illinoisreview

Sauerberg answers the prolife question again

TINLEY PARK -- Republican candidate for U.S. Senator Steve Sauerberg saw 25 patients this morning before answering questions in a gathering of the United Southland Republican Women this afternoon in Tinley Park.  Sauerberg, a family physician by day, spoke about health care issues, the high cost of gasoline and how his positions contrasted with his opponent, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.

However, the first question he was asked was a question Sauerberg has been criticized for being muddy about in the past:  "What is your position on abortion?"   Over the last few months, Sauerberg has honed his answer to assuage pro-lifers' concerns.

Sauerberg started out, "We're a prolife family," and discussed he and his wife's contributions to the pro-life cause over the past few years, how she leads a fund-raising effort for an area crisis pregnancy center.  Then he appealed to the pro-choicers in the room by saying "We live in a pro-choice nation, when you talk to pro-choicers, they agree there should be less abortions."

Sauerberg says he's able to cross the abortion dividing line among Illinoisans by emphasizing what can be done to change the attitude towards the unborn babies and helping mothers to understand the decision they are about to make when considering abortion.

"For me it's about saving babies and educating and supporting mothers, and helping them make a decision about their pregnancies that they can live with for the rest of their lives in a comfortable way.  I believe that's what crisis pregnancy centers do," he said.

Sauerberg seemed frustrated that that answer doesn't satisfy some questioners.  "Some people say uh ... they don't know where you stand," hes said.  "I don't know what to tell you," then he forcefully followed,  "Partial birth abortion is one of the most obscene and disturbing things in the face of America, which Dick Durbin happens to support.  I don't get that.  I don't understand that.  I don't understand how anyone can support that."

Then he concluded, "I think if you're prolife, you'll like our stand on this issue."

 

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - May 17, 2008

GOPUSA Illinois Daily Clips for May 17, 2008 includes news and commentaries on the following topics:

• Republican Party candidates, campaigns, and events
• Republican Party platform issues including promoting a strong national defense, respect for the rule of law, individual responsibilitiy, traditional values, etc.
• Illinois, Cook County, DuPage County, and Chicago budget problems and more...

Gay marriage by another name

Nothing is shocking anymore, including senior citizens at the Capitol this week wearing "Seniors for Civil Unions" t-shirts . . . another brazen, foolish scam being perpetrated on the elderly.  From today's Always Right column in the Southtown Star:

In an attempt to broaden support for this marriage alternative, supporters are reaching out to senior citizens, suggesting civil unions would allow seniors to partner with another individual without fear of losing their deceased spouse's Social Security benefits.

It's appalling this scam is being propagated. The idea that civil unions are different from marriage is like calling a dog a cat. What you call a dog isn't important - it's what it is that counts. Same with a civil union. It is marriage.

This new domestic partnership, though claiming to be different, would abide by the same state laws for traditional marriage. One may be "civil-unionized" to only one person at a time, and the union may end only according to marriage dissolution laws. Joint ownership regulations and child custody laws apply. The only discernible difference between marriage and civil unions is that civil unions may involve two people of the same sex.

Link: Gay marriage by another name :: The SouthtownStar :: Fran Eaton.

Guilty until proven innocent: Parents accused of child abuse by DCFS fight to clear their names

More incompetencies from the Blagojevich Administration -- this one costing 3000 innocent people thousands of dollars in legal fees and years of emotional distress and heartache.  Why?  Because the DCFS wrongly listed them as child abusers -- a system in which you're guilty until proven innocent.

A review of state child abuse records by the newspaper found that more than 80,000 people were placed on the child abuse list -- called the State Central Register -- from Jan. 1, 2002, to Aug. 1, 2007.

Of those, 11,473 people appealed, and 3,051, or 27 percent, won their appeals and had their names removed from the list or saw their cases tossed out due to lack of evidence. Another 1,426 appeals were denied; 3,178 were abandoned or withdrawn by the accused; 3,289 cases were closed or dismissed through various administrative processes, and 529 appeals were pending

Link: Guilty until proven innocent: Parents accused of child abuse by DCFS fight to clear their names.

What was Huckabee thinking?

From the dumb, shoot-yourself-in-the-foot remark department -- what was Huckabee thinking?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee, interrupted on Friday by a loud crash as he spoke to the National Rifle Association, joked that the noise was Democratic candidate Barack Obama falling off a chair as he dodged a gun aimed at him.

