Chicago

Anti-Americanism - Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Illinois - Islam - Islamofascism - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Terrorism - Warner Todd Huston

2 Chicago Men Charged With Terror Plot

October 29, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Fox News is reporting that two men from Chicago are being charged by the FBI for planning terror attacks against overseas targets.

David Coleman Headley, 49, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, were charged in separate complaints filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Headley told FBI agents that the initial plan called for an attack against the newspaper building in Copenhagen, but he later proposed just killing the paper’s cartoonist and former cultural editor, according to an FBI affidavit released Tuesday.

These charges came after an Islamic slaughterhouse operation in Kinsman, Illinois was raided by federal officials. The meat business is owned by Tahawwur Hussain Rana.

Headley was arrested at O’Hare airport where he was to meet with Pakistani terrorists. Headley has an extensive record of travels to Pakistan and told Joint Terror Task Force officials that he had received training from the terror group Lakshar-e-Taiba.

Rana is charged with funding Headley’s travels and plans.
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2 Chicago Men Charged With Terror Plot”

Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Illinois - Liberals - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago Alderman: The Dope Sheet

October 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Chicago Reader launched a very useful and interesting site with a map of Chicago’s city wards that links to each alderman’s bio and other information.

All you have to do is click on your ward and voila, you are taken to a page about your alderman.
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Chicago Alderman: The Dope Sheet”

Chicago - Congress - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - House of Representatives - Illinois - Joe Biden - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

(11th District) Kinzinger Asks How Much VP Biden’s Visit for Halvorson Fundraiser Cost Taxpayers?

October 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Republican Candidate for the 11th District House seat Adam Kinzinger is still trying to find out how much Vice President Joe Biden’s August 20 appearance at a Democrat fundraiser for Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D) cost the taxpayers for police protection and city services.

Along with Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica (R), Kinzinger, a U.S. Air Force pilot, has filed several Freedom of Information Act requests with Chicago and Cook County to discover the costs of Biden’s fly-by visit at least to those two municipalities.

Police interrupted travel from the airport, cleared city streets, monitored protesters and helped the vice president’s motorcade of unmarked squads and the Secret Service snake through Chicago’s West Side and South Loop.

Biden took care of other business while here during the August 20 visit, but the chief reason he came was for the Halvorson fundraiser. Kinzinger wants to know how much Halvorson’s fundraiser cost the taxpayers?
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(11th District) Kinzinger Asks How Much VP Biden’s Visit for Halvorson Fundraiser Cost Taxpayers?”

Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Journalism - Judges - Liberals - Media Bias - State Government - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Why Is Cook County AG Looking Into Students Studying the Wrongly Convicted?

October 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The work of the Medill Innocence Project has already led to the exoneration of 11 inmates in Illinois. In 2000 Governor George Ryan cited the Medill Innocence Project of Northwestern University as one of the reasons he suspended the death penalty in the Land of Lincoln. It has yet to be fully reinstated.

The Medill Innocence Project has recently set its sites on the case of Anthony McKinney, convicted of murdering a security officer in 1978. The students of the Project feel that they have successfully proved that McKinney was wrongly convicted and have also succeeded in getting a judge to review the case.

One might think that thanks and accolades should be the student’s reward for their efforts to repair justice in Illinois. But for some reason Cook County prosecutors have subpoenaed the grades, grading criteria, class syllabus, expense reports and e-mails of the students of the Project. You heard that right. Prosecutors seem to be investigating the students!
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Why Is Cook County AG Looking Into Students Studying the Wrongly Convicted?”

Congress - Cook County - Elections - GOP - House of Representatives - Illinois - Republicans - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

7th District: Joe Walsh Campaign Hires Media Consultant

October 26, 2009 by

Jamestown Associates Boasts Impressive Campaign Win Rate

Lake Zurich, IL — The Joe Walsh for Congress campaign has hired Jamestown Associates of Princeton, New Jersey to provide consulting and media services in Walsh’s race for the 8th Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Melissa Bean.

