The Democrat’s Mob Banker, Alexi Giannoulias, is the star of this wonderful music video titled “If I Had 20 Million Dollars.”
State Government
Southside Mayor Kicks Out Republican Candidate from Event for Being… Republican?
-Warner Todd Huston
Looks like the good mayor of University Park hates the American system so much that he refuses to allow Republican candidates to attend events in his town even when they are invited by the event hosts. I wasn’t aware that a mere mayor had such dictatorial powers in the United States of America, but apparently Mayor Alvin McCowan thinks he does.
McCowen, a heavy contributor to 2nd District Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. (D, Chicago), was incensed that Reverend Isaac Hayes attended a networking-styled event in “his” town recently and threw a childish hissy fit while demanding that candidate Hayes be thrown out of the venue. Hayes is the Republican facing Congressman Jackson in the upcoming 2010 elections.
Candidate Hayes just released a press release on the incident:
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Southside Mayor Kicks Out Republican Candidate from Event for Being… Republican?”
Illinois Policy Institute: Baby Steps
Rod…You’re Fired!
He put up a valiant effort, but alas, our embattled ex-governor Rod Blagojevich ultimately couldn’t hack it in Donald Trump’s New York boardroom. In case you’ve missed it, you can watch Blago’s “Celebrity Apprentice” dismissal here—and you can watch Rod’s earlier antics on the show (including getting mistaken for Donny Osmond) here.
In Case You Missed It…
The Institute earned a shout-out in today’s Wall Street Journal editorial, “In Praise of Illinois” (and yes, you read that headline correctly). Click here to read the Journal’s take on Springfield’s recent “baby steps” to pension reform, complete with perspective from our executive vice president Kristina Rasmussen.
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Illinois Policy Institute: Baby Steps”
Kane County Taxpayer Tea Party scheduled for April 15
“It’s Your Government—Get Informed, Get Involved” is the theme of this year’s Kane County Taxpayer Tea Party on Thursday, April 15, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Kane County Government Plaza at the intersection of Route 31 and Third Street in Geneva.
Scheduled speakers include Dan Proft, Eric Wallace, and Dr. Steve Sauerberg, as well as speakers on the U.S. Constitution, limited government, personal freedom, problems created by political correctness, the potential impact of healthcare legislation, and mounting national debt. Jeff Danklefsen will emcee.
This family-friendly educational event will also offer such activities as patriotic sing-alongs, face painting, and information tables. Those who wish to dress as their favorite founder are encouraged to do so. If time permits, attendees will be able to sign up for one to two minutes at the microphone.
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Kane County Taxpayer Tea Party scheduled for April 15″
Video: Peraica Explains the ‘Borrowing Scheme’ of Cook County Board
Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica provides an update from the April 6, 2010 Cook County Board meeting. On tap is a discussion of Cook County property tax assessments, as well as a massive borrowing scheme involving the issuance of $740 million in bonds.
Needless to say, Commissioner Peracia opposes this corrupt bargain.
Tea Party Express Hits Rockford, Illinois
-By Warner Todd Huston
No posts have emerged from me today because I was away for most of the day witnessing the Tea Party Express as it rolled into rolled into Rockford, Illinois.
Rockford is situated about 90 miles west (and a bit north) of Chicago in Northern Illinois. It’s a region that has been hit particularly hard by this recession and has the highest unemployment rate in a state that has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.
The Tea Party Express is ranging across the country in an effort to keep the Tea Party spirit alive. If you want to find out if the Tea Party Express is coming to a town near you, check out the itinerary at www.teapartyexpress.org.
The Rockford Tea Party folks had hoped to get 1,000 Illinoisans to attend their rally, but there was at least 2,000 that actually came (some say 3,000) so they most certainly met their goals. These were some great Constitution-loving Americans that were very concerned about the downward direction that their country is taking. These people were worried, of course, but all seemed buoyed by their shared fellowship in patriotism. These are all great Americans. With citizens like this, we may yet bring our nation back from the brink of the leftism that is destroying Europe… unless Obama, his regime and their co-conspirators can help it.
The pre-event was held by the Rockford Tea Party folks (www.rockfordteaparty.org). And they had a nice line-up of local Illinois pols and political folks.
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Tea Party Express Hits Rockford, Illinois”
Ohio’s Rep. Kaptur: Coward of The County (Vote Rich Iott)
-By Warner Todd Huston
Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur voted yes on the socialist take over of our nation’s helathcare system. She then proudly announced that she’d hold a healthcare townhall back home in Ohio over the break.