"That was Barack Obama. He just tripped off a chair. He was getting ready to speak and somebody aimed a gun at him, and he dove for the floor," Huckabee told the NRA convention in Louisville, Kentucky, in comments that aired on CNN.

Link: Huckabee jokes to NRA of gun aimed at Obama | Politics | Reuters.

The 2008 IL GOP Platform -- part 1

No, we don't have the platform. At least not one I've seen yet. It's three weeks until the June 6 state convention in Decatur, and as a delegate from Bremen Township, what I will be asked to vote on matters to me. One thing I'll be asked to do is accept or reject the 2008 IL GOP Platform. 

So, I began reviewing our 2004 IL GOP Platform, and began remembering what a chaos the process was that year. I observed as a reporter, and it was crazy. The members of the platform committee didn't know what was being proposed, and only the chairman, now-Metro East Judge Steve McGlynn, knew what was going on. Everyone else was in the dark until just days before the convention.  By then, it was too late for concerned platform committee members to do other than accept the proposed wording.

This year we're hearing the platform committee members are being kept in the dark about the rewriting process again. The party has had four years to prepare for this convention, so there isn't much of an excuse for the up until now lack of communication -- unless the intent is to limit discussion once again.

California Dreaming

by George Dienhart

The POLITICO called it a gift for John McCain and at first glance it is hard to argue:

“California Supreme Court overturns gay marriage ban: In a 4-3 decision, the justices rule that people have a fundamental 'right to marry' the person of their choice and that gender restrictions violate the state Constitution's equal protection guarantee. The scope of the court's decision could be thrown into question by an initiative already heading toward the November ballot. The initiative would amend the state Constitution to prohibit same-sex unions. The campaign over that measure began within minutes of the decision. The state's Catholic bishops and other opponents of same-sex marriage denounced the court's ruling. But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who previously has vetoed two bills in favor of gay marriage, issued a statement saying he 'respects' the decision and 'will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn' it."

Sen. McCain does not support same-sex marriage, which is dead on with the beliefs of most conservatives. That is not the gift. The gift they refer to is the conventional wisdom that every Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) initiative has brought out Republicans in droves. Ironically, this act by the ultra-liberal California Supreme Court may have put California in play for McCain.

Moment of Silence stirs debate in Evanston senate race

The "Moment of Silence" controversy is becoming a campaign issue in Evanston, where Democratic State Senator Jeff Schoenberg urged local school districts to apply for a mandate waiver immediately after the bill was enacted last fall.

Schoenberg counseled Evanston/Skokie School District 65:

This new requirement of a moment of silence adds another unnecessary item to an already lengthy list of curriculum and other administrative requirements faced by the teachers in District 65. It represents undue interference in the ability of these teachers to manage their own classrooms and has nothing whatsoever to do with improving student performance.

Republican challenger attorney Brendan Appel sees no harm in setting aside a moment each day to start off the school day, says he's "amazed" at the level of resistance he's seeing, and thinks those energies are misguided:

I believe it is good to provide our children the opportunity to silently reflect or say a silent prayer to start off the day. The law does not require children to pray, nor does it establish a religion.

I am amazed at the level of resistance to this law by certain groups - what harm could possibly come to our children from a "moment of silence"?

Those who oppose this law should more productively redirected their energy to dealing with real problems in our schools, such as the recent rampant violence in some of our inner-city schools.

Minutemen welcome an American Hero to Chicago

by Rosanna Pulido

Minutemen groups of Illinois welcome American Patriot Chris Simcox to Chicago to tell the truth about illegal immigration, how it is destroying America and sending us into bankruptcy and hurting American workers.

Chicago, Illinois..... De Paul University’s Conservative Alliance will host a presentation on Monday, May 19Th. American Patriot and founder of the Historic Minutemen Arizona/Mexico Border Watch will address the De Paul forum about how illegal immigration is hurting American Workers, taxpayers, law-abiding citizens, and legal immigrants.

IFI speaks out on CA marriage ruling

IFI's Dave Smith writes about the effect the California ruling could have immediately in Illinois -- specifically as to HB 1826.

