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By Mark Rhoads -
The MSM has apparently caught President Obama telling a childish fib. He claimed to a reporter for The New Republic magazine that he frequently enjoys skeet shooting at Camp David when he was asked if he has ever fired a gun. The story cannot be verified by the surprised White House press corps that has never heard this claim before. Does this fib matter? It does if we have a 51-year-old Commander in Chief who is so isolated that he cannot separate his fantasy world from reality.
A fantasy life combined with the supreme hubris of President Obama would explain a lot. A mature leader is not insecure about listening to ideas from other people and does not regard every alternate idea to his opinion as a challenge to his authority. In general, a really mature leader has good listening skills but President Obama always has his transmitter turned on but cannot seem to find the on switch for his receiver if he has one.
He led the Transportation Department throughout Obama's first term and helped steer a campaign to curb distracted driving, promote high-speed rail and repair roads and bridges. Under his watch, the department demanded tougher fuel efficiency requirements for automakers and took steps to address airline pilot fatigue.
Obama thanked LaHood in a statement, saying they were 'drawn together by a shared belief that those of us in public service owe an allegiance not to party or faction, but to the people we were elected to represent. And Ray has never wavered in that belief.'
LaHood said in an interview with The Associated Press that he told Obama a week after the November election that he needed to move on but said he was still 'conflicted' by his decision because he liked working for Obama and considered it the 'best job I've ever had in public service.'
The debate is Tuesday, February 5th, 2013 and will be moderated by WVON 1690 talk show host Cliff Kelley with input from the congressional district’s Chicago GOP Committeemen: Emil Coccaro (Ward 5), Juan Antonio Diaz (Ward 7), Margarite Faulkner (Ward 8), Wayland Johnson, Jr. (Ward 9), Tom Malesh (Ward 10), and Percy Coleman (Ward 34).
Candidates confirmed to participate in the debate are Lenny McAllister of Maywood, Paul McKinley of Chicago, James Taylor, Sr. of Bradley and Dr. Eric Wallace of Flossmoor.
Continue reading "Chicago GOP to hold 2nd CD candidate forum February 5th" »
Registration in any degree is particularly offensive to those who value their 2nd amendment rights. It is the basis for abuse and harassment of law abiding gun owners by those who would deny those rights, both official and unofficial. We have seen the damage caused when the Journal News in New York published the names and addresses of thousands of citizens with a license to own handguns. At least one Connecticut legislator wants the state to publish the names of gun owners. A similar attempt was made in Illinois in the Spring of 2011, abetted by Illinois AG Lisa Madigan but stopped short by a court order, then both houses of the Assembly. Historically, firearm registration was used in Australia to confiscate a broad range of weapons, after only 20% of their citizens complied voluntarily. It was used in 2008 by Great Britain, and by the Nazis in 1935. Notably, none of these nations had a constitution which limits the actions of government, as in the United States.
Continue reading "More on the Weak Underbelly of Obama's gun policies" »
WASHINGTON DC - Monday, Illinois' senior US Senator Dick Durbin was one of the bipartisan task group that presented an immigration reform plan, along with Republican senators John McCain and Marco Rubio. One freshman Republican Senate member isn't happy with what he heard in the proposal - Ted Cruz of Texas.
“I have deep concerns with the proposed path to citizenship,” he said. “To allow those who came here illegally to be placed on such a path is both inconsistent with [the] rule of law and profoundly unfair to the millions of legal immigrants who waited years, if not decades, to come to America legally.”
Cruz was not the only member of Congress to voice concerns over the message such a “pathway” sends. Texas Republican Rep. Lamar Smith said it will encourage more illegal immigration.
“When you legalize those who are in the country illegally, it costs taxpayers millions of dollars, costs American workers thousands of jobs and encourages more illegal immigration,” Smith said, according to CNN. “By granting amnesty, the Senate proposal actually compounds the problem by encouraging more illegal immigration.”
Continue reading "Durbin's pathway to immigration plan criticized by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz" »
Among other things, the retailers association wants to find out whether making lottery tickets available for sale online may have impacted sales of lottery tickets and other merchandise at brick and mortar stores.
Brick and mortar stores benefit from selling lottery tickets in several ways. Retailers get a 5 percent commission on every lottery ticket sold, plus a 1 percent cut of any prize money of $1,000 or more sold at their stores. Not to mention other merchandise sold to ticket purchasers. ...More HERE
SPRINGFIELD - With the 98th General Assembly about to swing into full gear, State Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) is looking towards consumer protection with her first ever piece of legislation aimed at credit card user fees.
