Congress

Adam Kinzinger - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Kinzinger Votes to Eliminate Burdensome 1099 Requirements for Job Creators

March 4, 2011 by

From the office of Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R, ILL., 11th District)…

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) today released the following statement on H.R. 4, the Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act of 2011, legislation that would strip the 1099 requirement on businesses. H.R. 4 passed the House by a vote of 314 -112:

“Today’s House passage of the 1099 repeal brings us one step closer toward rolling back one of the most illogical requirements that Washington Democrats snuck into the health care bill last year.

“This legislation is a significant step toward restoring confidence in our economy for small businesses as well as the taxpayers and would reduce federal spending by $20 billion over ten years and reduce taxes by $19.7 billion.
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Kinzinger Votes to Eliminate Burdensome 1099 Requirements for Job Creators”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Roskam On Senate Passing House Short-Term CR

March 3, 2011 by

From the office of Congressman Peter Roskam (Ill., 6th)…

WASHINGTON – Rep. Peter Roskam (IL-06), Chief Deputy Whip, issued the following statement after the Senate passed the House Republicans’ two-week CR that cut $4 billion:

“I applaud the Senate for passing the House Republicans’ plan to avoid shutting down the government while also cutting $4 billion in spending. With two extra weeks, the Senate now has more than enough time to debate and vote on the original seven-month continuing resolution that cut $100 billion – important cuts that begin to remove barriers to job creation. Since the Senate has now accepted the premise that we need to cut $4 billion over two weeks, they should easily support the seven-month CR which cuts spending at the same rate. My constituents have made it very clear they want Congress to tighten its belt, live within its means, and reduce spending and regulations to remove barriers to job creation.”

Roskam, however, says we aren’t done. In a recent Op Ed in The Hill Roskam wrote:
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Roskam On Senate Passing House Short-Term CR”

Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - Liberals - President - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

We’ve Got to Stop Spending Money We Don’t Have

March 2, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

This is the video that was shown to the Republican Senators at their weekly caucus luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011.

The video highlights the president’s unsustainable fiscal path and how his ideas on the budget adds to our national debt and at the same time failing to address the serious fiscal problems facing the country.

Senate Republicans realize that we must stop the wild spending of money we do not have if we want to put the country back on the path to fiscal health so that we can create the jobs we sorely need.

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We’ve Got to Stop Spending Money We Don’t Have”

Adam Kinzinger - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Colombia - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - GOP - Government - Illinois - Liberals - Panama - President - Republicans - South Korea - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Kinzinger Votes to Cut $4 Billion to Keep Government Open, Urges Obama to Act on Trade

March 2, 2011 by

From the office of Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger (11th District)…

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) released the following statement on today’s bipartisan House vote to cut $4 billion in government spending and keep the government open through March 18, 2011.

“Today, the House passed legislation that cuts $4 billion in wasteful spending and will keep the government running for another two weeks. It is high time that we cut up the government’s credit cards and draw a hard line to stop the government from overspending which is hampering job creation.

“However, two weeks worth of spending cuts is simply not enough to sustain our economy, which is why ten days ago, the House passed H.R. 1, legislation that would fund the government through the end of the 2011 Fiscal Year.
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Kinzinger Votes to Cut $4 Billion to Keep Government Open, Urges Obama to Act on Trade”

Adam Andrzejewski - Budget - Congress - Democracy - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Kinzinger Calls for Serious Efforts to Address the Budget

February 28, 2011 by 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last week I wondered aloud if Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R, 11th District) was going against his claims of being fiscally responsible when I saw his poor support of the budget cuts in HR1.

There were 22 budget cutting measures in HR1 and Kinzinger only supported 38% of those cuts. I found this odd for a guy that ran as a fiscal hawk. I have, however, had communication with the newly minted congressman over this issue and he has a logical explanation for not having voted for all the cost-cutting amendments.

First of all Kinzinger reiterated that he “strongly supports the additional cuts” that the freshman class in Congress is pushing. He remains an advocate of the cuts being pushed “behind the scenes,” too. But he feels that he wasn’t given enough time to fully understand the amendments in HR1 and he felt it wasn’t proper for him to vote on amendments he didn’t fully understand. In that case he only voted on the amendments he felt he fully understood.
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Kinzinger Calls for Serious Efforts to Address the Budget”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Liberals - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Beer Tab Economics: How We All Lose With The Tax Code

February 27, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Ten friends decided that they would pay for their bar tab the way they pay their taxes. The first $100 beer tab was paid like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing
The fifth would pay $1
The sixth would pay $3
The seventh would pay $7
The eighth would pay $12
The ninth would pay $18
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59

It seemed fair and equitable and they paid the bar tab like this for weeks.

