-By Warner Todd Huston
On Friday night Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin spoke before Americans For Prosperity’s event Defending the American Dream Summit and the crowd was loving it, I have to say.
Walker entered the room to a standing ovation and got an even bigger standing O when he finished and his comments of how the most progressive state in the union rolled over into conservative, fiscal sanity is quite a story.
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Gov. Scott Walker Wows Crowd at AFP Summit”
-By Warner Todd Huston
This week I am in Washington D.C. at the Defending the American Dream Summit, an annual event hosted by Americans For Prosperity. This is always a great event held in the nation’s capitol with lots of great speakers and breakout panels, mostly for the edification of members of AFP.
The breakout panel I chose this morning was one titled Progressive Practices: Exposing and Combating the Left’s Tactics. The panelists were three of the best people you can put on such a panel. Wall Street Journal writer John Fund, famous for his knowledge and reportage on vote fraud. Anita MonCrief, famous for once being a member of the notorious group ACORN and later a whistleblower on its fraud, and videographer and investigative journalist (or guerilla journalist as some may say) James O’Keefe, famous for really being a pain in the left’s reared.
Videographer James O’Keefe and Author and Journalist John Fund
The intention of the panel was to help members of Americans For Prosperity to come to better understand the tactics of the left so that they know how to fight them back home, but the focus was most especially about vote fraud since each of the three panel members specialized in that area.
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AFP, Defending the American Dream: Combating Progressives Practices Panel”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Thursday, Friday and Saturday I’ll be here in Washington D.C. attending the Defending the American Dream Summit, an annual event hosted by Americans For Prosperity.
The 2012 Defending the American Dream Summit is being be held at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
The 6th annual Summit will be a spectacular event with the nation’s free-market luminaries promoting limited government principles. We have begun to turn the tide of public opinion in favor of economic freedom. We cannot afford to lose momentum now. Now, more than ever, we must make the case against government controlling our lives and sending future generations deeper into debt. Join us August 2-4 to receive training, hear discussions on today’s pressing free market issues, enjoy the Ronald Reagan dinner, network with like-minded activists, and meet best-selling authors!
Speakers include, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Author Michelle Malkin, Talk Show Hosts Laura Ingrahm and Mark Levin, Tucker Carlson and many more.
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AFP, Defending the American Dream Summit 2012″
(Courtesy of Americans for Prosperity)
Washington, DC – Today Americans for Prosperity, the nation’s premier advocate for economic freedom, released a very special “Happy Birthday” message to honor President Ronald Reagan on his 101st birthday. The 60-second television spot contrasts Reagan’s optimism, prosperity, and belief in freedom with the broken promises and class-warfare rhetoric of President Obama.
Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips said, “On Reagan’s birthday, I can’t help but miss the President more than ever. His vision for America contrasts so sharply with the big-government waste and cronyism that will be the legacy of the Obama Administration.”
Called “Two Visions,” the ad compares and contrasts quotes from the two presidents, showing the stark difference in their view of what America should be.
“It’s important to remind ourselves what a terrific difference a great leader can make in this country,” Phillips continued. “President Reagan knew that free market policies would result in millions of new American jobs, exploding personal incomes, with broad-based prosperity and optimism for our nation. However President Obama’s approach is just the opposite – more taxes, more government, and job killing regulations – all in pursuit of his own liberal ideology.”
The ad culminates with the message: Happy Birthday, President Reagan. We miss your optimism, your love of America, and your belief in the power of freedom. The ad release coincides with social media advertising and grassroots action.
From Americans for Prosperity – Illinois…
Are you frustrated with the direction our country is going in? Are you ready for real conservative change that will get our economy moving again?
Join Americans for Prosperity, United to Restore Freedom, and the Joliet Tea Party for a special “Candidate and Campaign Management” workshop on Saturday, September 10th at 9:00 a.m. conducted by the prestigious Leadership Institute.
The campaign and candidate workshop is designed to help develop potential candidates and community activists to run for office. The campaign and candidate workshop focuses on personal and political preparation to help advance a candidate or cause of your choice.
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AFP: Help Advance Conservative Change”
From Americans for Prosperity…
Obama’s union boss buddies poured hundreds of millions into getting him and his Democratic allies elected in 2008, but they were unable to pass their signature legislation stripping workers of private ballot rights. And in last year’s midterm election, they were wiped out.
But Obama’s union buddies at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) won’t take no for an answer.
