Senate

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

The Most Wasteful Government Spending of 2010

December 22, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Senator Tom Coburn (R, OK), a medical doctor by trade, has put out a report that details some of the worst government waste of 2010. His “Wastebook 2010: A Guide to Some of the Most Wasteful Government Spending of 2010” was released on his website on Dec. 20.

Coburn’s released statement laments the waste.

“As 2010 ends, millions of Americans are still struggling to find work. Even those lucky enough to have jobs have had to tighten their belts. Yet, Congress continues to find new and extravagant ways to waste tax dollars. In today’s economy, we can’t afford to spend nearly $2 million to showcase neon signs no longer in use at Las Vegas Casinos, nor can Congress and federal agencies afford to spend nearly $1 billion a year on unnecessary printing costs.”

“Our national debt is the greatest threat to our national security according to our own military leaders. Well-intentioned people across the political spectrum will argue about the best way to get us back on track. But we can all agree that cutting wasteful and low priority spending from the budget is not only sensible, but essential.”

“I hope this report will give taxpayers and concerned citizens the information they need to hold Washington accountable. As dysfunctional as our politics can seem, our system still works when ordinary citizens get informed and engaged.”

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The Most Wasteful Government Spending of 2010″

9/11 - Anti-Americanism - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Government - Guantanamo Bay - Illinois State Government - Islam - Islamofascism - Liberals - Mark Kirk - Military - President - Regulation - Religion - Security/Safety - Senate - Taliban - Terrorism - Warner Todd Huston

Democrats Slip Bringing Terrorists to American Prisons into Defense Bill

December 17, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Senator Mark Kirk (R, IL) is raising a red flag over the defense bill because the Democrat led House of Representatives and Democrat led Senate has slipped in a provision that would allow accused terrorists to be housed in prisons in the interior of the United States.

In an apparent effort to get around the President’s decision to ignore his own deadline to shut down the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba terrorist detention facility, the Democrat leadership included the provision in order to give terrorists and detainees in Guantanamo a place to go so that the Cuba-based facility can eventually — and sooner rather than later — be shut down.

Senator Kirk blew the whistle on this horrible idea and vowed to put a hold on the defense bill until that part gets stripped. Kirk appeared on Chicago’s WLS radio and told hosts Don and Roma why he wanted to put the bill on hold.
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Democrats Slip Bringing Terrorists to American Prisons into Defense Bill”

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

Sen. GOP Minority Leader McConnell’s Remarks After Sen, Reid Pulled Omniporkulus Bill

December 16, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

After Senate Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid decided he’d better put off a vote on the pork-stuff Omnibus Spending Bill, Senator GOP Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had a few words to say about the situation on the floor of the Senate.

“And so what we ended up with, Mr. President, was this, this almost 2,000-page omnibus appropriation bill which we only got, it was yesterday? Yesterday. And so the point here is the work that the Appropriations Committee did in many respects was squandered because the full Senate didn’t do its job. And this is precisely the kind of thing the American people have gotten tired of. And so I think the message we ought to take out of this is that next year we’re going to listen to the American people, we’re going to do our work, do it in a timely fashion.”

“I don’t agree with the priorities we’ve had here in the Senate about what things are important. And as a result of not doing the basic work of government, here we are at the end struggling with this issue.”

“Now, there’s only one reason why cloture is not being filed and the Majority Leader, to his credit, already said it — he doesn’t have the votes. And the reason he doesn’t have the votes is because members on this side of the aisle increasingly felt concerned about the way we do business.”

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Sen. GOP Minority Leader McConnell’s Remarks After Sen, Reid Pulled Omniporkulus Bill”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Ethics - Government - Jobs - Liberals - President - Regulation - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Reid Still Looking to Introduce Forced Unionizing Bill

December 16, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As we discussed a few days ago, Senate Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid still intends to push the bill that wold nationalize all police and firefighter unions.