Then one day, since they were such good customers, the bar owner happily announced that he’d reduce their bar tab by $20 to only $80

So the bar tab was paid like this:
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Beer Tab Economics: How We All Lose With The Tax Code”

Budget - Congress - Conservatives - GOP - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Roskam Statement on Short-Term Continuing Resolution

February 27, 2011 by

From the office of Congressman Peter Roskam (Ill., 6th District)…

WASHINGTON – Rep. Peter Roskam, Chief Deputy Whip, issued the following statement about the short-term Continuing Resolution that would prevent a government shutdown while also cutting $4 billion:

“House Republicans are showing once more that we’re fully committed to preventing a government shutdown while also ensuring Washington makes necessary spending cuts that will begin to remove barriers to job creation. After already sending the Senate a fiscally responsible Continuing Resolution, we will soon send a second short-term CR – one that also cuts spending and keeps the government running – and which gives the Senate more time to consider the original. The onus is now squarely on Senate Democrats to not force a government shutdown by passing this two-week resolution – a resolution that cuts earmark slush funds and programs that even President Obama supports cutting. Americans overwhelmingly want Washington to tighten its belts and reduce government spending, not preserve the status-quo.”

http://roskam.house.gov/

Afghanistan - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Ethics - Government - Guantanamo Bay - Liberals - Nanny State - Policy - President - Stimulus - Taxes - Terrorism - Transparency - Warner Todd Huston

Most Lawless President Ever: Hiding Lobbyist Meetings, Refusing to Prosecute Laws, Ignoring Duties

February 25, 2011 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

In 2008 Obama ran for president claiming that he wanted to make Washington more transparent than ever. Obama ran as the law-and-order man, he ran as the anti-lobbyist man, and he ran as the man for all the people, the great centrist that would finally work for the people. He ran saying that Bush was a lawless president and that he, Obama, would shut down the illicit Guantanamo facility and immediately end all the “illegal wars” that Bush was prosecuting.

As president we’ve seen that he’s lied with all those claims.

One of Obama’s main bogeymen has been lobbyists. He claimed that he’d purge them from Washington. But the truth was a far different thing once he fairly became president. In fact, as soon as he became president Obama began to waive the rules that were supposed to keep lobbyists out of his administration.
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Most Lawless President Ever: Hiding Lobbyist Meetings, Refusing to Prosecute Laws, Ignoring Duties”

Aaron Schock - Adam Kinzinger - Budget - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Earmarks - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Regulation - Republicans - Taxes - The Heritage Foundation - Warner Todd Huston

How Did Ill. Representatives Vote on Cost Cutting (HR1)?

February 25, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last week, the House of Representatives passed HR 1. This bill was the 2011 continuing appropriations act, the bill that makes provisions to fund the federal government. It also contained $61 billion in cuts.

There were 21 different cost cutting measures in the bill. So, how did our Illinois Representatives vote on HR 1? How many of the amendments did our reps vote “yes” for?

Republicans
Walsh (R, 8th): 100%
Manzullo (R, 16th): 95%
Roskam (R, 6th): 81%
Johnson (R, 15th): 76%
Shimkus (R, 19th): 67%
Hultgren (R, 14th): 62%
Schilling (R, 17th): 57%
Schock (R, 18th): 57%
Dold (R, 10th): 38%
Kinzinger (R, 11th): 38%
Biggert (R, 13th): 25%

Congratulations to Joe Walsh for being a 100% man! Manzullo and Roskam are not too shabby, either. Sadly a few of our newest Reps are in Democrat territory with their weak support of the most number of cost cutting measures. I mean, 38 percent for Kinzinger?? That is horrible. Is Adam Kinzinger a big government guy after all his claims on the campaign trail? Left-winger Biggert’s Democrat-styled votes are no surprise. One is continually surprised she is still pretending to be a Republican.
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How Did Ill. Representatives Vote on Cost Cutting (HR1)?”

Budget - Business - Canada - Capitalism - CATO Institute - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Financial Reform - Liberals - President - Regulation - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

What Did Reagan Do and How Have Other Nations Solved Their Fiscal Problems?