Simply put, I find it outrageous that four Judges were able to overturn the will of 61 percent of the voters -- essentially 4.6 million California residents. Here we have liberal arrogance on display and at its best.

Moreover, a handful of judges should not be able to disregard thousands of years of human history and the evidence of social science that marriage between one man and one woman is best for society, families, and children.

Link: Illinois Family Institute. 

A pleasant hey! from Georgia

Just wanted to say thanks for helping to keep an Illinois ex-pat (91st & Western, Crestwood, Park Forest, Steger, Morris in Grundy Co. and Clifton in Iroquois County) now living in a small Georgia town near Savannah reasonably free from being too homesick.  Sure I miss the snow, rush hour traffic on 294 and 57, and the confiscatory property taxes, but other than that I really to miss NE Illinois!  On the other hand living in a red state does have advantages.

Illinois Review, Tom Roeser's blog, Don & Roma on the WLS website live hook up, and Milt Rosenberg's Extension 720 on the WGN live hookup ease the homesickness pain to a tolerable dull throb. And starting next October, all the Blackhawk's home and away hockey games on WGN TV!
 
Keep it up!  Illinois Review is always one of my first stops when I crank up the computer in the morning! 

Jim Zerkel
Baxley, GA

Great to hear from you, Jim!  Thanks for the encouraging words . . . we can "hear" that new Southern drawl . . ;)

Getting to know McCain

David Horsey

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - May 16, 2008

GOPUSA Illinois Daily Clips for May 16, 2008 includes news and commentaries on the following topics:

• Lauzen, DePaul, McKenna, Pat Brady, Martin, LaHood, Gerson, Roupas, Sheahan, Detmers, Venturi, Heffley, McCain, Obama, Clinton, Blagojevich, and more...
• Republican Party candidates, campaigns, and events
• Republican Party platform issues including promoting a strong national defense, respect for the rule of law, individual responsibilitiy, traditional values, etc.
• Illinois, Cook County, DuPage County, and Chicago budget problems and more...

Sauerberg reacts to California marriage decision

(Lombard, IL) - "Today four activist judges on the California Supreme Court voted to radically re-define the institution of marriage.  I strongly believe that marriage is an institution that should be reserved for one man and one woman and, accordingly, strongly disagree with this decision. 

"Today's ruling is a stark reminder of the need for conservative judges and justices who will interpret the law - not create it.  As a United States Senator, I will only vote to confirm strict constructionist judges who understand the proper role of the judiciary."

See also IR's post "Where Sauerberg stands on gay marriage," April 1, 2008

Democrats enable public porn addicts

What's up with State Senator Denny Jacobs (D-Moline) and library porn? 

After working hard year after year to get legislation through that would protect kids from being visually-assaulted by obscene images while visiting the public library, it looks like family groups such as Illinois Family Institute and Concerned Women for America have hit yet another brick wall in Senator Emil Jones' Illinois Senate. 

Parents, be warned:  sending your kids to the public library continues to be hazardous to their health.  It will continue to be until Senator Jacobs follows through and moves HB 1727.

HB 1727 simply ties state library funds to filtering out obscene, hard core porn from taxpayer-funded library computers.  No filters, no state dollars.  Seems a fairly reasonable request, doesn't it?  We already have a similar Supreme Court-tested policy with federal funds.  Cutting off state funds for those who would rather provide porn than take federal funds is the next step in protecting neighborhood kids at the library.

Senator Jacobs is a big disappointment on this effort.  After taking the bill from State Senator Randy Hultgren (R-Wheaton), Jacobs got the hopes of concerned parents up when he took responsibility for getting HB 1727 through the Senate and on to the Governor.  State Rep. Kevin Joyce (D-Chicago) pushed and shoved the bill through the House in 2007. 

Now the hold up is the Senate.  The same place anything good for families stops.

Evidently, Jacobs has heard from the American Library Association based in Chicago and shudders to think what horror local Moline librarians could do if taxpayer-funded obscenity was filtered out of their libraries.

Maybe Senator Jacobs could use a little encouragement to get this bill moving.  TIme is running out.  This time, the blame for visual assaults at the public library would lay in the lap of the Democratic leadership, along with Senator Jacobs' weak backbone and at the hands of slimy, public porn addicts and their enabling local librarians.

There's still time to move HB 1727, but Senator Jacobs' has to do it.  The Springfield office phone for Senator Jacobs is 217 782 5957.