The bill is titled the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (S 3391) and would force all local, city, county, and state police and firefighter unions to operate under nationalized union rules created by union bosses based in Washington D.C. This bill would take away the power of local governments to control their own first responders and this would necessarily take away all power from you, the voters, too.

Reid tried to get cloture on this one last week but did not get it done. We are still on the watch for him to push this abomination against local control at any time.
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Reid Still Looking to Introduce Forced Unionizing Bill”

Chicago - Congress - Conservatives - DuPage County - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Kane County - Mark Kirk - Randy Hultgren - Republicans - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

(Video) Townhall Meeting With Mark Kirk and Randy Hultgren, Saint Charles, Illinois

December 13, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Dec. 11, 2010, I attended a townhall meeting held in the 14th Congressional District featuring Congressman-elect Randy Hultgren and newly minted Senator Mark Kirk. The event was held in the theater of a local high school in Saint Charles, Illinois.

The afternoon started out with an address by Senator Mark Kirk who already was sworn in for an interim term and will be starting his first full term as senator in January. After Kirk finished his opening remarks, Mr. Hultgren spoke and then there was some time for questions for the audience.

Kirk spoke for a strong defense, he spoke for fiscal responsibility and he spoke against the DREAM Act. For his part, Mr. Hultgren didn’t have much to say past his recently successful campaign talking points. But that is to be expected since he has not yet been to Washington to be involved in the issues in our nation’s capitol. Hultgren won’t take office until Jan. 5. Both men strongly spoke in favor of repealing Obamacare.

I have video of both men’s comments. I took the video with my hand-held Flip cam so it may be a bit shaky here and there. (And on the Kirk video I had to set the camera down for half a minute to turn my phone off as I got a call in the middle of his remarks. I thought I had turned it off, but obviously forgot to do so! So my apologies there.)

Here is the video of the two gentleman’s remarks…
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(Video) Townhall Meeting With Mark Kirk and Randy Hultgren, Saint Charles, Illinois”

Barack Obama - Budget - Capitalism - Congress - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Liberals - Police - President - Regulation - Republicans - Security/Safety - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Wed. in the Senate: Reid to Try and Force Cloture Votes on DREAM Act and Forced Unionization Act

December 7, 2010 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Call Your Senator Tell Them to Vote NO on DREAM Act and Forced Nationalized Unionization of Police/Firemen

From contacts in the Senate we’ve learned that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D, Nev.) will likely on Wednesday (Dec. 8th) try and bring a cloture vote on The DREAM Act and the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act in order to grab as much power for his supporters as he can before his power is weakened starting in the next congress.

Quite despite the obvious will of the American people as evinced by the last election, Reid intends to push these unpopular bills anyway. While Americans professed their desire to extend the Bush tax rates and for congress to address the floundering economy, the business that voters really want taken up is being put on hold as Harry Reid endeavors to give more payoffs to his union pals and his pro-amnesty supporters.
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Wed. in the Senate: Reid to Try and Force Cloture Votes on DREAM Act and Forced Unionization Act”

Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Illinois - Liberals - Mark Kirk - Regulation - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Video - Warner Todd Huston

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) Delivers Weekly GOP Address On Preventing Tax Hikes

December 4, 2010 by

In the Weekly Republican Address, newly-elected Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois says, “Last month, the American people sent a clear message to Washington: spend less, borrow less and tax less to put America back to work.”

Sen. Kirk expresses his disappointment that leaders in Congress have not heeded this message. “The current leaders of Congress should not move forward with plans that were just rejected by the American people. These leaders should not raise taxes and risk another recession. Instead, Congress should reduce spending and prevent another tax hike on American taxpayers.”

Sen. Kirk emphasizes, “Congress should set its highest priority on preventing the massive tax hike currently scheduled to hit our economy on January 1st.”

He also calls for “bipartisan solutions to cut federal spending” and suggests some ideas for tackling the “mounting debts [that] pose a clear and present danger to our future.”