Jamestown Associates is responsible for more primary wins for Republican candidates than virtually any firm in the country, including a 7-way 2008 primary in New Jersey CD07 and a primary against an incumbent in Maryland CD01. Jamestown will be providing strategic counsel to the Walsh campaign as well as producing television, radio, direct mail, and Internet advertising.

Candidate Walsh says of his new advisors, “I am absolutely thrilled to be working with the team at Jamestown Associates. Like the rest of the 8th District, I’ve had enough of business as usual in Washington, and the folks at Jamestown understand our message and have produced some incredibly compelling messaging. I’m convinced that they can do what it takes to make sure our “had enough!” message is heard and delivered in a meaningful way in this race.”
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7th District: Joe Walsh Campaign Hires Media Consultant”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Illinois - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Lawmaker Gets ‘Tax Villain’ Award

October 26, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Senator James Clayborne wants to raise the Illinois State Income tax a whopping 67 percent on the citizenry and 33 percent on businesses. It amounts to thievery by the state and has earned Clayborne the title of “Tax Villain” for the month of October from the watchdog group National Taxpayers United of Illinois.

In this day when Illinois is almost bankrupt from its profligate spending, Clayborne wants to give this irresponsible government even more of the taxpayer’s money to waste. Of course, the out-of-control spending isn;t Illinois’ only problem.
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Illinois Lawmaker Gets ‘Tax Villain’ Award”

Budget - Business - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - Mayor Richard Daley - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Mayor Daley’s Empty Property Tax Rhetoric

October 26, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Paul Kroenke wrote a great piece on the empty bravado of Mayor Richard Daley and his populist claims that he won’t raise property taxes. Kroenke pretty much shows that because of the tax zones that Daley has set up across the city, he really can’t raise property taxes even if he wanted to do so.

Back on October 14, Daley played the populist by claiming that he was ruling out property tax hikes.

“You can’t [raise property taxes] … That would hurt people tremendously,” Daley said.

“You can only take so much. People are being laid off on a daily basis. People are getting cut back. They don’t have the money anymore. Government has to look at itself and find out what they can live with and what are their priorities. Simple as that.”

Don’t you feel all warm and fuzzy inside already?

It’s not an easy story to relate because of how convoluted the legal situation is, but Kroenke does fairly well putting it all out there. What the final take seems to be is that Daley has created what are called Tax Increment Financing zones across 30% of the city where property taxes are frozen at current rates for a 24-year period so, as it turns out, he can’t raise property taxes there anyway.
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Mayor Daley’s Empty Property Tax Rhetoric”

Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Illinois - State Government - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Chgo. Police Union Members Throw Fund Raiser for Officer Involved in Fatal DUI

October 25, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Chicago Police Detective Joe Frugoli was charged with Drunk Driving in an April accident that killed two people. Despite that, Chicago Police union members are throwing a fund raiser at their union facilities for Frugoli’s criminal defense fund despite that they found him at three times the legal limit during the accident.

Police said Frugoli’s blood-alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit when his Lexus SUV struck a car that had pulled over on the Dan Ryan Expressway north of 18th Street. The car exploded into flames and killed Andrew Cazares, 23, and Fausto Manzera, 21.

The Union’s president said that the union itself was not the sponsor of the fundraiser and that it was just planned by some members who “have a right” to use the facilities.

One would think that the union would be smart enough to tell its members that a fundraiser for a criminal cop responsible for the deaths of several young people through his negligence is not such a good idea, especially at union facilities. It casts way too much color of authority and support by the union on behalf of this criminal cop.

Not to begrudge his friends from donating money to him to help him out with his defense fund, but to hold this soiree? That is a step too far. After all, I am not an anti-cop sort of fellow, but this? This is just a little gauche, don’t you think?
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Chgo. Police Union Members Throw Fund Raiser for Officer Involved in Fatal DUI”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Illinois - Liberals - Mayor Richard Daley - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Now Mayor Daley is Floating a Water Sale?

October 24, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

To save his bloated city budget Mayor Daley sold the Chicago Skyway toll road. Then he sold the city parking meters. And now? Now Daley wants to sell the city water system in order to keep paying all his broken nosed pals their monthly stipend.

