GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - December 8, 2007
GOPUSA Illinois Daily Clips for December 8, 2007 includes news and commentaries on the following topics:
- Henry Hyde, Dennis Hastert, Chris Lauzen, Jim Oberweis
- Republican Party candidates, campaigns, and events
- Republican Party platform issues including limited government, abortion, homosexual activity, immigration, gambling, etc.
- Illinois, Cook County, DuPage County, and Chicago budget problems
and more . . .
DIERSEN: Elected officials who participated in the funeral for Congressman Hyde as lectors or as eulogizers included Congressmen John Boehner, David Dreier, Duncan Hunter, Jesse Jackson, Jr., and Melvin Watt. Pall bearers included Wayne Anderson and Pat Durante. Mourners included current and former Congressmen Judy Biggert, John Conyers, Edward Derwinski, Bob Dornan, Ray LaHood, Daniel Lipinski, Robert Michel, Peter Roskam, Donald Rumsfeld, James Sensenbrenner, Tom Tancredo, and Jerry Weller; Congressional candidate Jim Oberweis; current and former State Senators Dan Cronin, Randy Hultgren, and Pate Philip; current and former DuPage County officials Joe Birkett, Chris Kachiroubas, Mike Maio, and Bob Schillerstrom; Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna; Michael Bowler, Jay Fisher, Mike Flannery, Dagmar and Carl Lofgren, Gerald Marchese, Penny Pullen, Joseph Scheidler, Rick Veenstra, and Gary Vician.
CBS2
-- Longtime Rep. Henry Hyde Remembered Funeral Services Held In St. Charles - Mike Flannery
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/henry.hyde.funeral.2.606122.html (Includes video clip)
(THE ARTICLE: Friend and foe alike today mourned former west suburban congressman Henry Hyde. As CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports, at Hyde's funeral mass Friday, they used a word rarely used about any politician these days: beloved. The pall bearers who carried Henry Hyde's casket included his longtime west suburban political deputy and a federal judge whose career he helped launch. All praised a man they said rose above petty politics. "He's not a person who attacked people," said U.S. District Judge Wayne Andersen. "He's a person who believed and pushed the ideas he believed in." "You're seeing a rare moment -- Democrats and Republicans sharing even the spotlight," said Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. "He taught me that politics wasn't personal. It wasn't petty." "Henry's laughter, his stories, even the smell of his cigars will be missed," Jackson added. The silver-haired Republican, one of the best-known congressional names ever produced by Illinois, died Nov. 29 at age 83 -- four months after undergoing open-heart surgery and weeks after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony he was too ill to attend. More than 1,000 friends, family and admirers attended the service. Hyde's coffin, covered with a white cloth, lay at the center of the cavernous, modern St. John Neumann Catholic Church. Francis Cardinal George called Hyde a man of great principles and good instincts, notably in opposing abortion, but also, the Cardinal said, in standing up for immigrants and workers. Hyde was also a key supporter of AIDS prevention programs in Africa. "He was out there saying, 'These are the principles that America stands for and that the world should stand for,'" said Rep. Melvin Watt. "Everyone loved Henry because he respected everyone's opinion," said U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). "No one could have asked for a better friend than Henry Hyde," said Rep. David Drier, R-Calif. Rep. Melvin Watt, D-N.C., said he might have been considered a surprising speaker at the funeral since he had been "a persistent and ardent opponent of just about everything that Henry Hyde did." "Henry and I played on different teams," Watt said. "And yet Henry understood that that was exactly what our founding fathers set up as a mechanism for bringing us together to resolve our differences," said Watt, who paid tribute to Hyde's "eloquence and magnificence as an orator on the House floor." Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., a presidential hopeful, prefaced his reading of a lesson from Deuteronomy by saying Hyde was "the North Star of the U.S. Congress." "I'm gonna miss his jokes," said DuPage County Rep. Judy Biggert. "He had the joke of the day. When we were sitting on the floor, when I was feeling really bad, I'd go to him for the joke of the day. And, you know what, he never told me the same one again." Biggert added that in recent years she has, quote, "been embarrassed to be a member of Congress," because of Washington's bitter and often petty partisanship. Henry Hyde, she and others said, was one who made them proud. Many former leaders of the state's GOP and Hyde contemporaries gathered around to shake hands after the Mass, including former Illinois Senate president James "Pate" Philip and former U.S House Minority Leader and Robert Michel. Before the funeral, Hyde's son said the late congressman set an example for all well-meaning people. "He enjoyed helping others," said son Robert Hyde. "He believed in the Constitution and what it stood for; the morality, protecting the weak and the defenseless, and he lived by that example." Before his election to the House, Hyde gained statewide attention as a veteran member of the Illinois House of Representatives. Before entering politics, he practiced law in Chicago.)
