GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - Christmas, December 25, 2006

GOPUSA Illinois Daily Clips for Christmas Day 2006 include the following note from Dave Diersen

Merry Christmas, but tragically, it seems that people and organizations that advocate moral relativism, dependency on government, socialism, class warfare, open borders, surrender to terrorism, homosexual activity, promiscuity, etc. are gaining more and more influence over religious organizations, over political organizations, over elected officials, over candidates, over the news media, over the entertainment industry, over the education industry, etc.

And stories and commentaries on the following . . .

• Obama's charge on Iowa
• Chicago Sun-Times war against Christians
• Cook County's corporate property tax breaks slow down
• Blagojevich's ongoing snub of downstate
• Democrat Party's emerging influence in religious groups

and more . . .

QUESTION: Many Illinois Republican Party (IRP) leaders, including Tom Cross, have called for IRP National Committeeman Bob Kjellander to resign.  More than anyone else, Kjellander is responsible for a) the IRP State Central Committee (SCC) replacing IRP Chairman Gary MacDougal with Judy Baar Topinka, b) the SCC filling the Jack Ryan vacancy with Alan Keyes instead of Jim Oberweis, c) the SCC filling the Topinka vacancy with Andy McKenna instead of Oberweis or one of the other candidates, d) Topinka winning the 2006 gubernatorial primary instead of Oberweis, and e) the SCC's continuing opposition to direct election of SCC members (SB600).  Only 19 days remain until the SCC meets on January 13 in Bolingbrook.  When will McKenna call for Kjellander to resign and for direct election of SCC members?

QUESTION: What should Illinois Republicans say to IRP SCC members who argue against passing a motion on January 13 calling for Kjellander to resign because Kjellander says he would ignore such a motion?

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- Obama eyes Iowa in putting '08 HQ here - Lynn Sweet
http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/185524,CST-NWS-sweet25.article
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: VERY SAD: Chicago Sun-Times steps up its war against Christianity and against Christians
http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/185300,CST-EDT-edits25a.article
-- Cook County corporate property tax breaks may slow down Abdon Pallasch
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/185393,CST-NWS-proptax25.article
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Suppose a sea change swept a local body of government, and hardly anybody noticed. Tom Jaconetty, who has been the de facto administrator of the Cook County Board of Review for years, was dethroned a week ago. He was replaced with Scott Guetzow, whose supporters hope he will open up the board, make things more transparent and shift the focus from giving tax breaks to businesses to giving tax breaks to homeowners. Among the casualties of last month's tidal wave of Democratic victories was Maureen Murphy, the lone Republican on the three-member board. Murphy had formed a strong alliance with Democrat Joe Berrios and backed up Berrios' choice of his deputy, Jaconetty, to be the chief deputy commissioner. Murphy and Berrios teamed up to resist proposed changes suggested by upstart Commissioner Larry Rogers Jr., who had defeated their former colleague Bob Shaw two years ago. So Rogers backed Democrat Brendan Houlihan against Murphy. In a heavily Democratic year, Houlihan squeaked past Murphy in an all-suburban district drawn to elect Republicans. Big break for Sears Tower Murphy had fought with Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan when they were legislators. But the two had a rapprochement since Madigan started appearing before her in one of his other roles -- as an attorney representing businesses who seek tax reductions from the board. Amazingly, Madigan, who chairs the state Democratic Party, refused to endorse Houlihan over Murphy in the general election.)
DAILY SOUTHTOWN
-- Nothing for me, Santa, but here's a list for some people I know - Rich Miller
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/miller/185089,251MLR1.article
(DIERSEN: Miller asks Santa to bring things for Blagojevich, Obama, goofy pundits, Topinka, Hynes, Richard M. Daley, Michael Madigan, Emil Jones, and Frank Watson.)
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Doug Finke on Blagojevich
http://www.sj-r.com/sections/opinion/stories/103764.asp
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Gov. ROD BLAGOJEVICH signed the minimum wage bill into law last week. This is the one that hikes the minimum wage in Illinois from $6.50 an hour to $7.50 an hour on July 1. It then goes up by 25 cents an hour in each of the next three years, capping out at $8.25 an hour on July 1, 2010. It probably goes without saying that Blagojevich signed the bill within the comfy confines of the Chicago city limits. None of that hazardous winter travel downstate for him. Chicago Mayor RICHARD DALEY attended the bill signing ceremony. He took pains to note that we are all part of the same state. “Chicago is not separate,’’ Daley said. “We are part and parcel of this great state.’’ Someday, maybe Daley can even convince the governor of that. Because attending the signing ceremony arranged by Blagojevich’s office were Chicago aldermen, Chicago congressmen and Chicago state lawmakers. A couple of suburban lawmakers attended, but none from further downstate, even though their votes were necessary for the bill to pass. There was one person from south of Interstate 80 in attendance, a nursing home worker from Jacksonville who was brought to the ceremony to praise the bill. West central Illinois used to be called “Forgotonia.’’ Apparently the boundaries expanded.)
DAILY HERALD
-- Obama closes gap between Clinton in New Hampshire - AP
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/illinoisstory.asp?id=263411
(FROM THE ARTICLE: On the Republican side, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain are about even, with Giuliani at 26 percent and McCain at 25 percent. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is next with 10 percent...In hypothetical general election matchups, Giuliani has a slight lead over Clinton, while Clinton and McCain are about even. Obama is slightly ahead of both Giuliani and McCain. Edwards is tied with McCain and about even with Giuliani.)
-- VERY SAD: Ana Sanchez, a casino employee, stabbed to death inside the Grand Victoria Riverboat Casino lot - Lenore T. Adkins
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/kanestory.asp?id=263501&cc=k&tc=&t=
BALTIMORE SUN
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: VERY SAD: Cynthia Tucker applauds the pro-socialist anti-Christian Democrat Party's success taking over more and more "religious" leaders and organizations
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.tucker25dec25,0,6429677.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Moderate-to-liberal Christians, such as Sen. Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois, have given voice to a competing theology, as have more conservative Christians such as evangelist Rick Warren. Indeed, some of the most energetic opponents of the Falwell-Dobson axis are other conservative believers who want to reclaim the traditional emphasis on helping the needy.)
ARKANSAS NEWS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: VERY SAD: John Brummett ridicules and demonizes Christianity and all Christians
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2006/12/25/JohnBrummett/339276.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Right-wing religious evangelicals seeking to overtake the country politically simply have no choice but to disengage from the Republicans, stay clear of the Democrats and pursue their holy agenda with their own third party. That this American Christian Nation Party probably would just about ruin Republicans and elect Democrats might simply be the Lord's will. Not that the Almighty is a Democrat. Oh, no. But maybe he thinks the country needs to hit bottom before it can bounce back.)
WASHINGTON TIMES
-- New Hampshire visit lets Obama gain on Clinton
http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20061224-092553-5134r.htm
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A Monitor poll revealed that since Obama's New Hampshire visit, he has overcome a 23-point gap and now is nearly tied with Clinton in the upcoming primary, the Concord (N.H.) Monitor reported...As the Democratic Party nomination has become cloudy, so has that of its Republican rivals, who previously had Arizona Sen. John McCain as the frontrunner. Yet with the 2008 presidential primaries approaching, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has overtaken McCain, making New Hampshire a possible crucial contest, the newspaper said. "McCain can't take New Hampshire for granted the way he counted on them six years ago," political scientist Dante Scala said. "If Giuliani could break through anywhere, it would be in New Hampshire, with a large number of independents and a large number of relatively moderate Republicans.")
BOSTON GLOBE
-- Romney throwing sharp jabs at McCain  Governor's attacks cover range of issues - Scott Helman
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/12/25/romney_throwing_sharp_jabs_at_mccain/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: They are disguised as subtle tweaks, brief asides, or polite oh-by-the-way remarks to the media and to Republican audiences. But the zing of Governor Mitt Romney's attacks on Arizona Senator John McCain is unmistakable. With the 2008 primary season just around the corner, Romney seems to be stepping up his criticism of McCain on everything from taxes to terrorism. And McCain, for the most part, is ignoring it. Romney's most recent public jab was oblique but hard to miss, and it came in a speech three weeks ago at the annual Republican Governors Association conference in Miami. In the address, Romney praised President Bush for pushing tax cuts despite opposition from fellow Republicans. McCain was initially one of those Republicans, and it is one reason some conservatives do not trust him.)

34TH ANNUAL CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL ACTION CONFERENCE - March 1, 2, & 3, 2007
http://www.cpac.org/default.asp
INVITED SPEAKERS: Vice President Dick Cheney - Sean Hannity - Senator Mitch McConnell - Ann Coulter - Michelle Malkin - David Horowitz - Congressman Mike Pence - Newt Gingrich - Phyllis Schlafly - Wayne LaPierre - Bob Novak - and many more!  CPAC will feature book signings by the nation’s leading conservative authors, live broadcasts of national and local radio talk shows, hands-on training sessions from grassroots activism to media strategy, internet row and a bloggers’ corner, and much, much more!
REGISTRATION PACKAGES: Diamond-$425, Gold-$300, 3-Day Conference-$125, Student-$25
HOTEL INFORMATION: Rooms are reserved for CPAC attendees at the Omni Shoreham Hotel at 2500 Calvert Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008. To make a reservation, call (800) 843-6664. Mention CPAC in order to receive the discounted rate of $219 ($189 for students, ID required) before the February 7, 2007 deadline.

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Thanks,
David John Diersen
GOPUSA Illinois Editor
915 Cove Court, Wheaton, Illinois 60187-6326
www.gopillinois.com
www.gopusa.com/illinois
www.diersenformilton9.com
Email: diersen@aol.com
Phone: 630-653-0462
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