CBS Channel 2 is reporting that that Chicago is considering leasing its water system.

Apparently there is a local precedent for this idea already in the Will County city of Homer Glen that leased its city water services to a German-owned company.

Amusingly enough, the mayor of Homer Glen is also named Daley (no relation) and he told Channel 2 that his residents pay about three times more for their water than neighboring communities. Just imagine what Chicago’s residents will end up paying if Richard Daley sells off the city water contract!
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Now Mayor Daley is Floating a Water Sale?”

Chicago - Congress - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Illinois - Liberals - Socialism - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Stealth Daley Taxation: Paying for Parking ‘Thru the Nose’

October 24, 2009 by

Local artist Jeff Strong is obviously not a big fan of Chicago’s new, higher parking meter rates.

He’s designed a T-shirt to communicate his anti-meter feelings.

Strong has taken creative license with the new “Pay to Park” signs for the new pay and display meters that have gone up all around the city.

Congress - Cook County - Elections - GOP - Illinois - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Joe Walsh Becomes Official Candidate – Leaps to the Front in GOP Fundraising for 8th District Seat

October 19, 2009 by

A late entry into the race for the 8th Congressional District:

Lake Zurich, IL — The Joe Walsh for Congress Exploratory Committee is filing its paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission today. Joe Walsh is now an official candidate for the 8th District seat currently held by Melissa Bean and has begun raising the funds necessary to compete in the February Republican primary.

Mr. Walsh has spent the last few weeks meeting with voters, Republican Party officials, and conservative activists to assess the race. After an overwhelmingly positive response, Walsh formed an exploratory committee, launched a website (joewalshforcongress.com), evaluated campaign staff, and began collecting financial pledges for his potential run.
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Joe Walsh Becomes Official Candidate – Leaps to the Front in GOP Fundraising for 8th District Seat”

Budget - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Illinois - Liberals - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Suddenly, Mayor Daley is Pandering Against Taxes?

October 18, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Olympics was going to save the day. Then President Obama and wife Michelle made fools of themselves telling the Olympic committee how the Olympics would make them happy because they love sports, and they sat on their daddy’s laps watching sports, and they really, really, really love the Olympics. One vote and out was the president’s reward for wasting millions of the taxpayer’s money flying them to Copenhagen.

This presented a major problem for Mayor Daley, soon to run for reelection. He was hoping against hope that the Olympics would sweep into Chicago and save his floundering budget. The infusion of cash stolen from the American taxpayers and state taxpayers both would have floated King Daley’s criminal enterprises for another few years at least and make his election a dream.

But that pipe dream has gone up in smoke, hasn’t it?
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Suddenly, Mayor Daley is Pandering Against Taxes?”

Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Illinois - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Governor Recall Initiative Approved!

October 15, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The State legislature has approved a governor recall initiative for the 2010 ballot today.

When Illinois voters go to the polls in 2010 they will have the opportunity to vote to amend the Illinois Constitution to allow for a recall of an errant governor… finally.

In November of 2010, if 60 percent of Illinois voters vote “yes,” Illinois will at last be able to rid themselves of the sort of criminals with whom it has so often been saddled.

The current initiative, though, will not create a simple “vote them out” process to eliminate a criminal governor. Several provisions will have to be satisfied to facilitate the removal of a governor. One requirement will be that 30 legislators will have to vote to remove; 20 State Reps and 10 Senators (and no more than half of those voting must be of the same party).

Another one of the provisions is that the citizens must raise signatures on a removal petition counting 15 percent of the total number of voters that voted in the previous election. This petition will have a five month period for the names to be gathered.
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Governor Recall Initiative Approved!”

Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Illinois - Liberals - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Jim Ryan Launches Website for Gov Race

October 15, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In a step closer to formally entering the race for the GOP nomination for Illinois governor, former AG Jim Ryan has launched a Ryan for Governor website. Ryan is styling himself the "Anti-Blagojevich."

www.jimryan2010.com/

With a late entrant into the campaign, Ryan’s bid could shake up the field. Ryan’s polling claims that he is running even with Democrat candidate Dan Hynes and trails incumbent Governor Pat Quinn by only five points.