But then she canceled it. Why? Because she got wind of the fact that a few tea party folks from her district didn’t like her vote, that’s why.
To invoke Kenny Rogers… “She is the Coward of the countyyyyyy.”
Facing Kaptur is Rich Iott — pronounced Eye-ott. His website can be seen at: http://www.voteiott.com/.
He’s “a successful businessman and a conservative man of faith,” so let’s hope Ohioans check him out.
Vote for Iott, Ohio! Let’s get rid of Marcy “The Coward of the County” Kaptur. Let’s retire Kaptur, shall we?
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Ohio’s Rep. Kaptur: Coward of The County (Vote Rich Iott)”
Illinois Rep. Halvorson: Tea Partiers are ‘Fringe’
-By Warner Todd Huston
Attention citizens of Illinois 11th Congressional District. If you have attended a Tea Party event or are inclined to support them YOU are a “fringe” element according to your Representative, Debbie Halvorson.
Halvosron’s office told CBS News Channel 2 in Chicago, “The voters in the 11th District are not easily influenced by the rhetoric of fringe organizations like the tea party.”
On the other hand, Halvorson’s opponent is very appreciative of the support he’s gotten from tea party groups. Adam Kinzinger (www.electadam.com) has been very much in touch with the tea party movement having attended some events and worked with them to get the word out there about his campaign.
But the solid fact remains, Illinois, that your representative in Congress dismisses you as a fringe element. I’d say that this flies in the face of the facts on the ground when we have protests that country over that regularly turns out thousands of attendees.
Just as in its day the anti-war groups represented a sizable number of Americans and just as they had their effect on the debate about the war on terror, the tea party groups represent an even larger swath of everyday Americans who are similarly having their own effect on the public debate.
But here is the very eft-wing Halvosron pooh-poohing a sizable number of her own constituents saying that they are “fringe” and not worth worrying about.
vLike many Democrats she may well ind just how mistaken she actually is in November. But even now it is looking like she should be paying attention as the latest poll shows Mr. Kinzinger is leading with a large majority.
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Illinois Rep. Halvorson: Tea Partiers are ‘Fringe’”
Unions Cutting off Noses To Spite Their Faces
-By Warner Todd Huston
Despite all our talk of CommieObamie being a socialist, it is a straight out fact that the far left in America are mad that Obama didn’t turn us into the U.S.S.R. lite the second he took office. His pace at selling us out and turning us into a social democratic system ala France isn’t happening fast enough for them. For unions the fact that Obama hasn’t summarily castrated the business community and forced card check down everyone’s throats yet is a downer. And with that in mind, unions have announced that they are taking their ire out on those mythical “Blue Dog” Democrats that are trying to run for reelection in conservative districts in the upcoming midterms.
Friend to the blog David Denholm gave us a delicious example of this cutting off of the Democratic nose to spite the union’s face going on in Pensylvania’s 17th Congressional District.
There the AFL-CIO is refusing to support “Blue Dog” Tim Holden. Why? Because he voted “no” on Obama’s take over of American healthcare, that’s why. Ridiculously enough, Pennsylvania’s AFL-CIO front man, Bill George said that Holden has “been good to us on a number of bread-and-butter issues,” but that they have refused to support him because Obamacare was a “revolutionary, historical vote.”
Viva la Revelucion.
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Unions Cutting off Noses To Spite Their Faces”
3 Reasons Public Sector Employees are Killing the Economy
The good folks at Reason Magazine strike again…
Unions Killing Chicago Convention Biz
-By Warner Todd Huston
The Chicago Tribune has an editorial that shocks for the outrageousness that is the corruption and overcharging that unions have forced upon the convention business at Chicago’s McCormick Place. It is so bad, the costs are so outrageously higher in Chicago, that conventions are fleeing the city in droves (as we’ve discussed here several times).
But even though we understand as a matter of course that unions are bad for everyone, it is still shocking to see just how bad they are in Chicago. In fact, the Trib notes that convention organizers are charged fully 40% more in Chicago than they are anywhere else. Yes, it’s almost half again as much to put on a convention in Chicago than anywhere else in the nation. Even left-wing infused San Francisco costs less to set up conventions!
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Unions Killing Chicago Convention Biz”
Ill. Rep. Hare Buying Stock in Wool Industry
-By Warner Todd Huston
A few days ago Rep. Phil Hare told some of his constituents that he didn’t care about the U.S. Constitution and that he was going to help push through Congress Obama’s un-Constitutional take over of our healthcare anyway. Unfortunately for Hare he was being video taped as he said it.