The board is packed with radical union lawyers that Obama installed by the back door – so-called recess appointments to sidestep the Senate. Consider the words of Craig Becker, the former SEIU lawyer Obama put on the NLRB without Senate approval:
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AFP: Another Union Power Grab”
From Americans for Prosperity…
Americans for Prosperity, United to Restore Freedom and the Great Awakening invite you to a special “Get Out the Vote” training seminar conducted by the prestigious Leadership Institute.
The Leadership Institute stands alone as the only conservative organization with the mission to increase the number and effectiveness of conservative activists and leaders in the public policy process. The Institute doesn’t analyze policy; it teaches conservative Americans how to influence policy through direct participation-activism and leadership.
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AFP: Join Us for a Special GOTV Training Program August 27th”
From Americans for Prosperity-Illinois…
Over the past years Americans for Prosperity and those who believe in fewer taxes, smaller government and more personal freedoms have become engaged in the battle over the direction and the future of our country. We have all fought hard to protect our freedoms, yet there is so much more to do.
Right now we’re in the midst of the most important policy battles over government spending in our lifetime. Debt ceilings, balanced budgets, Homeland Security, Social Security reform, Medicaid reform, regulatory reform, what does it all mean and how is it going to affect our pocket books?
To learn more about these issues and more please join Americans for Prosperity and the Great Awakening for a special Skype presentation by Americans for Prosperity’s National Director of Government Affairs, James Valvo.
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Americans for Prosperity: You’re Invited to a Special Meeting – What’s happening in Washington?”
From Americans for Prosperity — Illinois…
As you may have heard, Wisconsin will be holding a series of recall elections in the coming weeks, and as we know, voter turnout is typically low during recall elections. The Wisconsin chapter of AFP launched a large scale nonpartisan Get-Out-The-Vote program that utilizes one of the most efficient and effective at-home phone bank systems available. This technology provides activists throughout the country an opportunity to use their own telephone to encourage Wisconsin voters to turn out on Election Day for the upcoming recall elections.
Thank you for your dedicated efforts in the past. Will you help AFP make calls again? Your help will make a big difference in ensuring as many voters as possible get to the polls.
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AFP: Join GOTV At-Home Phone Banks NOW!”
-By Collin Corbett
When Joe Walsh narrowly upset Democratic incumbent Melissa Bean by 290 votes in last year’s 8th Congressional District race, many insiders assumed that he, along with most of the other Illinois GOP freshmen, would be on the chopping block in the looming Democrat gerrymandering process. True to assumptions the new Congressional map, which could be overturned in court but will likely hold up, draws Walsh out of his current district and makes the 8th District an open seat.
To give you a picture of the new 8th District, here are some important figures to consider:
At quick glance, the numbers pulled by Brady, Kirk, and Rutherford in 2010 in the new 8th might lead one to believe that a Republican starts with an advantage. However, the combination of a strong Democrat field, a (so far) weak Republican field, a favorable election year for Illinois Democrats with Obama at the top of the ticket, and demographic trends in the district favoring a minority and/or female candidate lead many to believe that this seat currently leans towards a Democrat pickup.
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About The New Illinois 8th District”
-By Warner Todd Huston
So, once we get past the vague, gut feeling that not much was done in this past legislative session, we can look over the last several months and assess what Springfield done for us all. As the state was distracted by yet another trial for Rod Blagojevich (this time a successful one) our elected officials were at loggerheads on many issues. But with the Democrats having such a hammerlock on power, most everything went their way. And, in some cases “their way” was no way at all.
For instance, the general assembly once again failed to address pension reform. Like the Sword of Damocles, the pension mess hangs over the heads of every single citizen of Illinois. Sadly, we cannot blame only the Democrats, here, as there has been a complete lack of political will (and courage) on both sides of the aisle to take on this issue. In fact, many of the problem legislators are those Republicans whose districts have a large population of state workers and are swayed by the government unions to which they belong.
Some think the pension mess will be brought up during the coming veto session. There is no timeline for such an action, though.
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Illinois Legislative Session Wrap Up”
(Ed’s note – I will be flying to Minneapolis to attend the RightOnline.com conference this year. If you have the time or are in the Minneapolis area, do come on out)
-By Erik Telford
Arianna Huffington’s recent mega-payday from AOL was powerful evidence of the tight connection between the hard-left netroots and the online establishment. And AOL isn’t the only web giant to provide apparently favorable treatment to the left. Google has been accused of blocking certain right-wing websites or lowering their standing in search results, and its YouTube subsidiary seems to remove files uploaded by conservatives far more often than offensive content posted by liberals.