DAILY HERALD
-- FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH COLOR PICTURES: Hyde remembered for honesty, integrity - Dave Beery
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=91312 (Includes video clip)
(THE ARTICLE: Henry Hyde's 32 years in Congress and 83 years on earth are best remembered, mourners said Friday, by the integrity, intellect and adherence to principle that he applied to his daily work and life. On those points, Hyde's family and friends -- along with political allies and opponents alike -- agreed as they offered final tributes for Hyde, who died last week after complications from heart surgery. More than 300 mourners, including some 40 members of Congress, paid their final respects during a two-hour funeral Mass at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in St. Charles. Powerful tributes were delivered by a pair of House members from the opposite side of the political aisle: Democrats Melvin Watt of North Carolina and Jesse Jackson Jr. of Chicago. Watt, who had knock-down verbal battles with Hyde during President Clinton's impeachment proceedings, drew laughter Friday when he said: "I suspect some people here are thinking, 'Isn't this the guy who was a persistent and ardent opponent of just about everything that Henry Hyde ever did as chairman of the Judiciary Committee?' "These people are missing an important point. Because in a sense, what was good and wonderful in Henry Hyde is what is good and wonderful about our democracy. Henry and I played on different teams. We had different constituents. We represent different backgrounds. We represent the diversity that is America." Watt said the fact that the two could disagree so strenuously on issues and nonetheless respect one another under the rule of law and the democratic process was what mattered most. And when the two of them traveled together overseas, as they did many times, there was no one, Watt said, who better represented these ideals to people in other countries than Henry Hyde. Jackson, a Chicago Democrat and Hyde ally in a decade-long push for a south suburban airport, likewise lauded Hyde's unwavering belief in and adherence to the rule of law and democratic process. Jackson referred to Hyde as a "close and dear friend" who took him under his wing when he went to Washington as a freshman congressman. "His laughter. His warmth. His stories. Even the smell of his cigar will be missed," Jackson said. In offering his eulogy, Hyde's son, Bob, said it was somehow fitting that his father was being memorialized on Pearl Harbor Day. He told of how Japan's sneak attack on this date in 1941 altered the arc of his father's life story. Prepared to attend and play basketball at Santa Clara University in California, Hyde shifted course when the outbreak of war disrupted student activities on West Coast campuses. He decided to attend Georgetown University, where his time on the basketball team yielded a telling story. His father had seen little playing time during his senior year, Bob said, as the coach had opted for a starting lineup of underclassmen. Near the conclusion of the season's final game, the coach told his father to enter the game to close out his senior year on the court. Hyde told the coach that he couldn't. Turns out he had, before the game, lent his game trunks to a teammate who had forgotten to bring his; Hyde had spent the entire game on the bench, in his warm-up pants. "I think of that," Bob Hyde said, every time I hear someone say 'He'd give you the shirt off his back.' " Bob Hyde called his father, who served in the Navy in World War II and participated in the gritty U.S. campaign to retake the Philippines a "charter member of the greatest generation." Cardinal Francis George said Henry Hyde's contributions stemmed from something even deeper than a commitment to principle. If, the cardinal said, a person adheres to unworthy principles, then mere commitment to principle can actually be harmful. "(Hyde was) a man of instincts," George said. "He had good instincts about immigrants. He had good instincts about workers. He had good instincts about children, particular children who have not been born but are alive in their mother's wombs. "His instincts guided him well, because they were well rooted in love, God's love for him and God's love for all of us." Speaking for Hyde's political party, House Republican Leader John Boehner, of Ohio, called his colleague "a congressional and American hero, a loving father and devoted husband." Among the delegation of Washington dignitaries attending the Mass were former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld; Rep. John Conyers, current chairman of the House Judiciary Committee; Rep. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin; and several members of the Illinois congressional delegation. After the Mass, family and close friends attended a brief committal service at Assumption Cemetery near Winfield, where a Navy honor guard performed a three-volley salute, played taps and presented to Hyde's widow, Judy, the flag that had draped his coffin.)
