Ill Gov Race: GOPs Brady Has Bigger Bang for Fundraising Bucks

-By Warner Todd Huston

Ed McClelland over at NBC Chicago’s Ward Room blog makes a good point about reports of the two gubernatorial candidate’s fundraising. Both seem to be claiming to have $2.3 million on hand going into this leg of the campaign. But, McClelland makes the point that so far Brady’s $2.3 million is “bigger” than Quinn’s.

How is that?

Well, Brady has gotten the benefit of money from the Republican Governors Association for ads and whatnot while Quinn has not benefitted much from the Democrat Governors Association. That means that Brady doesn’t have to spend as much of his $2.3 million to reach voters as Quinn does.
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Ill Gov Race: GOPs Brady Has Bigger Bang for Fundraising Bucks”


(Ill. Congresswoman) Bean’s Crime Inc: What Third Way Does

A multi-part series from the Palatine Tea Party…

(Palatine, Illinois) – Congresswoman Melissa Bean is one of the Honorary Co-Chairs of the Third Way Foundation, formerly known as the Progressive Foundation.

What Third Way Does
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(Ill. Congresswoman) Bean’s Crime Inc: What Third Way Does”


After Giving Raises, Now Ill. Gov Cuts Staffer’s Pay

-By Warner Todd Huston

If this isn’t a reed-in-the-wind sort of move, I’m not sure what is? If you’ll recall a few weeks ago Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn was left trying to explain why he was giving his staffers big raises even as he was gallivanting about the state saying how we are out of money and that we’d need to cut the budget. Well this week he is cutting staffer’s pay giving them more furlough days.

After giving out raises, now Quinn is trying to save face from that tone deaf move and requiring his staffers to endure 24 furlough days this year instead of the previous 12 day cut.

And Quinn is now putting up a grand show of his seriousness on fiscal issues by hectoring every government office to make such cuts.
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After Giving Raises, Now Ill. Gov Cuts Staffer’s Pay”


(2nd District) Hayes: Position Paper on U.S. Defense

From the Hayes for Congress campaign (2nd District)…

CHICAGO: Republican nominee for Illinois 2ndCongressional District Isaac Hayes published his position paper on U.S. Defense Policy today, calling for the United States to continue to lead the world toward freedom and liberty.

American National Defense Principles

The American defense policy is to seek and support democracy and its institutions in every nation-state and culture across the globe, with the ultimate goal of ending tyrannical regimes around the world. Achieving this high goal is the work of current and future American generations. The United States is in the early years of a long and tough fight similar to what our country faced in the early years of the Cold War. The twentieth century experienced the victory of freedom over the serious menaces of Fascism, Nazism, and Communism. Currently, a new totalitarian ideology threatens our freedom and democratic values and ideas around the globe. It is an ideology not based in a secular political philosophy, but in the extreme political and social beliefs of a religion. Its contest may be different from the old totalitarian political ideologies of the last century, but its means are similar: intolerance, terror, murder, enslavement, and total repression.
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(2nd District) Hayes: Position Paper on U.S. Defense”


(10th District) Dold’s Fundraising Report

From the Dold for Congress campaign (10th District)…

Yesterday we filed our second quarter fundraising totals with the Federal Election Commission. We raised approximately $561,000 and have $722,000 cash on hand, almost identical numbers to our opponent. We’re well-positioned to take Robert’s message to voters through television, radio and internet advertising, and we have to keep our fundraising push going strong!

Our grassroots volunteer team is also up and working hard for Robert in the district. We’re phone banking every day, and this week the team made more than 9,000 calls to 10th District voters. They gave out yard signs, campaign literature and thousands of bumper stickers across the District.
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(10th District) Dold’s Fundraising Report”


Illinois ‘Mob Banker’ Can’t Raise Money?

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Hill is reporting that Democrat Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias is having trouble raising money, which is amusing because as a failed banker he gave away millions to a pair of mobsters that never paid back the “loan”

The Hill reports that Giannoulias “struggled to raise money in the aftermath of his family bank’s collapse in April.”

Giannoulias has raised only some $900,000 since March 31 — the bulk of it in June. His Republican opponent, Mark Kirk, collected close to $1 million that same month. And Kirk was dealing with his own scandal — the fallout from inaccuracies in reporting his Navy service record at the time.

Giannoulias raised less than half of Kirk’s total, and the Republican now has almost a four-to-one cash on hand advantage.

If you’ll recall — and the Hill notes — that VP Biden recently ambled into town to raise finds for the Democrats “mob banker” but apparently even “no body messes with” Joe Biden isn’t able to help Giannoulias.
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Illinois ‘Mob Banker’ Can’t Raise Money?”


(Ill. Congresswoman) Bean’s Crime Inc: What Third Way Believes

A multi-part series from the Palatine Tea Party…

Congresswoman Melissa Bean is one of the Honorary Co-Chairs of the Third Way Foundation, formerly known as the Progressive Foundation.

What Third Way Believes:
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(Ill. Congresswoman) Bean’s Crime Inc: What Third Way Believes”


Ill. Policy Institute: Soda Tax Talk Bubbling Up Again

From Kristina Rasmussen of the Illinois Policy Institute…

Talk of a soda tax is bubbling up again:

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Feel like you’re taxed enough already? More could be coming. There’s an early push to explore taxing soft drinks that are sweetened with sugars – all to get you to stop buying them. CBS 2’s Kristyn Hartman reports it’s all about obesity.

A coalition of groups is in the very early stages of mapping out a plan to fight fat in Illinois. Sugared beverage consumption has tracked with rising obesity rates – so it’s getting some attention.

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Ill. Policy Institute: Soda Tax Talk Bubbling Up Again”


(Ill. Congresswoman) Bean’s Crime Inc (Third Way)

A multi-part series from the Palatine Tea Party…

Congresswoman Melissa Bean is one of the Honorary Co-Chairs of the Third Way Foundation, formerly known as the Progressive Foundation.

Third Way Foundation is the leading moderate think-tank of the progressive movement.*

Who is Third Way?
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(Ill. Congresswoman) Bean’s Crime Inc (Third Way)”


Truth in Budgeting? Not With This Budget

From the Office of Tony Peraica, Cook County Commissioner…

Earlier today, the County Board considered the newly proposed budget for the county health bureau.

Unfortunately, in terms of promoting transparency and truth in budgeting and taxation, the health bureau budget falls short.

You can read my statement on the budget here.


(2nd District) Hayes Condemns NAACP

From the Isaac Hayes for Congress campaign (2nd District)…

Republican nominee for Illinois 2nd Congressional District Isaac Hayes released the following statement regarding the NAACP’s vote to condemn the Tea Party movement.

“Today’s vote by the NAACP to condemn the Tea Party movement highlights its ignorance of the history of the Tea Party movement and reminds us it has not changed its tactics in 100 years. A quick survey of American history will reveal the first American to shed blood in the American Revolution was both a Tea Partier and Black by the name of Crispus Attucks.
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(2nd District) Hayes Condemns NAACP”


Sauk Valley News Poll: Randy Hultgren in the Lead (14th District)

The Sauk Valley News has a reader poll for folks to vote on for whom they’ll vote in the 14th District in the upcoming elections.

At the time I posted this Hultgren was in the lead over Democrat incumbent Bill Foster, the Green Party candidate Daniel Kairis, Libertarian Doug Marks and the ever popular “no opinion.”

I say we go hit up the poll and run up a good Hultgren total! Come on, folks. Go Randy Hultgren!

http://hultgrenforcongress.com/


Fisking the Chgo Sun-Times Anti-2nd Amendment Article

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Sun-Times is Chicago’s left-wing, left-wing paper while the Chicago Tribune is but the city’s left-wing paper and pursuant to its agenda, the Sun-Times recently made to shore up support for Mayor “King” Daley’s attempt to eliminate the Second Amendment for his Chicago subjects with its headlined “More guns in city not a good thing.” Naturally most of what is contained in the piece is incorrect and deserves a good fisking.

So, here goes…

This won’t make the NRA happy. Twelve guns a year? How dare Chicago restrict a citizen’s right to buy 12 million guns a year.