February 23, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation at CATO has made a few videos that help us understand how we have fixed some of our fiscal troubles in the past. In part two they also looked at a few foreign countries. Now, I have to admit that I am not much interested in what other nations do about anything. They aren’t America. Still, in part two below the folks at the CATO Institute have pointed out a few things that are instructive, if not a tad wonky.

These videos are worth taking a look at.

Spending Restraint, Part I: Lessons from Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton

Spending Restraint, Part II: Lessons from Canada, Ireland, Slovakia, and New Zealand

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What Did Reagan Do and How Have Other Nations Solved Their Fiscal Problems?”

Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Liberals - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Roskam: We did it‏

February 22, 2011 by 1 Comment

From the office of Congressman Peter Roskam (R, Ill. 6th District)…

Over the weekend, House Republicans made good on their promise to the American people. The House of Representatives passed a historic $100 billion in spending cuts in the continuing resolution bill to fund the government. These are important first steps to removing barriers to job creation and reducing our sky-high national debt. What’s more, it was done in a historic open process.

The only reason Congress had to address this issue now is because Democrats failed to pass a budget in 2011 – however, Republicans took the challenge and turned it into an opportunity to do something meaningful by helping our economy and beginning to get our fiscal house in order.
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Roskam: We did it‏”

Adam Kinzinger - Anti-Americanism - Congress - Constitution - DOJ - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Immigration/Immigrants - Mexico - Regulation - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

Kinzinger to Offer Amendment to Block Taxpayer Funding for DOJ Lawsuit against Arizona Immigration Law

February 19, 2011 by

From the office of Congressman Adam Kinzinger (11th District)…

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) will offer an amendment on the House floor that would eliminate taxpayer funding for the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit filed against Arizona last July over its immigration enforcement law (SB 1070).

Washington’s failure to secure borders, has led states like Arizona to take matters up themselves. Kinzinger says it is unfair to ask hardworking citizens to fund the DOJ’s agenda.

“Rather than wasting time and taxpayer dollars suing states, the DOJ must turn its focus toward enforcing current immigration laws,” said Kinzinger. “The federal government should be working to make Arizonians feel secure rather than using money from their own paychecks to fund an attack against them in federal court.”
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Kinzinger to Offer Amendment to Block Taxpayer Funding for DOJ Lawsuit against Arizona Immigration Law”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Jobs - Liberals - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Stimulus - Taxes - Uncategorized - Warner Todd Huston

Roskam On Failed Stimulus Birthday Eve: We Don’t Need a Budget Like the Stimulus

February 18, 2011 by 1 Comment

From the office of Congressman Peter Roskam (6th District)…

Roskam: “The President recently said that people were getting impatient about the pace of reform and that things weren’t changing fast enough. Yeah, two years out people are plenty impatient. You bet your life they’re impatient.”

WASHINGTON – Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (IL-06) released the following video on the eve of the second anniversary of President Obama signing the trillion dollar “stimulus” law. The White House promised that the “stimulus” would prevent unemployment from rising above 8%. Two years later, and for 22 months straight, national unemployment remains at or above 9%:

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Roskam On Failed Stimulus Birthday Eve: We Don’t Need a Budget Like the Stimulus”

Adam Kinzinger - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Mark Kirk - President - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Kinzinger and Kirk’s First Order of Business in Congress: Get Spending Under Control

February 18, 2011 by

From the office of Congressman Adam Kinzinger (11th District)…

Washington, D.C. — A little over a month after his swearing-in to Congress, U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) today introduced the Spending Control Act, legislation that will force Congress to control federal spending.

“I’m pleased to join my colleague, Senator Mark Kirk (IL), to introduce legislation that will work toward ending the Washington spending spree,” said Representative Kinzinger. “We have tough decisions to make and the Spending Control Act will force both sides to roll up our sleeves in order to implement these solutions that will get our economy back on solid ground while living within our means.”
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Kinzinger and Kirk’s First Order of Business in Congress: Get Spending Under Control”

Conservatives - GOP - Government - Republicans - Ron Paul - Warner Todd Huston

New ACU Chief Al Cardenas Puts Ron Paul on Notice

February 17, 2011 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The American Conservative Union (ACU) is the entity that runs the biggest annual conservative event, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Next year CPAC will be headed by a new face, Al Cardenas. Now former Chairman David Keene turns over the reigns to Cardenas after the 2011 CPAC event.