Of course, Ryan’s last name is a drawback. He is unfortunate enough to share the same last name as the now imprisoned former Governor George Ryan (though no relation). Jim Ryan was last involved in state politics when he ran for Governor against Rod Blagojevich in 2002 and his last name dragged him down even then.

There is one other problem with Jim Ryan’s history. Rich Miller reminds us that it is embodied in two words: Stu Levine.

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Jim Ryan Launches Website for Gov Race”

Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Illinois - Liberals - State Government - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Local Lawmakers Votes on Cook County Tax Repeal Bill

October 15, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Daily Herald posted the votes of the Chicago area legislators on the bill to repeal the Cook County sales tax hike.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House voted 65-51 to reject a plan that would have repealed the Cook County sales tax increase and required voter support for such tax increases. The proposal needed 71 votes for approval.

Local House members voting “yes”:
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Local Lawmakers Votes on Cook County Tax Repeal Bill”

ACORN - Anti-Americanism - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Communism - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Speech - Free Trade - Health - Illinois - Journalism - Liberals - Socialism - State Government - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Brave Mom Fights Forced Unionization and Gov. Quinn

October 15, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

We’ve been reporting to you of the outrageous under-the-radar actions of Governor Pat Quinn and his Executive Order 9-15. This EO both handed the private information of Illinois citizens to unions and set up a payoff for his union supporters by automatically unionizing hundreds of Illinois home healthcare workers whether they want to be unionized or not.

Well, one mother is fighting back. Pam Harris serves as the primary care specialist for her developmentally disabled son and in so doing receives some helpful funds from the state for that purpose. When she found out that Quinn’s EO gave her personal information to several unions she was concerned. And when she later found out that she would have to pay dues to a union even if she didn’t want to join one she became incensed.

In a report on our local Fox affiliate, Harris said, “When my doorbell rings at eleven thirty Sunday morning and there’s two people in purple shirts, one from California, one from Virginia– nice enough young people– nice enough, but that’s an invasion of my privacy.”

Harris is sure that no union will benefit her.
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Brave Mom Fights Forced Unionization and Gov. Quinn”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Communism - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Bunch of Hippie Wannabes Arrested in Chicago Over Healthcare

October 12, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A group of aging hippie wannabes grandiosely calling themselves the “Cigna Seven” got themselves arrested by “the man” on Thursday. You’d be excused if you weren’t aware of this because the media pretty much just yawned at the exploits of these few goof balls.

These elder statesmen of the wacko set got themselves pinched by the fuzz as they sat their graying, age spreading rear-ends in the entryway of Cigna Corp.’s Midwest offices in downtown Chicago. The charges were, of course, trespassing but they should have been charged with impersonating a serious American.

One of the idiotic things these nuts were touting as a serious idea is that healthcare is a “human right.” What a stupid claim. Rights are not something that can require someone else to do something for you. A right is something you exercise autonomously without requiring someone else’s participation. With that truth understood, how is it that a doctor’s care is a right? That would mean that to assure my “right” to healthcare, I’d have to compel some doctor to see me. Further, how is it that I’d have to pay that doctor to see me if his serving me is my right?

Someone needs to ask these morons why anyone would become a doctor if everyone else could compel them to serve everyone that comes through the door without paying for the “right” to be seen?

So, I have a great idea. I’ve decided it is my right to take the “Cigna Seven’s” cars and money. I say they OWE me their belongings. It’s my right dang it!
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Bunch of Hippie Wannabes Arrested in Chicago Over Healthcare”

Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Illinois - Jobs - Liberals - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Mayor Daley: How a Politician Lies

October 11, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

This week we’ve seen King Daley’s desperate attempt to get past his deep humiliation on losing the 2016 Olympics after spending so many years trying to convince the world that his corrupt kingdom was the ideal place for the games. The King’s brilliant idea was to reveal how he was going to save the city from its epidemic of youth violence.