-- Tributes for Hyde from near and far - Marni Pyke
(THE ARTICLE: From the county's top leaders to a constituent touched by a personal letter, hundreds of people took time Friday to remember Henry Hyde. The 83-year-old Republican congressman died Nov. 29. During his 32 years in Congress, Hyde held powerful positions including chairman of the International Relations and Judiciary committees. But George Johnson of Park Ridge attended Hyde's funeral Mass at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in St. Charles because the congressman reached out to him once. When Johnson's wife was suffering from cancer, he called up the 6th District office and asked a secretary if a note could be sent to her on behalf of Hyde. "He hand-wrote the sweetest card," Johnson recalled. "It said, 'My prayers are with you.' " Martha and the Rev. Don Kretzschmar of Wheaton had two reasons to attend. Don Kretzschmar knew Hyde through his support of Marklund, an organization that helps people with disabilities. Hyde obtained funding for the group's administrative offices named in his honor at Marklund at Mill Creek in Geneva. Martha Kretzschmar was Hyde's physical therapist. "He was a gentleman who used humor a lot," she said. Ron Petrucci of St. Charles didn't know Hyde personally but came to pay his respects because "I hear he was fair to people," he said. "He didn't talk out of both sides of his mouth." The guests included about 40 congressmen and two former Cabinet officials, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Edward Derwinski. "He kept abreast of current events and he'd talk about why the Cubs didn't win the pennant," said Derwinski, who served with Hyde in Congress. Despite a week of storms, numerous mourners flew in from all parts of the country. Brian Callaghan came from Boston to honor his high school friend's father. Callaghan was living in Washington in the 1970s and befriended young Tony Hyde. He was a frequent guest at the Hydes' Washington home. "The dinners were amazingly entertaining. There were inside stories and scoops," Callaghan said. Hyde "adored his kids and vice versa. At that time we were all in high school when you couldn't get far away enough from your parents. Tony couldn't get close enough," Callaghan said. Raymond Smietanka, a former counsel to the Judiciary Committee, traveled from Michigan to pay his respects. "When you heard him speak, even if you disagreed with him you would reconsider your position," Smietanka said. Hyde, a longtime Wood Dale resident, was a beloved figure among DuPage political leaders. DuPage County Clerk Chris Kachiroubas spent years sharing space with Hyde in his Addison district office. "Whether he was in front of a microphone or eating a Big Mac, he was the same person," Kachiroubas said. Former Republican Senate President James "Pate" Philip of Wood Dale said Hyde's legacy was of a "constitutional authority who believed in the rule of law." DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom called it a sad time but "it's also a day to celebrate a life well lived.")
-- FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: In DuPage County, questions in pursuit of your money 23 referendums, most seeking to boost revenue, will be on February ballot - Jack Komperda
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Dozens of DuPage County municipalities will have a question or two to ask voters come next February. Twenty-three referendum questions from 19 different governments will appear on the February primary ballot. Most of the measures will ask homeowners to open their wallets wider. The requests come from all parts of the county, including school and park districts, municipalities and DuPage County, which will ask voters to approve a quarter-cent sales tax increase. The money would generate more than $40 million annually to fund public safety and stave off massive layoffs. DuPage County Board members already passed a so-called "doomsday budget" that would cut about 200 jobs, eliminate programs in areas such as public health and close the DuPage County Historical Museum. Implementation of those cuts, though, will be delayed until after the results of the Feb. 5 primary referendum. "People live in the suburbs for two reasons: safe streets and good schools," DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett said. "The bottom line is by paying attention to the little problems, we have kept crime very low compared to other large counties. That doesn't happen if we have to disband, for instance, our gang unit or our mental health programs." "If this referendum doesn't pass," Birkett added, "it's going to be tough to perform our duties and obligations." In several communities, the county's sales tax question will compete for attention with some big-ticket requests from area school districts. In Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200, for instance, voters will be asked for $58 million to build a new Hubble Middle School.)