Today it has been revealed that Rep. Hare has invested heavily in the U.S. wool industry. To that end he’s made a nice little video for us where he addresses this whole Constitution thingie…
You are wondering about the “wool,” right? Well, obviously he’s invested heavily in wool because he’s trying to pull an awful lot of it over the people’s eyes with THIS little extravaganza of back peddling!
In his video Hare laments the “gotcha” form of politics that resulted in his first YouTube special. All I can say is they can’t have “gotcha” unless there was something to “got,” there Rep. Hare!
But ya gotta give the Hare credit. This was a quick like a bunny video posted to try and stem the tide of his plummeting reputation. And just before the Easter Bunny makes his rounds, Hare lays this egg on us!
Finally, I am thankful to Hare for his military service. But I am compelled to note that General Benedict Arnold served us well for several years, too.
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Ill. Rep. Hare Buying Stock in Wool Industry”
The Democrats ‘Mob Banker’ With $20 Million in Loans to Criminals
-By Warner Todd Huston
It is bad enough that current State Treasurer and Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias is now well-known as the mob’s favorite banker with revelations of his $20 million in bad loans to various mobsters and convicted felons — so much money that his family bank is now about to go belly up over it all. But what is worse is that the Illinois Democrat Party purposefully backed this shady operator as its 2010 candidate for Senate!
Illinois Democrats are so arrogant that they imagined that they could pick the dirtiest candidate they could find, one with a possible criminal history worse than that of their recently resigned knife wielding Lt. Gov. candidate Steve Cohen, and the voters would just mindlessly go to the polls and vote the party line. And perhaps they are right. We’ll see.
The Chicago Tribune recently reported that Giannoulias’ failing bank loaned the $20 million to Michael Giorango and Demitri Stavropoulos even as they were about to be trundled off to serve federal prison sentences.
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The Democrats ‘Mob Banker’ With $20 Million in Loans to Criminals”
Tea Party Express Rolling Into A Town Near You
From Adam Andrzejewski’s For The Good Of Illinois…
April 5 and 6, the Tea Party Express will be stopping in Illinois.
First stop, Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield at 6pm on Monday.
Second stop, Davis Park in Rockford at 2:30pm on Tuesday.
The Tea Party Express is a national bus tour, which hosts tea party rallies all across the nation. The bus launched from Sen. Harry Reid’s hometown of Searchlight, NV on March 27th and will conclude in Washington, D.C. on Tax Day – April 15th.
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Tea Party Express Rolling Into A Town Near You”
Illinois, Tell Speaker Madigan to Open the Books!
From Adam Andrzejewski’s For the Good of Illinois…
On March 24, House Leader Tom Cross joined me in calling for a forensic audit of state spending. House Resolution 1057 requires the Auditor General to begin a forensic audit of state spending covering the Blagojevich/Quinn administrations.
We introduced HR 1057 with four goals in mind:
- Stop Governor Quinn’s Income Tax Hike
- Cut Spending
- Eliminate Waste
- End Corruption
In 2007, Auditor General William Holland issued a report indicating that the State of Illinois “…does not have a comprehensive, consistent inventory of programs.” This report highlighted that state government is so cumbersome and disorganized it could not prepare a list of programs it funds and operates on a daily basis.
Speaker Madigan, Open The Books!
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Illinois, Tell Speaker Madigan to Open the Books!”
Ill. Policy Institute: Working for the man
A “First Step”
If you thought the passage of the expansive new health care bill was a pretty big deal, you might want to hold on to your hat. On the “Today” show, President Obama recently told Matt Lauer that it was simply a “first step.” You can watch by clicking here.
Workin’ For the Man…
Each year, the Tax Foundation releases the dates of Tax Freedom Day, which reveals how many days of the year we spend working to pay off state, federal, and local taxes. Here in Illinois, it falls on Sunday, April 11, meaning we work 101 out of 365 days just to pay taxes. Ouch.
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Ill. Policy Institute: Working for the man”
Walsh to Obama: I’m Going For It
From the Walsh for Congress campaign (8th District)…
(Grayslake, Ill)– “They’re actually going to run on a platform of repeal…My attitude is, go for it… If they want to have that fight, we can have it.” – President Barack Obama, speaking on the GOP in Iowa last week
This is the typical, single-party combative nature of this administration and those starry-eyed individuals who follow it like my opponent, Rep. Melissa Bean.
