Illinois Review

Berkowitz on O'Reilly

Somehow we missed Chicago's own independent cable interviewer extraordinaire Jeff Berkowtiz last Monday night on Fox News' Bill O'Reilly. Jeff did a great job, but most of all, we're happy to see Jeff receive some long overdue recognition. Congratulations, Jeff!

Midway to be renamed Barack Hussein Obama Int'l Airport

HillBuzz is reporting that it's already underway "behind the scenes" - as most things are done in Illinois. The purpose is to incentivize the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to pick Chicago as an Olympic venue.

In short, it's time to forget about the WWII veterans and the battle of Midway, and time to cash in on the new messiah.

Burris' pay-to-play political history

Roland Burris is Rod Blagojevich's pick to fill Barack Obama's empty seat, the Governor told us Tuesday.  Roland Burris -- no wonder Rod likes him.  They're two of a kind, the IL GOP pointed out today. Is this who we want to represent us in the U.S. Senate for the next two years? 

A company headed by former state comptroller and attorney general Roland Burris has been awarded a $150,000 state contract to advise disadvantaged businesses on how to improve their operations and ultimately win state contracts.  – Consulting firm awarded $150,000 contract by IDOT, State Journal-Register, June 16, 2004

Governor's staff violates Open Meetings Act

We've just learned from a person at the James Thompson Building who tried to get into the Governor's press conference that the Governor's staff wouldn't let the public in the Blue Room unless they were members of the press. 

Blagojevich's staff violated the Open Meetings Act by not allowing the public into a press conference where public business took place. 

Blago/Burris' embarrassing press conference

The ongoing press conference is an outright embarrassment to the good people of Illinois...

Rod Blagojevich shows lack of sensitivity to the gravity of the situation and outright contempt for the people of Illinois by attempting to fill Obama's empty seat. Roland Burris shows he isn't of the quality to represent us at the national level.  Bobby Rush showed with his comments to the nation how race-baiting takes all precedence and is used to intimidate for political power in Illinois.

Your comments and reactions are welcomed...this is an embarrassment and demands that the people of Illinois rise up and fight back for Illinois.

The Democrats lost the chance to restore pride in our state's electoral system, and now, as Illinois Review contributor Chris Robling just told Fox News, Blagojevich has called Speaker Madigan's bluff.

Updated 3x: Rod appoints Roland

Though arrested by federal investigators December 9 and under another investigation by a House impeachment committee, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will appoint former Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Roland Burris, a 72 year old Centralia native to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy left by Barack Obama.

Despite U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's declaration that the U.S. Senate will not accept any appointment made by scandal-plagued Blagojevich, he's obviously ignored the warning and proceeded to appoint.

Update 3:  You'll love this quote about Roland Burris from a1994 Tribune archive piece, which also explains why Blagojevich's actions may prove very embarrassing nationwide, yet once again:

[Burris] decries pinstripe patronage, but Burris' terms as comptroller and attorney general have been rife with contracts for contributors. In a petty complaint, he criticizes Netsch's use of significant campaign loans from her husband, yet Burris accepts questionable contributions from nursing home operators regulated by the state and once sweetened his state pension with a loan from his own political fund.

Update 2:  Reid reconfirmed this afternoon the U.S. Senate will not accept a Blagojevich appointment and members of the impeachment committee are obviously peeved with the governor's arrogance.

Fitzgerald Must Be Worried Blagojevich Will Survive Impeachment

by William A. Jacobson

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has reversed course, and now wants to release to the Illinois House impeachment committee some wiretap evidence relating to the federal criminal case against Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Previously, Fitzgerald went so far as to ask the House committee not even to delve into areas covered by the criminal case, so as not to provide Blagojevich the chance to take testimony now from witnesses who may not testify in the criminal case for months.

The scope of what Fitzgerald now wants to release is narrow, and does not relate to the high profile claim that Blagojevich tried to sell Obama's open Senate seat. Nonetheless, the only conclusion to be drawn from Fitzgerald's about-face is that Fitzgerald is concerned Blagojevich will not be removed from office without some criminal conduct put in issue in the impeachment hearings and trial.

The impeachment hearings so far ring very hollow...

What 8 year olds could do if only encouraged...

Enzoology.com is a website hosted by an eight year old homeschooler from Texas, Enzo Monfres, who parents help him with producing science videos.  Now think about what this kid is learning and teaching about science, and compare that to what the middle schoolers in Milwaukee's gay rights school are learning these days.  Any comparison?

 You might want to watch this for fun, and read about Enzo's possible new tv show HERE in a recent Austin.com article:

Nominations for Top Ten IL Reformers

Illinois Review readers shared their nominations for the Top Ten Illinois Political Reformers yesterday, in no specific order:

• U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald

• Former U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald

• John Kass

• Former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger

• Supreme Court Justice Bob Thomas

• State Senator Matt Murphy

• Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica

• State Senator Chris Lauzen

• Dan Proft

• Adam Andrejewski

• John Bambenek

• Michael Burns

• Doug Ibendahl

• Bruno Behrend

• John Tillman

• Erika Harold

Any other ideas? Who should be added? Any should be eliminated to get down to the Top Ten? Get your ideas in today.

Chip The Village Idiot

by Andy Haaf

Who is Chip Saltsman getting advice from, the AIG executive management team? In case your head has been stuck in the sand, Chip Saltsman (who is running for RNC Chairman) thought he was being "cute" and distributed the parody called Barack The Magic Negro to members of the RNC. Republicans just got crushed in the polls and this is how he intends to launch our recovery? Ugh!

The content was originally produced and shared by Rush Limbaugh. Um, Chip? Rush is an entertainer and gets paid a lot of money to get the base in a tizzy. However, he is not paid nor from my perspective cares about growing Republican membership. For if he was, Rush would be more careful about which parodies are produced and played. You however, are running to lead this party and growing membership is absolutely key to its success.