Illinois Review

Obama’s Triple Crown of Scandals

By Teri O'Brien - 

There will be no Triple Crown winner, but we do have a troika of Obama scandals, all of which were in the news this week. This morning on CNN, a gleeful Jessica “Barack Just Smiled at Me!” Yellin, celebrated their latest poll, which shows that these messy questions about unethical, or even illegal, behavior by members of his administration has not diminished the endless love the American people have for the Dear Leader. She’d fit right in in North Korea.

Some, including the members of the House Ways and Means Committee, who held a hearing last week about the IRS’ targeting of Tea Party and conservative groups, are less enamored. Former Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller, who recently decided to move his previously scheduled exit to his cushy retirement up by a couple of weeks, responded to requests to know who initiated this policy with shoulder-shrugging, bored evasiveness.

His demeanor said “Whatever. I don’t really care what happened. Let’s get this over with.” He couldn’t say. He didn’t know. He didn’t remember. Cue The Carpenters. This has only just begun. What do we know after this hearing? Some Republicans are opening talking “impeachment,” but is that really helpful? Is “scandal” really an agenda, especially when we learned last week that the House is close to a deal on “comprehensive immigration reform?” Short answer: no.

Obama in the Bunker on Benghazi, Coverup Exposed with Victoria Toensing

By Teri O'Brien - 

After last week’s hearing on Benghazi before Darryl Issa’s House Oversight Committee, we have even more questions about what happened on the most recent anniversary of 9/11. Still, it’s a clear picture is emerging, and common sense allows us to connect the very obvious dots. We’ll explore the remaining questions with über attorney Victoria Toensing, who represented the Benghazi whistleblowers, and who was scheduled to appear last week, but was delayed while traveling. Combining what happened in the hearing with an application of my knowledge of the Chicago Way, I’m pretty sure I understand what happened. I’ll tell you during today’s show. Suffice it to say for now that it’s time to put Valerie Jarrett, David Plouffe, and Obama’s ultimate sleazemeister, David Axelrod under oath and get some answers.

There was another hearing in Congress last week, this time in the Senate on immigration. Any doubt that this 844-page monstrosity drafted by the Gang of 8 is a trick cooked up by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), should be gone after what we heard last week. Of the over 300 amendments proposed to the bill, the defeat of the one specific change tells us everything we need to know. Paging Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). Let me say it again: you are being played.

Whistleblowers' attorney Victoria Toensing talks Benghazi Coverup

By Teri O'Brien - 

During a week when Barack Obama had to state that rumors of his demise are greatly exaggerated, the reality is that rumors of al Qaeda’s demise, fueled by the One’s desire to perpetuate his pre-election mantra that “GM is alive and Osama bin Laden is dead,” are the thing that has been seriously, and dangerously exaggerated, as demonstrated by both Benghazi and Boston.

The Benghazi coverup is beginning to unravel.

In a terrific piece of reporting, Steve Hayes of the Weekly Standard confirms this weekend what we knew all along; specifically, “senior Obama administration officials knowingly misled the country about what had happened in the days following the assaults.”

Where’s my shocked face?

This coming Wednesday, three whistleblowers, all career State Department officials, will testify before Rep. Darryl Issa (R-CA) and his Oversight and Government Reform Committee. We are delighted that their attorney, the amazing Victoria Toensing, will be our guest Sunday.

Boston Bombers' Family received $100,000 in welfare

By Teri O'Brien - 

A couple of weeks ago on The Teri O'Brien Show, we, along with many of you, questioned the value of having people like the Tsarnaev family in this country. Other than murdering four people, and seriously injuring a couple hundred others, please remind me again, what exactly did these "hard-working immigrants" who we're always hearing add to the vitality of our economy actually contribute? It appears that the only one actually working was the American-born wife of the elder Tsarnaev brother. I guess under the insane Nancy Pelosi, Tom Vilsack, Steny Hoyer test, the rest of this sorry bunch helped stimulate our economy tremendously. How? By receiving welfare, of course!

From the Boston Herald, in a story by Chris Cassidy:

The Tsarnaev family, including the suspected terrorists and their parents, benefited from more than $100,000 in taxpayer-funded assistance — a bonanza ranging from cash and food stamps to Section 8 housing from 2002 to 2012, the Herald has learned.

Luxurious dinners for the political glitterati, survival for the rest of us

By Teri O'Brien - 

Friday’s economic growth numbers continued the disappointing trend that many clichè repeating news readers have dubbed with the irritating phrase “the new normal,” with a pathetic 2.5%. While reporting on this rotten economy, the Lame Stream Media attempts to cover for Barack Obama and the destructive effects of his policies by blaming the sequester, a decline in government spending that amounts to a rounding error, and which, as they always conveniently neglect to mention, was Obama’s idea. 