California High Court Decision Striking Down Marriage Underscores Need for Congress to Pass AFM's Marriage Protection Amendment

Marriage Protection Amendment Drafted by AFM is Essential to Protect Views of the Vast Majority of Americans

WASHINGTON -- The Alliance for Marriage Foundation urged the people of California to constitutionally protect marriage in their state, while calling upon Congress to pass AFM's federal Marriage Protection Amendment in the aftermath of a California Supreme Court decision striking down marriage.

"In the most populous state in the Union, radical activists have convinced judges to ignore the will of the people and to follow the destructive lead of the Massachusetts courts in striking down the common sense definition of marriage," said Matt Daniels, president and founder of the Alliance for Marriage Foundation. "California is now ground-zero in the Battle to Protect Marriage, and the fight in California must now be joined in the Congress."

Recently, California voters delivered over 1.1 million signatures to protect marriage with a constitutional amendment. The signatures are being verified by county election officials for the constitutional amendment to be approved for the November 2008 ballot.

Kudos to IFI for protecting moment of silence

A moment of silence, in our opinion, never hurts anyone . . .

From IFI:

Last year, Springfield lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill (SB 1463) to amend the Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act. This legislation requires (instead of simply making it optional) a teacher to observe a brief period of silence for prayer or reflection in Illinois classrooms.

The Illinois Family Institute (IFI) supported the proposed change to the Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act believing the legislation is an affirmative step towards recognizing religious freedom in the public square which is protected within the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

But just 15 days after the new law went into effect, Rob Sherman, a Buffalo Groveself-proclaimed atheist, decided to try and overturn the will of state legislators and impose his own. On October 26th, Sherman and the ACLU of Illinois filed a federal complaint on behalf of his daughter who attends Buffalo Grove High School(Sherman v. Township High School District).

No "time out" yet

Why do we get a distinct impression from State Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago) that he was an onery little boy in kindergarten, and as a result of being stifled as a child to this day despises the thought of a forced "time out"?

After all, one minute a day to reflect upon whatever one wants to reflect upon doesn't seem like too much to require at the beginning of a school day, does it?  One can only imagine how frustrated Rep. Fritchey was to find that Senator Kimberly Lightford (D-Westchester) had picked up his House bill returning the now-mandatory moment of silence back to being a voluntary one, only to try and amend the bill back to being a forced time out.  Yesterday, Senator Lightford effectively stifled Fritchey's House bill in committee.

“It’s unfortunate that her hostile sponsorship of my legislation is going to thwart not only the will of the House but the desire of school districts around the state and common sense,” Fritchey told the SJ-R.

In the meantime, atheist Rob Sherman has filed suit against the required morning time out, and last year's law is currently unenforceable until the judge makes a decision.   (Rob was probably another one of those kids who couldn't stand sitting in the time-out chair, either.)

Fritchey, Sherman et al don't mind if others take a moment to reflect on their day, they just don't want to be forced to do it.  They probably didn't like brushing their teeth every day, eating their vegetables, wearing boots on a rainy day, or abiding by curfews. 

Sometimes we do things because they are good for us, even if we don't want to.  There's absolutely no harm in requiring a moment of silence each morning to contemplate the day.  Such a moment could be actually good for our kids.

But it probably wasn't a good thing for well-intentioned Senator Lightford to attempt to outmaneuver the two mischievious rebels Fritchey and Sherman.   For years, they've successfully wrangled their ways out of mandatory time-outs.  They're likely not to succumb on this one, either.

After all, they've found a way out of this moment of silence thus far. As a result, it'll be surprising if Illinois school kids are ever required to be silent in school -- even for a moment.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - May 15, 2008

GOPUSA Illinois Daily Clips for May 15, 2008 includes news and commentaries on the following topics:

• Birkett, McKenna, LaHood, McCain, Obama, Clinton, Blagojevich
• Republican Party candidates, campaigns, and events
• Republican Party platform issues including promoting a strong national defense, respect for the rule of law, individual responsibilitiy, traditional values, etc.
• Illinois, Cook County, DuPage County, and Chicago budget problems and more...