A Chicago Tribune story reported the diminutive King’s plan to cure the city of violence in the wake of the death of a student near Fenger High school.

emphasized that families and parents need to take responsibility, but he also said the city would seek jobs for youths and expand current intervention programs in an attempt to address youth violence in Chicago.

Well, that is just a plain lie, Mr. Daley. It’s all just happy talk and BS, sir.

First of all, a Mayor cannot make any jobs, so the “seek jobs” line is so much stuff and nonsense. But wait, you may ask, can’t he make city jobs for these needy folks? Not really. In fact, the Chicago Reader has detailed how many jobs the city has had to cut because of budget shortfalls.

According to payroll records, the administration cut 2,245 jobs between March 2008 and October 2009, reducing the total city workforce to 36,296.

The Kingie can’t even produce any make-work city jobs for people… unless he wants to fire the children of his mobbed-up buddies that already have all the fake, make-work city jobs, that is.

So the city is going bankrupt, King Daley didn’t get his graft infusion by getting the Olympics, and all he can do is go begging to President Obama for some leavings from the federal table and hope he can make do with that.
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Mayor Daley: How a Politician Lies”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Cook Sales Tax Brings State Legislature Action

October 9, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

There are two bills that would help the majority of the members of the Cook County Board roll back President Todd Stroger’s (D) sales-tax increase currently waiting approval in the Illinois House after winning committee support on October 7.

The problem is that the rule for overturning a veto by the board president is a four-fifths majority requirement put in place in the 1870s to prevent board members that resided in the City of Chicago from dominating over the suburban members. As the interests of city Democrats have coincided more often with those of suburban Democrats, however, this requirement has recently placed more power in the board president’s hands.

The bills now about to hit the floor in the Illinois House would change the four-fifths requirement immediately. This, says Stroger spokesman Derek Blaida, is likely unconstitutional. Blaida argued that changing the rules in the middle of President Stroger’s term was improper.

This Summer an attempt by the County Board to overturn Stroger’s veto of their sales-tax roll back did not succeed even with 13 out of 17 of the commissioners backing the effort.
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Cook Sales Tax Brings State Legislature Action”

Cook County - Elections - Illinois - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Blogger Makes Bid for 62nd District

October 7, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Paul Mitchell of Hainesville has been running the Thoughts of a Regular Guy blog for at least 6 years at this point. Now, he’s decided to stop opining and start doing and so Mitchell recently announced a run for the 62nd District’s House seat in Springfield.

Mitchell has signed American’s for Tax Reform’s no-tax pledge, and has already spoken at several events in the area.

Mitchell is the second long-time blogger in Illinois that has stepped away from the keyboard to throw a hat in the ring. Matt Burden of the blog BlackFive is running for the 41st District seat.

Look for Paul Mitchell for the General Assembly, 62nd District on the web.
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Illinois Blogger Makes Bid for 62nd District”

Cook County - GOP - Illinois - Society/Culture - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Cook County and Naperville Nix Video Gambling

October 7, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Some news on the video gambling front. When the Ill. Legislature passed the OK for video gambling it included an opt out clause. Many cities and counties across the state are in the process of deciding if they want video gambling in their jurisdictions. This week, both Cook County and the city of Naperville decided that “no” is their choice.

The Cook County Board ruled on Tuesday that video gambling will be banned in unincorporated areas with an amendment by Commissioner Bridget Gainer of Chicago. The amendment won by a 10-4 vote.

Also on Tuesday, the City of Naperville voted 7-0 to ban video gambling within the city limits.

The new ordinance councilmen approved says the machines would “present a variety of adverse impacts on the residents of Naperville including the potential for corruption, impact on the costs of law enforcement, regulatory difficulties and high social costs.”

For more information, check out the website of Illinois Church Action.
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Cook County and Naperville Nix Video Gambling”

Chicago - Congress - Cook County - Elections - GOP - House of Representatives - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

5th District Congressional Race: Ratowitz Picks up an Endorsement

October 4, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

From the Ratowitz campaign: CHICAGO — David Ratowitz, a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress (IL-5), has received the enthusiastic endorsement of John J. Curry, long-time GOP activist and committeeman for Chicago’s 32nd Ward.

