Illinois Review

Di Leo: An Afternoon with Darren Bailey, GOP 2022 Candidate for Governor

By John F. Di Leo - 

photos by Mark Weyermuller

Looking back at the Founding Era after 250 years, we often think of the challenges the Framers faced.  A single legislature, or a bicameral arrangement?  A strong head of state or a figurehead… or none at all?  How often should terms last?

What we tend to forget is that the first debate, before they could even get started in planning all this in the summer of 1787, was the question of whether any of it was possible at all.

Our Founding Fathers were educated in the history of government; they had studied political science for years, even decades.  And there were two conclusions that seemed almost certain, and had been agreed-upon for centuries: First, that direct democracy can only work in the smallest of towns, and second, that even a representative republic could probably work as a city-state or similarly small country, but most likely couldn’t be successful in a large nation… because you could never know your representative personally, if the country was too large.

Thorner: Maine Doctor Suspended for ‘public dissemination of ‘misinformation’

Dr. Meryl Nass of Maine

By Nancy Thorner - 

Dr. Meryl J. Nass had her license suspended by a licensing board in Maine after accused of sharing COVID-19 misinformation. She must undergo a psychiatric evaluation.  The Soviet Union's manipulation tactics, including psychiatry as a punishment and/or to authenticate its rule, is back.

A doctor with decades of experience can’t practice medicine after her license was temporarily suspended over complaints that she shared coronavirus misinformation, according to a Maine licensing board. The board has ordered her to undergo a neuropsychological evaluation, it said.

Dr. Meryl J. Nass, who got a license to practice medicine in Maine in 1997, had her license “immediately” suspended for 30 days after a board investigation and review of complaints against her on Jan. 12, according to a suspension order from the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine.

Nass, who is an internist in Ellsworth, must “submit” to an evaluation by a “Board-selected psychologist” on Feb. 1, the board’s evaluation order issued Jan. 11 said. “I have no comment about submitting to a neuropsych exam, except that the board ordered me to do so on shaky grounds,” Nass told McClatchy News.

Rossi: President Biden’s “Alternate Universe” Press Conference

By Randy Rossi - 

Democrat President Biden’s bizarre and incredibly destructive press conference last week proves that he is living in an alternate universe. You know things are really bad for Biden when even CNN tore him apart for his bizarre and destructive press conference which essentially encouraged Russia to invade Ukraine and bragged about his “awesome” first year as president while his ratings have crashed to the floor. As Biden claimed to have accomplished more than any other president in his first year, his approval ratings have cratered. A recent Quinnipiac poll has his approval rating at 33% which is a disaster. According to another poll, 64% of Americans don’t want him to run for president again including 28% of Democrats.

Of course the worst thing President Biden did in his press conference was to essentially encourage Russia to invade Ukraine as long as it is a “minor incursion”. I guess he compares that to the “minor incursion” of 2 million illegal immigrants into America in his first year through our open southern border which he has no problem with that is destroying America’s national sovereignty and security!

Di Leo: Pharmaceutical Dos and Don'ts in the Age of Covid

By John F. Di Leo - 

I have a few medical questions...not for experts, just for regular folks like you and me.

• Should you take antibiotics if you don't have a bacterial infection?
• Should you take phenobarbital if you don't have a seizure disorder such as epilepsy?
• Should you take nitroglycerin if you don't have some kind of heart trouble?
• Should you undergo chemotherapy if you don't have cancer?

Most likely, we all have the same gut reaction to all of these questions: "Probably not.  In fact, very probably not."

This isn't to say there aren't other uses for each of these medicinal miracles, but they all have primary purposes.

Sometimes they are good for other purposes, too.  Some of our greatest discoveries have been when a drug developed for one purpose surprisingly turned out to have another benefit as well (famous examples include Cortisone, Rogaine, and Viagra).

More, in the American Thinker, here:

It’s Official: It’s OK to Be Racist If You’re the Left Pushing COVID-19 Mandates

Biden cries ‘gouging’ as businesses face higher costs. Andy Puzder and Will Coggin write:

Following the lead of other leftist-run cities, the District of Columbia just instituted a new COVID-19 mandate that requires anyone who wants to dine at a restaurant, go to a movie, or workout at a gym to show proof of vaccination.