My response here won’t make the Sun-Times happy: Newspapers? They have a constitutional right to be free of government interference, too. We call it the First Amendment. But here’s an idea for you, Sun-Times… how about we limit the public to one newspaper a month? After all, ideas are very, very dangerous, aren’t they? If, Sun-Times, you have no problem with our Second Amendment rights being restricted by the federal, the state or local governments, why should you be all upset that your First Amendment rights are restricted? Where is the intellectual honesty in agreeing to restrict the Second Amendment but not the First?
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Fisking the Chgo Sun-Times Anti-2nd Amendment Article”


(2nd District) Hayes New Video Ad: ‘Enough With The Lies’

From the Hayes for congress campaign (2nd District)…

The campaign committee for Republican nominee in Illinois 2ndCongressional District Isaac Hayes released the following video today challenging Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to tell the truth.

In the video, Jackson is heard saying he is not “aware” that he is Senate Candidate 5 in the Rod Blagojevich indictment. The very next day the Chicago Sun-Times confirms he is.

The second half of the video shows Jackson at a press conference where he said, “I did not initiate or authorize anyone at anytime to promise anything to Governor Blagojevich on my behalf.” But on July 7, 2010 the Chicago Tribune reported testimony from the Blagojevich corruption trial that placed Jackson at a meeting where Indian businessman Raghuveer Nayak told Jackson, “I will raise a million if he appoints you to the Senate seat.”

.

This statement appears on the Citizens for Isaac Hayes website at:
www.isaac4honesty.com.


WATCH: Governor Quinn: ‘But that’s just how it works…’

From Bill Brady for Governor and the Illinois GOP…

Pay hikes for state government executives during a fiscal crisis is outrageous, but Governor Quinn? He defends his executive pay hikes, telling viewers on Chicago Tonight, “… that’s how it works.”

If Pat Quinn is serious about controlling state spending, he should immediately enact a wage freeze on state government payroll, and reverse his pay hikes for his executive staff today.


Chicago Young Repubs Video: Aaron Schock, Isaac Hayes, Joel Pollak

From the Illinois Review YouTube Channel:

U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock joined U.S. House candidates Joel Pollak and Isaac Hayes in pumping up a Chicago Young Republican VIP reception Friday night before joining over a thousand CYRs in the group’s 2010 Summer Membership bash at Chicago’s Cubby Bear, across from Wrigley Field.


Hayes Calls for A.G. Holder to Step Down

From the Hayes for Congress campaign (2nd District)…

CHICAGO: Republican nominee for Illinois 2ndCongressional District Isaac Hayes released the following statement calling for Attorney General Eric Holder to resign after failure to prosecute the New Black Panther Party for voter intimidation during the 2008 election.

“The Justice Department’s refusal to prosecute the terrorist actions of the New Black Panther Party for its 2008 intimidation and threatening vitriol outside a Philadelphia polling place is criminal affirmative action. This selective justice paradigm was exposed during the testimony of J. Christian Adams – a former U.S. Prosecutor assigned to the Civil Rights Division, Voting Section, before the U.S. Civil Rights Commission – who testified he was told ‘cases are not going to be brought against Black defendants for the benefit of White victims.’
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Hayes Calls for A.G. Holder to Step Down”


(2nd District) GOPs Hayes: ‘Jackson at Head of Table When Blago Bribe Conspired

From the Hayes for Congress campaign (2nd District)…

CHICAGO: Republican nominee for Illinois 2ndCongressional District Isaac Hayes released the following statement following testimony from the Rod Blagojevich trial placing Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. at a meeting where cash in exchange for the U.S. Senate Seat was discussed,

“Today, we again heard damaging testimony belying Congressman Jackson’s claims of innocence in the Blagojevich Senate Seat scandal. We can now place Mr. Jackson at the head of the table when this conspiracy was first discussed. According to testimony by Rajinder Bedi, on October 27, 2008 he met with Congressman Jackson and his supporter Raghu Nayek at the 312 Restaurant in the loop. During this meeting at which Jackson was present, Nayek asked Bedi to send word to Blagojevich that he would raise a million dollars for Blagojevich if he would appoint Jackson to the Senate seat.
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(2nd District) GOPs Hayes: ‘Jackson at Head of Table When Blago Bribe Conspired”


Gov. Says Ill. is Broke, but His Staffers/State Workers Get Big Raises

-By Warner Todd Huston

Many businesses across Illinois are trying to stave off closing their doors by cutting salaries and hours for employees. Some aren’t so luck and are laying off thousands of workers. Add to that dismal outlook that the state’s budget is billions in the red and politicians are so at loggerheads on how to solve the crisis that no budget can be agreed upon.