-- OUTSTANDING: Use technology to track tax dollar use in DuPage County - Joe Calomino, State Director, Americans for Prosperity - Illinois, Chicago
(THE LETTER: The DuPage County Board passed a budget that requires substantial cuts in operating budgets of several departments, and they deserve credit for making the tough decision to cut spending. However, the board is attempting to dodge the issue by postponing cuts until after the referendum to raise the sales tax, hoping voters will plug their budget gaps. The county should first enact reforms to dispel concerns about waste before asking voters to fund their growing spending habits. Members of Americans for Prosperity believe that taxpayers deserve to know how their money is spent. Traditional budget publications are often very difficult for experts -- let alone ordinary taxpayers -- to understand, and they are often inaccessible and incomplete. The opaque process creates a perception of bureaucrats funding unnecessary or even corrupt programs. An online database with technology familiar to most citizens can be used to create accountability and openness. If taxpayers can easily find where and how their money is spent, the transparency will result in more informed decisions at the polls. This is a nonpartisan issue and follows common sense principles of good government. U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Tom Coburn recognized that fact and fought to create a searchable Web site for federal funds. We live in a democracy where political power emanates not from the top down, but from the people. Technology allows communication at a level of detail and with speed never before possible, and it is now incumbent upon government to make use of it to inform taxpayers. The county has the opportunity to lead the state in making spending information more easily accessible. Creating a Web site at the county level would bear little cost, and would greatly increase transparency. The people of DuPage County deserve to know how their tax dollars are spent. I challenge county officials to support a searchable online database -- a tool to track how public dollars are spent. Government should have nothing to hide from the taxpayers who fund it.)
-- Oberweis, Lauzen differ on e-commerce tax - Lisa Smith
(THE ARTICLE: The Republican frontrunners in the 14th Congressional District race continued to spar this week over who has the most taxpayer-friendly campaign platform. Friday's debate was about collecting sales tax on e-commerce -- dairy magnate Jim Oberweis is against it, while state Sen. Chris Lauzen is for it. In the state legislature, Lauzen proposed a property tax freeze similar to one enacted in California. To recoup the lost tax revenue, estimated at $2 billion annually, Lauzen would support collecting sales tax on all transactions conducted over the Internet. "I stand firm in my belief that it is basically unfair and inconsistent that a local merchant must charge me sales tax when I buy a shirt at his or her store and that I'm charged sales tax on that shirt if I order it over the phone, but if I use a computer to order it over the Internet, then no sales tax applies," Lauzen said in a prepared statement. "In Illinois, this unfairness and inconsistency represents $600 (million) to $1 (billion) being launched somewhere into cyberspace." Oberweis opposes taxing all e-commerce, saying it would create an undue burden on online retailers to determine the exact taxing amount for each individual customer because taxes often vary from county to county and city to city. He cited a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision that mandates sales tax collection only from those online businesses serving customers in states where they have a physical presence such as a store, office, warehouse or distribution center. "Sen. Lauzen is acknowledging that his legislation seeks to take anywhere between $600 million and $1 billion more out of the hands of Illinois consumers who transact business on the Internet," Oberweis, of Sugar Grove, said in a statement. "This, I submit, is a startling admission." Lauzen, of Aurora, countered that Oberweis was twisting his words to "slime" him as a pro-tax candidate. "It's a matter of enforcement," Lauzen said. "There are a number of different companies voluntarily complying with the law. He's calling it a tax increase and it's not." The pair is tied in GOP polls to replace former U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert of Plano. They will face Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns and Michael Dilger of Evanston in the Feb. 5 primary. Oberweis released a plan Thursday to rein in federal spending. Specifically, he is calling for a requirement that all federal government expenditures be posted online, a constitutional amendment to grant the president a line-item veto and a ban on earmarks.)
-- Hastert to be toasted twice by colleagues and friends
(THE ARTICLE: More than 1,000 well-wishers are expected to mingle at two pricey tributes to former U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert next week. The first, scheduled at 6 p.m. Monday at the Chicago Hilton and Towers, features WLS-AM 780 radio's Don and Roma Wade as masters of ceremony and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley as a special guest. A bipartisan contingent of lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, U.S. Reps. Melissa Bean, Judy Biggert and Rahm Emmanuel, are expected to attend. The second, hosted by Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross of Oswego, will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Q Center in St. Charles. Both events benefit the new J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy at Wheaton College, the Plano Republican's alma mater. Tickets to the Chicago event are $500 and tickets to the St. Charles dinner are $150.)
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: 14th Congressional District: Republicans Burns, Lauzen, and Oberweis v. Democrats Foster, Jothan, and Laesch: Geneva Chamber of Commerce sponsoring a breakfast with the candidates Friday, December 14, at the Hilton Garden Inn in St. Charles
(THE ARTICLE: Burns on a bus: You're not the only one Kevin Burns has been smiling at. The Geneva mayor and Republican congressional candidate this week launched an ad campaign featuring his mug and the slogan "Proven Leader, Problem Solver" on the side of Pace buses. The ads can be seen on buses traveling through Elgin, South Elgin, St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia and Aurora until the Feb. 5 primary election. Burns and two of his GOP foes, state Sen. Chris Lauzen and dairy magnate Jim Oberweis, appeared on WLS-AM 780's "Connected to Chicago" at 8 a.m. Sunday. The next time they are scheduled to meet is Friday; the Geneva Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a breakfast with the candidates from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in St. Charles. Register by noon Tuesday by calling (630) 232-6060. Cost is $20 for members and $30 for nonmembers. In addition to those three Republicans, Democrats Bill Foster, John Laesch and Jotham Stein are scheduled to attend.)
-- A tale of two candidate visits Obama, Giuliani take sides in Chicago visit - Erin Holmes
-- Naperville's staff pays tribute to outgoing city manager Burchard - Jake Griffin
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Daily Herald blasts Naperville for giving Burchard a golden parachute
(THE EDITORIAL: The deal the city of Naperville has reached with outgoing City Manager Peter Burchard seems unusual even for the private sector, where CEOs who are fired often get generous severance deals. Even if Burchard -- who is leaving for another job -- has some sort of legal right to compensation, it's troubling that he was able to get a personal loan of $50,000 forgiven. The city council must prevent all such deals in the future, especially if taxpayers -- who essentially acted as a bank for the interest-free loan -- are going to foot the bill in the end.)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- Hyde honored with 'bipartisan' funeral mass -
(THE ARTICLE: Henry Hyde was remembered today by political allies and opponents alike as a politician who acted on deep and sincere principles and treated even ardent opponents with dignity and respect. Several hundred people, including former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and fellow congressmen, honored Hyde during a funeral mass Friday at St. John Neumannn Catholic Church in St. Charles. Hyde -- who led the Judiciary Committee that impeached President Bill Clinton and who sponsored an amendment that banned federal funding of abortions -- was never motivated by partisan politics but by deeply held beliefs, colleagues said. "I never saw Henry as an abortion foe. It didn't matter to me. Henry was good man, a great man," said U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who noted that Hyde mentored him in the ways of Congress. "Henry Hyde was not an impeacher," the Democrat said. "He was a public servant and a good man." Hyde, 83, served 32 years in the House of Representatives -- and, in particular, the 6th Congressional District, which encompasses much of DuPage County. He died Nov. 29 of heart failure. In Congress, Hyde was known for his civility, sense of humor, intellect and oratory skills, colleagues said. "Henry Hyde was not just a congressional hero. He was an American hero. And on a personal note, he was my hero," said House Minority Leader John Boehner. "Henry Hyde was always the clear, calm and commanding voice for justice for the defenseless and the innocent." U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood said the fact that both Democrats and Republicans paid respects to Hyde was a testament to how Hyde treated everyone -- even ideological opponents -- with respect. "This was a bipartisan Catholic mass in the very best sense of the word," LaHood said.)
-- Former governor defends 1st lady Thompson says stories of property deals are unfair -
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Former Gov. James Thompson, who spent the last four years defending Illinois' last chief executive against criminal charges, on Friday defended the current governor and his wife against a story in the Chicago Tribune. Thompson wrote a letter to the editor questioning the news value of Friday's story revealing federal authorities are investigating real estate deals in which Gov. Rod Blagojevich's wife, Patricia, received hundreds of thousands of dollars in commissions from politically connected clients. He said he was writing in his role as a former governor, not as senior chairman for the Chicago law firm that has received more than $1 million for providing legal services to the governor's campaign.)
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- Henry Hyde: 'Most decent human being' remembered Pols from both parties offer praise: 'He was our friend' - Dan Rozek
(THE ARTICLE: Mourners praised former U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde as a man who fought fiercely for his beliefs but treated his political opponents with the same warmth and respect he offered his friends. The longtime Republican legislator, who led a successful effort to ban federal funding of abortions and an unsuccessful attempt to impeach President Bill Clinton, was remembered fondly during his funeral mass by colleagues from both political parties. "He was by far the most decent human being any of us had served with," said House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio, whose voice shook with emotion as he called Hyde "an American hero." Hyde, who retired in January after serving for 32 years in Congress, died Nov. 29 of complications after heart surgery earlier this year. He was 83. 'A good man, a great man' Hundreds of mourners turned out Friday for Hyde's funeral mass at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in west suburban St. Charles, including a contingent of more than 70 congressional colleagues and dignitaries. Chicago Cardinal Francis George was one of the priests presiding over the service. In their eulogies, political leaders recalled how the eloquent, silver-haired Hyde treated everyone as a friend, regardless of whether they shared his political party or his position on legislative issues. "He wasn't just our colleague, he was our friend," said Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., a Chicago Democrat. "His laughter, his stories, even the smell of his cigars, will be missed." Recounting how Hyde since his death has been described as "a Clinton impeacher" and an "abortion foe," Jackson said the suburban Republican shouldn't be remembered only for his political stands. Instead, his attitude and abilities are what made him unique, Jackson said. "I never saw Henry as an abortion foe. It didn't matter to me," Jackson said. "Henry was a good man, a great man." Others echoed that theme, saying Hyde's funeral showed that he could bring people together, even after his death. "This was a bipartisan Catholic mass in the very best sense of the word," said Rep. Ray LaHood, a Downstate Republican. Hyde's son Bob Hyde called his father "a very talented orator" who always stressed to his family that they had an obligation to help others. "He taught us service to the less fortunate was a very high calling," Bob Hyde said. Hyde's son confessed that he had more he wanted to say about his father but couldn't because "I know Dad would want me to be brief." After the funeral service, a silver hearse carried Hyde's flag-draped casket to Assumption Cemetery near Wheaton.)
-- Rudy Giuliani in Chicago: Free the markets! - Abdon M. Pallasch
(THE POSTING: CHICAGO--Republican presidential front-runner Rudy Giuliani preached free-market economics to the annual meeting of the Illinois Manufacturers Association in Chicago Friday: Lower taxes; elimination of the inheritance or “death tax”; lowering of the capital gains tax; and restircting lawsuits and large verdicts against businesses are all part of Giuliani’s plan to keep America’s economy strong. A key reason to “engage’ other countries such as Chine despite their human rights abuses is that by trying to bring American values to those countries, they also become new markets for American products, he said. “You know what the essential nature of the American people is?” Giuliani said. “You know because your association stands for it. The essential nature of the American people is: We want to sell you something.” Giuliani is also scheduled to make an appearance at the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago’s Little italy neighborhood Friday evening.)
-- Giuliani takes his pitch to Little Italy, manufacturers - Abdon Pallasch
(THE ARTICLE: The reasons Republican presidential front-runner Rudy Giuliani became a Yankees fan instead of a Dodgers fan like most of his neighbors in Brooklyn were: "Joe DiMaggio, Tony Lazzeri, Yogi Berra," he told fans at the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame on Friday. "You get the connection -- there were so many Italian-American ballplayers on the Yankees," he told the crowd in Chicago's Little Italy neighborhood. Playing to the home crowd worked with at least one attendee. "I'm a registered Democrat who's going to vote for you," Oscar D'Angelo, the so-called Mayor of Little Italy and onetime close confidant of Mayor Daley, told Giuliani. D'Angelo said he is casting his first Republican vote because the former New York mayor is one Republican who understands the problems of America's cities. "I'm a city rat -- I think we're better with a mayor in there," D'Angelo said. "And, to a lesser extent, there's the fact that he's Italian-American." Giuliani preached free-market economics to the crowd and to the Illinois Manufacturers Association earlier in the day, telling both crowds that as president, he would lower taxes, abolish the inheritance tax, cut capital gains taxes, back tax breaks for health care instead of new federally funded plans, and limit lawsuits and jury verdicts against companies. A key reason to "engage" other countries such as China despite their human rights abuses is that by trying to bring American values to those countries, they also become new markets for American products, Giuliani told the manufacturers. "You know what the essential nature of the American people is?" Giuliani said. "You know because your association stands for it. The essential nature of the American people is: We want to sell you something.")