Endangered species talk

From Chip Bok

Prince Caspian Conquers Ten-Year Old And His Dad

by Cal Skinner

It's now my all time favorite movie of all time!” my ten-year old son told the movie theater monitors outside of the AMC River East Movie Theatre just before ten o'clock Tuesday night.

There were three monitors.  They reminded me of the men (plus one woman) in black.

One admonished me not to take pictures inside when he saw my camera.

During the whole movie he stood at the front scanning the audience with something that might have been an infrared spy glass. I guess they thought someone in the "Faith & Family Outreach" audience might not be ethical and try to make a bootleg copy.

What kind of a Dad am I to deliver my son to his bed at 11 PM on a school night?

Illinois House Succeeds in Subverting Federal Law Once Again

The Illinois House of Representatives succeeded today once again in subverting Federal law by passing HB2747 Religious Ministry access.

Here are all of their votes  now let's review ....they voted on HB 60 In State Tuition for illegal aliens and it passed 03/05/03 , Then they decided they would force businesses and Banks to accept an ID (Matricula Consular) that the FBI deemed a major threat to our national Security..SB 1623 they passed this bill on 05/27/05. Then there is Drivers certificates for illegal aliens passing 03/28/07. These brilliant guys and gals brought a law suit to Illinois courtesy of Department of Homeland Security because the Illinois House of Representatives chose to intimidate employers from checking if their workers were in the United States legally using the e-verify Federal program, HB1744 passed 04/19/07.

Congratulation to the Illinois House for once again sabotaging the Federal Governments guidelines for illegal alien detainees for ministry and creating their own laws. They obviously do not have enough to do in Springfield, they have to look for work.The brain child for this bill was Rep. Daniel Burke and his friends at ICIRR. To hell with the Feds they say, to hell with the Feds!

First openly gay Illinois lawmaker dies

Former state Rep. Larry McKeon, the first openly gay member of the Illinois General Assembly, died Tuesday, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie announced Wednesday on the state House floor

Link: Clout Street - local political coverage | Chicago Tribune | Blog.

Keep Family Secrets Private

Illinois' adoption registry should remain voluntary, despite Rep. Sara Feigenholtz' crusade to open family secrets . . . admittedly, a controversial position on a controversial topic that is likely to face a House floor vote before May 23.

From Illinois Family Institute's website . . .

Forced open adoption records is not the panacea. Such a drastic new policy is more likely to create more biological and psychological distress than what it relieves. If the moral definition of privacy remains as cloudy as it currently is, only technological advancements will finally determine what family secrets must be revealed.

Adoptive parents, at the very least, should have the circumstances surrounding their child's records be allowed to be kept as private as those circumstances surrounding the premeditated death of an unborn innocent.

Link: Illinois Family Institute.

Also see Opening the Adoption Pandora's Box 

A response to the Huffington Report story (The Presidency of Al Gore, 2001-2009)

by George Dienhart

The original story is here. My timeline is the same as the original author. I think this way more probable than the outcome written by Norman MacAfee.

On January 20, 2001, Al Gore, the candidate who won the most votes, becomes the 43rd president of the United States. A constitutional crisis develops as the electoral college is ignored. Years later, historians refer to this event as the American coup of 2001.
Al Gore continues the same policies as the Clinton administration. The 9/11 events still occur as they did in our timeline.

Shortly after 9/11, Al Gore refuses to send Special Forces into Afghanistan to support the Northern Alliance. He states in an interview that he will not violate another nation’s sovereignty. Terrorists pour into Afghan training camps. A follow up to 9/11 is planned by Al Qaeda. Eventually Gore authorizes (CG-48) U.S.S. Yorktown to fire a cruise missile at Bin Laden’s last known location. The missile hit’s it’s target, but the Gore administration is embarrassed as Bin Laden is seen later that day in Damascus attending a conference for Palestinian Independence. Bin Laden is the keynote speaker and appologizes fo not paying enough attention to the “plight of his Muslim brothers”. During the speech, suicide bombers simultaneously attack 25 separate targets in Israel, killing over 600 people.

McAloon Calls For State Budget Process To Be Open to the Public

Grundy, Will, Iroquois, Livingston, LaSalle, and Kankakee Counties, IL. – As the General Assembly nears its scheduled adjournment date on May 29th, Republican candidate for State Representative, David McAloon, is calling for legislators to approve a measure that would require a 14-day public disclosure period before a budget can be approved.