While we serfs struggle in Obama’s economy, the political glitterati continue their endless whirl of celebrity-studded, luxurious parties, dinners and self-congratulatory celebrations, including last night’s White House Correspondence Dinner aka "the Nerd Prom," an annual Hollywood-Washington mashup that gets more embarrassing every year.  The One took the occasion to perform an alleged “comedy” routine, which has been greeted by the sycophantic stenographers in the press as delightfully self-deprecating, but which on closer examination is just more on the same finger in the eye to the bitter clingers.

Blame is easy. Leadership is work.

By Irene F. Starkehaus -

It's only seven days after the Boston Marathon bombing, and I've officially reached my saturation point on this. If I were to never hear or see the names of Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev again, it wouldn't be a moment too soon. But here we are. A full week of twenty-four-seven coverage has passed on these two disaffected, self-important, emotionally stunted terrorists and the people who hunt them… and (for the most part) what we have learned is exactly what we could have told you on September 12, 2001. Islamic terrorists are at war with us whether we choose to engage them or not. And they are interminably creative in their means of destroying human life regardless of our desire to insulate ourselves from that danger through whatever legislative means possible.

The most infuriating part of this whole ordeal is that liberal politicians and the MSM are working overtime to excuse the violent and narcissistic behavior of Tamerian and Dzhokhar by looking for any microscopic justification as to why they may have committed such heinous acts. Have you begun to notice the ever-so-subtle change in tone as the MSM literally deforms itself in its attempt to understand where the Fabulous Tsarnaev Boys are coming from? Because let's just get this straight…it certainly wasn't their fault that they killed three people and wounded and terrorized hundreds of others. They were just two lonely Chechens trying to make their way through the terrible, cold and cruel country in which they found themselves.

Did Boston Bombers Blow Up Obama's 2nd Term Agenda?

By Teri O'Brien - 

As Obamacare continues to unravel, with one of its primary authors Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), who has apparently developed a stunning case of amnesia, predicting that it will be a “train wreck,” Barack Obama’s two new hobby horses, gun control and “comprehensive immigration reform” (read amnesty for millions of undocumented democrats) are suddenly less attractive after the terrorist attacks by the Tsarnaev brothers, two ethnic Chechnyan jihadists. Their spree of murder and mayhem has inspired many to ask “why exactly were these guys in the country? What exactly did they contribute?” Was it just to prove the truth of the adage “No good deed goes unpunished?”

After escaping their war-torn homeland, they got all the benefits of living America, including good educations and the opportunity to live in freedom. They repaid us by murdering four innocent people, and maiming hundreds of others. Now we must endure the insufferable, and way too predictable, charade of hearing the Lame Stream Media newsreaders and other liberals wring their hands, searching for a “motive.”

Terrorism’s tax on America

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

"In this terrible situation, let's be very grateful that we had a well-funded, functioning government. It is very fashionable in America, and has been for some time to criticize government, belittle public employees, talk about their pensions, talk about what people think ... of [their] health care. Here we saw government in two ways perform very well. ... I never was as a member of Congress one of the cheerleaders for less government, lower taxes. No tax cut would have helped us deal with this or will help us recover. This is very expensive."

~Barney Frank on CNN via the Weekly Standard

So you see, it doesn't matter if Monday's terrorist act at the Boston Marathon was committed by an Islamo-fascist of Saudi descent or if this was the kind of homegrown terrorism associated with Tim McVeigh or the Unabomber. Either way, the message that the Democrats are looking to convey is that this never would have happened were it not for the sequester. If only conservatives would stop looking to curtail government spending, the world would be a safer place.

And before we get too far into our discussion, I just want to state this for the record. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not merely fashionable in America for some to criticize government, government policies, government spending as Barney Frank has chosen to weakly characterize our nation's ongoing political dialog. This kind of criticism is part of American tradition. This is how America has operated since well before its founding. We would all be singing "God Save the Queen" right now if our founders hadn't expressed a tendency to criticize government and its spending.

International Trade Across the Centuries

By John F. Di Leo -

National Security Issues Don’t End at the Border

For over a decade, the British Crown had been at war with the American colonies. One could argue that April 6, 1776 was the day that the American colonies had finally had it.