But a big part of the story that many in the media seem to ignore is that in this majority-black city, run by a black mayor, the D.C. government is also requiring people to show a photo ID to prove that they are the actual owner of the vaccination card they present.

Virtue, Liberty, and the Market: What the Left Will Never Understand About Capitalism

(Photo: Brendan Smialowski, AFP/Getty Images)

“There’s No Free Lunch” by David Bahnsen can teach us so much about why free markets work. Richard Reinsch writes:

Does America still believe that it is an immensely gifted wealth-creating country? And does it further believe itself capable of producing not only the highest forms of technology, products, and services, but in a manner that lifts the sails of vast numbers of Americans?

There are grave reasons to doubt an affirmative answer to both questions when we look to new progressive policies and the arguments that have produced them.

Fascism: Socialism’s Smarter Brother

In recent years, American politics has been plagued with mutual assertions on both sides of the aisle that the other party is pursuing a fascist agenda. It would therefore behoove many – especially those on the far left claiming to be fascism’s diametric opponents – to gain a greater understanding of what fascism actually entails. They might find that fascism and socialism are far from mutually exclusive.

In fact, fascism and socialism are fundamentally unified around one guiding principle: societal revolution, and the subsequent totalitarian ideological control by the state.

Merriam-Webster defines fascism as “A political philosophy, movement, or regime…that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stand for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.”

Historian Emilio Gentile – one of the world’s foremost scholars of fascism – describes it as a political ideology with an “extra ingredient” that creates a “political religion.” Gentile contends that this ingredient – essentially, totalitarian control – is found in fascist and Bolshevik states alike.

More HERE

Does a statewide candidate's voting history matter?

AURORA - Does it matter to Illinois Republicans whether their candidate for governor has a history of voting Democrat? Should it matter?

Or should Illinois Republicans give up on the concept of a candidate with proven Republican conservative values ever winning a statewide race? 

With the announcement of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin running for governor, an array of information has been bombarding the internet - especially as it becomes more well known that Irvin and his running mate state Rep. Avery Bourne are being directed by the same consulting group that ran Bruce Rauner's campaign in 2014 and his re-election campaign in 2018.

The group ran the Rauner campaign both years - alienating, ridiculing and ignoring the state's grassroots conservative base and their principles.

Illinois location appears to reflect vaccination percentages

SPRINGFIELD - The farther one gets from Illinois' population centers, the less likely he or she will choose to be vaccinated, a map published by Wirepoints.com appears to show. 

Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 183,722 new COVID cases and 746 deaths since January 14. 

Chicago, its surrounding Cook, DuPage, Will and Lake counties as well as Downstate Sangamon, Champaign, McLean and Monroe counties report the highest percentages of residents that chose to receive the COVID vaccines. 

Farther south and away from population centers, the number of those fully vaccinated falls significantly, according to Wirepoints.com map, down to the lowest - 22% - in far south Alexander County. 

Of Illinois’ total population, more than 74% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 65% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and almost 49% boosted according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  

Wirepoints.com also features a graph that shows of the 29,708 Illinoisans that died due to COVID, 88% of them were among those 60 years and older. 

Illinois mandatory vaccine registry measure hearing rescheduled for next Wednesday

SPRINGFIELD - A measure to require Illinois doctors and pharmacies to enter administered vaccines into a state-run and -controlled registry was postponed this week and re-scheduled for next Wednesday - despite over 14,000 opposition slips filed with the Illinois General Assembly website. 

Earlier this week, Illinois Review reported on a bill introduced in the Illinois General Assembly that would require all doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and medical centers to register their patients' personal immunizations with a state-run database.  Currently, participation in the state immunization registry in place is optional. 

UPDATE: THOUSANDS FILE OPPOSITION TO MANDATORY VACCINE REGISTRY IDEA 

Lake County state Rep. Bob Morgan seems to not be intimidated by the rare outpouring of opposition to HB 4244. After the Human Services Committee was postponed this week, it was rescheduled for Wednesday January 26 at 9:00 am, and HB 4244 is on the docket for the hearing. 

