GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - September 8, 2007
GOPUSA Illinois Daily Clips for September 8, 2007 includes news and commentaries on the following topics:
- Pay increases for Illinois elected officials
- Illinois budget problems
- Republican candidates and campaigns
- Republican events and Republican participation in events
and more . . .
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
-- Teri O'Brien gives outstanding presentation at DuPage County Federation of Republican Women dinner in Wheaton; over 100 attend including Arndt, Jean and Stan Austin, Bellock, Birkett, Bucholz, Campuzano, Carlin, Carlson, Tina Connelly, Crane, Cruse, Demling, Dickson, Eckhoff, Blanche Fawell, French, Grogan, Hatcher, Hinds, Hultgren, Hundhausen, King, Kinsella, Martinez, McGinnis, Menna, Mitroff, Barb Murphy, Olson, Painter, Pankau, Prueter, Elizabeth Roskam, Ruscitti, Salvato, Sauerberg, Schillerstrom, Siekmann, Gail and Ron Smith, Whelan, and Yurgaitas - Dave Diersen
Talk show host Teri O'Brien gave an outstanding presentation at DuPage County Federation of Republican Women "2007 Woman of the Year Dinner" dinner at the beautiful Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton. Over 100 attended including Mary Jo and Dr. Paul Arndt, Jean and Stan Austin, Patti Bellock, Joe Birkett, Fred Bucholz, Yolanda Campuzano, David Carlin, Lori Carlson, Tina Connelly, Lynn Crane, Joan Cruse, John Demling, Mary Dickson, Grant Eckhoff, Blanche Fawell, Dorothy French, Bob Grogan, Kay Hatcher, Paul Hinds, Randy Hultgren, Joyce Hundhausen, Gary King,John Kinsella, Liz Martinez, Diane McGinnis, Ronald Menna, Pam Mitroff, Barb Murphy, Debra Olson, Linda Painter, Carole Pankau, Mike Prueter, Elizabeth Roskam, Darlene Ruscitti, Joan Salvato, Steve Sauerberg, Bob Schillerstrom, Pete Siekmann, Gail and Ron Smith, Tim Whelan, and May Yurgaitas. Hinds served as the official photographer, Zaruba provided the flowers, Schillerstrom provided the wine, Henry and Hultgren were dinner sponsors, and the Austins provided the centerpieces.
-- Illinois State Senator and DuPage County Republican Central Committee (DCRCC) Chairman Dan Cronin Holds Outstanding DCRCC Executive Committee Meeting - Dave Diersen
On Thursday evening, September 6, Illinois State Senator and DuPage County Republican Central Committee (DCRCC) Chairman Dan Cronin held an outstanding DCRCC Executive Committee Meeting at the DCRCC headquarters building at 224 South Washington Street in Wheaton. DCRCC Executive Committee meetings are open to all DuPage County Republican precinct committeemen, reservations are required, the next one is October 11. Attendees included Bowler, Carlin, Crane, Durante, Kmiecik, Krajewski, Krzyzewski, Scott Marquardt, Martinez, Barb Murphy, Prueter, Sanchez, Ron Smith, and Jim Zay.
DAILY HERALD
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: 600 attend outstanding 22nd Annual Wheaton Leadership Prayer Breakfast; Speakers include Wheaton Mayor and Republican Precinct Committeeman Mike Gresk; Attendees include Joe Birkett, Fred Bucholz, Dave Carlin, Grant Eckhoff, Blanche Fawell, Mike Formento, Gwen Henry, Randy Hultgren, Ann Jorgensen, Chris Kachiroubas, John Kinsella, J.R. McBride, Ronald Menna, Debra Olson, Richard Russo, Leonard Sanchez, Dave Smith, Mark Stern, Tim Whelan, May Yurgaitis, and John Zaruba; Table sponsors include Tim Whelan
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Daily Herald blasts Hastert for not assuring that he will attend the ribbon-cutting for the "J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy" at Wheaton College
(THE EDITORIAL: Consider yourself invited Denny Wheaton College announced this week that it's going to unveil a new academic center named for alumnus Dennis Hastert. In fact, the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy is scheduled to open in December. A nice honor. However, college officials say they aren't sure whether the former House speaker will attend the ribbon-cutting. One would hope that if your alma mater is going to name a building after you, you would at least show up to the ceremony.)
-- Blagojevich collects $7,223.50 as politicians receive retroactive raises - John Patterson
-- Northwest Tollway to be named the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway - Joseph Ryan
(FROM THE ARTICLE: "I'm thrilled," said state Rep. Patricia Bellock, a Downers Grove Republican who supported a resolution for the renaming in May. "This will bring awareness of a woman who was a pioneer.")
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Illinois Senate President Emil Jones cancels special session on transit funding bill
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- VERY SAD: Mexican trucks ready to roll A pilot program to allow the haulers anywhere in the U.S. -- and vice versa -- is stoking new debates over NAFTA on both sides of the border -
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Both Republicans and Democrats, including several presidential candidates, have taken aim at the measure in lawsuits, news conferences and protests. . . . Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), a presidential candidate known for his promotion of a border wall, said the trucking program would make the U.S. vulnerable. "If you're a drug dealer and you're moving a lot. . .of narcotics through trucks into America, you have a seam in the operation," he told CNN.)
DAILY CHRONICLE
-- Entire Illinois congressional delegation wants state to come up with construction plan - Mike Riopell
HERALD NEWS
-- Illinois Congressman Jerry Weller land deals under fire - AP
BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Kurt Erickson reports on what Bost, Bill Brady, Dan Brady, Mitchell, and Rutherford will do with their pay increases
ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Mike Ramsey reports on the filming industry in Illinois
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The state’s film industry was comparatively moribund just five years ago – generating less than $30 million in expenditures in 2002 – as Canada and its financial incentives lured productions north. But annual film revenues have since tripled – to $87 million last year – and state officials say the boom is largely due to a tax-incentive program first approved by lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2003. The program currently offers a 20 percent credit on the Illinois expenses of a qualifying film or TV production and a 25 percent credit on local salaries up to $25,000 per individual. The state’s new film office director, Betsy Steinberg, said the financial impact on the Illinois economy, including jobs for local film crew members and vendors, “far outweighs” any public giveaway. State Sen. Christine Radogno, a Lemont Republican who is a vocal critic of Blagojevich, agrees the business perk has paid off. “This clearly is a loophole,” she said, referring to the governor’s penchant for blasting other types of corporate giveaways. “I think the whole exercise with the film tax credit demonstrates that each and every one of these loopholes needs to be evaluated for their benefits, and sometimes they make sense.”)
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
-- Liberals don’t even know what ‘hypocrite’ means - Ann Coulter
BEACON NEWS
-- Attorney and Wheaton Park Board Commissioner Phillip A. Luetkehans chosen to review Aurora Planned Parenthood application - Andre Salles
KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
-- Ann Romney visit to Kane County visit marks start of ’08 race - Paul Dailing
(FROM THE ARTICLE: It could be as soon as a week before the collar counties receive their next shot of ’08 presidential juice. Rutherford said Mitt Romney may visit on Sept. 13. “I don’t think it will be in Kane County,” Rutherford said. “Possibly DuPage.” If it happens, Mitt Romney’s visit will involve the endorsement of a “major corporate CEO.” Rutherford did not identify the CEO in question, but referred to the executive as “she” at one point.)
LAKE COUNTY NEWS SUN
-- Rauschenberger to speak at Lake County Republican Federation 45th annual fall membership meeting Sept.15
WHEATON SUN
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Former President Bill Clinton uses Wheaton North High School and Kendall Ciesemier to get on the Oprah Winfrey show
NEW YORK TIMES
-- Romney’s Tone on Gay Rights Is Seen as Shift - Michael Luo
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Mr. Romney bristles when he is accused of shifting on the issue, as he has on abortion, pointing out that he has been consistent in personally opposing both marriage and civil unions between people of the same sex.)
AMERICANS FOR TRUTH
-- As GOP Attempts to "Clean House," Senator Spector is Wrong to Oppose, Says Pro-Family Group
-- VERY SAD: Gay Activists & Gay Reporters Mingle and Strategize Together at Homosexual Journalists Conference
(FROM THE ARTICLE: VERY SAD: GOP Drifting ‘Gay’-ward? Besen asked what it’s like for a gay Republican to walk into a party convention. “Is it better or worse than when you walk into a gay bar?” Here he was joking about his expose a few years back exposing that John Paulk – then an ex-gay spokesman with Focus on the Family – had visited a homosexual bar while on a business trip to D.C.) The gay Republican, Vaughn, drew laughter as he answered, “Absolutely. It is much easier . . . to walk into a Republican convention and say you’re gay than it is to walk into a gay bar and say you’re a Republican.” Vaughn said he’d been having a lot of meetings recently with elected officials — and that most of them or their staffers said, “We’re with you,” and that homosexuality is not an issue for them. Vaughn said that conservative groups like Lou Sheldon’s Traditional Values Coalition can’t hold a meeting that would fill a small conference room these days, when in the past they used to fill convention centers, “because they’re just not relevant anymore. They’re fading; they’re going away. People are getting over the gay issue.” “What we lack in the Republican Party is not support. What we lack is leadership,” he said, confirming that elected officials have told him privately they support same-sex “marriage” but don’t dare say so publicly for fear of their constituents’ reactions. Blatt, the Los Angeles writer, confirmed a similar experience, saying he finds it easier to be gay in Republican circles than to be Republican in gay circles. Libertarian in many of his views, Blatt said he does not support hate crimes legislation or the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), because he favors less government. Schmidt asserted that there is a big divide between activist Republicans and the rank-and-file. “Most Republicans are moving toward the center.” Blatt said, “The party knows it can’t win by being anti-gay.” Vaughn added that if enough GOP leaders “come out” in favor of homosexual issues, it will help to change the party’s rhetoric. As I was leaving this session, a young woman approached and asked if she could interview me. She turned out to be a Georgia State University student who was attending the conference, along with several other college students from throughout the United States, to report on the NLGJA conference proceedings. According to the NLGJA conference booklet, this is the 10th year that student journalists have come to the convention. We made arrangements to conduct the interview later in the day.)
BOSTON GLOBE
-- SOUNDS LIKE TREASON: Advocacy groups teach illegals to "protect selves from federal agents" - Maria Sacchetti