"11th hour maneuvers and insider deals in the final hours of past legislative sessions have resulted in wasteful spending and unbalanced budgets," said McAloon. "We need to shed some sunlight on the state budget process and encourage public input and review into the over $50 billion in taxpayer funds that are being spent."

McAloon is requesting that legislators approve and follow House Bill 506, legislation that would require a 14-day review period before the General Assembly can vote on the state budget. The legislation would also require that all appropriations bills be posted on the Illinois General Assembly website 14 days prior to a vote.

NARAL endorses Obama

Washington, DC - Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, released the following statement today, announcing that her organization's political action committee proudly endorses Sen. Barack Obama for president.

"Today, NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC is proud to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president. Sen. Obama has been a strong advocate for a woman's right to choose throughout his career in public office. He steadfastly supports and defends a woman's right to make the most personal, private decisions regarding her reproductive health without interference from government or politicians. 

What NARAL means:  Sen. Obama worked in the Illinois legislature against any legislation that would limit abortion. He's against parental notification, he supports the use of partial birth abortion and against granting constitutional rights to babies who are born alive.  He has demonstrated no concern for the babies whose lives end when their mothers choose to abort.

Obama shows gratitude with CSU earmark favors

Chicago State University -- one of the state's most financially-gifted universities since Emil Jones took over control of the Illinois Senate -- has also been getting their share of federal funds, thanks to our junior U.S. Senator Barack Obama.  (Jones featured in photo to the right of Obama)

 

Obama put in at least three earmark requests for CSU last year totaling $11 million.  At least one of those earmarks was granted for 1.84 million federal dollars.  He also pushed through a bill (H.R. 2669) that provides $15 million in funding to "predominantly black colleges," including CSU.

Missing the Point - Part II

By Tyler Jones

This is part II in what will be an ongoing series of posts on how the Illinois Republican Party is missing the point in its feckless effort to regain credibility in the state.

Yesterday, we posted about how Andy McKenna’s Chicago Tribune Voice of the People missed the point in terms of what the Illinois voters are looking for from the Illinois Republican Party.

Today, we’ll take a look at one of the party’s leading power-brokers:  Angelo “Skip” Saviano.

Saviano is chairman of the Illinois House Republican Organization – the official committee of the Illinois House Republican Caucus. 

He also is a member of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee.

So, in other words, there is no denying that Skip Saviano is a member of the Illinois Republican Party Leadership.

Bike to Work?

With gas at $4.29 a gallon today in the Cook County, there's a renewed interest in cycling, even to work.

June 7 through 13, 2008 will be Bike to Work Week in Chicago.  Will you participate in your community?  If yes, how?  If not, why not?

That weekly trip to Springfield might be okay on the Amtrak, but I'm thinking it's way too far to bike.  WAAAYY too far . . .

McCain and the pro-life plank

by Jill Stanek

On May 9 ABC News unearthed disturbing footage from a 2000 Republican primary debate between John McCain, Alan Keyes, and George Bush showing McCain's surly pro-abortion side. View the video below:

McCain provoked President Bush on the exceptions they share: rape, incest. He tried to corner President Bush as a liar or hypocrite since he supported the pro-life plank of the Republican platform, which backed a human life amendment to the Constitution.

Keyes, always clear, although these days so hostile he has alienated all but a core few, nailed them both on their duplicity, saying...

IR Buzz for today

Illinois Review's buzz today (See GOPUSA IL's Daily Clips) is about the unfortunate charges filed against DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett's son for possession of marijuana.

What's your thoughts? 

PASS' "Happy Day" 2008 Hike for Life

You can still support PASS and help your IR Editor reach her goal today . . . HERE.

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - May 14, 2008

GOPUSA Illinois Daily Clips for May 14, 2008 includes news and commentaries on the following topics:

• Birkett, McKenna, LaHood, McCain, Obama, Clinton, Blagojevich
• Republican Party candidates, campaigns, and events
• Republican Party platform issues including promoting a strong national defense, respect for the rule of law, individual responsibilitiy, traditional values, etc.
• Illinois, Cook County, DuPage County, and Chicago budget problems and more...