For the most part, those 14,000 plus that have filed opposition witness slips are representing themselves or their families, while the less than 300 proponents represent medical facilities, hospitals, pediatricians and other medical professionals.  

For more information on the measure and those on the hearing committee, see Illinois Review's "UPDATE: THOUSANDS FILE OPPOSITION TO MANDATORY VACCINE REGISTRY IDEA" 

For those interested, witness slips for HB 4244 may be created at this link: https://my.ilga.gov/Hearing/HearingDetail/18945 

News from Illinois Congressional campaigns and offices

CHICAGO - News about Illinois candidate campaigns for US Congress began pouring in this week - from Republican Esther Joy King in the 17th CD to Michael Pierce in the 11th CD, as well as from Congress members Rodney Davis and Mary Miller, vying to represent the 15th CD. 

From Esther Joy King  in Illinois' "toss-up" 17th CD who is raising lots of money - 

EAST MOLINE, IL –  Esther Joy King, Republican candidate for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, raised over $625,000 in the fourth quarter ending December 31 and will report more than $1,000,000 cash on hand. 

“Our campaign is driven by grassroots supporters who are tired of the way things are going and want leaders who will fight for them,” said King. “I am honored by the outpouring of support we have received. Every day, people in this district are seeing the price of gas, groceries, and other essentials go up and up while Democrats in Congress and President Biden keep talking about more spending and higher taxes. Enough is enough. The people of the 17th Congressional District are worth the fight. I can't wait to win this and get to work for my fellow Illinoisans."

Esther Joy King is the top fundraising challenger in the state of Illinois. National political forecasters believe the 17th Congressional District will be one of the most competitive races in 2022, and key to Republicans winning back the House. The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball have both rated IL-17 as a “Toss Up” seat, despite being 53% Democrat.

From Michael Pierce, who is dropping out of the 11th CD race -

‘Unheard of’ 40 percent Increase in Deaths Among Working-age People – Insurance Executive

Life insurers have noticed an unusual jump in the number of deaths of people 18 to 64 years of age, and not just from COVID-19, says Scott Davison, the CEO of OneAmerica, a mutual insurance holding company based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“We are seeing, right now, the highest death rates we have seen in the history of this business, said Davison, at an online news conference organized by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, on December 30. “The data is consistent across every player in that business.” OneAmerica  sells group life insurance plans to employers

More HERE

Team Biden’s January 6 Coverup

AP photo 

Jan. 11, 2022 is the day when top law enforcement officials at the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation came to Capitol Hill to testify about what happened on January 6th. At least that is what the Senate Judiciary Committee was purportedly about.

Imagine the surprise of Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) when the Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division of the Justice Department (DOJ) Matthew Olsen testified that he “was not aware” if there were any plain clothes FBI or Justice Department officers among the crowd on January 6th.

More HERE

After 2 years of COVID pandemic, Biden's White House issues free N95 masks

WASHINGTON DC - Two years into the dangerous, life-taking COVID-19 crisis, the Biden White House posted Wednesday they're stepping forward to give away hundreds of thousands of free disposable N-95 masks: 

That's after the CDC issued an update on their website, recommending N95 masks over cloth masks that are so popular in states where mask wearing is mandatory, like Illinois. 

Cloth masks can keep 30% to 60% of particles from coming in and potentially infecting the person wearing the mask, while surgical masks offer protection against 40% to 80% of particles, said Dr. Nate Shively, an infectious disease specialist with Allegheny Health Network.

Illinois is one of only 11 states with a statewide mask mandate still enforced by Governor Pritzker's executive orders.

UPDATE: Thousands file opposition to mandatory vaccine registry idea

UPDATE: Wednesday morning's hearing on HB 4244 was postponed, as the House Human Services Committee did not have the needed quorum. Since Monday, the number of bill opponents more than doubled - from over 5000 to now over 12,000, with more being added hourly.

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois lawmakers will once again be contemplating another political "hot potato" when they return to the State Capitol this week. As of Monday morning, 5526 (Update now: 5579) opponents have signed onto the Illinois General Assembly website to submit witness slips against HB 4244, a bill introduced and sponsored by only one Democrat lawmaker - Lake County resident Bob Morgan. 

HB 4244 would require all doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and medical centers to register their patients' personal immunizations with a state-run database.  Currently, the state immunization registry already in place is optional. 

Some Morgan constituents are not happy with their state rep's idea. They're calling for neighbors to contact Morgan's office and file opposition slips.

Biden's first year in Oval Office has been a disaster

As we approach the one-year mark of Joe Biden’s tenure as the 46th president of the United States, it is safe to say that Biden has performed poorly on several of the most pressing issues a president is tasked with handling.

First, Biden declared on several occasions while campaigning for the presidency that he would “shut down the virus.” Biden has not delivered on that campaign promise. In fact, despite inheriting three vaccines, several treatment options, and a robust testing program, more Americans have died of COVID-19 under President Biden than under his predecessor.

Second, the Biden administration’s economic policies have caused widespread chaos. Inflation is at a 39-year high under Biden’s stewardship. Although there are many factors that have led to this devastating bout of inflation, Biden’s misguided macroeconomic policies surely share much of the blame.

More HERE

Thorner: Ready to give away your children?

By Nancy Thorner - 

So-called "trial balloons" start small. Sometimes they metastasize. Recall the Bolsheviks had only 18% support at the start.

Those who think they can "sit this one out" will prove to be badly mistaken. There will be no middle ground... they don't intend for there to be. 

In St. Petersburg, Russia, they murdered or sent to Siberia a quarter of the population. Sevastapol was called "the city of the hanged" as there were so many hanging from the lamp posts; the engineered famine in Ukraine, the Holodomor, may have killed up to six million. It was Lenin who said if you want to make an omelette, you have to break a few eggs.

Equity means parents giving their children away

 

An article in the Ventura County Star by Joe Mathews opens with: “If California is ever going to achieve true equity, the state must require parents to give away their children”.

Stossel: Money for Indoctrination

By John Stossel - 

Glenn Youngkin recently was elected Virginia’s governor partly because he promised to ban teaching of CRT.

CRT stands for critical race theory, which argues that every American institution upholds white supremacy.

Before Youngkin’s surprise victory, the media mocked him for complaining about CRT.

NBC’s Nicolle Wallace said it isn’t even taught in public schools. “That is like us banning the ghosts!” she laughed.

She is wrong.

More HERE

Hammer: The Best Path Forward for Omicron: Let It Rip

By Josh Hammer - 

The recent arrival of the omicron variant of COVID-19 has, for far too many, reset the clock of our timeline for a return to societal normalcy.

Public health authorities in many countries reimposed loosened travel restrictions that had lapsed. Washington, D.C., under the mayorship of Muriel Bowser, passed a draconian private-sector vaccination mandate, the likes of which had previously only passed muster in iconic deep-blue metropolises such as New York City. The vacillating mandarins who constitute the “public health” apparatus in this country, such as Lord-Emperor Anthony Fauci, quickly began fearmongering about the need to avoid large gatherings for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Restaurants and bars across the country that had shelved mask mandates suddenly deemed it necessary to make customers mask up again.

The sober reality, as should be obvious as we approach the two-year anniversary of “15 Days to Slow the Spread,” is that COVID-19 is simply not going anywhere; much like influenza or the common cold, it is now something humanity is simply going to have to deal with.

More HERE

Google News Promotes ‘Climate Change’ as Reason for Ethiopia Conflict

In search results today for “climate change,” Google News is heavily promoting an article by the leftist activist group International Rescue Committee that claims global warming is causing war and death in Ethiopia due to “large-scale losses of livestock and crops.” Objective data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, however, show Ethiopia has set new records for crop production an amazing nine years in a row. By blaming – for political purposes – “climate change” for war and death in Ethiopia, the International Rescue Committee is giving one of the most repressive nations on Earth an excuse and a free-pass for the human misery that is actually caused by totalitarian rule.

More HERE