Cardenas has a compelling story, indeed. He was born in Havana, Cuba in 1948 and came to America in 1960 when his parents fled Castro’s communist takeover. Cardenas has been heavily involved in the Florida State GOP and he worked for Ronald Reagan’s campaigns in Florida starting in 1975.

I had an opportunity to interview Mr. Cardenas about his new role with the ACU and this naturally led to questions of the current controversies going on at CPAC. I focused on the Ron Paul fans that caused so much ruckus this year and Cardenas seemed to put the Paulites on notice that they may not be invited again.

At about 5 minutes into our interview I asked Cardenas about the disruptions that occurred specifically during the appearances of Vice President Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. Cardenas replied that, “those who decide to consciously breach [civility] maybe shouldn’t be part of CPAC and we’ll keep that in mind for the future.”

It sure seems as if Cardenas just put the Paulites on notice that they may not be invited next year.

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New ACU Chief Al Cardenas Puts Ron Paul on Notice”

Budget - Congress - Conservatives - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Jobs - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

CPAC 2011: Some Random Photos

February 16, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

[Note: I apologize for not posting the last few days. When I got back from Washington I was struck with the worst sickness I’ve ever had. Don’t know if it is developing into strep throat or pneumonia, but it’s hit me hard. I slept 1 hours last night! Haven’t done that since I was a kid. Coughing so hard I pulled a muscle under my ribs.]

I have a few photos of some of the notables I encountered at CPAC still sitting around, so this post is as good as any to get them posted, I suppose.

I know you’ll be shocked, but some of these photos have me in them, too! I can be such a fanboy sometimes. But there is a method to my madness. Years ago when I first started this blogging thing I wrote about meeting a big name politician (at this point I can no longer remember who it was) and I wrote a post about the interview. I immediately had some mope reply in the comments section that I never met the pol and was just making the story up.

So now, if it is possible, I take photos of me and which ever pol I meet to prove to the skeptical Internet tubules that I really was there!

… well, that’s as good a story as any, isn’t it?


Former Virginia Governor and Senator George Allen


Iowa Congressman Steve King

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CPAC 2011: Some Random Photos”

Barack Obama - Budget - Chicago - Congress - Conservatives - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - John Bolton - Liberals - Mike Pence - Newt Gingrich - President - Republicans - Rick Santorum - Ronald Reagan - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

VIDEO: Speeches Given at Illinois GOP Reagan Dinner Gingrich, Bolton, Kirk, Rutherford

February 10, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last weekend I attended the Ronald Reagan 100th birthday dinner held by the Illinois Republican Party. I filmed all the speeches given and I am finally done making the video for these speeches. I did not get Ill. GOP Chairman Pat Brady’s address, but I did get the others.

In order of appearance, the dinner featured Senator Mark Kirk, Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Congressman Mike Pence, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, and finally Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford.

I do not have Santorum’s comments here because he went on so long YouTube won’t accept my video upload because it is too long. If I remember, next week I will split his video in half and try again. Chicago talk show hosts Don Wade and Roma also appeared, but their bit was fluff and I did not bother recoding it.

The sound isn’t the best in the world, but it is at least intelligible.

Senator Mark Kirk At The Illinois Reagan Dinner


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VIDEO: Speeches Given at Illinois GOP Reagan Dinner Gingrich, Bolton, Kirk, Rutherford”

Conservatives - DuPage County - Elections - GOP - Government - Hispanics - Illinois - Race - Republicans - Tea Party

Is Rafael Rivadeneira DuPage County’s Bad Hispanic?

February 9, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The soap opera As the World Turns was canceled last summer, but apparently the political scene in DuPage County is trying to revive it. Well, if not the show than at least the drama. This one has a Hispanic twist, too. It comes in the person of conservative Rafael Rivadeneira, Tea Party favorite and President of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Illinois (“RNHA of Illinois”)…. or is he?

Over last weekend the RNHA held its annual convention in Dixon, Illinois. There Rivadeneira was reelected to the position of RNHA president. But apparently not everyone was happy with the outcome. OK, “not happy” is an understatement. Some were so mad that they spilt the event in half and marched over to another hotel and elected their own slate of leaders.

