Roskam Gives Republicans Weekly Address

From Roskam’s Office…

Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) Delivers Weekly Republican Address

Rep. Roskam: “Back in Illinois and around the country, the situation has reached a boiling point. Americans are asking ‘where are the jobs?’ and – forget about getting answers – they can’t even get President Obama and Washington Democrats to listen to their concerns.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) says President Obama needs to listen to the American people, who are asking ‘where are the jobs?,’ and abandon his failing ‘stimulus’ policies in favor of common-sense solutions that will promote private sector job creation. Republicans are listening to the American people through America Speaking Out and offering better solutions to cut spending now and help small businesses get people working again. Now in his second term in Congress, Rep. Roskam represents Illinois’ Sixth Congressional District and serves as job-creation policy director for America Speaking Out. Text of the address follows; audio of the address is available here and video of the address will be available here once the embargo is lifted.
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Roskam Gives Republicans Weekly Address”


Bill Brady Advocates a Path to Citizenship for Illegals

-By Warner Todd Huston

GOP Gubernatorial candidate BIll Brady told the attendees of a Hispanic business leaders at Chicago’s Navy Pier that we need to offer some sort of path to citizenship to the illegal aliens now living in the US.

Brady said that we need more legal immigration because our birth rate isn’t robust enough to keep the country growing.

If we wanna grow as a nation, and as a state we have to realize one of the principles that this nation was founded on and that’s immigration. Ladies and gentlemen the birth rate in this country will not allow us to grow at a rate we need to grow at, and we need to bring real reform to immigration policy and open the doors so we can see a growth rate in this country of four percent or greater. The lack of reform and the lack of immigration in this state and country is crippling our economy and our quality of life.

Brady did not offer any numbers to supplement his feeling that we needed more immigrants but he went on to say that he thinks the U.S. government should implement a policy penalizing illegals while offering them a way to become legal citizens.

In a press release Brady said:
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Bill Brady Advocates a Path to Citizenship for Illegals”


Chicago Mag: Kirk’s Ex-Wife Says a ‘Svengali Figure’ Influencing Him

-By Warner Todd Huston

Chicago Magazine has conducted an extensive interview with Kimberly Vertolli, Illinois GOP Senate candidate Mark Kirk’s ex-wife, and the woman makes an interesting charge against one of Kirk’s current campaign operatives, Dorothy “Dodie” McCracken

Vertolli says that the campaign staffer is the one that came between them causing their divorce and is a “Svengali figure” in her former hubbies life.

Vertolli refused to assert that McCracken is in a romantic relationsjip with Mark Kirk, but she did say the woman is a “pernicious influence” on the candidate.

Here is the exchange:
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Chicago Mag: Kirk’s Ex-Wife Says a ‘Svengali Figure’ Influencing Him”


Roskam Declares August 4th Debt Dependence Day

From the Office of Representative Peter Roskam…

Starting Today Every Dollar U.S. Spends in 2010 Must Be Borrowed

Rep. Roskam: “Though most families won’t celebrate Debt Dependence Day with fireworks and parades, this August 4th, every American should take note of the huge and growing share of our national debt with their name on it.”
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Roskam Declares August 4th Debt Dependence Day”


Hayes Steps Out to Demand Better Leadership for the Black Community

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

CHICAGO, IL- For the black community it is all a one party rule. A regime consisting of all Democrats has led to a culture of corruption that leaves citizens in gang infested, poverty stricken areas, while the Representatives cheat on their taxes, bailout their husbands’ banks and try to bribe their way to higher office.

Hayes remarked, “The black community has been used by its elected officials as a playground for pay-to-play politics. Rangel, Waters, and Jackson all need to be shown the door in November.”
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Hayes Steps Out to Demand Better Leadership for the Black Community”


‘Joe The Plumber’ Coming to Central Illinois

-By Warner Todd Huston

The State Journal-Register in the state’s capitol reports that “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher is planning to speak in three town in and around Springfield, IL this month.
Wurzelbacher will be appearing at Take Back Illinois 9/12 rallies in Pittsfield on Aug. 17 and Jacksonville Aug. 18, and an Aug. 19 event in Springfield.

You’ll recall that “Joe the Plumber” became famous when he asked then candidate Barack Obama about his tax policy ideas to which, in good socialist fashion, the president-to-be replied that he wanted to “spread the wealth.”
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‘Joe The Plumber’ Coming to Central Illinois”


Hultgren for Congress (14th District): Bill Foster Campaigns at Taxpayers’ Expense

An interesting note from the Hultgren for Congress campaign (14th District)…

St. Charles, IL – The second taxpayer-funded advertisement in one week from Bill Foster’s congressional office arrived yesterday in voter’s mailboxes ahead of the August 4th deadline to stop government paid mail from Members of Congress.

“Bill Foster is using taxpayer funds to pay for campaign propaganda he sends to voters,” said State Senator Randy Hultgren. “People throughout the 14th district are outraged at this abuse of the taxpayers trust.”
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Hultgren for Congress (14th District): Bill Foster Campaigns at Taxpayers’ Expense”


Bill Brady: Less Than 100 Days ‘Til Election Day

From the Bill Brady for Governor campaign…

With less than 100 days before election day… this week marked a turning point in Bill’s campaign to make state government live within its means – just like families and small businesses do every day.