Obama: Flag pin confusion

Gary McCoy

Auditor General reports $1.5 billion unpaid medical claims

We knew things were bad, but today's Auditor General report on how the state of Illinois is paying its Medicaid bill is stunning.  From today's report found here:

• Medicaid claims received in each of the past four fiscal years, when added to unpaid bills carried over from the prior year, have exceeded the funds available to timely pay providers. On average, from FY05 – FY07, $1.5 billion of unpaid medical claims have been carried over into the next fiscal year.
• HFS could not document how payment schedules and payment parameters used to make Medicaid payments were established.
• In FY06, it took HFS an average of 6 days to process claims; however, it took HFS an average of 57 days to submit claims to the Comptroller for payment.
• HFS used a poorly defined and documented process to expedite $5.7 million in “one-time drop” payments to providers in FY07.
• In CY06, it took HFS an average of 87 days to notify nonexpedited providers of a rejected service when the rejected service was submitted on a claim along with a service that was paid.
• In 2006, HFS used 123 error codes to notify providers of rejected services that were not listed in HFS’ provider handbook.

Pay raise follies

Last Wednesday evening, women legislators hosted a Cabaret! fundraiser at the Springfield Hilton. According to State Rep. Karen May (D-Highwood), the program included a saucy vamp serenade by heavy-smoking, raspy-throated State Rep. Barbara Flynn-Currie (D-Chicago), a "hot" dancing ensemble featuring Senator William Delgado (D-Chicago) as well as soloist State Senator Brad Burzynski (R-Sycamore) who crooned Patsy Cline's "Crazy, crazy for believing [the governor. . .]" 

If only the ladies would have played back the House floor discussion on State Rep. Fred Crespo's HJR 132, rejecting the Compensation Review Board's recommendation to give all state lawmakers a pay raise. It was hilarious. Embarrassingly so. Capitol tourists stared in disbelief as they heard at least two state representatives publicly state for the annals of history just how much they deserved pay raises.

The GOP VP Race

by John Ruskin

CQ Politics has their latest polling out on the GOP VP race. Eight "elite" seem to have emerged. They are:

Mike Huckabee (54%) vs. Condoleezza Rice (45%)
Mark Sanford (53%) vs. Mitt Romney (46%)
Tim Pawlenty (55%) vs. Colin Powell (44%)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (52%) vs. Tom Ridge (47%)
Sarah Palin (62%) vs. Sam Brownback (37%)
Bobby Jindal (52%) vs. Michael Steele (47%)
Rob Portman (60%) vs. Joe Lieberman (39%)
Charlie Crist (60%) vs. John Thune (39%)

You can check out the race here.

Sub-prime mortgage collapses: unintended consequences

"The sub-prime mortgage collapse is another tale of unintended consequences. The crisis has its roots in the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, a Carter-era law that purported to prevent 'redlining' ---denying mortgages to black borrowers---by pressuring banks to make home loans in 'low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.'

"Under the act, banks were to be graded on their attentiveness to the 'credit needs' of 'predominantly minority neighborhoods.'...[T]o earn high ratings, banks were forced to make increasingly risky loans to borrowers who wouldn't qualify for a mortgage under normal standards of creditworthiness. The CRA, made even more stringent during the Clinton administration, trapped lenders in a Catch-22. 'If they comply,' wrote Loyola College economist Thomas DiLorenzo, 'they know they will have to suffer from more loan defaults. If they don't comply, they face financial penalties... which can cost a large corporation like Bank of America billions of dollars.'

McKenna Misses the Point ... Again

by Tyler Jones

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna has this Voice of the People in today's Chicago Tribune pushing, once again, for the recall amendment.

McKenna writes:

As the Antoin "Tony" Rezko trial revealed more allegations of deep corruption in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration, we heard voters demanding the ability to recall public officials who violate the public trust ...

... This is the attitude voters seek to change in Springfield-an attitude of arrogance and entitlement, an attitude that ignores the wishes of the people, that protects a culture of corruption. Six years ago, Illinois voters threw Republicans out of office in response to their failed leadership, arrogance and inability to listen to the wishes of the people. We were rightfully held accountable. We listened.

Really, Andy?  The Illinois GOP listened?  We think not.  McKenna (and the Illinois GOP) once again misses the point.  Here some additional bullet points for Andy and the Illinois GOP to consider:

For conservative college kids only

• Having troubles with liberals on your campus?
• Interested in a fun-filled two days of political speakers and exciting outings in DC?
• Want to meet like-minded conservative student leaders from across the US?
• Could you use training to improve your public speaking skills?
• Want to hear how other students are combating the liberal bias on their campuses?
• Want your picture taken with one of your favorite conservative icons?