Now, that’s drama.
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Is Rafael Rivadeneira DuPage County’s Bad Hispanic?”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Free Trade - Government - Jobs - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Regulation - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Now THERE’S Chutzpah: Obama Claims He hasn’t Raised Taxes?

February 8, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

John Kartch over at Americans for Tax Reform found President Obama’s claim that he hasn’t raised taxes a bit, shall we say, quixotic. At one point in the interview with Obama conducted by Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly and shown on Sunday, Obama stated bald faced that he didn’t do so. The truth seems to be a different animal, however.

Employing his best preacher’s alliterative mode by repeating it twice, Obama told O’Reilly, “I didn’t raise taxes once. I lowered taxes over the last two years. I lowered taxes for the last two years.”

But did he hold the line on taxes? Kartch shows that Obama’s claim does not hold water. In fact, “just sixteen days into his presidency,” Kartch reminds us, Obama raised taxes on tobacco by 156 percent! Then came Obamacare, little else but a defacto tax hike in at least a dozen areas.

And then there is the smoke and mirrors:
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Now THERE’S Chutzpah: Obama Claims He hasn’t Raised Taxes?”

Barack Obama - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - Nancy Pelosi - Politico - President - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

More Evidence that Centrists Democrats Are Dead

February 8, 2011 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Ben Smith of POLITICO is reporting that the Democrat leadership Council is on it’s last paws and about to go belly up. This is one more little hint that the centrist, the moderate, or the “Blue Dog” Democrat is truly an extinct animal in America today. The Donkey’s big tent is more like a birdcage cover any more and apparently that cage holds only the red crested, double fisted, lefty bird.

The Democratic Leadership Council was the “iconic” centrist Democrat political organization founded during the Clinton years that had quite a lot of influence at the time. Many styled the DLC as the rebirth of the Democrat Party after the failures of the liberal wing in the 60s and 70s. But as the years have worn onward, there have been fewer and fewer centrist Democrats to be had with few of them in any position of power in Washington. With the Pelosi/Reid/Obama wing of the Democrats gaining power the Democrat Party itself has marched quickly toward the far left leaving the small coterie of Blue Dogs on the outside looking in.
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More Evidence that Centrists Democrats Are Dead”

Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Liberals - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

VIDEO: Harry Reid and the Mystery Of The Draconian Budget Cuts

February 7, 2011 by 1 Comment

Do you need a visual representation to help you understand the budget mess and the inadequate cuts being discussed? Well here it is. And you can couple it with a drinking game, too, apparently…

You can see other great videos like this at the 1,000 Pennies YouTube page.

Chicago - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Pat Brady - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

VIDEO: Short Interview With Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady

February 7, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

On February 5, 2011, I attended the Illinois GOP Ronald Reagan 100th Birthday Diner and there I had the opportunity to have a quick few minutes with Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady. I asked him about how the Ill. GOP intends to capitalize on the GOP gains in the rest of the country. I also threw him a curve ball and asked about a Quinn recall over the tax issue to see what he’d say.

I also spoke with a few other GOP notables that night. Unfortunately, I only got a scant few minutes with them all.

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VIDEO: Short Interview With Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady”

Chicago - Cook County - Egypt - GOP - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Mark Kirk - President - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

VIDEO: Short Interview With Illinois Senator Mark Kirk

February 7, 2011 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

On February 5, 2011, I attended the Illinois GOP Ronald Reagan 100th Birthday Diner and there I had the opportunity to have a quick few minutes with Illinois Senator Mark Kirk. I asked him about some of the issues of the day, chiefly the Egypt question.

I also spoke with a few other GOP notables that night. Unfortunately, I only got a scant few minutes with them all.

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VIDEO: Short Interview With Illinois Senator Mark Kirk”

Chicago - Conservatives - Egypt - Elections - GOP - Illinois - John Bolton - President - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

VIDEO: Short Interview With Presidential Candidate John Bolton

February 7, 2011 by 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

On February 5, 2011, I attended the Illinois GOP Ronald Reagan 100th Birthday Diner and there I had the opportunity to have a quick few minutes with former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton. I asked him about his aspirations for running for president and about the Egypt question.

I also spoke with a few other GOP notables that night. Unfortunately, I only got a scant few minutes with them all.

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VIDEO: Short Interview With Presidential Candidate John Bolton”

Business - Chicago - Egypt - Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - President - Republicans - Rick Santorum - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

VIDEO: Short Interview With Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum

February 7, 2011 by 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

On February 5, 2011, I attended the Illinois GOP Ronald Reagan 100th Birthday Diner and there I had the opportunity to have a quick few minutes with former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania Rick Santorum. I asked him about his aspirations for running for president and about the Egypt question.

I also spoke with a few other GOP notables that night. Unfortunately, I only got a scant few minutes with them all.

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VIDEO: Short Interview With Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum”

Congress - Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Government - President - Republicans - Ronald Reagan - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

Ronald Reagan: Father of the Tea Party

February 6, 2011 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

We are still living in Ronald Reagan’s era, despite the constant refrains from Democrats and the left that Reaganism is long dead. As we observe his 100th birthday, it is also beneficial to point out that in many ways Reagan is the father of the Tea Party Movement. It was his great success, his sunny optimism that gave the Tea Partiers the grounding and confidence that they could, indeed, make a difference.

Like many politically active people today, Ronald Reagan is my favorite president in my lifetime. For me, he was also the first president for whom I could vote and I did so with glee.

In fact, if it weren’t for Ronald Reagan I may well have entered my voting age with too much cynicism to overcome in order to make me feel invested in the system. I’d posit that this is true for most Tea Party patriots older than 40, too. I would also argue that the Reagan effect is responsible for giving Tea Partiers the feeling that they could affect government like Reagan did and that without Reagan there’d be no Tea Party movement at all.
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Ronald Reagan: Father of the Tea Party”

Budget - Chicago - Communism - Congress - GOP - Government - Illinois - Peter Roskam - President - Republicans - Ronald Reagan - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Celebrating Reagan’s Legacy‏

February 6, 2011 by

From Congressman Peter Roskam (Ill., 6th District)…

This Sunday, February 6, marks the late President Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday. Particularly given our country’s current economic challenges, it is fitting we take some time to reflect on the legacy of this great American.

When President Reagan took office in January of 1981, our country was experiencing great hardships – not unlike today, he faced an economic recession and record unemployment. However, unlike the current Administration, President Reagan approached these challenges with a conviction that the American people could pick themselves up – as long as government stayed out of the way.

Take a minute to watch this video from the Heritage Foundation:

Reagan’s years in the White House were marked by a determined drive to shrink the size and cost of government and make America strong again. As a result, he ushered in one of the greatest periods of prosperity in the history of the United States.
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Celebrating Reagan’s Legacy‏”

Chicago - Conservatives - Cook County - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - President - Republicans - Ronald Reagan - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Seen at the Illinois Reagan Dinner…

February 6, 2011 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

I just got home from the Illinois GOP Ronald Reagan 100th Birthday dinner and before I turn info the night I wanted to give a quick account of some of the folks I ran into this evening.

Seen tonight was 6th District Representative Peter Roskam, the Chief Deputy Whip. I also saw Adam Andrzejewski, chief of For The Good of Illinois and former Illinois Gubernatorial candidate, John Garrido candidate for 45th Ward Alderman, Dave Dierson of the famous GOPUSA daily email report, former candidate for Attny General Steve Kim, former 59th District candidate Dan Sugrue, activist John Bambeneck, John Tillman and the folks from the Illinois Policy Institute, Fran Eaton and the folks at the United Republican Fund as well as Illinois Review and many others (as I remember more, I’ll add them later).

A few old blogger friends were also in attendance…


From left to right: Paul Miller, Myself, John Ruberry of MarathonPundit, and Paul Mitchell of Thoughts of a Regular Guy


Adam Andrzejewski (center) and John Garrido and his lovely wife
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Seen at the Illinois Reagan Dinner…”

Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - DuPage County - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Jobs - Liberals - Peter Roskam - President - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Roskam Statement on January Jobs Report

February 5, 2011 by

From Congressman Peter Roskam (Ill., 6th District)…

Washington, DC – Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL), Majority Chief Deputy Whip, issued the following statement after the Department of Labor released their January jobs report:

“President Obama and Democrats promised that if we just spent a trillion dollars on the ‘stimulus’, unemployment would stay below eight percent. Two years later, unemployment remains at nine percent, and our economy is still feeling the effects of the Democrats’ spending binge that brought trillions in debt, but not jobs. The 21st consecutive month of unemployment levels at nine percent or more is proof enough that it’s time to enact Republican plans to cut spending and regulation to grow jobs.
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Roskam Statement on January Jobs Report”