Earlier this week, the same state budget bureaucrat who received a $24,000 pay hike under Pat Quinn, brazenly told a Bloomberg News reporter, “We’re going to pass a tax increase in January,” and touted a plan to raise taxes by 67 percent, the largest tax hike in Illinois history.
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Bill Brady: Less Than 100 Days ‘Til Election Day”


Ill. Dem Senate Candidate Still $200,000 in Debt From Primary

-By Warner Todd Huston

So far, the biggest negative that has stuck against Illinois Democrat Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias is that he is a poor money manager. The worst is that he was an officer in a family bank that has since gone under due to shady loans to mobsters — to the tune of $20 million in unpaid debt — and other bad banking practices . And now we can add another poor financial situation to Alexi’s already groaning deficit accounts: he’s still $200,000 in debt for his recently completed primary campaign.

As reported two weeks ago, Giannoulias has under performed in campaign fundraising so far in comparison to his GOP opponent, Mark Kirk.
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Ill. Dem Senate Candidate Still $200,000 in Debt From Primary”


Rep Peter Roskam (R,IL) Returns from Israel after meeting with Netanyahu

<‬p>From the Office of Illinois Representative Perter Roskam…

‪<‬p>Greetings from Washington! In this town, it’s easy to get swept up in the critical domestic issues facing our country each day. With the mid-term elections less than four months away, a Democratic majority unable to draft a budget, and unemployment near ten percent, there is plenty keeping us busy.

‪<‬p>However, our country is also facing critical security issues on the international stage. Recently, I had the privilege of leading a bipartisan Congressional delegation to Israel – our nation’s only democratic ally in the tumultuous Middle East – to get a first hand account of the situation on the ground as it relates to American interests. As the co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, this trip was particularly insightful.
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Rep Peter Roskam (R,IL) Returns from Israel after meeting with Netanyahu”


Sex Harassment Scandal in Cook County GOP Sees Resignation of Political Director Rose

-By Warner Todd Huston

This story has been building for weeks on HillBuzz.org, but the reporting there was often iffy, hazy, and speculative, so I didn’t write about it myself. But this week things have come to a head proving the allegations had some merit because now Cook County GOP Executive Director Jeremy Rose has resigned over the allegations of sexual harassment leveled against him.

The story goes that on June 17, 2009, a woman was attending a Chicago Young Republicans meeting in Chicago and when she made to leave for the night was prevented from doing so by Rose. Rose began touching the woman in an unwelcome manner, allegedly took away her cell phone to prevent her from calling a cab, and then sat on her lap to prevent her from leaving. Rose proceeded to suggestively converse with her until she was finally able to extricate herself from the situation. The woman felt threatened and harassed and filed a complaint.

This is all bad enough, but Cook County GOP Chairman Lee Roupas did nothing after being made aware of the allegations. In fact, just the opposite. Roupas promoted the offender to higher positions in the Cook County Party establishment until he was at last appointed Political Director.
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Sex Harassment Scandal in Cook County GOP Sees Resignation of Political Director Rose”


Repub. Nat’l Committee Announces ‘November Starts Now’ Website

The Republican National Committee (RNC) released a new web page today to highlight President Obama’s mismanagement of the economy, reckless growth of government, and failure to deliver results for the American people. The website, entitled “November Starts Now” can be viewed here: http://www.novemberstartsnow.com/

“Barack Obama’s reckless spending and unchecked growth of government has failed to create real jobs for the American people and get our economy back on track. Instead of recognizing that his policies are only creating more economic uncertainty with high unemployment and record national debt, Barack Obama continues to force through his big-government agenda against the will of the people. It is clear that the $862 billion stimulus package has failed to create the jobs that the White House promised, and now the Obama administration is pushing for job-killing tax increases on small businesses all across the country. Barack Obama has lost credibility on the economy and voters are going to send a clear message in November that it’s time to change course by electing Republicans and taking back the House.” – RNC Chairman Michael Steele


WGIL: Giannoulias Says He’ll Take Lobbyist $$ for Campaign

-By Warner Todd Huston

Despite claims made earlier in his campaign, Democrat candidate for Senate Alexi Giannoulias has said that he’ll be quite happy to take campaign donations from lobbyists as he vies to take Barack Obama’s old Senate seat this year.

WGIL News reports that Giannoulias claimed earlier in the campaign that he wouldn’t take donations from lobbyists. However, Giannoulias limited the scope of that claim to encompass only federal lobbyists and political PACs. He has taken donations from state lobbyists.

The difference between a state lobbyist and a federal lobbyist seems vague with Giannoulias, but he claims there is a difference.
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WGIL: Giannoulias Says He’ll Take Lobbyist $$ for Campaign”


(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”


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?”


(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/


(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.