The sundering of the bonds between two peoples is not something that happens in a day. The relationship between Great Britain and what was to become the United States of America began as a close-knit bond. The link between these frontier territories and their mother country was tight and fond at first; Americans were proud to think of themselves as British citizens, and even our most rabid patriots regretted having to give that up in the end (with only the odd Francophile as exceptions). But so they did, and the events of April 6, 1776 were a turning point.

After the costly French and Indian War, the British government was broke. They decided, understandably, that the American colonists should contribute to that burden more directly, through some form of taxation. Fair enough. The American colonies all had their own state legislatures, and had for a century or more; reasonable discussions about how America might share the burden would certainly have been justified.

When a "Flip Flopper" is a Statesman

By Teri O'Brien -

Cue the “Dynasty” theme. Here comes another Bush, this time Jeb, heart throb of the RINO wing of the GOP, testing the waters for a presidential run in 2016 with--what else?--a book about--what else?--immigration. This week Jeb is being busted by democrats as a shameless panderer on that issue based on comments in his book on the “path to citizenship.” He was for it, before he was against it, they say. I hold no brief for former Florida governor Bush, but I can’t help but notice that the critique of his alleged “flip flop” sounds a lot like the position taken by one William Jefferson Clinton on the issue of so-called “same sex” marriage. Mr. Clinton, as you know, signed the Defense of Marriage Act, an enactment despised by the Left almost as much as they despise Dick Cheney.

Larry Elder on Fathers, Jack Cashill on Hillary's Many Lies

By Teri O'Brien -

The Sage of South Central, Larry Elder, will be our guest to discuss his riveting new book, Dear Father, Dear Son…Two Lives, Eight Hours, which describes his horrific childhood with a brutal father who beat him and his brothers on a regular, albeit not always predictable, basis. How did growing up in this environment shape his future, especially his attitude about fathers and their absence? He has spoken eloquently about the epidemic of broken families in the black community, but what about American society in general? Don’t the recent high-profile mass killings committed by young men with untreated mental illness say that we have a serious social problem involving our boys and young men? We’ll also ask him about his decades long battle against the race baiters who have tried to enlist black Americans in a cult of victimhood, and the case of former Los Angeles cop Christopher Dorner, now accused of two murders, and author of a bizarre manifesto. The Lame Stream Media has scrubbed references to Mr. Dorner’s admiration for well-known media liberals like Chris Matthews and Piers Morgan, as well as his admiration for Barack Obama. Is he surprised?

Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America Reacts to Obama's Skeet Shooting Scam

By Teri O'Brien - 

With the Middle East in flames, al Qaeda on the march, and many unanswered questions about the murder of 4 Americans in Benghazi, liberal icon/practiced liar Hillary Rodham Clinton not only managed to avoid the inevitable vicious attacks from the vast right-wing conspiracy as she left office as Secretary of State. Her exit path was strewn with flowers, as even Republican senators slobbered all over her and praised her to the skies for the terrific job she has done. Apparently frequent flyer miles count for a lot, since many of us are having a hard time identifying any other achievement for the former New York senator and serial adultery victim.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration continues to entertain and disturb us with unintentional comedy, not only the pathetic performance of Sec. Of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel in his Senate hearing last week. They are also attempting to do anything to distract us from our limping economy. Sayeth the Dear Reader: Pay no attention to those anemic job numbers, Subjects. Behold what I am doing for the children with gun control and amnesty for illegals! 

A Week in Bizarro World

By Teri O'Brien - 

This week was one of bizarre spectacles, over and above the 2^nd inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama, praise be his name. That event featured Richard Blanco’s poem “One Today.” “My face your face” is part I remember. Seriously? “My ass, your ass,” I thought. Of course, I’m probably just a peasant who doesn’t appreciate great art from a man who is both Latino and an open homosexual, and therefore, above criticism.  Then the great speech by the One himself. I didn’t notice. Did they hand out the little red books to the assembled cadres there or is Organizing for Action going to send those out using their tax-deductible contributions?

In other bizarro world events, consider the following:

Blabbermouth Brennan Has Some Splainin' To Do

By Teri O'Brien -

Barack Obama’s nomination of John Brennan has liberals reviving their wails about his complicity in the evil Bush administration’s “torture” of people like Khalid Sheik Mohammed, however, there are other, and potentially, more serious obstacles to his confirmation; specifically, the issue of Benghazi, raised in this post, where we praised Sen. Lindsay Graham for demanding answers before he agrees to allow Brennan’s confirmation to proceed. Then there’s also this issue. From Politico:

The bitter election-year battle over alleged White House leaks of national security secrets is heating up again — this time fueled by President Barack Obama’s pick for CIA director.

