Illinois Policy Institute

Afghanistan - Andrew Breitbart - Anti-Americanism - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Illinois - Illinois Policy Institute - Marines - Media - Military - Policy - Talk Radio - Warner Todd Huston

Appearance by Andrew Breitbart Employee Canceled By Illinois Policy Institute

January 16, 2012 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last Friday, The Illinois Policy Institute disinvited Dana Loesch, the editor of Andrew Breitbart’s Big Journalism site, from a breakfast event that was to be held over the weekend on Saturday.

The Illinois Policy Institute was holding the event in conjunction with the Independent Women’s Forum and Smart Girl Politics and was to be a “discussion on women, liberty, and America’s future.”

Loesch was disinvited due to a small controversy over what she said Friday on her Saint Louis-based radio show on KFTK 97.1 FM. Loesch took umbrage over those criticizing U.S. Marines that were filmed urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

Loesch was incensed at those complaining about the conduct of our soldiers and went into one of her patented rants about how she didn’t care if our solders urinated on the corpses of our enemies. “I’d drop trou and do it too,” she said of the incident.

Loesch went on to say, “Do I have a problem with that as a citizen of the United States? No I don’t.”

During the rest of that Friday many progressive sites (like Politico) went after Loesch for her comments.

Loesch herself has said that the left’s attack on her is all unfair. “There is a difference in advocating for the Marines to break the law, which I didn’t do, and defending them from overly-dramatic hysteria,” she said.

Sadly, this faux controversy gave the Illinois Policy Institute cold feet for the weekend breakfast meeting and they told her she was no longer welcome at the event. Worse, the group never even made a public comment on the disinvitation. They just, in the dead of night, disinvited her.
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Appearance by Andrew Breitbart Employee Canceled By Illinois Policy Institute”

Conservatives - Entertainment - Illinois - Kelly Truth Squad - Radio - Talk Radio - Warner Todd Huston

Kelly Truth Squad is ON the Radio (And Yours Truly is the Cohost??)

January 10, 2012 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I’d like to announce my first official radio gig. Last week I started as the co-host of the Kelly Truth Squad on Chicago’s local station, WCEV AM 1450.

Our first show aired on Sunday, Jan. 8 (I didn’t write about it before because I wasn’t 100% sure that was the actual start date). You can hear the podcast here: The Kelly Truth Squad Radio.

The show is a two hour extravaganza made up of two segments. The first is an hour of discussion on national and local politics. The second is a showcase program of local charities and events Chicagoans need to know about.

The show is Mr. Kelly’s, certainly, but I am really enjoying being the “color” guy, the second banana. Kelly is such an outsized personality and it is fun to listen to him on the radio.

Now, some of you may be wondering just what the heck I’m doing? Warner with Kelly? Yep. I have to admit, being with Kelly, a political gadfly in Chicago to say the least, is great fun.

So, please check back at the podcast page every week to listen to what the William J. Kelly Truth Squad is up to, won’t you? If you are within the station’s signal, please do listen on the air On Sunday’s at 5AM, at AM 1450 on your dial.

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Dick Durbin - Ethics - Government - Illinois - Journalism - Liberals - Media - Media Bias - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Senator Dick Durbin: Pants on Fire

December 23, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Senior Senator, Democrat Dickie Durbin wants you to know that the fact that the Democrats have not passed a full, working budget in over 900 days is all because of those wascally Republicans.

Never mind that the Democrats have had the majority for over three years in the Senate, never mind that before the 2010 midterm elections they had 100% control of both Congress and the White House… it’s all them gosh darn Republican’s fault.

Never mind that they passed the boondoggle healthcare bill that will cause the U.S. to go bankrupt, never mind that Obama has gotten all his little sops to Big Labor to spite the faltering economy, never mind…. well, never mid all the things the Democrats seemed to have no problem getting done, they just can’t get that danged ld budget passed.

The fact is, Democrats are playing politics with one of the only real Constitutional duties they have, creating and passing a federal budget. Yet, the Old Media allows Obama to stand before the American people and pretend that he and his party are the ones interested in fiscal sanity? This is why our politics is so messed up. The Democrats operate on bald faced lies and the Old Media allows them get away with it.
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Senator Dick Durbin: Pants on Fire”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Congress - Conservatives - Constitution - Cook County - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Jobs - Joe Walsh - Republicans - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

FULL VIDEO: Rep. Walsh Picks 8th District for 2nd Run

December 9, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Thursday night I attended the Chicago Tea Party meeting which featured a jazzed up first term Congressman Joe Walsh who came to announce in which District he’d take a crack at running to affect his reelection to Congress. Without stringing you along, Walsh chose the newly redistricted 8th for his run.