9/11 - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Government - Labor Law - Law - Liberals - Lobbyists - Nevada - Police - Security/Safety - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Now That He’s Won, Reid’s Paying Back Unions

November 30, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Harry Reid survived his brush with electoral death winning yet another term as Nevada’s Senator. Reid knows what side of his bread is buttered, too. Big Labor gave him millions in campaign donations and Reid knows who he owes — or rather who owns him. Now that he’s fairly won he’s promising his patrons in Big Labor that he intends to push one of their favorite laws.

Reid has said that one of his first priorities will be to push a cloture vote on the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (S.3992) that he ramrodded earlier this year.

This act is focused on the unionization of the nation’s police, firemen and other first responders. It would replace with federal rules all state laws on collective bargaining between state and local governments and their first responder unions and would greatly empower unions to dictate pay scales and benefits on a national level.
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Now That He’s Won, Reid’s Paying Back Unions”

Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Republicans - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

Shane Cultra Takes Rutherford’s 53rd District State Senate Seat

November 21, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Dan Rutherford was the State Senator from the 53rd District, but with his recent election to our state treasurer’s office, that left his seat empty. Since a Republican held that seat the local Republican Party was given the task of choosing someone to replace Rutherford and fill out his term.

After much wrangling and many hats in the ring, the Party chose Shane Cultra of Onarga to be the man sent to Springfield.

It was a crowded field of nine Republicans vying to take Dan Rutherford’s empty seat. In the running were Gary Manier, David Zimmerman, and John Ackerman of Tazewell County; Matt Sorenson of McLean County; Jason Barickman, and John Bambenek of Champaign County; Scott McCoy and Mike Stoeklin of Livingston County; and finally Cultra of Iroquois County. Keith Sommer of Morton dropped out of contention recently due to his wife’s illness.

Cultra is strongly supported by the United Republican Fund and rated at “90” by that organization.
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Shane Cultra Takes Rutherford’s 53rd District State Senate Seat”

GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Republicans - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

Ron Sandack Chosen to Fill Vacated Ill. State Senate Seat

November 18, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Ron Sandack, Mayor of Downers Grove, has been given the nod to fill the seat vacated by Dan Cronin (R, Elmhurst – 21st District) who is stepping into the Chairmanship of the DuPage County Board.

Sandack was chosen over Republicans Chris Nybo, Sandy Pihos, and activist Rafael Rivadeneira.

The seat State Senator Randy Hultgren holds is yet to be filled now that Hultgren was elected to Congress. Hultgren has announced that he will retain his seat until Jan 4 when he’ll vacate it to go to Washington.
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Ron Sandack Chosen to Fill Vacated Ill. State Senate Seat”

Budget - Chris Lauzen - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Regulation - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Carnival Shell Game with Illinois State Pensions

November 17, 2010 by

From the office of State Senator Chris Lauzen (25th District)…

On November 4, 2010, all State Senators were called to Springfield ostensibly to vote on a $4B proposal to pay into state employee pension plans. The Democrat leadership had a political caucus off-site, but no vote was taken on the important fiscal matter, nor any other substantive issue.

Last year I believed Governor Quinn’s promise that he would spend approximately $3.5 Billion in borrowed funds wisely and, incredibly (for me), I voted “yes” to give him broad borrowing and spending authority. Unfortunately, that promise was broken and nearly all of that debt was used to pay for public employee pension deposits, while our schools languished and social service agencies were decimated.

Fool me once, shame on you – – fool me twice shame on me.

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Carnival Shell Game with Illinois State Pensions”

Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Fox News - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Media - Rod Blagojevich - Warner Todd Huston

Blago Calling Emanuel In Next Trial?

November 16, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Rod Blagojevich is saying he fully intends to bring Rahm Emanuel into court as a witness in the next phase of his corruption trial.

“Rahm is going to be a central witness in this case for us,” Blago told Fox News Chanel commentator Geraldo Rivera.