College students answering yes to these questions should visit www.efcollegians.org to register for the 15th annual Eagle Forum Collegians Summit in Washington, D.C. on July 10-11.

Don't forget to forward this message to interested students. We also have a full page flyer(PDF) available for distribution.

The way to a super-delegate's heart

Back to baking cookies . . .

Cartoonist Steve Benson

GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - May 13, 2008

GOPUSA Illinois Daily Clips for May 13, 2008 includes news and commentaries on the following topics:

• McKenna, LaHood, McCain, Obama, Clinton, Blagojevich
• Republican Party candidates, campaigns, and events
• Republican Party platform issues including promoting a strong national defense, respect for the rule of law, individual responsibilitiy, traditional values, etc.
• Illinois, Cook County, DuPage County, and Chicago budget problems and more...

Think you're taxed enough? Alvarez wants more

CHICAGO, IL - Despite the recent tax increase that has given Cook County the highest sales tax in the country - State's Attorney candidate Anita Alvarez wants more. In her speech to the City Club of Chicago earlier today, Alvarez parroted the political insiders' party line by claiming her office doesn't have enough money to do its job ("Cook County State's Attorney Candidate Anita Alvarez Blasts County Board for Cutting Prosecutor Office's Budget", Michael Higgins, Chicago Tribune, 5/5/08).

Alvarez apparently missed the irony of the County Board passing that massive increase on the same day a federal court monitor released a report showing rampant illegal patronage hiring in county government.

The job of prosecuting that corruption is supposed to be carried out by the State's Attorney's office - an office in which Ms. Alvarez has served for 22 years. That same office has long turned a blind eye to the corruption that wastes millions of taxpayer dollars each year.

Troop surge in the 'hood?

Dennis Byrne's proposed solution to Chicago's gang violence should be considered . . .

The only thing we haven't tried in our desperation to end Chicago's violence is a troop surge.

So then, why not a surge? Give people whose 3-year-olds get shot playing outside what they most want and deserve: security. Call out the National Guard. After all, a surge finally established some degree of security in Baghdad, and if we're to believe what we read, parts of Chicago are no less of a war zone.

Link: The Barbershop: Dennis Byrne, proprietor: Troop surge in the 'hood?.

Schanna Gayden's 2007 death raised in Gonzalez hearing

Young Schanna Gayden was shot to death at a neighborhood playground while walking with her grandmother in 2007.  Accused of ordering the shots fired that struck 13 year old Schanna, Mwenda Murithi roamed freely on Chicago streets despite being arrested 27 times prior.  Although he had illegally overstayed a student visa, the 26 year old Kenyan never faced deportation.   

Chicago's "sanctuary city" law protects undocumented suspects from police questioning about their immigration status.  Illinois state law requires judges to warn convicted felons as to the ramifications of admitting illegal immigration status, but does not require them to ask what the convicted's immigration status is.  HB 5756 would require the question to be asked and answered.

Illinois should protect other potential Schanna Gaydens from certain, unmerciful, mistaken death by getting criminal illegals off our city streets. 

Senator Jeff Sessions mentioned Schanna Gayden's death during a questioning with fomer U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez last year.  The questioning went like this:

HB 1826, or, we've dubbed it, "Marriage Lite"

Desperate to make Illinois the first midwestern state to offer a legal counterfeit to traditional marriage, the homosexual civil union movement is now attempting to dupe senior citizens into joining their cause.

State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) boasted over the weekend he expects to get the needed 60 votes to move HB 1826 out of the House this spring. We think his ludicrous HB 1826 proposal should be dubbed "Marriage Lite." 

Illinois' "Marriage Lite" movement has expanded from originally promoting legal unions between same sex partners to now include opposite sex couples.  They're reaching out to seniors:  "Protect the legal rights of senior citizens" to united without marrying, CivilUnionIllinois.org shouts HERE. 

Why a special appeal to senior citizens?  Seniors, CivilunionIllinois.org suggests, can use "Marriage Lite" to scam the Social Security regs and pensions set up for widows and widowers: