GOPUSA Illinois Daily Clips for September 30, 2007 includes news and commentaries on the following topics:
- Republican Party candidates, campaigns, and events
- Republican Party platform issues including limited government, abortion, homosexual activity, immigration, gambling, etc.
- Illinois, Cook County, and DuPage County budget problems
and more . . .
GIULIIANI ILLINOIS CAMPAIGN
-- Town Hall Meeting with Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Thursday, October 4, at the College of DuPage
(FROM THE PRESS RELEASE: The Giuliani Illinois Campaign has as announced that a Town Hall Meeting will be held with Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Thursday, October 4, at the College of DuPage. The meeting will be held at 1:00 PM, in the Jack H. Turner Conference Center, in the Student Resource Center, 425 Fawell Boulevard, Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137. The meeting is free and open to the public, but due to space limitations, you must RSVP to attend. RSVP with your name, phone number, and email address to Andrew Proctor at 630-297-1867 or to AndrewProctor@JoinRudy2008.com.
NAPERVILLE AREA REPUBLICAN WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION
-- State Senator Bill Brady to speak at annual fall fundraiser brunch, Sunday, October 7, at Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge
http://www.dupagegop.com/events.pdf (Page 2)
(FROM THE PRESS RELEASE: State Senator Bill Brady will speak at the Naperville Area Republican Women's Organization annual fall fundraiser brunch on Sunday, October 7, at Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge. The event runs from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM. The cost is $50 per person. For additional information, phone Liz Martinez at 630-416-6594.)
NEW YORK TIMES
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: OUTRAGEOUS: LaHood outrageously "predicts" that Hillary will be our next President and that the Democrats will keep control of the House and Senate
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Republicans have yet to put forward a prominent challenger for any Democratic-held seat, although an announcement is expected soon in Louisiana. Additionally, nine Republicans in the House and three in the Senate have announced plans to retire. Some of those leaving are in midcareer, when a departure often signals pessimism about the prospects for regaining the majority. Democratic retirements total two to date -- both are House members who are running for the Senate. ''The Democrats will continue to be the majority party in the House and Senate and Hillary Clinton will make history by being the first woman president'' in 2008, predicts Rep. Ray LaHood, one of three Illinois Republicans to announce his retirement so far. What makes LaHood's prediction stand out is his willingness to say it publicly.)
-- FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: G.O.P. Hopeful Fred Thompson Took Own Path in the Senate - Jo Becker
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Today Mr. Thompson is campaigning for president, selling himself as the most devoted conservative in the Republican field, a leader whose vision was shaped by the Republican revolution of 1994. But his approach to the impeachment case — and his ultimate decision to part with the Republican majority by voting to acquit Mr. Clinton on one of two impeachment counts — underscores the concerns now being raised by many conservative leaders. Less than a month into Mr. Thompson’s official campaign, they are asking how truly committed he is to their cause and, given his late-starting and somewhat languid campaign, how much he really covets the prize. James C. Dobson, the influential Christian conservative leader, recently offered this verdict in an e-mail message to supporters: “He has no passion, no zeal and no apparent ‘want to.’” In his eight years in the Senate, Mr. Thompson compiled a solidly conservative voting record. But a review of thousands of pages of his papers archived at the University of Tennessee and interviews with his former aides show that he displayed little enthusiasm for divisive battles over abortion and other issues that motivate religious Republican primary voters. And when his convictions and his party’s interests diverged, Mr. Thompson brought a lawyer’s sensibility to his deliberations, rather than that of a rote partisan plotting a path to Pennsylvania Avenue. He veered from party orthodoxy often enough that his staff once proudly compiled a long list of votes titled “Breaking With the Republican Pack.”)
-- McCain Casts Muslims as Less Fit to Lead - Stephen Labaton
(THE ARTICLE: Senator John McCain said in an interview posted on the Internet on Saturday that the Constitution established the United States as a Christian nation and that his faith is probably of better spiritual guidance than that of a Muslim candidate for president. “I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, that’s a decision the American people would have to make, but personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith,” Mr. McCain said in response to a question about the possibility of a Muslim’s running for president. The interview was conducted by beliefnet, a Web site that writes extensively about religious issues of virtually every denomination. After the interview, Mr. McCain contacted the Web site to clarify his remarks, saying, “I would vote for a Muslim if he or she was the candidate best able to lead the country and defend our political values.” Mr. McCain said in the interview that he agreed with the results of a poll that showed that a majority of Americans believe the Constitution establishes a Christian nation. “I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation,” Mr. McCain said. “But I say that in the broadest sense,” he added. “The lady that holds her lamp beside the golden door doesn’t say, ‘I only welcome Christians.’ We welcome the poor, the tired, the huddled masses. But when they come here, they know that they are in a nation founded on Christian principles.” Mr. McCain, who has seen the erosion of his popularity as a Republican presidential candidate from front-runner to near-collapse, has worked hard at mending relations with conservative religious groups. Last year he appeared at Liberty University, standing next to its founder, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, the conservative religious leader whom he had once described as an agent of intolerance and a threat to the party. In a response to the interview that also was posted on beliefnet, David Kuo, the former deputy director of the White House’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, characterized Mr. McCain as “a man pandering to what he thinks the Christian conservative community wants to hear. It is as if he is trying to sound like the ‘agents of tolerance’ he once critiqued, thinking that will cause Christian conservatives to like him. It is a sad performance." Mr. McCain, an Episcopalian, said he regularly attends a Baptist church and described himself as a “practicing Christian.” He said he has been in regular discussions with a pastor about converting to Baptist. But he said that he would not convert during the campaign because of the perception that he was doing it for political reasons. “I would not anticipate going through that during this presidential campaign,” Mr. McCain said. “I am afraid it might appear as if I was doing something that I otherwise wouldn’t do.” Video clips and excerpts from the interview are posted on www.beliefnet.com.)
CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS
-- Presidential Candidates: Republican stars align in Illinois -
(THE ARTICLE: Four months before the Illinois primary, Republican presidential hopefuls have sidled up to high-profile local backers, but no GOP candidate has a lock on Chicago's business community. "I've been looking very carefully at each one," says William Strong, vice-chairman in Morgan Stanley's Chicago office and one of the state's biggest fundraisers for George W. Bush in 2004. He stopped looking last month when the former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" television star Fred Thompson jumped into the race. On Wednesday, Mr. Strong is hosting a $1,000-a-head fundraiser for Mr. Thompson. Campaign insiders hope the event will raise "several hundred thousand dollars." "There's very strong corporate support for Sen. Thompson, no question about it," Mr. Strong says. "People are anxious to learn more about him." So far, the Republicans haven't generated as much excitement locally as their Democratic counterparts. As of June 30, the three leading GOP candidates — U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney — combined had raised only a third of Democrat U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's $7.6-million Illinois kitty, according to data compiled by CQ MoneyLine. None of the Republicans has raised as much locally as U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., who had amassed $1.7 million by the end of June. Although Mr. Giuliani was lagging Mr. McCain in Illinois fundraising, he has won over well-connected sponsors in former Gov. Jim Thompson and longtime fundraiser Ron Gidwitz. In Illinois, Rudy is in a unique position to win. He's the only one who can make it competitive" against Ms. Clinton in the general election, says Mr. Gidwitz, the former CEO of Helene Curtis. An American Research Group poll in July put Mr. Giuliani in the local lead with 30% of likely Illinois Republican primary voters, followed by 21% for Mr. Thompson, who didn't formally enter the race until early September. Messrs. McCain and Romney were tied for third with 12% and 11%, respectively. Mr. Romney won a straw poll of voters at the Illinois State Fair in August, followed by Mr. Thompson. "We are extremely well-organized," says Romney Illinois Chairman Dan Rutherford, a state senator from Pontiac. Figures for the three months ended Sept. 30 will be public in the next two weeks, and those reports should make clearer who's winning the money primary. "In the third quarter, it gets more difficult. A lot of people you can count on are already maxed out," says state Rep. Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, Mr. McCain's Illinois co-chairman. Federal election law limits individual contributions to $2,300 per election.)
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- Jerome Finnigan charged in murder plot Once a model cop, now the dirtiest? 'Resume looked great,' but reality may be much darker - Frank Main and Eric Herman
(FROM THE ARTICLE: DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett once thought Finnigan was a good cop, too. They met before Birkett ran for Illinois attorney general in 2002. Birkett was visiting the Chicago Police Department's Austin District on the Far West Side. "I was in the hallway," Birkett recalled. "He said nice things and handed me his card. He said, 'Joe, if you ever need any help' and I said 'thanks.'" Finnigan started coming to Birkett's events, including a high-profile fund-raiser. Birkett said he checked with his Cook County counterparts and was told Finnigan was a decorated, respected cop. "Of course, now I think this guy should go down and never see the light of day again," Birkett said. Birkett said he's not going to return Finnigan's $2,500 in political contributions between 2004 and 2006. Instead, he plans to donate $2,500 to charity. "Talk about a huge stain on the Chicago Police Department," Birkett said. . .Birkett is confident the courts will come to the right decision on Finnigan's fate. "It's always sad to see officers abuse the badge. He is going to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.")
-- Bad days for America - Nancy J. Thorner, Lake Bluff
(THE LETTER: This nation is in serious trouble. Instead of denying entry into this country of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- a tyrannical ruler guilty of killing Americans and arming and sponsoring terrorists -- he was granted venues, among them the United Nations and Columbia University, to spew his inflammatory rhetoric worldwide. These are bad days for America when free speech is given as an excuse to grant a platform to one who has threatened and seems determined to destroy Western civilization.)
CBS2
-- Oak Park School Bans Hugging Principal Says "Hug Lines" In Hallways Create Bottlenecks, Make Students Late For Class - Mike Puccinelli
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_271193938.html (Includes video clip)
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Furthermore she says although hugs are supposed to be handshakes from the heart some times they don't seem so innocent. "Too long, too close, and usually between boys and girls," Sharts said.)
DAILY SOUTHTOWN
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Kadner argues furiously for a casino in the south suburbs
NAPERVILLE SUN
-- DuPage County Court Clerk Chris Kachiroubas asks for more clerks - Paige Winfield
(THE ARTICLE: Fee increases two years ago are saving the tail of Court Clerk Chris Kachiroubas, who proposed Friday a 2008 budget for his office to DuPage County Board members. Board members approved raising the 18th Judicial Circuit Court's two major fees from $5 to $15 in 2006, allowing Kachiroubas to continue updating office technology and document storage systems. "These funds help us to move ahead with the technological aspect of it," Kachiroubas said, adding that his office is on track to transfer documents from microfiche to electronic form in an 11-year span. Without increasing the fees - which include a court automation fee and a document storage fee - the clerk's office would feel much sharper pangs from the county's ongoing budget shortfall. Even so, the circuit clerk is down 17 employees since 2004 since salaries are funded by the county's tight corporate budget. Kachiroubas is asking the county to fund two new clerks next year for the county's two new courtrooms, raising the number of staffers to 184.)
KANKAKEE DAILY JOURNAL
-- Reforming Illinois - Editorial
(THE EDITORIAL: The current budgetary "crisis" in Illinois is a problem in itself. But it's even more true that the "crisis" is a symptom of a problem. Illinois has a political system that encourages career politicians afraid to take risks and channels huge numbers of dollars through a small circle of hands. In 2004, the Big Four, the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Illinois House and Senate, controlled $29 million in donations. In turn, in 2004, 71 of the 118 Illinois House and Senate seats went unopposed. Another 38 had only a token opponent, a name who had little or no funding. That information comes from Kent Redfield, a political science professor at the University of Illinois in Springfield and the author of "Money Counts." The reality is that, while you think you have a choice, in most cases you don't. The leaders get to decide if you will have an opponent who's well-funded -- or none at all. To be competitive in a "targeted" race means $500,000 for a House seat and $1 million for a Senate seat. The net effect of all of this is to centralize decision making in a handful of people. Others dare not break ranks, because breaking ranks could mean your political "career" is over. When the leaders do not get along, you have gridlock. Even when the leaders do get along, you have very few new ideas coming down the pipeline. Here are a few reforms that would break the logjam: -- Prohibit donations from being shifted from one candidate to another. If you donate to one campaign, only that campaign can spend the money. -- No stockpiling of money. Unused donations must be returned or donated to charity by six months after an election. That's the law in Wisconsin. -- No donations by gambling interests. That's the law in Indiana. Ever wonder why Illinois politicians bring up more gambling at every turn? -- End member initiatives. The pork-a-rama that once had taxpayers pay for a Jack Benny statue should end. In its place, legislators should be allowed to set priorities for their districts when it comes to roads and community playgrounds. -- Put school funding and school construction on a steady basis with a dependable formula that has a dependable stream of funding. No more jerking students around depending on whether it was a good or bad year. -- Finally, force legislators to raise more money in their own districts and put some limits on donations. Illinois is one of only two states with no limits at all. According to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, only 16 percent of all state political funding comes from small donations of $150 or less.)
SACRAMENTO BEE
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: VERY SAD: Democrats and RINOs overjoyed that "influence of Christian right in the GOP wanes"
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
-- Flip-flopping presidential candidates' new tunes may cost them elections - Celeste Katz
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Republican Mitt Romney, who backed abortion rights as governor of liberal Massachusetts, claims a discussion with a scientist about embryonic stem cell research led him to oppose abortion - a stance that's practically a prerequisite for the GOP nomination. Sometimes, it's seemingly about rebuilding burned bridges with a key group: Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain lambasted the conservative Rev. Jerry Falwell as an "evil influence" on the GOP after losing the 2004 nomination - but spoke at Falwell's Liberty University last spring. A recent eyebrow-raiser was Republican Rudy Giuliani saying his views on gun control - which he enthusiastically supported as mayor - changed to one more sympathetic of gun owners' rights because of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11."I probably would have had the same impression before, I'm not sure - but after Sept. 11, all that seemed much more powerful to me," Giuliani was quoted as saying. That's a tough sell, according to Prof. George Edwards of Texas A&M University, who maintains it's easier to claim you've "evolved" on a complex matter like expanding health insurance coverage than gut issues like abortion or gun control. "I find [Giuliani's] argument incomprehensible," he said. "The best he can hope for, actually, is to keep the [National Rifle Association] from fighting him. He's not going to win the hearts and minds of the NRA, but at least they may not be running ads against him." . . . "There's an old Southern Baptist expression that nobody's more beloved in the church than a new believer," said Folks. "But if people suspect that somebody's only coming to church to make time with a pretty girl - or in this case, make time with the voters - there's going to be a backlash.")
SOUTHWEST HERALD NEWS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: VERY SAD: Ray Hanania promotes Joe Moore and his resolution condemning the War in Iraq
DAILY HERALD
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Milton Township is in the heart of DuPage County. High taxes contribute to Milton Township's very high cost of living. Why is the demand on the Milton Township Food Pantry so high? Which organizations are the most successful in attracting people to Milton Township who demand more and more government assistance and services? Why do organizations attract people who lack education and who lack job skills to an area that has a high cost of living?
(THE LETTER: Pantry in desperate need of donations - O. Chris Heidorn, Milton Township Supervisor, President, Milton Township Food Pantry Inc. On Sept. 20, the Milton Township Food Pantry received what may be its last food delivery from Northern Illinois Food Bank. There is no more money with which to buy food, and our shelves will soon be bare. The Milton Township Food Pantry has served the communities of Wheaton, Glen Ellyn and southern Carol Stream for over 20 years, but we may soon be forced to close our doors. We rely solely on the generosity of our citizens to stock the food pantry, as no tax dollars are involved. Food drives by the Boy Scouts, U.S. Postal Service workers and local schools and churches are a great help, but we serve an average 550-plus individuals per month. And while we can purchase food from the Northern Illinois Food Bank at greatly reduced rates, it still costs the pantry approximately $1,700 per month to adequately stock our shelves. The food pantry is administered by the township's general assistance caseworkers, operated from donated space in our township offices and staffed by some truly wonderful volunteers -- so 100 percent of all donations go to food, not overhead. Now that we are to the point where we may have to close our doors, we are desperate. We need food, we need money, we need help! As a 501(c)3 not-for-profit charity, all contributions, whether in cash or in-kind, are fully tax-deductible. If you anticipate any year-end charitable giving, won't you please help us now? We may not be here for Christmas. Food may be dropped off at, and donations sent to, Milton Township Food Pantry, 1492 N. Main St., Wheaton, IL 60187. For more information, call us at (630) 668-1616. Thank you.)
-- Christians tired of losing their rights - Cindy Gray, Mount Prospect
(THE LETTER: In response to your Sept. 20 front-page story, "Atheist's daughter takes own stand at school." To paraphrase Paul Harvey: I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution. Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is reading the entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game. But it's a Christian prayer some will argue. Yes, and this is a country founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200 to 1. If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer; if I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer; and I wouldn't be offended. When in Rome. . .But what about atheists? Nobody is asking them to be baptized; nobody is going to pass a collection, just humor us for 30 seconds, bring a walkman, ear plugs, go to the bathroom, visit the concession stand or call your lawyer! Christians are sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip of us all our rights. You do not have to pray. You don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance, you do not have to believe in God or attend services to honor him. That is your right and we honor your right. But, by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back and we will win!God bless our servicemen, God bless America and God bless us one and all!)
-- Writer wrong to lay blame on pro-lifers - D. Burke, Carpentersville
(THE LETTER: This is in response to Jeffery Biss' Sept. 25 letter, "Planning can put an end to abortion." Let me get this straight. According to Biss, the pro-life side helps ensure abortions because they fight access to contraceptives. Therefore, pro-lifers are to blame for abortions? And all this time, I thought abortions were a consequence of unprotected, random, irresponsible sex. Silly me! How's this for choice? Your first choice is whether to have sex or not. If you choose to have sex, your second choice is to have protected or unprotected sex. Pro-life does not automatically translate as anti-contraceptive. If choice No. 2 doesn't work out and a pregnancy occurs, move on to choice No. 3. That would be to step up and take responsibility for your actions or give the child up for adoption. I don't see abortion as an option, and as long as there are people like Biss, who sees pregnancy as something that just happens due to lack of education or resources, the sexual irresponsibility will continue. He stated, "Help ensure that every baby is wanted." That was the rallying cry for legalization of abortion before 1973. Tell me, now that the "unwanted" are aborted, are we in a better place? I think not. Today, children are more abused, neglected, exploited and killed than ever before. Could it be that some people see them as disposable or just a small bundle of insignificant cells that grew and escaped the vacuum? Abortion is a total disrespect for human life and especially for innocent babies. Biss can spin the abortion debate any way he wishes, but how dare he imply that I, as a pro-lifer, am responsible for this abomination?)
-- The immorality of abortion - Emmit Lehman, Grayslake
(THE LETTER: The controversy over the Planned Parenthood facility in Aurora again raises the immorality of abortion to public attention. We must realize, of course, the question of morality depends upon whether or not one accepts that God exists. Those opposed to the concept of a God who merits our attention automatically reject morality, replacing it with a variable, sliding concept of ethics. The most vocal of those who subscribe to the religion of human secularism believe abortion is OK. They condemn Hitler's killing of Jews, but they approve of the killing of pre-born children -- tens of thousands of black babies alone every year. Also, they protect animals of every kind in every situation, but again, they see nothing ethically wrong with killing babies. The ironic feature of this thinking is that many who support abortion claim to be Christian. Anyone who is familiar with the Bible realizes that nothing could be further from the truth. The Old Testament holds children in highest regard, as did Jesus when he quoted Psalm 8:2. Other statements from Jesus include his assurance that welcoming little children in his name is the equivalent of welcoming him, and that the angels of children are constantly before God's presence. It is difficult for me to believe those current politicians who are attempting to curry public favor by pretending to be religious. I suspect they are deliberately lying, but that is my biased opinion. I base my suspicions upon the fact that hard-left liberals have always been fond of communism, and that Lenin taught communists to be ready to resort to schemes, illegitimate methods, and lying. That seems to be a favored practice of the majority political party leadership, including both Illinois senators and many of our federal and state representatives. (It's bad enough in both parties, but right now it is concentrated in Democratic leadership.) Obviously, liberals fear that the "value voters" who elected President Bush in 2004 may strike again in '08, and they are stretching for common ground with Christians. They should reach for their Bibles instead, even though that is not politically correct.)
-- Casino revenue is a false promise - Beth Paschall, Palos Heights
(THE LETTER: Once again our legislators plan to introduce bills calling for new casinos when they come back to Springfield next week. They are chasing the illusion that gambling can solve present cash shortfall. People will have to gamble more than $55 billion in order for the state to get even a fraction of the revenue it wants for capital works projects. What a depressant that would be to Chicagoland businesses to have that amount of people's discretionary funds taken out of the economy. As the late Donald Stephens once said, casinos and their slot machines are vacuum cleaners that suck up people's money. Legalizing two or three new casinos will not result in "instant cash" to fund large construction projects. It would only finance upward of $10 billion in state construction borrowing. Casinos will make taxpayers the losers. The costs of addiction, bankruptcy, crime, embezzlement, child abuse, divorce and suicide will be passed on to taxpayers, even if you don't gamble. Tell legislators to stop chasing the false promises of gambling to solve budget crises.)