Cue accidental Governor Pat Quinn whose job, as he sees it, has been to warn Illinois that we are broke, that we can’t afford the many programs we have, that the poorest of us are at risk and that taxes will have to be raised to “fix” it all.

It’s a very bleak picture, indeed. Bleak, that is, unless you are one of Quinn’s staffers. In that case you are living high off the hog and getting an up to 20 percent raise in salary thanks to the Governor’s generosity… oh, and at the taxpayers expense, of course.
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Gov. Says Ill. is Broke, but His Staffers/State Workers Get Big Raises”


Ill. Dem Senate Candidate Giannoulias a ‘Mob Banker,’ Now ‘Flat Out’ Liar

-By Warner Todd Huston

The sniping between Republican Mark Kirk and Democrat Alexi Giannoulias is beginning to get to full steam these days and Democrat Giannoulias isn’t handling it all very well. As a bank executive, he’s gone from dissembling about his efforts to loan mobsters $20 million that his bank then lost, to now as a candidate lying about his desires to raise taxes.

The latest Giannoulias gaffe comes as a result of his announcement of his tax returns. It seems that he declared a personal business loss that negated his entire tax bill and so Giannoulias paid no federal tax in 2009. Yet, as Mark Kirk says, even as Giannoulias wants to raise all our taxes, he skates by himself without paying any at all!

For his part, the Ginnoulias campaign says that the candidate never said he wants to raise our taxes. They say that Kirk is lying about it. This newest claim makes Giannoulias himself to be a “flat out” liar as far as Illinois political watchdog Rich Miller is concerned. After all, Miller has the video to prove that Giannoulias has said that he wants to raise taxes.
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Ill. Dem Senate Candidate Giannoulias a ‘Mob Banker,’ Now ‘Flat Out’ Liar”


County President Stroger: Lame Duck Still Rolling Out Gravy Train for Pals

-By Warner Todd Huston

One of the main reasons that little Todd Stroger lost his comfy job as president of the Cook County Board — the office left him by his deceased father — is because of the graft and payoffs to his friends and family members that he constantly perpetrated. It was so bad even Democrats were ashamed of him and voted him out of office in the last primary.

But thanks to the fact that Illinois Democrats moved the primary to February President Stroger has eight months to continue giving his friends and family members cushy jobs paid for by the County taxpayers. And this week he’s done it again.

This time Stroger has given a plum job to his former campaign manager, Vincent Williams. Williams now has a $38,000-a-year job on the Cook Zoning Board of Appeals thanks to his pal President Stroger.

Let us recall that Williams was the campaign manager of a losing campaign, shall we?
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County President Stroger: Lame Duck Still Rolling Out Gravy Train for Pals”


Fmr Congressman Porter Endorses Dold for 10th District

-By Warner Todd Huston

The GOPs Robert Dold just picked up a strong endorsement. Former Congressman John Edward Porter has announced his backing of Dold who is running for Porter’s old 10th District Congressional seat.

Porter initially backed Party favorite Beth Coulson in the primary and could have just taken a pass on this election, but he did chose to endorse Dold giving the first time candidate the seal of party approval.

Porter said of Dold: “Robert Dold is an independent Republican who mirrors the values of the 10th District. He will be a voice for common-sense, small-business thinking with a moderate stance on social issues such as choice and the environment.”

For more information on the Dold campaign, visit his website at: www.doldforcongress.com.
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Fmr Congressman Porter Endorses Dold for 10th District”


Daley’s Newest Stab at a Gun Ban

-By Warner Todd Huston

Daley’s temper tantrum against guns continues, but at a much subdued pace. With its recent McDonald v the City of Chicago ruling the Supreme Court of the United States essentially made Daley’s outright gun ban unconstitutional so the mayor has had to retrench and come up with new onerous rules to try and limit guns in his kingdom.