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Walsh to Obama: I’m Going For It”
GOP’s Hayes: Coastal Drilling Long Welcomed News
From the Hayes for Congress campaign (2nd District)…
CHICAGO: The following statement was released today by Isaac Hayes, GOP Nominee for Congress in Illinois’ 2nd district, in response to President Obama’s announcement to open American coastlines to oil and natural gas drilling.
“The President’s announcement to allow drilling along America’s coastline is long welcomed news. The off shore drilling ban has been an unwanted and unneeded moratorium on energy exploration. For years, Republicans have pushed for energy independence by utilizing the vast resources God has blessed our nation with. While I am pleased that America’s plea for freedom from dependence on sponsors of terror is finally being heard, I am cautiously optimistic that this is not a smoke screen for a soon to come cap-and-trade bill jammed down our throats.”
http://www.isaachayesforcongress.com/
Walsh: ‘I’m NOT A Career Politician’
From the Joe Walsh for Congress campaign (8th District)…
With just 48 hours left before our quarterly filing deadline, I am asking you today to contribute $ 20.10 to our campaign for Congress to commemorate this historic year in which we take our country back.
We are going to take it back from those in Congress like my opponent, Melissa Bean, who have built their careers by serving special interests rather than their constituents’ interests.
We are going to take it back from those who seek to contract our personal freedoms and expand government’s control over our lives.
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Walsh: ‘I’m NOT A Career Politician’”
PROillinois: New Pension Plan Idea Debuts
MADIGAN PENSION BRIDGE NOT FAR ENOUGH
PROillinois New Grassroots Campaign to Unshackle Local Governments From Unfunded State Pension Mandates
(March 30 – Northbrook, IL) Runaway government employee pension costs is the hot topic, with average taxpayers and the press starting to take notice of this looming public finance disaster. A more dramatic, yet simple pension reform effort known as “the PROillinois plan” is gaining momentum, and is being promoted by a grassroots group of Illinois residents and local government leaders who want to put an end, once and for all, to the unworkable Springfield practice of dictating to local governments the retirement benefits paid to local government employees.
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PROillinois: New Pension Plan Idea Debuts”
The New Dem. Lt. Gov. Candidate’s Anti-Catholic Song
-By Warner Todd Huston
On March 27, Jeff Finley of the Pioneer Press made an interesting discovery when looking up info on the Democrat’s new pick for Lt. Governor, Sheila Simon. Apparently Sheila’s 5-piece, all-girl band named the Loose Gravel Girls has an anti-Catholic, Pope bashing song in its play list.
The song titled “Pope Knop” (that’s pronounced Kuh-Nope) seems to be about a four-year-old girl that has somehow become a Pope that is “drawing with markers on the Vatican floor” so that “going to church will never be a bore.”
The song starts out with some pseudo Catholic liturgy type music and then segues into a piano driven, banjo plucking little tune that features a bouncy beat and a slide whistle apparently to denote that it is supposed to be “funny,” I guess.
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The New Dem. Lt. Gov. Candidate’s Anti-Catholic Song”
State Refuses to Pay for Blago Portrait
-By Warner Todd Huston
Indignity upon indignity has been heaped upon our one-time Governor, Rod “They’re Out To Get Me” Blagojevich. And now one more link has been added to his Marley chain burden. The state legislature is refusing to pay for the oil painting of Blago to hang in the hall of governors in Springfield.
SAY IT AIN’T SO!
Of course, Rod is certainly free to pay for the portrait himself, but the state’s politicos decided in an 85-23 vote last week that the state would not pay for the sitting.
The Senate-bound bill does not ban an ousted governor from bankrolling the project out of pocket, which could cost as much as $25,000, the bill’s top backer said.
Oh, the humanities. Poor Rod. The dude can’t catch a break… of course, there’s that whole he-deserves-it thing, too!
Bean The Progressive
From the Palatine Tea Party…
March 29, 2010 – Beans healthcare vote of “yes” is just another vote among other votes over the last year which the voters in her district continue to reject. Her voting record is that of a far left progressive. This is not a progressive district and she continues to follow the failed policies of the Obama administration and Nancy Pelosi.
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Bean The Progressive”
Loyola Republicans Present The “Truth” of Global Warming by Christopher Horner
Chris Horner will be on Loyola University Chicago’s Lake Shore Campus located in beautiful Rogers Park on April 28th to discuss the truth behind global warming and extreme environmentalism.
Chicago, IL– Mar 28, 2010 – The Loyola University Chicago College Republicans are proud to announce the selection of Christopher C. Horner as our honored year-end lecturer. Mr. Horner will be presenting “The ‘Truth’ Behind Global Warming.”
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Loyola Republicans Present The “Truth” of Global Warming by Christopher Horner”
Dems Chose Fmr Senator’s Daughter for Illinois Lt. Gov.
-By Warner Todd Huston
The Democrat State Central Committee has chosen Sheila Simon, daughter of former Senator Paul Simon (no not the singer), as its choice to fill the Lt. Governor slot recently vacated by Steve Cohen.
Sheila Simon has no real electoral track record in the state, but success is not a prerequisite to fill the Lt.Gov’s chair, after all. Since the position is practically powerless and useless, anybody could take it when all is said and done.
Chicago Trib reporters Rick Pearson and Ray Long amused me with the first two paragraphs of their piece announcing the choice, though.
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Dems Chose Fmr Senator’s Daughter for Illinois Lt. Gov.”
Onion Skewers King Daley
-By Warner Todd Huston
This just in, The Onion News Service has just skewered Richie “King” Daley for his newest effort to “modernize Chicago’s outdated graft programs.”
The Onion did a masterful job satirizing the corruption of Chicago in this post, I have to say. The stuff they put in Mayor Daley’s mouth is classic.
“It’s been business as usual for too long in Chicago, and now it’s time to find more efficient ways to misuse authority for personal gain,” said Daley, who has served as Chicago’s mayor since 1989. “We must modernize our illegitimate activities right now, today, before it becomes impossible for public officials to act in my best self-interests.”
While this may be funny to folks outside of the Chicago area, it is all too easy to believe for those of us sentenced to dwell in “King” Daley’s corrupt little world.
Kudos to The Onion for its satire, but shame on Chicago for allowing the corruption that is so easy to satirize.
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Onion Skewers King Daley”
Bigger danger of healthcare bill: the arrogance of Congress
-By Eric O’Keefe
Health care supporters in Congress clearly defied the will of voters. Will we hold them accountable?
We may never fully know the damage that will be done by the massive health care bill Congress passed on Sunday, but one thing is certain: It will lead to lower-quality care at higher costs.
Dozens of new health boards will come on line in the next few years, as bureaucrats gradually take control of our health care system. Who knows how many bright college students will decide to avoid medical careers because they don’t want to follow orders from these bureaucrats?
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Bigger danger of healthcare bill: the arrogance of Congress”
Me on ChicagoNow Radio on Chicago’s WGN
-By Warner Todd Huston
Just got back from the big city, downtown Chicago. I appeared in studio at WGN Radio AM 720 this morning on the ChicagoNow Radio show with host Sarah Spain.
I appeared with Blake Dvorak who operates The Voting Booth on ChicagoNow. It was a great time. Take a listen, won’t you?
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I’ll Be on Chicago’s WGN Radio on Saturday Morning, 10AM
-By Warner Todd Huston
In connection with my ChicagoNow.com Publius Forum site, I have been asked to wing it on down to the WGN radio studios this weekend.
I’ll be in studio with host Sarah Spain on Chicago Now Radio starting around 10AM central time.
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I’ll Be on Chicago’s WGN Radio on Saturday Morning, 10AM”
Government Is Not Our Friend
-By Warner Todd Huston
Small-government conservatives have always been suspicious of government. Whether city, county, state or federal all government is looked on as a troublesome but necessary evil that must be tightly controlled and oft times opposed. This anti-government attitude, of course, is a complete mystery to socialist Democrats. They just don’t understand why conservatives mistrust government and why they eye it suspiciously. So, looking for a way to explain in real terms why conservatives loathe government is sometimes not an easy task as the ideas are often very esoteric. Thank God the corrupt governments in Barack Obama’s Illinois are always there to supply a ready example of why government is often the enemy of a free people.
In that mien, here is another perfect example of how government often does not serve the voters, how it does what ever it wants to do despite the voters, and how government often thinks it knows better than the very voters that it is supposed to serve.
In 2009 the Illinois State legislature in its Springfield-based capitol passed a video gambling law that for the first time legalized video poker machines across the state. The progress of this law was very contentious with most Republicans and some Democrats standing in opposition to this immoral legislation and a sop to the opposers was put in the bill as sweetener to assure passage. An “opt out” clause was put in the bill so that those conservative districts that were so opposed to video gambling could exclude themselves from allowing the immoral act of video gambling in their jurisdiction.
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Government Is Not Our Friend”