The Chicago Tea Party event was held at Chicago’s famous Cubby Bear restaurant right across the street from The Cub’s Wrigley field stadium.

With the Democrats in control of how Illinois’ electoral map was redrawn — due to the fact that the Illinois GOP has practically no power at all in the state — Walsh became the chief target that Democrats wanted to eliminate for 2012. Walsh’s home is currently in his 8th District, but redistricting casts his home into the 14th District, a district that is already represented by Randy Hultgren, also a solid Republican (and also a freshman congressman To boot).


A full House for Joe’s announcement at Chicago’s favorite Cubby Bear Pub

Initially Walsh announced plans to primary Hultgren and run in the newly jiggered 14th District. But as the weeks rolled on that prospect seemed an increasingly dismal idea. To primary another Republican would have meant a very, very bloody primary fight, one that would do neither Hultgren nor Walsh — nor Republicans for that matter — any good at all regardless of who won the primary.

This led Walsh to a hard decision and that is what brought him to the Cubby Bear that night.
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FULL VIDEO: Rep. Walsh Picks 8th District for 2nd Run”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Chicago - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Ethics - Government - Illinois - Liberals - Los Angeles - President - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago: Terrorists Celebrated by Tax Funded Organization

December 7, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Illinois Humanities Council is celebrating its 10th Anniversary with an auction fund-raiser. A good cause you might ask? Well, perhaps, but one of the items the council is auctioning features a special dinner with notorious domestic terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn.

Why is a tax-funded organization celebrating the lives of these admitted and unrepentant domestic terrorists? That would be quite a good question.

As Illinois Review notes, we the taxpayers have been floating this IHC group with our tax dollars. “While Medicaid providers wait and wait to be reimbursed from the state,” IR says, “certain vendors don’t have much trouble getting their taxpayer funds every year. Such as the Illinois Humanities Council. Since 2007, the Council has been the beneficiary of $4,189,582, compliments of Illinois taxpayers.”

Once again we see how the left supports terrorism and propagates hate for our own system and country by celebrating murderers such as Dohrn and Ayers, two people that have never apologized or shown any remorse for their part int he death of a police officer.
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Chicago: Terrorists Celebrated by Tax Funded Organization”

Anti-Americanism - Chicago - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Ethics - Government - Illinois - Judges - Rod Blagojevich - Warner Todd Huston

Ex Governor Blagojevich Gets 14 Year Prison Sentence

December 7, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I won’t waste too much time on this — still it is something that should be put on record here at the blog — but former Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich has been sentenced to 168 moths, 14 years, in federal prison for his corruption.

In his statement before sentencing, Blagojevich apologized for his “unintended” actions, and said that as governor he should have known better. Rod even had his kids plea for leniency. Judge Zagel didn’t seem to think that the ex-guv’s apology was sufficient enough to lighten the sentence, however.

Sadly, the baneful influence of Blagojevich isn’t over just because he is now headed to prison. “The people that enabled him, all these guys are still in power,” GOP Chairman Pat Brady lamented on WLS radio after the verdict was announced. “As long as you have Mike Madigan and his absentee Attorney General daughter Lisa in office none of these problems will be fixed,” he said.

The Illinois Policy Institute also notes that Blago’s destructive “fiscal legacy is alive and well.”

Rod Blagojevich’s tenure as governor of Illinois will have a lasting effect on the state’s reputation and fiscal condition. From January 2003 to January 2009, Blagojevich made headlines for his sensational comments, political feuds and backroom deals. After being arrested in December 2008 on charges of political corruption, the Legislature removed him from office the following month. He since has been convicted on federal criminal charges.

See the full Ill. Policy Institute report HERE.
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Ex Governor Blagojevich Gets 14 Year Prison Sentence”

Adam Andrzejewski - Budget - Education - Ethics - For The Good Of Illinois - GOP - Government - Government, Ill. County - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Rep. Roger Eddy- Total Tax-Paid Compensation of $283,520 Plus

December 6, 2011 by

-By Adam Andrzejewski

“IT’S JUST WRONG.”

For 2011, Eddy has a total compensation package funded by Illinois taxpayers of over $283,520 per year. When our Freedom of Information Requests are fulfilled regarding his government health benefits and his accumulated “bank account” of unused sick days, we will update our analysis. We anticipate his annual compensation will exceed $300,000.

For the past 30 years, Roger Eddy has served in public education. Beginning as a teacher and coach, he has lived his new American Dream.

For the past 16 years, Eddy has been the superintendent of rural Hutsonville School District Unit 1. For the past 9 years (2003), Eddy has also been an elected Republican State Representative. The median Hutsonville household income is $32,500. Located four hours south of Chicago, it’s situated in the Wabash River Valley of East-Central Illinois.

Roger Eddy is a poster boy example of Illinois public greed…

Be sure and read the rest of this entry at For The Good Of Illinois.

Abortion - Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Ethics - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Jobs - Joe Walsh - Liberals - McHenry - Republicans - Taxes - Tea Party - The Heartland Institute - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Values Voters Forum: Rep. Joe Walsh, State Rep. Morrison, More

December 4, 2011 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Saturday morning, Dec. 3, I attended an event put on in Carpentersville, Illinois by Allen Skillcorn. The Illinois Value Voters Forum was billed as a forum on social issues, but it was also a great opportunity to have a nice friendly chat with several Illinois politicians on a variety of issues, not just those “values” issues we generally associate with social conservatism.

Results of Straw Poll Below the Fold


The Panel

Panelists included 8th District Congressman Joe Walsh, 54th District State Representative Tom Morrison, former State Rep Penny Pullen (currently of the Life Advocacy Research Project), and Bruno Behrend who was on hand to represent Adam Andrzejewski’s Open The Books Portal Project, a website where you can learn how much your public officials are making off the taxpayers. Along with the panel above, quite a few local officials and candidates in the hunt for the GOP nomination in their district also came out to meet and greet attendees.


Allen Skillcorn introducing Rep. Joe Walsh

Rep. Joe Walsh and Bruno Behrend

The first question posed by moderator Skillcorn was “when does life begin,” a common enough question for the values crowd. Ever the rebel, Congressman Walsh went on a ten-minute discussion on why we need to change Congress to GOP control and why we need to send “the right kind of Republicans” to Washington. But, after the stump speech, he did answer the question: “at conception,” of course.

The rest of the panel generally agreed with that, but I’d like to dwell a bit on Walsh’s stump speech. He reminded us of the fiscal disaster that this nation faces and he said that we should not forget that “the Republican Party helped us get here and we have to say that forcefully and respectfully.”

But Walsh saw a “revolution” stirring with the Tea Party and the 2010 midterm vote, one that has “only just started.”
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Illinois Values Voters Forum: Rep. Joe Walsh, State Rep. Morrison, More”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Jobs - Kirk Dillard - Liberals - Regulation - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois CAT Dealer: Illinois’ Worst Business Climate Getting Worse

November 17, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Wednesday I attended a “government day” event at Patten Industries, a 78-year-old Illinois Caterpillar dealer situated in Elmhurst, a northwest suburb of Chicago. The event, led by current General Manager Garrett Patten, featured a discussion on the severely unfavorable business climate in Illinois and why the state is lagging so horribly behind the leading economic indicators of every surrounding state.

Patten Industries has been guided by four generations of Pattens, the company having been founded by B. C. Patten, Sr. in 1933. But Illinois has not been good to the company or its employees over the last decade or so. Unfortunately, the company has gone from employing some 700 employees in 2006 to only about 400 today due to the harsh economic climate in the Land of Lincoln.

This contraction is most certainly not something the Patten family wanted to see happen to their long-standing Illinois-based company. Patten Industries has faced a whole host of negative forces causing them to scale downward. And Patten is just one of many Illinois businesses facing the same problems — problems faced in much less severity by businesses in other nearby states.

Even as many corporations are just starting to see an upturn in their fortunes, Illinois government has set up so many hurdles to growth that other states are either taking our customers or even welcoming Illinois businesses themselves as new residents.

Garrett Patten says that at least three major problems face Illinois businesses. Workman’s comp, labor unions, and corporate taxes.
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Illinois CAT Dealer: Illinois’ Worst Business Climate Getting Worse”

Budget - Congress - Conservatives - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Joe Walsh - Randy Hultgren - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Freedom Works Picks Walsh Over Hultgren for 14th District Primary

November 12, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Denver, Colorado- Max Pappas, Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Freedom Works, has announced that the FW candidate evaluation committee has chosen to support Congressman Joe Walsh in the upcoming 14th District GOP primary.

Pappas appeared at Blogcon 2011 as a member of a discussion panel focused on the suitability of the various 2012 primary candidates when the discussion turned to the Illinois 14th District.

Pappas said that in a survey of 80 votes, Joe Walsh only voted badly on one. “Walsh is with us 99.9% of the time. Hultgren only 60%,” Pappas said.