Obama’s nomination of counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to lead the CIA is reviving long-simmering claims that the president’s aides leaked classified information to bolster his reelection chances. …

"American Independence" Doesn't Just Mean Independence from Kings

By John F. Di Leo -

“When in the Course of Human Events…”  thus begins the most famous divorce decree in history, conceived by the Committee of Five in the Continental Congress, crafted principally by future governor and president Thomas Jefferson, with the helpful editing of their fellow delegates in Philadelphia, in June and July, 1776.

It was indeed a divorce decree, not a letter of annulment.  It did not declare that we had never been partnered with England; it acknowledged clearly that there had once been legitimate bonds between England and these colonies.  But the Declaration of Independence analyzed the then-recent practices of King George III, his ministers, and the British Parliament, and found them wanting. 

It is time for the United States to recognize that another such international divorce is needed: a permanent end to our long relationship with the United Nations.

Carney decries GOP "Obsession" with Four Dead Americans; Susan Rice Still Lying

By Teri O'Brien -

As nearly everyone with a pulse now knows, on September 16, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice infamously appeared on five Sunday morning news shows to present a false and deceptive narrative to the American public. Her ostensible purpose was to explain the murder of four Americans in Libya on the eleventh anniversary of the original 9/11 attacks. We know that she told us that these deaths were the result of “spontaneous” demonstration, caused by a “reprehensible” (Hillary Clinton’s word) “offensive” YouTube video. Give Ms. Rice credit. She was able to recite this risible story with a straight face. As of today, she’s still lying. After meeting with the three Republican senators who, unlike Barack Obama, don’t consider the murder of 4 Americans “a bump in the road,” and want to get to the bottom of what happened, she issued a statement describing the meeting, which included the following statement:

Stand with Israel rally Tuesday in Chicago Loop

How defensive and edgy would you be if every day a rocket was launched into your neighborhood?

This 2011 video explains what led to Israel's retaliation six days ago. Enough was enough for the Jewish people, who relinquished the Gaza strip in an effort to promote peace. Hamas now uses the territory to launch daily terrorist attacks on their Jewish neighbors.

A Stand with Israel rally is planned for Tuesday at noon outside the Loop Synagogue, 10 S. Clark Street in Chicago:

Why Romney Will Win in a Landslide?

By Teri O'Brien -

Our friends in the Lame Steam Media are trying to convince themselves that Barack Obama’s “presidential” handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, along with the effusive praise he received from Gov. Chris Christie, will push him over the finish line on Tuesday. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think that images of the One playing dress-up in a bomber jacket, and hugging a couple of storm victims before jetting off to another screech fest of silly slogans, are sufficient to cause the American public to ignore images of people in Manhattan dumpster diving, not to mention his demonstrable and pathetic performance on the issue of the economy. Unemployment is higher today than when he took office. How can this be? All Obama mouthpieces on the Sunday shows claim that they have created 5.5 million jobs, but just how many jobs have been created during Barack Obama’s tenure in office? (Hint: a lot fewer than David Plouffe, David Axelrod, and Barack Obama are telling you.)

What does it mean to vote Democrat in 2012?

By John F. Di Leo -

The Democratic Party has undergone many a migration over the centuries; it’s unrecognizable from the party originally started by Madison and Jefferson to oppose President Washington’s economic  agenda.

From its inception, though, one thing has never changed: the Democratic Party has always been, in some way, the pro-slavery party.  

Defender of slavery for the first century, then the opponent of reconstruction after the Civil War, the Democratic Party has always been a supporter of the elites, and in some way a supporter of the oppression of some group -sometimes the Blacks, sometimes the Asians, sometimes Catholics, sometimes Native Americans.  

This much has never changed: the Democrats have never lacked for some group to blame for whatever was going wrong.

Emails show White House aware Benghazi attack was terrorist-initiated

REUTERS - Reuters reported Tuesday night that they had obtained three emails that were sent to the White House, State Department and intelligence agencies that acknowledged the attack on the Benghazi compound which ended in the death of four Americans - including UN Ambassador Christopher Stevens:

The first email, timed at 4:05 p.m. Washington time - or 10:05 p.m. Benghazi time, 20-30 minutes after the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission allegedly began - carried the subject line "U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi Under Attack" and the notation "SBU", meaning "Sensitive But Unclassified."

The text said the State Department's regional security office had reported that the diplomatic mission in Benghazi was "under attack. Embassy in Tripoli reports approximately 20 armed people fired shots; explosions have been heard as well."