ASSOCIATED PRESS
-- Friends, Former Foes Praise Hyde - Mike Robinson
(THE ARTICLE: ST. CHARLES, Ill. (AP) — Friends and one-time opponents at Henry Hyde's funeral Friday praised the former congressman as a political giant and a warm man. The silver-haired Republican died Nov. 29 at age 83, just weeks after he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He retired from Congress at the end of the last session. "Henry's laughter, his stories, even the smell of his cigars will be missed," said Democratic Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. one of dozens of current and former House members who attended Hyde's funeral Mass. More than 1,000 friends, family members and admirers attended the service. Hyde's coffin, covered with a white cloth, lay at the center of St. John Neumann Catholic Church. Hyde, once one of the nation's leading Catholic lawmakers, was "a man of great principle" and "good instincts," said Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago. House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio described Hyde as a personal hero of his. "From the streets of his home town here in Illinois to the halls of Congress, his words and deeds will echo for decades to come," Boehner said. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, a GOP presidential hopeful, called Hyde "the North Star of the U.S. Congress." Democratic Rep. Melvin Watt of North Carolina said he may be considered a surprise as a speaker at the funeral since he had been "a persistent and ardent opponent of just about everything that Henry Hyde did." "And yet Henry understood that that was exactly what our founding fathers set up as a mechanism for bringing us together to resolve our differences," Watt said. Before his election to the House, Hyde gained statewide attention as a veteran member of the Illinois House of Representatives. Before entering politics, he practiced law in Chicago. As chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, in 1998 he led House efforts to impeach President Clinton for allegedly lying about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, and then in 1999 was the chief House manager in the unsuccessful bid to win a Senate conviction.)
KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
-- 'North Star of Congress' laid to rest - Paul Dailing
(ST. CHARLES – U.S. Rep. Melvin Watt, D-N.C., said he was asked to speak at Henry Hyde’s funeral not because he agreed with what Hyde stood for. Quite the opposite. Liberal Watt and conservative Hyde, who died last week at 83, often clashed, particularly during the Clinton impeachment inquiry that Hyde led. But the pair also worked together on U.S.-Korea relations. Hyde could fight against someone without making it personal or taking it personally, making the late Illinois congressman a powerful opponent and a valuable ally, Watt said. “I thank God every day for the impact Henry Hyde had on my life,” Watt said. Hyde’s funeral took place Friday at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in St. Charles. About 35 members of the U.S. House flew to the area on a specially chartered plane. Several former staffers flew from Washington on their own dime. “For me, it’s pretty easy just to come from Aurora, but for some of those folks who are coming from halfway across the country, it’s a real tribute,” said Jim Oberweis, a dairy magnate and congressional candidate. DuPage County State’s Attorney Joseph Birkett, who met Hyde in 1994, said he always was impressed by the congressman’s honesty. “I was always impressed by not just the positions that he took, but the way he took them,” Birkett said. “All of us in the business of the criminal justice system and the civil justice system should live up to that.” Those who spoke at Hyde’s service likewise praised the man. “Henry Hyde was not just a congressional hero; he is an American hero,” said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. “On a personal note, he was my hero.” Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., called Hyde the “North Star of the U.S. Congress.” Cardinal Francis George praised Hyde’s anti-abortion efforts, saying that Hyde was a man of principles and good instincts. Hyde’s son Bob talked about his father the man, not the politician. “It’s extremely difficult for me to talk about my dad in the past tense,” Bob Hyde said. Hyde was buried at Assumption Cemetery in Winfield.)
PIONEER LOCAL
-- Hyde's influence transcended politics - Jeff Danna
CHICAGO SUBURBAN NEWS
-- Hundreds gather to say goodbye to former Congressman Henry Hyde - Erin Sauder
ABC7
-- Giuliani focuses on big states - Ravi Baichwal
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/politics&id=5821566 (Includes video clip)
BEACON NEWS
-- Hastert to be honored at back-to-back dinners - Steve Lord
(THE ARTICLE: It looks like recently retired Congressman Dennis Hastert picked the wrong time to go on a diet. The former speaker of the House, who made headlines by losing weight during the past year, will be feted at dinners two nights in a row in the coming week by national, state and local peers and fans. Hastert recently retired after a 21-year career in the House, serving about 10 of those year as speaker. The first dinner is Monday, beginning with cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 at the Hilton Hotel and Towers, 720 S. Michigan Ave., in Chicago's Loop. The guest speaker will be Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, although the entire Illinois congressional delegation has signed on as sponsors of the event. Three presidents who worked with Hastert -- George W. and George Herbert Walker Bush, and Bill Clinton -- are expected to join the proceedings via video hookup. The event chairmen are former Republican Illinois Attorney General Tyrone Fahner and U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Chicago. The emcees will be Don and Roma Wade of WLS Radio. The Chicago dinner is $500 a person, and business attire is required. The second dinner is scheduled for Tuesday at the Q Center in St. Charles. The event will begin with cocktails at 6 p.m and dinner at 7 at the facility at 1405 N. First Ave. The host and guest speaker for the evening will be Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross of Oswego. The dinner is $150 a person. Anyone with questions about attending or making a reservations at either dinner should call (630) 752-9661. Both dinners will benefit the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy at Wheaton College. More than 550 people already are expected at both dinners, organizers said.)