As always, the Chicago City Council rubber stamped Richard “King” Daley’s whims — why do we have a city council anyway?

The new rules do show the mayor’s defeated position, however, as they are much less stringent than his previous mandates. Daley also shied from insisting that there be a one-gun limit and also dropped the idea of expensive and onerous insurance requirements for gun owners, the latter an idea popular with many gun banners.
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Daley’s Newest Stab at a Gun Ban”


Governor Quinn Pretends to Cut State Spending, Quinn Passes on a Real Balanced Budget

From Americans For Prosperity, Illinois…

Chicago, Illinois – The Illinois chapter of the grassroots free-market group Americans for Prosperity (AFP-IL) and it’s over 30,000 statewide members express great disappointment in Governor Quinn’s failure to VETO the states unbalanced budget.

“Over the last several weeks Americans for Prosperity and its members have written several hundreds of letters requesting the governor to Veto the budget forcing lawmakers to do their job. “Today, Governor Quinn had a chance to do just that. Unfortunately, Governor Quinn failed to do his job” said state director Joe Calomino.
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Governor Quinn Pretends to Cut State Spending, Quinn Passes on a Real Balanced Budget”


Despite Political Excitement Half of GOP Committeemen Positions Vacant

-By Warner Todd Huston

Doug Ibendahl has a very sad discovery at RepublicanNewsWatch.com. He looked up the amount of Republican committeeman positions in the state of Illinois and then added up the number of GOPers filling those positions and came up with a startling fact. 51% of those seats remain vacant.

Despite all the excitement for GOP politics across the country, it seems that Illinois Republicans aren’t nearly as excited.

Ibendahl, though, urges more citizen involvement in the political process and posts about a way you can get involved. Take a quick click over to RepublicanNewsWatch.com and learn how you can become involved.


Even With Troubles GOPs Kirk Raises $2.3 Mil

-By Warner Todd Huston

While the media has been all aflutter about Illinois Senate candidate Mark Kirk’s bio flap, even as the media has been sternly shaking a finger at the man he’s somehow raised $2.3 million in campaign cash.

According to the Kirk campaign he raised $1 million in June alone as the news over his bio inflation was at its height.

So far, Kirk has raised $9 million for the race and is starting some new TV ads.

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Even With Troubles GOPs Kirk Raises $2.3 Mil”


Peraica Statement on County Sales Tax Decrease Going into Effect

From the office of Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica…

CHICAGO, IL — Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica (R-16) issued the following statement regarding the .5 percent reduction in the Cook County sales tax, which goes into effect today:

“This is an important step forward for Cook County taxpayers, who are struggling to make ends meet amidst rising unemployment and a growing tax burden.

“But it is only a first step.
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Peraica Statement on County Sales Tax Decrease Going into Effect”


Obama Used Union Middle Man For Blago Bribery

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that union leader Thomas Balanoff of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was contacted by President Obama to act as a go-between to help Obama friend Valerie Jarrett secure his vacated Illinois Senate Seat when now former Governor Rod Blagojevich was trying to sell the seat to the highest bidder.

Balanoff appeared as a witness at the Blago corruption trial today. He said that Obama called him the day before he was elected president.

“Tom, I want to talk to you with regard to the Senate seat,” Obama told him.

Balanoff said Obama said he had two criteria: someone who was good for the citizens of Illinois and could be elected in 2010.

Obama said he wasn’t publicly coming out in support of anyone but he believed Valerie Jarrett would fit the bill.

“I would much prefer she (remain in the White House) but she does want to be Senator and she does meet those two criteria,” Balanoff said Obama told him. “I said: ‘thank you, I’m going to reach out to Gov. Blagojevich.”

Balanoff testified that Blago broadly hinted that he’d love to be offered the top spot at Health and Human Services, but Balanoff also said he couldn’t deliver that.

Obama appointed Jarret to a position at the White House after the election.
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Obama Used Union Middle Man For Blago Bribery”