Geraldo wondered if this would be a major distraction for Rahm Emanuel next year as he runs for mayor as the second Blago trial will be occurring at the same time as the mayoral contest.

This is one thing that could portend trouble for an Emanuel run for City Hall. Of course, Emanuel has to get past the charge of non-residency and the perception that he is a carpetbagger from Washington, too. But… you know…

Anyway, if you want to watch a master of desperate spin, heeeeeeres Rod:

It most certainly will be interesting, though, to have a major candidate for mayor who is in the middle of a campaign for City Hall to be dragooned into a corruption trial. If the other candidates for mayor don’t press Emanuel to answer to just how much of Blago’s corruption Rahm knew about, when he knew it and how much of it he was involved in — and by extension the president himself — they don’t deserve to be on the ballot themselves!

Lastly, there is something amusing about a Chicago Mayor in a corruption imbroglio before he even gets elected, too. If that isn’t a typically Chicago mess, what is?
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Blago Calling Emanuel In Next Trial?”

1st Amendment - Budget - Campaign Finance - Congress - Conservatives - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Financial Reform - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Mark Kirk - Nanny State - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Senator Kirk Already on Track to Vote Against GOP Interests

November 9, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I said it during the primary, Mark Kirk is a 45 percenter. His record in the House pretty much shows that he will only vote with Republicans 45 percent of the time if left to his druthers. True to my worst fears, Kirk seems to be right on track with my predictions. The man hasn’t even taken his seat yet and many are assuming he’ll support one of the Democrat’s favorite issues: the DISCLOSE Act.

The Hill is reporting that Kirk is coming under pressure by the left to vote “yes” on a watered down version of the DISCLOSE Act, ostensibly a campaign finance reform law. The Hill also correctly points out that Kirk has in the past been a proponent of changes in campaign finance rules even as he voted against the Democrat’s DISCLOSE Act in the run up to the election.
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Senator Kirk Already on Track to Vote Against GOP Interests”

Alexi Giannoulias - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Mark Kirk - Republicans - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

Desperate Illinois Democrats Dirty Trick: Funding Mailers for Third Party Candidate to Spite Kirk

October 28, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

You know that the Democrats are desperate when they pay thousands of their own campaign dollars in order to print and mail fliers touting the candidacy of another party’s Senate candidate! That’s what happened in downstate Illinois where the Democrat Party spent thousands of its own campaign money to print and mail fliers for Libertarian Senate candidate Mike Labno in order to stir conservatives against GOP Senate candidate Mark Kirk.

Rich Miller has scans of the flier HERE.

Now, it’s not a cut-and-dried case of misrepresentation exactly. After all, on the back of the flier they have clearly noted in a small notation that the ad was paid for by the Lake County Democrat Party. But nowhere else on the ad does it allude to the Democrats and the flier seems as if it is a legit Libertarian Party mailing. So call it mildly deceptive at best.

But it is clear that this is a Democrat dirty trick regardless. That the Democrat Party would fund a flier for a completely different party is telling. The Democrats know that Alexi is a horrible candidate and is behind in the polls. This is a desperate move to shave off some of Kirk’s votes.
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Desperate Illinois Democrats Dirty Trick: Funding Mailers for Third Party Candidate to Spite Kirk”

Alexi Giannoulias - Anti-Americanism - Banks - Chicago - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Government - Illinois State Government - Liberals - President - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

A Break for ‘Mob Banker,’ Feds Releasing Report After Election

October 24, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It must be nice to be an Obama insider like Democrat Senate candidate Alexi “The Mob Banker” Giannoulias is. Obama’s FDIC is obviously in his corner, it seems. After all, the FDIC decided to wait until after the election is over to release its report on the failure of Giannoulias’s family bank.

So, Giannoulias might possibly be safely elected to the Senate before the results of any embarrassing investigations into his culpability for the bank failure are released.

Yep, must be nice to have basketball partners in high places.
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A Break for ‘Mob Banker,’ Feds Releasing Report After Election”

Alexi Giannoulias - Banks - Chicago - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Ethics - GOP - Government - Illinois - Liberals - Mark Kirk - Republicans - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois GOP Send ‘Shark’ to Spoof Alexi for Loans to Mobster ‘Jaws’ Giorango

October 21, 2010 by

Great political theater.

The Illinois GOP sent a guy dressed as a shark to dog Democrat Senate candidate Alexi “Mob Banker” Giannoulias. When Giannoulias was working for the Broadway Bank he loaned millions to mobster Michael “Jaws” Giorango. Naturally the mobster never paid it all back.

Budget - Chris Lauzen - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - DuPage County - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Kane County - Liberals - President - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Senator Chris Lauzen: Ridden Hard and Hung Up Wet

October 21, 2010 by

-By State Senator Chris Lauzen, 25th District

The decent, hard-working taxpayers of Illinois – – of our entire country – – have been “ridden hard and hung up wet”, as they say in the Deep South.

I was shocked to read about a focus group of “Wal-Mart Moms”, a new political demographic of disappointed female voters, a significant portion whom feel sorry for President Obama. I don’t fully understand this emotion considering the aggressive passage of healthcare, cap-and-trade, so-called stimulus/takeovers and multiple expensive vacation trips for him and Michelle, but I am listening closely.
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Senator Chris Lauzen: Ridden Hard and Hung Up Wet”

Alaska - Congress - Crime - Elections - Government - Journalism - Media - Media Bias - Republicans - Senate - War On Drugs - Warner Todd Huston

Alaska’s Sen. Murkowski a Coke Head?

October 14, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Dan Riehl of Riehl World View has a bit of a bombshell to drop on the arrogant, self-reverential “Senator of the people,” Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski — she of the second hand Senate seat bequeathed to her by her father who held that seat himself. Riehl says that it is a commonly known, not-so-secret secret in Alaska that Lisa Murkowski is and/or was a major drug addict even as she served as Alaska’s Republican Senator.

Murkowski recently lost her primary, as we all know, and suddenly she is now Mz independent because obviously having her in the Senate is far, far more important than anything as silly as the will of the voters! Perhaps her drug use explains her completely incomprehensible decision to continue running despite being turned out by her own voters?

So what did Riehl find?
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Alaska’s Sen. Murkowski a Coke Head?”

Alexi Giannoulias - Banks - Chicago - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Mark Kirk - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

Hard to Believe That Alexi Giannoulias ‘Didn’t Know’ Of Mobster’s Crimes

October 13, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Alexi Giannoulias is well known as the “Mob Banker” for the fact that his family bank lent $20 million to two mobsters while Alexi was an officer of the bank. The Illinois Democrat’s Senate candidate has finally answered to this loan a bit more directly than he has in the past and his answer is simply a bit hard to take.

On NBC’s Meet The Press on Sunday, October 10, Giannoulias uttered the laughable claim that he “didn’t know the extent” of the criminal activities of his mobster borrowers at the Broadway Bank.

This is a bit hard to take. Giannoulias seemed to act as if the two mobster’s activities were not as well known in 2005 as they really were at the time his bank gave these ne’er-do-wells multiple loans. Both Michael “Jaws” Giorango and his pal Demitri Stavropoulos were well known criminals by the time they were being served at Broadway Bank.
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Hard to Believe That Alexi Giannoulias ‘Didn’t Know’ Of Mobster’s Crimes”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Government - Liberals - President - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

Reid Says Greatest Living Americans Are Senators Byrd and Kennedy?

October 10, 2010 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Harry Reid (D, Nev.) isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, apparently. In an interview with CBN’s David Brody, Senator Reid replied that the greatest living American was Ted Kennedy. Reid then added West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd to the short list. Oddly enough, both of these “greatest living” Senators died earlier this year.

In the interview, Brody asks Reid, “Can you think of a greatest living American?”

Reid replied with: “I’m glad I had the opportunity to know Ted Kennedy. Whether you agreed with him or not, what a life he lead with his two brothers being assassinated, his other brother being killed in World War II. And Robert Byrd who just died. What a… he was in the Congress of the United States for more than 25 percent of the time that we have been a country. That’s fairly remarkable.”
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Reid Says Greatest Living Americans Are Senators Byrd and Kennedy?”

Alexi Giannoulias - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Government - Green Party - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Mark Kirk - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

Alexi Bails on Senate Debate

October 6, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Democrat Senatorial candidate Alexi “The Mob Banker” Giannoulias has withdrawn from a scheduled debate that was to be held October 21 at the WSIU studios in downstate Carbondale.

Giannoulias said that he was pulling out because the Libertarian candidate, Michael Labano, was not invited to participate.

“It’s disappointing, but these things happen in politics,” Yepsen said. “The rules we put together were that we would invite any candidate of an established political party. We’re not going to change the rules for one candidate.”

Independent candidates would only be invited to the debate if they had received at least a 5-percent vote in neutral polls, Yepsen said, and no independent candidates met the requirements.

The debate was to include Republican candidate Mark Kirk, Democrat Giannoulias, and Green Party candidate LeAlan Jones.

One wonders what Giannoulias is afraid of. After all, the rules for entry into the debate was known by Giannoulias when he initially accepted the invitation.
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Alexi Bails on Senate Debate”

Alexi Giannoulias - Banks - Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Government - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Liberals - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Alexi Tells Voters He Was No Banker, But Claims to IRS He Was

September 30, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It’s almost like a bad Riddler quip from TVs Adam West Batman show: When is a banker not a banker? Well, apparently the Illinois Democrat candidate for Senate, Alexi “the Mob Banker” Giannoulias, is trying his hand at the riddle. He’s constantly told the voters that he was not employed by his family bank during the year that it met so much trouble, yet on his tax returns Alexi took deductions for his bank work during that same year.

So when IS a banker not a banker? Apparently when he’s trying to run for Senate and get out from under the mess his bank ended up in.

Giannoulias has claimed that he had left his family bank in 2005. But as the Chicago Tribune reports, “Giannoulias was able to take a $2.7 million tax deduction last year because he reported working hundreds of hours at Broadway Bank in 2006.”
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Alexi Tells Voters He Was No Banker, But Claims to IRS He Was”

Alaska - Congress - Elections - GOP - Government - Republicans - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

Alaska Senator Launches Ill Advised write-in Campaign

September 17, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Talk about sore losers. We are starting to see the GOP country club set getting petulant, aren’t we?

First was pouter Mike Castle who lost his incumbency to Tea Party insurgent Christine O’Donnell in Delaware. Castle is refusing to back the voter’s choice and he’s gone off whining about the tough campaign that O’Donnell waged. Boo hoo, Mickey, boo hoo.

Now we get sore loser Lisa Murkowski of Alaska pulling her own little stunt. She just lost her Senate seat to another Tea Party backed candidate, Joe Miller. But instead of acquiescing to the will of the voters, Murkowski is petulantly launching a write-in campaign for herself!

Miller was also endorsed by Murkowski rival former Governor Sarah Palin, adding to Murkowski’s pain.

So I guess Murkowski hasn’t had enough of the power of being a Senator and is having a bit of trouble accepting the voter’s will because now she is launching a ridiculous writein campaign. She is sure to be wholly embarrassed by the outcome if she sticks this thing out all the way to November, but she also might just hurt the real nominee just enough to allow a Democrat to win right when Democrats are losing big time everywhere else.
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Alaska Senator Launches Ill Advised write-in Campaign”

00Publius Contributor - Budget - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Liberals - Paul Ryan - Republicans - Taxes - Unemployment - Warner Todd Huston - Wisconsin

Paul Ryan: Obamanomics Has Failed

September 1, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Congressman Paul Ryan (R, Wis) and former Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Holtz-Eakin came together early this week to lambaste Obama’s failed economic policies.

In a conference call to supporters and the press, CBO Director Holtz-Eakin said that there is “no evidence” that “the stimulus has really worked” and that Obama’s Keynesian fixes simply won’t work.

There is nothing about Keynesian stimulus that is going to fix those problems. The spending by the government has gotten worse, has not solved the housing problem, and has also not been successful. Instead, the key to more rapid economic growth is going to have to be the business sector and international trade.

Representative Ryan echoed that assessment, saying:
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Paul Ryan: Obamanomics Has Failed”

Alaska - Elections - GOP - Government - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

BREAKING: Murkowski Concedes in Alaska

August 31, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Another one of Mitch McConnell’s favorites just went down in flames as Senator Lisa Murkowski just bowed to Alaska’s new GOP candidate for Senate, Joe Miller.

Miller is far more conservative than Murkowski who was vying for the Ted Stevens award for pork.

As the New York Times says…

Mr. Miller shocked the political establishment here and in Washington last week when he emerged with a narrow lead, 1,668 votes, after the primary vote, on Aug. 24.

Chalk up another win for a Palin pick, too, as Miller got former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s support in this primary.

At first tongues were wagging that Murkowski was doing better than expected in the absentee ballots but as the night wore on it became clear that she was never going to be able to make up the lead that Miller had going into the counting.

That she conceded is a very good thing for the race in Alaska because it means that the bruising primary is over and Miller can spend his time and money on his Democrat opponent and not on a recount battle.

I am pleasantly surprised that Murkowski did concede, too, because yesterday an RNC hired gun lawyer was quickly flown up to Alaska and that could have portended a hard fought recount battle.

But it isn’t to be and that is a good thing.

Now let’s shake hands in Alaska, Republicans, and get to the job of putting Joe Miller in Washington D.C.!

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BREAKING: Murkowski Concedes in Alaska”

Chris Lauzen - GOP - Illinois - Illinois State Government - Kane County - Military - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

What If It Was Your Child Being Deployed?– Part I

August 29, 2010 by

From the Office of State Senator Chris Lauzen (25th District)…

(Part One of a Two-Part Series)

If it was your son or daughter who was being deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq, what would be your opinion of these wars?

I recognize that I’m no foreign policy or military strategy expert, but I can see how bravely parents of deployed troops silently bear their pain and fear. I watch how intensely Mike and Cindy pray for the safety of their sons and their comrades at church each Sunday—almost holding their breath until they return home. At the local grocery store, you see mothers staring at the cereal displays lost in their private thoughts. When I ask how their military son or daughter is doing, they answer with nervous pride, and we both avoid that deeper emotion that’s like adding one more drop of water to a glass full to the brim before it overflows.

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What If It Was Your Child Being Deployed?– Part I”

Alexi Giannoulias - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Government - Illinois - Liberals - Senate - Warner Todd Huston

Ill. Dem. Senate Candidate Calls Fellow Dems ‘Bozos’

August 26, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Fox News has a report of the odd way that Illinois Democrat Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias referred to fellow Democrats campaign appearance at a downstate agricultural forum.
“I have (known) plenty of Democrats that are complete bozos- that’s just the reality of it,” Giannoulias told the crowd.

While it is odd to see such a high profile Democrat candidate saying such a thing, I find nothing at all wrong with what he said. He’s right in context. There are a lot of Democrats that are “bozos.” He’s right that there are a lot of fine Republicans.

In fact, the concurrent reverse is true, too. There are a lot of “bozo” Republicans and a lot of nice Democrats, too.

Still, it is interesting that a guy in the middle of such a tight race was heard saying such a thing.
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Ill. Dem. Senate Candidate Calls Fellow Dems ‘Bozos’”