COURIER NEWS
-- World War II sacrifice remembered in Gilberts - Cigi Ross
LAKE COUNTY NEWS SUN
-- Lake County: Republicans fill presidential, delegate slates
WJBC
-- State Senator Dan Rutherford enjoys Christmas party at White House
http://www.wjbc.com/wire2/news/10206_Rutherford-at-White-House-2WEB_094659.htm (Includes audio clip)
(THE ARTICLE: State Senator Dan Rutherford of Chenoa says he's a grown adult but he felt the excitement of a child while spending three hours at an invitation-only Presidential Christmas party at the White House last night. Rutherford was a Bush delegate for both Republican conventions. Rutherford took his 17-year-old nephew, Kaleb to the party that did not feature any celebrities, but mostly diplomats and government dignitaries. He tells WJBC's Laughlin and Reynolds, he was awestruck by being in the presidential dining room and a special map room. Rutherford briefly chatted with the president and Laura Bush during a holiday photo opportunity that kept the couple so busy, he says, they never made it to the reception that lasted until about 9 p.m. After, he was able to tour the grounds outside the White House and take stunning evening photos.)
DAILY EGYPTIAN
-- Governor, Illinois lawmakers support recall of officials State Representative Jack Franks says proposed state bill meant for Blagojevich - Barton Lorimor
PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
-- Schock's funding among nation's best $376,000 raised in one quarter in top 10 nationally; three other Illinois candidates (Foster, Lauzen, and Oberweis) on list - Karen McDonald
CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY
-- 18th Congressional District: Democrats Left Holding the Ball in Illinois - Greg Giroux
MEDILL NEWS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: For many decades, suburban Republicans have been more successful than city Democrats in attracting and keeping employers. Increasingly, people who lack education, who lack job skills, and who outrageously continue to vote for Democrats are coming to the Republican suburbs for the jobs those employers created.
SEATTLE TIMES
-- Christopher Wills: Former Illinois governor George Ryan leaves legacy of distrust (YET, OUTRAGEOUSLY, HIS SUPPORTERS CONTINUE TO BLAME ALL PROBLEMS ON CONSERVATIVES AND THEY OUTRAGEOUSLY CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY)
GIULIANI CAMPAIGN
-- Former Illinois Lt. Governor Corinne Wood Endorses Giuliani for President
(THE PRESS RELEASE: The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee today announced the endorsement of former Illinois Lieutenant Governor Corinne Wood. Wood’s endorsement came as Mayor Giuliani made his eighth campaign visit to the state today. “Rudy is a tested and proven leader who cut taxes, reduced crime and changed the mentality of how a large city can be managed by using conservative principles,” said Wood. “I am honored to support Mayor Giuliani. I know he is the Republican Party’s best candidate to lead us to victory against the Democrats next November.” “As we get closer to the February 5th primary, it is becoming more apparent that Rudy is the only Republican who is committed to winning Illinois,” said State Representative Tom Cross, Giuliani’s Illinois State Chairman. “The Mayor continues to regularly campaign in Illinois, building on his momentum and strong grassroots support.” Wood joins a strong Illinois team that also includes Congresswoman Judy Biggert, former Governors Jim Edgar and Jim Thompson and former Attorney General Jim Ryan. About Corinne Wood: Wood became Illinois’ first female Lieutenant Governor, serving from 1999 to 2003. In addition, she was a member of the Illinois House of Representative. Wood is a resident of Lake Forest, Illinois.)
OBERWEIS CAMPAIGN
-- Lauzen finally acknowledges his internet tax plan would have taken as much as $1 billion out of the hands of Illinois consumers - Bill Pascoe
TAPROOT REPUBLICANS OF ILLINOIS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: George Kocan provides an outstanding report on TAPTROOT's 2007 Christmas Party including summaries of presentations made by Biggins, Brady, Brown, Kinsella, Lauzen, Oberweis, O'Kane, Pulido, Solms, Stock, and Zahm
www.gopillinois.com (12/8/07 News Clips page)
NANCY THORNER
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Tom Cross speaks at Women’s Republican Club of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff meeting
www.gopillinois.com (12/8/07 News Clips page)