“Illinois and Chicago have been reeling from continual instances of political corruption. Therefore, it is a time when the Republican Party should promote new leaders with a commitment to freedom and good government. David Ratowitz is just such a candidate. A smart, credentialed young professional, David knows the issues and has been barnstorming the district with energy, motivating a new grassroots powerbase for the Republican Party. He has easily proven his ability as a candidate and as a prospective Congressman. For these reason, I personally endorse David for election in the Republican primary for U.S. Representative in the 5th Congressional District.” – John J. Curry

A third-generation Chicago Republican, Curry has been involved in numerous local, state and national Republican campaigns, include serving as an Illinois congressional district coordinator in 1980 for Ronald Reagan in his first presidential run. Curry was part of the Illinois delegation to both Reagan inaugurations and to the Republican National Convention in 1988. He also served as an RNC delegate in 2004.

A partner in the law firm of Polisinelli, Shalton, Flanigan, Suelthaus, PC, Curry helped found the Chicago Lawyers Division of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy, a Washington, D.C.-based public policy group. He also has been active with Project LEAP and like efforts to combat vote fraud in Chicago elections. Learn more about John Curry here http://www.johncurry32wardgop.com/.
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5th District Congressional Race: Ratowitz Picks up an Endorsement”

ACORN - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Illinois - Liberals - SEIU - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Capitol Fax Smacks Candidate Kelly Around

October 4, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Rich Miller’s Capitol Fax politics blog is one of the best Illinois political blogs out there… so, there, I said that right upfront. But I found Miller’s recent posting on the admittedly quixotic candidacy of William Kelly, well, a bit quixotic in itself, if only on one small point.

Last Wednesday, Capitol Fax found itself a bit confused by Mr. Kelly’s tactics for his campaign for Illinois Comptroller. Kelly, you see, has made a point to repeatedly go after current State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias as a way to gain public attention for his own race for Comptroller.

Mr. Kelly did an ambush styled video where he was following Giannoulias, a current Democratic Party candidate for Senate, down a hallway asking the State Treasurer why he’d be seeking and accepting an endorsement from the Service Employee’s International Union (SEIU), a group that is hip-deep with the criminal organization ACORN.
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Capitol Fax Smacks Candidate Kelly Around”

Budget - Conservatives - Cook County - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Illinois - Republicans - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Steve Rauschenberger Makes it Official

October 3, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Former State Senator Steven Rauschenberger has once again thrown his hat in the ring and announced a run for his old Senate seat from the Elgin area’s 22nd District, a seat he held for 14 years.

Rauschenberger entered the State Legislature in 1992 and gained fame as one of the “Fab Five,” a group of five conservative senators that rode herd on Democratic overspending. In 2007, Rauschenberger explored a bid for governor but ultimately settled on a run as lt. gov. on a ticket with Ron Gidwitz. They lost the GOP nomination to the Topinka/Birkett ticket.

Here is the announcement from the Rauschenberger campaign:
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Steve Rauschenberger Makes it Official”

Chicago - Congress - Conservatives - Cook County - Elections - GOP - Illinois - Republicans - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

14th District Race: Ethan Hastert Signs ATRs No-Tax Pledge

October 3, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In the race for the GOP nomination for Congress, Ethan Hastert has made a bit of news this week by signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform.

ATR reports that Hastert is the second candidate to sign the pledge.

ATR’s Announcement:
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14th District Race: Ethan Hastert Signs ATRs No-Tax Pledge”

Business - Capitalism - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Illinois - Liberals - Republicans - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

More Illinois Citizens Live in Poverty Since Year 2000

October 2, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press is reporting that the poverty rate in Illinois has jumped from 10.7 percent in 2000 to 12.2 percent in 2008, the last year for which we have Census Bureau data. That comes out to about 1.5 million Illinois citizens living below the poverty line.