The love affair between the tech giants and the big-government left can be traced not only to Silicon Valley’s geographical proximity to San Francisco but also to the two groups’ shared agenda. President Obama’s stated goal of having the FCC regulate the Internet will ensure that bandwidth-heavy websites will not have to pay for the billions of dollars in investments that private broadband companies made. Of course, money from the technology industry flows freely into Democratic coffers.
Yet somehow the right is more than holding its own in the online activism arena.
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Against The Odds, Right Leads Online”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Americans have sent Obama a bill for: $560,699.03
The number above is how much more gas will cost Americans over the next 12 months compared to the price when President Obama took office.
Americans for Prosperity Foundation is kicking off the Running On Empty Tour, a national grassroots tour to highlight President Obama on his administrative policies that have led to some serious pain at the pump for all Americans.
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Announcing the Running on Empty Tour”
Lawmakers continue to debate pension reforms for current state employees and a decision will be made soon – this year’s legislative session is scheduled to end on May 31st.
This may be our last chance to have our voices heard. Click here NOW to tell your lawmaker it’s time to enact substantive reforms of the state employee pension system that directly affect current state employees.
Illinois’ fiscal problems can no longer be ignored. Illinois is spending beyond its means and has ignored countless unpaid bills! Moreover, the fact that we have no real plan for dealing with these fiscal problems have made our state one of the least attractive places for doing business.
The website 24/7 Wall St. took a look at the pension systems of every state in America and created a top 10 list of states where pensions are running out of money. Sadly, Illinois is second on that list with a $126 billion pension liability.
Take action now to return our great state to fiscal sanity. Click here to tell your lawmaker to fix Illinois’ pensions now.
For more information on pension reform go to: http://fixillinoispensionsnow.com/.
Thank you for your continued support and activism.
Sincerely,
Joe Calomino
State Director
Americans for Prosperity-Illinois
From Americans for Prosperity – Illinois…
Americans for Prosperity has learned that one of the most comprehensive workers compensation packages (SB 1349) is moving through the State Senate at an aggressive pace.
It’s essential that lawmakers reform the workers compensation system in Illinois. Illinois’ system of workers compensation is one the most generous systems in the nation. For this reason and more, the cost factors of the workers comp laws in Illinois place our businesses and our state at a great disadvantage with other states.
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Act Now to Support Workers Comp Reform in Illinois!”
-By Warner Todd Huston
One of the election day success stories enjoyed by Americans for Prosperity, Illinois, occurred in nearby Lamont. A wasteful school referendum was defeated in Lamont and AFP was at the forefront of educating voters on the facts as they went to the polls.
Residents of Lamont had become tired of seeing their taxes go up every single year while the District constantly cried poor, so due to requests from residents, AFP – Illinois began an effort to understand exactly why the budget and the taxes for Lamont’s School District 113a have been constantly rising for every one of the last eleven years.
Upon investigation, AFP discovered that while revenues for the district have risen 50% over the last eleven years, the District’s spending has risen 77% during the same time.
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Wasteful Referendum Defeated in Suburban Lamont”
From Americans for Prosperity, Illinois…
Thank you to all our members who sent letters to the Senate Executive Committee requesting that they vote on the “Pay to Play” appointment of Careen Gordon.
In four short days, we generated over 5,000 letters to the Senate Executive Appointment Committee expressing outrage at what appeared to be the “Pay to Play’ style of politics that led to the appointment of Careen Gordon to the Prisoner Review Board.
Due to mounting pressure from AFP members such as yourself, the Senate Executive Appointments Committee finally scheduled hearings that were to begin on Thursday March 17th.
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Success: ‘Pay to Play’ Appointee Careen Gordon Steps Down”
From the Illinois chapter of Americans for Prosperity…
Your voices are being heard! After nearly 10 weeks on the taxpayer’s dime, the Senate Executive Appointment Committee will be voting on Careen Gordon “Pay to Play” appointment to an $85,000 a year spot on the Prisoner Review Board.
Now is the time to contact the Senate Executive Appointment Committee and tell them to vote “NO” on the appointment of Careen Gordon! We need to take action today as the scheduled hearing is tomorrow at 9am!
In case you missed it, last week AFP asked our members to contact the Senate Executive Appointments Committee and demand that they hold a hearing on the appointment of Careen Gordon to an $85,000 a year spot on the Prisoner Review Board.
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AFP Illinois: Stop ‘Pay to Play’ Appointment Now!”
From Americans for Prosperity, Illinois…
“Pay to Play” appears to be part of Governor Quinn’s agenda!!! Contact the Senate Executive Appointment Committee NOW and tell them to say NO to “Pay to Play” politics!
In case you missed it, the Senate Executive Appointments Committee has a problem on their hands thanks to Governor Quinn’s appointment of Careen Gordon to an $85,000 a year spot on the Prisoner Review Board.
For those who don’t know, Careen Gordon is a former Democratic State Representative who lost her re-election bid last year to GOP candidate Sue Resin. During her campaign, Ms. Gordon campaigned strenuously against Governor Quinn’s tax increase, vowing to oppose it and stressing that it was the wrong direction for Illinois.
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Amer. For Prosperity: Help Stop A ‘Pay to Play’ Appointment Now!”
-By Warner Todd Huston
I just got back from sitting on the new media discussion panel at the American Majority Candidate Training session held in Palatine, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago.
On the panel we discussed things such as how candidates should approach the new and old media alike, how should candidates handle interviews, and should candidates stop issuing press releases (no, would be the answer to that last one, there).
On the panel with me was Keith Liscio, Fran Eaton of Illinois Review, and acting as emcee for the panel was Collin Colbert of Cor Strategies.
Left to Right: Warner Todd Huston, Kieth Liscio, Fran Eaton, and Collin Colbert
American Majority runs candidate and activist training sessions all across the United States and they really do a great job at it. If one is in your area, be sure and catch it.
Upcoming American Majority Activist Training Sessions:
The event was co-sponsored by the Illinois chapter of Americans for Prosperity.
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American Majority Activist/Candidate Training”
-By Warner Todd Huston
The left-wing Internet-based group calling itself “Anonymous” briefly took down the website of the conservative activist group Americans For Prosperity on Sunday, Feb. 27. Yet all the sturm und drang signifying… what? Me thinks that “Anonymous” is reading too many comic books.
Amusingly, with the Denial of Service (DNS) attack “Anonymous” imagines themselves striking a blow for the oppressed, or something. “Anonymous hears the voice of the downtrodden American people,” they sonorously tell us on their website. The amusing thing to me is that they imagine the oppressed are government employee union members. Only, here is the thing… people that work for the government are on average the best paid people in America. They have the best benefits, the earliest retirement ages, and the cheapest healthcare in the entire country — cheapest to them anyway, not to us the taxpayers. It is a fact that government employees are the new elites in America today. It is also a fact that they live high on the hog off the backs of the working poor.
So who the heck do these fools in “Anonymous” think they are come to the aid of?
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Left-Wing Group Takes Down Conservative Website — Petty Little Children Affecting Nothing”
From Americans for Prosperity, Illinois…
Join us to learn how YOU can make a difference in your community
American for Prosperity together with Americans Majority and The Great Awakening will be holding an Activist and Candidate Training on Saturday, March 5, 2011.
Registration begins at 8:30 am. Training starts promptly at 9:00 am and ends at 4:00 pm at Hotel Indigo Palatine at 920 East Northwest Highway.
The Candidate Training Program is a one-day event that features:
Lectures from campaign veterans including topics such as:
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AFP Illinois: Join Us for a Candidate and Activist Training Class”
From Americans for Prosperity, Illinois…
Governor’s Budget Address Reveals More “Buy Now, Pay Later” Rhetoric That Will Bankrupt Illinois Taxpayers
-AFP calls for meaningful and aggressive reforms to state budgetary process-
CHICAGO- In the Governor’s budget address today, Quinn identified the immediate need for reducing the state’s $8.75 billion deficit, but was unwilling to make the necessary budget cuts to get the job done.
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Gov. Quinn’s Budget Address More of the Same”
From Americans for Prosperity, Illinois…
6% tax hike passes, goes to governor for signature
Democratic Illinois lawmakers beat a looming deadline during the last hours of the lame-duck session and approved a 66 percent income-tax increase. Corporate taxes will also be raised 46 percent.
The proposal passed the House on Tuesday night 60-57, the bare minimum. No Republicans backed the measure there or in the Senate, where the measure passed 30-29.
The budget plan is coupled with strict 2 percent limit on spending growth. Allegedly, if officials spend above those limits, the tax increase will automatically be canceled. The new tax money will balance the state’s annual budget and let officials begin chipping away at the backlog of unpaid bills.
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Democrats approve massive bail out of state government”
From Americans for Prosperity, Illinois…
WOW! This year’s lame duck session in Springfield has been one of the most fast paced and productive sessions in recent memory. With only three days remaining, it appears that lawmakers will be receiving a formal legislative package that includes a request for a 75% increase in state income taxes.
It appears that the initial debate on the language will start in the House of Representatives. Our sources advise that Speaker Madigan is going to allow a straight up vote on the package. There is rumored to be 51 members in favor. In order to pass the House, the bill will need 60 votes. Therefore, it’ll be up to Governor Quinn to convince nine additional House members to move in favor of the tax hike. And so, this weekend, the hard lobbying will begin. The language of the full tax package is being drafted.
Below are the basic tenets of the package as we understand it today.
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Tell your lawmaker to vote NO on tax increases during lame duck session”
From Americans for Prosperity Illinois…
To contact your lawmaker today and ask him/her to vote “NO” on tax increases during the lame duck session in Illinois click here: http://www.capwiz.com/americansforprosperity/issues/alert/?alertid=21319501&type=ST
It’s no secret that the state of Illinois is in a fiscal crisis. It’s taken about ten years of pay-to play politics, sweetheart deals, poor public policy decisions, and the complete mismanagement of state funds to get us to this point.
Illinois’ budget deficit is approximately $14 billion, the state’s pension and retiree health care debt is approximately $130 billion, unfunded Medicaid liability has doubled since 2007 and Illinois’ unemployment rate has hovered around 10% for the last two years. Yet, state government continues to spend more than it takes in (an average of $3 for every $2 it receives from our tax dollars).
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Take Action: No Tax Increase in Springfield”
-By Warner Todd Huston
I’ll be heading to Washington D.C. for the next few days. I am going to meet with some new congressmen and attend the Americans for Prosperity Internet Freedom Forum.
I am hopeful that I’ll have some exciting posts on the next three day’s events and doings.
… Stay tuned.
Update
Made it to D.C. No idea what my day will be like tomorrow, yet.
-By Warner Todd Huston
I am here in Cancun, Mexico investigating the U.N. Climate Change Conference to see what sort of wonderful solutions to save our very planet are being planned for all of us here in sunny Mexico. It’s always nice that we can come to save the planet… at a nice resort hotel complex… on a beach… in a moderate clime… isn’t it?
For those of you that are unaware of what this conference is about, this conference is being called COP16/CMP6. That stands for — prepare to doze off here — the 16th edition of Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) and the 6th Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP). Just like the UN to puff itself up with grand sounding titles, isn’t it?
And it’s a good thing we are here in time to save the earth, too. I mean what with thousands of delegates having winged their way here on private jets and as they drive themselves about in fleets of armored SUVs, as well as the hundreds if not a thousand or more Agentes Policiacos Federales and military personnel driving about in trucks toting machine guns and armored vests to keep us all safe from drug cartels, why it’s about the nick of time that we are here to save the planet.
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The Con in Cancun: UN Climate Change Summit Update”
From Americans for Prosperity…
Americans for Prosperity Launches Grassroots Effort Against Schillerstrom’s Proposal to Borrow $70 million From DuPage County Taxpayers
-A mobile billboard critical of Schillerstrom’s proposal runs TODAY–
CHICAGO – While concerns about rising public debt and out of spending is at an all-time high, you’d expect elected officials to give pause before approving any plans to increase the debt obligation of government and further burden taxpayers.
This unfortunately does not appear to be the case with the DuPage County government. DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom is once again pushing his board to approve a massive capital plan that will ultimately cost DuPage taxpayers nearly $125 million. Out of nearly two-dozen projects, only five are road projects that will actually improve the county’s infrastructure.
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AFP: Attention all DuPage County members!”
From Joe Calomino, Director of Ill Chapter of Americans for Prosperity…
President Obama Insults Americans for Prosperity’s 1.2 Million Activists in Fund Raising Speech
With his poll numbers dropping rapidly because of his big government agenda, the President is now making shrill, desperate attacks on Americans for Prosperity and our 1,200,000 AFP grassroots activists across the nation.
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Obama blasts AFP – We ARE making a difference!!!!!…Never give up-NEVER!!!”