“There are certainly signs that the economy is moving again; however, families are still weary of fee increases,” Wheeler stated. “Even small savings can go a long way, and now is not the time to begin burdening families with increased fees, regardless of their size.”
The measure, HB 977, seeks to make it unlawful for merchants to impose a surcharge on a consumer who elects to pay with a credit card. In July, an antitrust settlement between the major credit companies, Visa and MasterCard, and merchants will now allow retailers to charge a higher price for consumers who choose the “credit” option as opposed to the “debit” option when making purchases beginning on January 27 of this year. Prior to the settlement, merchants were only allowed to offer discounts to non-credit card purchases, not to charge a higher price to those paying with credit.
Continue reading "Rep. Wheeler looks to protect consumers with restrictions on credit card fees" »
This week is National School Choice Week, and although compared to other states, Illinois is considered a "limited choice" state, one of Illinois' school choices is charter schools. Charter schools are public schools, and they’re open to any student who applies. In exchange for strict accountability to maintain high standards, charter schools are given freedom from many of the regulations that apply to other public schools, which allows for greater flexibility and innovation in the classroom.
Here's 8 things you may not know about Illinois charter schools:
In response to an increased focus on the Illinois Republican Party platform, the United Republican Fund released today an indexed and outlined copy of the document that is at the heart of a heated debate taking place within the ILGOP.
A party platform is a set of principles, goals, and strategies designed to address pressing political issues. Developed and agreed upon by a majority of elected delegates to the party’s convention, the platform provides the candidates and legislators a clear political position with which they can campaign and govern. It further gives the voters a sense of what the candidates believe in, the issues they think are important, and how – if elected – they will address them.
Aside from their vote, the platform is the only opportunity citizens have to communicate the collective positions of the party they identify with, invest in, and volunteer their time for. As such, the document generally represents the collective position of party members regardless of title or rank.
A copy of the platform can be downloaded from the icon on the right-hand sidebar. We were unable to locate a copy of the Illinois Democrat Party's platform online.
In what some observers say is a surprise move,
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (photo right) won’t be backing her
one-time cabinet member Robin Kelly in the 2nd Congressional race, but
will throw her significant political weight behind state Sen. Toi
Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields).
Preckwinkle told the Sun-Times on Monday that she believed Hutchinson – not Kelly – had the muscle to win the race. ...More HERE
FLOSSMOOR - Five Republicans are vying for their party's nomination in the 2nd CD's February 26 Special Election. The election is being held to fill troubled US Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr's vacancy. The five GOPers on the 2nd CD primary ballot will be Lenny McAllister, Paul McKinley, Beverly Reid, James Taylor Sr and Eric Wallace.
In 2012, Congressman Jackson - who was known to be under federal investigation at the time - handily won re-election against Republican nominee Brian Woodworth with a 2 to 1 vote margin. Woodworth, a professor at Olivet Nazarene College in Kankakee, worked hard, but was unable to get financial support from the federal or state Republican organizations for his bid.
Continue reading "Wallace tries for GOP win in 2nd CD special primary" »
SPRINGFIELD - It has been 13 years since Illinois lawmakers approved a significant overhaul of the law that allows cities to create tax increment financing districts.
Kurt Erickson at the Pantagraph is reporting that State Rep. John Bradley, a Democrat from Marion, plans to introduce legislation this spring to bring changes to the state’s TIF laws.
A year ago, TIF reform shepherded by Bradley ran aground amid disagreements by those involved in the locally managed economic development program that continues to surge in popularity.
At the end of 1990, there were 238 TIF districts in the state. By 2006, that number had grown to nearly 1,000. Now the number stands at 1,221, according to figures collected by the Illinois comptroller’s office.
Chicago, home of one of the nation's most stringent gun bans for fifty years, has also been the source of many frightening statistics. The city of Chicago - not the greater metropolitan area, just Chicago proper - surpassed 500 homicides in 2012 all by itself. If gun bans are the solution, the problem must be something other than a murder epidemic, because this gun ban sure isn't solving that one.
It's not people from outside Chicago committing the crimes, either. An easy out for the gun banners, if it were true, would be to simply prove that the villains are visitors from one of those "gun states." But are Texans, Louisianans, and Oklahomans driving into Chicago to mug old ladies and rape young ones, to rob homes and kill shopkeepers, to start street fights and then finish them for good? I think not.