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”


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”


Peter Roskam Working to Keep Ally Israel Close

Israeli Ambassador: ‘Tectonic Shift’ between Israel and U.S. Diplomats

Roskam Visit to Israel Next Week

From the Press Shop of Congressman Peter Roskam (R, ILL): In case it wasn’t already obvious, Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren made it clear this weekend. As reported by Laura Rozen at Politico: “Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren is reported to have told Israeli diplomats that the U.S. and Israel are experiencing a “tectonic rift,” not a temporary crisis… According to the Israeli diplomats, Oren said … ’Relations are in the state of a tectonic rift in which continents are drifting apart,’”…. Oren noted that contrary to Obama’s predecessors – George W. Bush and Bill Clinton – the current president is not motivated by historical-ideological sentiments toward Israel but by cold interests and considerations…”
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Peter Roskam Working to Keep Ally Israel Close”


Politico: Five Questions for Mark Kirk

-By Warner Todd Huston

Mark Kirk has really made himself look foolish and if he loses this election it will be because of his ridiculous missteps on his biography. Why he felt the need to overstate his bio is anybody’s guess, but he did it. And not just once but at least five times. Politico details the bio inflation Kirk has perpetrated in a new piece headlined “Five questions for Mark Kirk .”

They say that Kirk was “once a favorite,” intimating that his stock has dropped. That is essentially true, but in my estimation Kirk has plenty of time to get past this if he handles it right and I think he’s still the favorite even with this foolishness because Alexi “the Mob Banker” Giannoulias has equally problematic bio problems — not the least of which was the $20 million that he and his bank lent to two known mobsters that never paid back the loan.

Politico presents five questions that they feel that Kirk must answer in a straightforward manner or expect to lose credibility as a candidate.
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Politico: Five Questions for Mark Kirk”


(2nd District) Hayes Says Supreme Court Decision Will Protect Families and Property

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

CHICAGO: Republican nominee for Illinois 2nd Congressional District Isaac Hayes released the following statement following today’s Supreme Court decision overturning the Chicago handgun ban:

“Today’s Supreme Court decision will allow residents being held hostage by urban terrorists the opportunity to defend themselves, their families and property. With 26 people being shot in Chicago this past weekend and 50 the week before, it is quite apparent the Chicago gun ban is not working.

“Gangs don’t honor gun bans so infringing on the 2nd Amendment right of law abiding citizens only leaves them defenseless against violent offenders. In communities across Chicago urban terrorists must now think twice before entering private property.”

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


Hayes Calls Jesse Jackson a Coward

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

CHICAGO: Republican nominee for Illinois 2ndCongressional District Isaac Hayes released the following statement regarding the House Democrats delay of passing a budget resolution until after the November elections.

“Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. needs to show some leadership in the House of Representatives and demand Nancy Pelosi pass a budget this year as the 1974 Budget and Impoundment Act requires. This will be the first time in nearly 40 years that the House has failed to pass a budget resolution. But Mr. Jackson won’t stand up to Speaker Pelosi because he is part of the plot to hide the Democrats plan to raise taxes on working families after the November elections. There can be no other reason. Only cowards fail to be honest with their constituents when they have something to hide. In this case he is hiding increased spending, record deficits and higher taxes.”
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Hayes Calls Jesse Jackson a Coward”


Ill. Senate Race: Accusations Fly About Niecestro’s Republican ‘Flake’

-By Warner Todd Huston

(New info updated at the end of the post)

Doug Ibendahl of RepublicanNewsWatch has named the “flake” operative that Senate candidate wannabe Mike Niecestro claimed screwed him out of enough signatures to file his independent candidacy papers this week. Ibendahl claims it was none other than former comptroller candidate William Kelly. I spoke to Kelly today about the accusations.

Mr. Kelly says that Niecestro’s claims that his whole independent bid fell apart because of Kelly’s failure to come through with the promised signatures is puzzling. “He didn’t even give me the final go ahead to do it until five days before the filing date,” Kelly told me.

Five days to get 25,000 signatures is not feasible, for sure.
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Ill. Senate Race: Accusations Fly About Niecestro’s Republican ‘Flake’”


(Ill. Senate Race) Niecestro Says ‘Flake’ Denied Him Petition Signatures

-By Warner Todd Huston

Conservative businessman Mike Niecestro has been making noise about running for the U.S. Senate against GOP candidate Mark Kirk for at least a year. Even just a few weeks ago he amped up his noise machine to say that he had the ballot petition signatures needed to make a run for the office as an independent.

But yesterday the filing time came and no Niecestro papers were to be seen. He told reporters that one of the operatives that promised him thousands of signatures didn’t even get him a single one. ABC’s Charles Thomas reports that Niecestro said the politician in question is “known as a ‘flake’ in GOP circles.”

This quote raises major concerns about the seriousness of a Niecestro campaign. If Niecestro knew the guy he was relying on to put him over the top in petition signatures was a well-known “flake,” then why did Niecestro rely on him in the first place? If Niecestro was putting all his eggs in a “flake’s” basket, this seriously calls into doubt Niecestro’s planning capabilities, doesn’t it?
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(Ill. Senate Race) Niecestro Says ‘Flake’ Denied Him Petition Signatures”