Illinois Review

Final Register Poll Confirms Big Momentum for Senator Rick Santorum

By Mark Rhoads -

In the final DesMoines Register poll of the last four days, the ranking remains Romney in first place at 24 percent, Ron Paul in second place at 22 percent, and Rick Santorum in third at 15 percent but that is not the news bulletin from the poll.  If you look at results of only the last two days, Santorum rises to second place at 21 percent and pushes Ron Paul down to third place at 18 percent.  “Momentum’s name is Rick Santorum,” said the Register’s pollster, J. Ann Selzer.  A Mason City area former GOP official told me yesterday that the Santorum surge is even more impressive when you factor in the likelihood that his supporters and Ron Paul supporters are the most motivated to show up while the Romney vote is a little softer because their passion is less and they mistakenly think Romney and his money have won it already.  It will be an interesting 48 hours.

Santorum ad: Who has the best chance?

IOWA - Former senator Rick Santorum's presidential campaign is pushing this new ad as he climbs up the polls towards Tuesday night's Iowa Caucuses. C-SPAN will feature a Santorum New Year's Eve rally tonight HERE.

Quinn signs Smart Grid into law

CHICAGO - Friday, Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law legislation that modified the original Smart Grid proposal he had vetoed earlier this year.  While the General Assembly overrode Quinn's veto in October, they made adaptations considering Quinn's objections. The AARP and Lt. Governor Sheila Simon pushed against the original Smart Grid plan, arguing it would be a financial burden to seniors on fixed incomes.  

The idea of Smart Grid is to let power companies raise rates and spend the money on a high-tech system meant to help people conserve energy.  But a main sponsor State Senator Mike Jacobs (D-East Moline) was the key spokesman for the legislation which his father, former State Senator Denny Jacobs lobbied for on behalf of Com Ed, something critics in the Senate found very troubling.

HB 3036's proponents gave four reasons for Smart Grid's passage:

Gaffney Statement on McSweeney Challenges

Fox River Grove, IL - State Representative Kent Gaffney (R-Lake Barrington) issued the following statement regarding David McSweeney’s decision to drop his petition challenge against Danielle Rowe:

“David McSweeney has engaged in a campaign of intimidation and harassment in a ridiculous attempt to knock his opponents off the ballot. He planned to clear the field for himself by filing frivolous petition challenges against Danielle Rowe and myself. McSweeney has spent tens of thousands of dollars on lawyers in his attempt to push us out of the race for State Representative.

Happy New Year from the 1%

Five mainstream Republican resolutions for 2012

By John F. Di Leo -

It’s time again to do our annual resolutions. You have yours; I have mine…and here are my proposed resolutions for the Republican Party.

1) Return honesty to the primary debates.

There was a time when everyone knew what a debate was, when the public expected them to be done right, and when the public would have been horrified if you announced a debate and then refused to hold one. Today, unfortunately, the messes we call debates are simply…not!

Congress dissed with 95% disapproval rating

Just when you think the numbers couldn’t get any worse for Congress, the end of session debacle over the payroll tax extension comes along and drives perceptions of Congress even lower.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just five percent (5%) of Likely Voters rate the job Congress is doing as good or excellent.  Sixty-eight percent (68%) view Congress’ job performance as poor.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Cardinal George

By The Cranky Housewife -

Now, of course it is 2012 and one should not say such things about members of America’s favorite, permanent victim class. That was mistake number one. And clearly Cardinal George did not get the most recent memo on political correctness and Klan comparisons which clearly states in bold type that all said Klan references shall be directed to and against members of the Tea Party movement and that the aforementioned Tea Party members shall bear such comparisons with dignity and grace by turning the other cheek, because it is right and proper to level politically charged accusations upon conservatives. They have it coming to them. Not to worry. This breech of name-calling protocol has been duly noted and a reprimand has been placed in the Cardinal’s etiquette file on behalf of the Tea Party which now feels slighted that they must share their misapplied label with LGBT groups. I’m just saying.

Beyond that, I’m struggling to understand why various LGBT advocacy groups are feigning such outrage over the Cardinal’s fairly benign statement by calling his words hurtful and brazen…brazen. That one’s still kind of ringing in my ears. Hold on just a second. I’m curious. Can we please take a moment to examine how the LGBT defines brazen these days? Quote Cardinal George:

“You don’t want the Gay Liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism.”

Girl Scout reveals radical, left-wing agenda of organization

Check out: SpeakNowGirlScouts.com

Video: The kinder, gentler side of Newt?