Continue reading "The Inherent Violence of the Welfare State" »
"We are working to address concerns expressed with particular language in the bill, and I expect we will take up the marriage bill sometime soon after our return," Steans said in a statement.
With a new Democrat super-majority in both state chambers, the legislation's passage would seem to be presumed. But there are Downstate Democrats with strong Catholic Church ties that may find it difficult to tow the party line on same sex marriage. Catholic leaders have taken a strong position against the law's passage.
Continue reading "Same sex marriage vote expected early in spring session" »
SPRINGFIELD - What should Illinois Republicans' public policy position be on immigration issues? The Illinois Republican Party's 2012 Platform - which the majority of GOP delegates statewide favored at the state convention in June - contains a plank favoring the enhancement of legal immigration.
VIII. INSTITUTING A ‘FRONT DOOR’ POLICY ON IMMIGRATION
A. We are a nation of immigrants, and the Republican Party welcomes those who respect our laws and seek freedom and opportunity in our great country. We believe it is only right to expect that our new residents come in through the front door and join us in society as fellow Americans. Further, we advocate retaining the right to adopt and enforce prudent policies relating to the numbers of immigrants America welcomes each year and their individual contributions to our nation’s needs.
Continue reading "Illinois GOP platform favors a "front door" immigration policy" »
By Nancy Thorner and Ed Ingold -
President Obama is deliberately ignoring solutions in favor of a long-time "progressive" goal of disarming Americans. Of course, he's doing the same thing with regard to the economy. Rather than promote business, he's doling money out to the states and labor unions. Rather than cut spending, he wants to raise taxes, even though all the wealth of America wouldn't match his out-of-control spending habits.
Blaming violence on a particular segment of society or region doesn't lend itself to solutions. Not withstanding, there is a blizzard of propaganda against the NRA and its supporters in Congress which seem perfectly legitimate to anti-gun advocates. It is easier to blame an organization with an easily recognized set of initials than the millions of its members and tens of millions of supporters who write their representatives in Congress in support of their Constitutional rights.
Continue reading "The Weak Underbelly of Obama's gun Policies" »
National School Choice Week is centered on the belief that parents should be empowered to choose the best educational environments for their children. So, from Friday, January 22 to Saturday, February 2 organizations around the country will be sponsoring events related to promoting school choice.
Some Illinois events include:
Continue reading "National School Choice Week in Illinois" »
On Jan. 21, Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka warned that at the current spending rate, Illinois is on track to run out of funding for essential state services. The Comptroller estimated the shortfall at $1 billion and said funds for some agencies, including the Department on Aging, the Department of Children and Family Services, the state’s workers’ compensation program, and the state employee group health insurance will dry up before the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
Continue reading "Illinois Senate Week in Review: Jan. 21-25, 2013" »
But Illinois had the largest drop in the country with a loss of 75,000 union members! ...More HERE
By Ulysses Arn -
The Sauk Valley Media has an interesting story this weekend on the
travel spending of two Illinois Townships. According to the paper
Sterling township spent $19,586 last year on travel for its 20 employees
and elected officials and budgeted $18,000 for this year. Neighboring
Dixon township which is nearly the same size plans on spending $3,000
for travel this year. This begs the question are you paying attention
to your local township and its spending?
According to For The Good Of Illinois' Open The Books website Sterling township spends roughly $2.5 million annually while Dixon township spend around $1.25 million each year. Sterling township has three people on the payroll making more than $42,000 each; Supervisor Matthew Howze, Assessor Marsha Francis, and Frances Leal. Dixon township meanwhile pays Highway Commissioner Roger Bowers, Assessor Douglas Farley, and Supervisor Doug Farster nearly $60,000 each.
So are you paying attention to your local spending yet?
CHICAGO – This afternoon, Gov. Pat Quinn signed SB 957 into law, granting illegal aliens state-issued driver’s licenses in Illinois. The new law does not require fingerprinting, a valid passport, or proof of auto insurance.
In response, activist William J. Kelly announced an effort to repeal the bill on the basis that it represents a serious threat to public safety.
“This bill has been fast-tracked from the beginning. The citizens of Illinois did not want this bill. Law enforcement did not want this bill,” said Kelly. “Politicians wanted this bill for political reasons, not public policy. It’s just more pay-to-play politics in Illinois.”
CHICAGO - Protesters outside the University of Chicago Medical Center appear in this video to have been arrested today for trespassing on private property and resisting arrest during an Occupy Chicago protest demanding more trauma centers on Chicago's south side.
CHICAGO - Illinois Governor Pat Quinn was joined by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to sign into law driver's licenses for Illinois residents that are visa holders and that do not have the legal authorization to be in America.
The bill was passed in the General Assembly during January's lame duck veto session and both Republicans and Democrats supported the measure. Mike Mahoney published this photo on Twitter as the crowd waited for the signing to begin. The lobbying group that pushed hardest and is celebrating most for the law's passage is the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, as the banner in the room's back right hand corner shows.
Continue reading "Illinois authorizes drivers licenses for illegals" »
ELGIN - On Saturday the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Illinos (RNHA IL) met for its 2013 convention in Elgin to determine how to better engage Illinois' Hispanics. Joined by approximately 75 fellow Hispanic activists, the convention kicked off with a breakfast hosted by Jack Roeser, who is Editor-in-Chief of the new conservative newspaper El Sueno Americano (The American Dream). Well known for offering English as a second language to his employees as well as renovating foreclosed homes and selling them at cost to Hispanics within his community, Roeser emphasized the importance of the Hispanic community to the future of conservatism in Illinois.
Following the breakfast, a new slate of RNHA IL officers was elected, which included John Guevara as Chairman, Li Arellano as Vice Chairman, Gloria Cudia Cardenas as Secretary, Ben Ordonez as Treasurer, Gloria Campos as National Committeewoman, and Rafael Rivadeneira as National Committeeman.
Above: 2013 RNHA IL officers Gloria Pereira de Campos, Benjamin Ordoñez, John M. Guevara, Liandro Arellano Jr, Gloria Cardenas Cudia and Rafael Rivadeneira
Continue reading "Hispanic Republicans look to the future in Illinois" »
CHICAGO - In the news this weekend is Illinois' Powerball amount rocketing to $151 Million to one winner in next Wednesday's drawing. A mention of Illinois lottery also brings to mind Illinois' "don't-privatize" lottery chief Mike Jones.
With the recent spate of below-zero temperatures, many Illinoisans are probably looking for a getaway to greener lands. Unfortunately, because of the nearly 9% unemployment rate and stagnant economy, most responsible citizens are hanging on to the money they would have spent on that mid-winter cruise and putting it to better use - or at least socking it away in a savings account for when Illinois taxes finally exceed their income.
But lest you were worried that Illinois bureaucrats were suffering the same fate as Illinois citizens, fear not. It seems despite the state's fiscal insolvency and burgeoning financial crisis, we are still sending our low-level bureaucrats on international vacations. Remember our friend Mike Jones who was spending taxpayer money jet-setting across the world giving lectures about how awesome he is? Well, he's headed to the UK for a swanky conference. But at least you have snow to shovel!
CHICAGO - National School Choice Week has chartered a historic railcar and is organizing the school choice movement’s first cross-country, whistle-stop train tour to galvanize public support for enhanced
educational options. The 14-city tour will make its fifth stop January 29th at Chicago's Union Station.
The group's rally promoting school choice is likely to be met with Chicago Teacher Union protests as the Chicago Public Schools system faces school closings and union membership cuts as Illinois' school choice movement grows.
Details on Chicago stop at National School Choice Week website.
CHICAGO – At least five people were gunned down Saturday in Chicago, including a 34-year-old man whose mother had already lost her three other children to shootings.
Ronnie Chambers, who was his mother Shirley's youngest child, was shot in the head while sitting in a parked car on the city's West Side. A 21-year-old man who was also in the car was wounded, police said.
Shirley Chambers, whose two other sons and daughter were shot in separate attacks more than a decade ago, was left grieving again on Saturday, WLS-TV reported.
"Right now, I'm totally lost because Ronnie was my only surviving son," Chambers said. ...More HERE
By Teri O'Brien -
This week was one of bizarre spectacles, over and above the 2nd 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:
More proof of media bias and the Liberal media's goal of influencing America's public opinion on issues of the day. The Washington Post featured a gallery of 12 photos from the gun control march Saturday with the headline: "Nearly 1000 march in D.C. for Gun Control"
For Friday's March for Life on the D.C. Mall, the Washington Post headlined "March for Life arrives in Washington" and tucked this shot showing the estimated 500,000 back into the photo gallery:
Former Republican Vice Presidential nominee Congressman Paul Ryan's remarks as delivered Saturday at the National Review Institute:
Thanks, Rich. I’m happy to see so many friends in the audience. And I’m honored to speak to such distinguished guests. I’d say this is, perhaps, the greatest collection of conservative talent ever gathered in one room—with the possible exception of when William F. Buckley dined alone.
I started reading Buckley in college, when one of my economics professors gave me a copy of National Review. And I’ve been reading it ever since. The masthead has changed over the years. When I came to Washington, many of you were just starting out. You were landing your first jobs as writers and editors. Over time, I came to recognize your bylines—and to value your counsel. So, thank you, for 20 years of good advice.
Today, though, you’re asking for my advice—under less-than-ideal circumstances. As you’ll recall, there was an election last year. And it didn’t go our way. Like you, I understand full well that elections have consequences. The vice president’s home is just a few blocks away. And, like you, I’m disappointed. I was looking forward to taking on the big challenges. My kids were looking forward to having a pool.
Continue reading "Paul Ryan: The Principle of Prudence and the Conservative Renewal" »
Illinois' Republican National Committeewoman Demetra DeMonte was re-elected unanimously as the RNC Secretary. Those nominating and seconding her bid were featured on CSPAN Friday, and are viewable beginning near 44.00 on CSPAN HERE
Continue reading "RNC National Committee 2013 officer election featured on C-SPAN" »
PEORIA IL – Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) issued the following statement after Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service reported it has downgraded Illinois by one notch to an A-minus rating. In August, S&P lowered Illinois to A from A-plus in August 2012. S&P cites the reason for the downgrade on the inability of the state to tackle the looming fiscal challenges it faces including the state’s unfunded public pension liability.
“The people of Illinois today received yet another reminder of the negative and costly consequences of total one-party rule for a decade. This additional credit downgrade will result in more of Illinoisans’ tax dollars being spent on higher interest rates instead of in our classrooms, for healthcare or building infrastructure.
Continue reading "Schock blames Illinois' credit downgrade on one-party control" »
SPRINGFIELD - Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford held an emergency phone presser Friday afternoon to discuss the Standard & Poor's downgrade, taking Illinois down to the 50th out of 50 states for poor credit worthiness.
"Every time the governor and General Assembly have set deadlines to meet to address the public pension system, and they have not fulfilled that since the January 2011 income tax increase, there has been some negative issuance by the bond rating agencies," Rutherford said.
A bond rating agency will look at the credit risk of a sovereign government like Illinois similar to what a credit rating would be for an individual. If an individual has a poor credit rating and goes in to get a home mortgage, he will pay more in interest because of his bad credit. The same thing exists for the bond rating agencies.
Continue reading "Illinois Treasurer: S&P downgrade to cost taxpayers millions more in 2014" »
CHARLOTTE - Friday, Illinois' National Committeewoman Demetra DeMonte (Peoria) was re-elected to serve another term as the Republican National Committee Secretary at the RNC's 2013 Winter Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.
DeMonte told Illinois Review she was honored to be re-elected and to have her nomination seconded by 15 fellow committee members.
Durbin’s selection could benefit Illinois-based defense contractors, such as Boeing, and military installations in the state. It will certainly benefit him as he is up for re-election in 2014 and the subcommittee post means deep-pocketed defense subcontractors will likely look favorably on his candidacy, should he run again. ...More HERE
"I want to congratulate my friend, Reince Priebus, on his reelection as RNC Chairman. I've worked with Reince since his days as Wisconsin State Party Chairman, where he led the groundwork to help elect one of the most innovative Governors in the nation, Scott Walker. As we gear up for 2014, I can't think of a better partner in our efforts to elect a Republican governor in Illinois.
"I also want to congratulate Illinois' own Demetra DeMonte on her reelection as RNC Secretary. She has been a tireless cheerleader for Republicans in our state."
Reuters is reporting that Illinois' credit rating has been dropped another notch - which means higher interest rates will cost taxpayers even more to pay back state bonds and unpaid obligations.
Jan 25 (Reuters) - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services downgraded Illinois' credit rating by one notch to A-minus on Friday, citing the state's lack of action on reforms to address its huge unfunded public pension liability.
The rating agency also placed a negative outlook on the lower rating, saying legislative consensus and action will be needed to tackle a range of challenges, including pensions.