The only vote that Freedom Works disagreed with Walsh on was his vote favorable to Big Labor. Walsh voted against a right-to-work measure making that the only strike against his record.

Going solely on voting record, then, Freedom Works is supporting Joe Walsh for the 14th District primary.
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Freedom Works Picks Walsh Over Hultgren for 14th District Primary”

Budget - Congress - Conservatives - GOP - Health - Illinois - Medicare - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

We Must Put an End to Medicare Fraud

November 12, 2011 by

From the office of Rep. Peter Roskam (R, Illinois 6th District)…

America’s elderly are victims of a crime spree so expansive that on an annual basis exceeds the value of all the cocaine smuggled in to North America. The crime is Medicare fraud, and it is conservatively considered to be a $50 billion industry.
While the federal government intercepts almost 40% of cocaine shipments to the United States, it stands virtually idle in apprehending Medicare fraudsters, recovering just $2.5 billion in fraudulent transactions and improper payments in 2009. Originating disproportionately from the Miami area, according to the FBI in September, “South Florida remains ground zero for healthcare fraud.” The unfortunate reality is that Medicare not only needs significant fiscal reforms to be around for future generations – like through the House Republican Budget: The Path to Prosperity – but its mechanics are also in dire need of substantive reform.

Fortunately, the solution to this crime problem is not to create another “taskforce” or “war on” anything; in part it takes adapting the proven fraud prevention mechanisms of the credit card industry – an industry suffering just .044 percent fraud out of $17 trillion in annual transactions.

This is not a failure of our law enforcement community. It is the product of Medicare’s broken “pay-and-chase” system for reimbursing claims. Medicare does not effectively guard against fraud on the front end — cutting checks without thorough fraud-check measures – so law enforcement officials must pursue fraudulent claims after reimbursement. It is the equivalent of a retail store processing a customer’s credit card approval long after the clothes have left the store. It’s nonsensical.
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We Must Put an End to Medicare Fraud”

Banks - Budget - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Joe Walsh - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Video: Walsh Gets a Bit Testy With Constituent

November 10, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Internet tubuals have been heating up with a video showing 8th District Republican Congressman Joe Walsh getting — shall we say — a bit testy with a constituent at a recent townhall.

The townhall was held in North Suburban Gurnee at Uno Bar and Grill and Walsh was being grilled about a lack of banking regulations by at least one voter.

Walsh was having none of it, as you saw. He’s exactly right about his point, too. It was Congress that was the problem, not any lack of banking regulations. I stand with Joe on the idea of getting government out of the economy not, as the voters on the video was trying to urge, get government more involved in the economy.

However, I feel Joe’s comportment was over the top and inappropriate. I support his passion on that issue, but he was simply too harsh in reply.
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Video: Walsh Gets a Bit Testy With Constituent”

Budget - Chicago - Democrats/Leftists - Ethics - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Rod Blagojevich - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Abe Lincoln and His Convicted Felon Pal, Bill Cellini?

November 8, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

This is the kind of nonsense that we get with political influence peddling and corruption. A painting that now hangs in the new Lincoln library and museum in our state capitol has a ridiculous tie to long-time Springfield corruption king Bill Cellini, who was just last week convicted on charges of extortion and bribery.

Standing behind Lincoln whispering in his ear is a person that looks suspiciously like the corrupt Cellini.

According to The Southern, Bill isn’t the only Cellini memorialized in paint at the museum. His wife, Julie, is also in a scene depiction Civil War era Washington D.C. Mrs. Cellini is a key benefactor of the museum.
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Abe Lincoln and His Convicted Felon Pal, Bill Cellini?”

Illinois - Larry Sand - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Teachers Unions - Unions

Unions Continue to Swindle the Public

November 8, 2011 by

-By Larry Sand

Unions are still treacherous, but with a generous helping of legislative malfeasance, their tactics are more subtle.

“On the Waterfront” portrayed union power at its rawest. In the 1950s, the unions typically got their way with nothing less than brute force. But today the tactics are different. In “Pretty Boy Floyd,” Woody Guthrie sang, “Some will rob you with a six-gun, and some with a fountain pen.” The unions are well entrenched in the “fountain pen” camp and recently, Illinois has been in their crosshairs.

In September, the Chicago Tribune broke a story about Dennis Gannon, a former sanitation worker who became a president of the Chicago Federation of Labor. He went back to work for the city for one day, then took a leave of absence and was legally allowed to collect a $158,000 pension, about five times the average sanitation worker.
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Unions Continue to Swindle the Public”