Hardest hit were some of the counties in Northern Illinois in and around the Chicago area.

The drops in income were particularly steep in several northern Illinois counties, DuPage, Kane and Winnebago. For instance, in DuPage County, the median income has declined $10,690 since 2000, from $87,723 to $77,033.

One of the things that made this poverty rate climb is the horrendous business climate that Illinoisans suffer under. In 2008 the Directorship’s Boardroom Guide to State Litigation Climates compiled by the Foundation for Fair Civi Justice ranked Illinois as the state with the worst business climate. In 2009 it ranked second just under Pennsylvania.

Winning the dubious distinction of having the worst business climate in the country is not a way to entice new business to come to the Land of Lincoln to bring the new jobs that Illinois needs to raise its citizens out of poverty.
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More Illinois Citizens Live in Poverty Since Year 2000″

Cook County - Elections - GOP - Republicans - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Da Coach, Mike Ditka Endorses Pat Hughes for Senate

October 1, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Mike Ditka, famous for being the coach of the Chicago Bears, endorsed Senate candidate Patrick Hughes at a Hughes fundraiser at Ditka’s restaurant on Wednesday.

Speaking to a gathering of Hughes supporters at Ditka’s Restaurant last night, Da Coach said, “I pledge all my support to Patrick Hughes and I will help him in any way I can. Patrick Hughes stands for the same mainstream values that Mike Ditka stands for. Patrick Hughes knows who he is and what he believes. He knows that Washington is not the answer to all of our problems today.” […]

Hughes continued, “I said that my campaign would seek the support of grassroots Illinois residents, not the Washington lobbyists and politicians who my major challenger Mark Kirk has courted for endorsements and money. Mike Ditka represents the values of real grassroots voters of Illinois in the finest sense.”

Patrick Hughes is the assumed underdog facing Rep. Mark Kirk for the GOP nomination for the 2010 Senate race.

Check out Hughes on the net: Hughes for Senate
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Da Coach, Mike Ditka Endorses Pat Hughes for Senate”

Congress - Cook County - Elections - House of Representatives - Illinois - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - Republicans - Society/Culture - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Grudge Match Between Republicans Lauzen and Oberweis Over 14th District Primary?

October 1, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Hill is reporting that the upcoming 14th District GOP primary is shaping up as a grudge match between two Republicans that aren’t even in the race. According the The Hill this is a grudge match between State Senator Chris Lauzen and wannabe anything Jim Oberweis, both candidates that vied for that seat in the 2008 special election that sent Democrat Bill Foster to Washington.

The 14th District Congressional seat was the one that Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert held until he resigned in 2008. Hastert’s son Ethan Hastert is now running for the GOP nomination for his father’s old seat.

This “grudge match” meme pushed by The Hill is a result of the formal entry into the primary race of State Senator Randy Hultgren who threw his hat in the ring earlier in the week. Hultgren was elected to the State Senate in 2006 and served in the Illinois House for eight years previous to that. (1999-2007).
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Grudge Match Between Republicans Lauzen and Oberweis Over 14th District Primary?”

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AWF: Ill. Gov. Invades Privacy of State’s Citizens

October 1, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Alliance for Worker Freedom has decided to send a letter to replacement Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois asking him how much his favoritism and goodies given to unions in the state have cost the taxpayers of Illinois. (I say “replacement gov.” because Quinn is the former Lt. Gov. that became the accidental gov. when Rod Blagojevich was indicted and then impeached from office)

Quinn is guilty of handing over the personal information of thousands of Illinois home-based support workers that receive state aid to take care of family members with severe medical conditions to several unions so that the unions could attempt to strongarm these people into a union. The executive order is #09-15, the Collective Bargaining By Individual Providers of Home-Based Support Services order.

Without regard to the privacy of the personal information of these people that receive state aid to take care of their relatives in their own homes, Gov. Quinn freely handed over their phone numbers and addresses to any union that wanted them. Many home healthcare workers have since been accosted by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) recruiters as well as operatives from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
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AWF: Ill. Gov. Invades Privacy of State’s Citizens”