Illinois Review

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

New Poll Shows Trump Would Beat Biden if Election Were Held Today

Although the next presidential election is three years in the future—a lifetime in politics—the signs do not bode well for a Biden second term.

According to a new poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports and The Heartland Institute, if the next presidential election were held today, former President Donald Trump would decisively defeat Joe Biden.

The poll, conducted January 5, surveyed 1,016 likely voters, seeking their impressions about the current and former presidents.

When asked whether they had a “very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable impression” of Biden, 52 percent of respondents said they had a “somewhat unfavorable” or “very unfavorable” impression of the current Oval Office occupant.

Asked the same question about Trump, however, 51 percent of respondents said they had a “very favorable” or “somewhat favorable” impression of the former president.

More HERE

GOP opponents respond to Irvin entry into gubernatorial primary race

Mayor Richard Irvin.                       State Sen. Darren Bailey                Businessman Gary Rabine

SPRINGFIELD - Two GOP gubernatorial primary opponents that have been campaigning for several months responded to the news that Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is entering the Illinois GOP's effort to oust Illinois Governor JB Pritzker in November 2022.

Irvin-Bourne team announces bid for Illinois governor

AURORA - A second-term mayor of one of Illinois' largest cities and a young female downstate state rep unveiled their campaign website as Republican gubernatorial primary team candidates Monday: IrvinBourne.com - Mayor Richard Irvin and State Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Litchfield). 

Their announcement, made via YouTube video, confirmed what Illinois Review.com reported hearing about in mid-December: 

The announcement video links Irvin back to his family's slave roots: 

Irvin/Bourne join several other candidate teams vying to challenge JB Pritzker in November: Gary Rabine and Aaron DelMar; Senator Darren Bailey and Stephanie Trussell, former Senator Paul Schimpf and Carol Scholfield, as well as a few others that have little name recognition or financial backing thus far. 

Di Leo: Analogy Time with Johnny Dee: Tollbooths, Syringes, and the U.S. Constitution

By John F. Di Leo - 

Let's say I claim the right to collect tolls on the Brooklyn Bridge. (I need cash, you know, and there’s money there).

So, I fly to New York; I erect tollgates, and I start collecting tolls from cars and trucks crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.

Now, as you might imagine, I have no right to do this.  I just did it, and dared people to stop me.  Well, people did.  They didn’t waste much time, either.  Let’s assume that people sued me, and it went all the way to the Supreme Court, where SCOTUS said "This is ridiculous!  John, you don't have the authority to collect tolls on the Brooklyn Bridge. Now cut it out. Unless you're given that authority, you can't do it. Period. Take down those stupid tollbooths and go home."

But you know me, folks.  I don’t give up that easily.

So, I go to Springfield.

Thorner: Are Satan Clubs coming to your school?

By Nancy Thorner - 

 

Elementary schoolchildren in Moline, Illinois, were invited last week to an after-school Satan club with five different meeting dates planned for 2022. The first meeting was scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 13.

 

“The superintendent of Moline-Coal Valley Schools said in her online note to parents that the flyers were 'not distributed' to all students. The flyers and promotional materials were sent to the school by the organization 'to be placed in the lobby. There, flyers were made available for children to peruse and pick up if they chose to do so,” Fox News reported. 

 

The superintendent made these other points in her memo:

• “Board of education policy allows for community use of our facilities.”
• “The district approves many facility use agreements with local churches.”
• “Since we have allowed religious entities to rent our facilities after school hours, we are not permitted to discriminate against different religious viewpoints.”
• “To illegally deny their organization (viewpoint) to pay to rent our publicly funded institution, after school hours, subjects the district to a discrimination lawsuit, which we will not win, likely taking thousands upon thousands of taxpayer dollars away from our teachers, staff, and classrooms."

 

Some parents are angry about their children's exposure to information about the club, apparently prompting the superintendent of schools to weigh in. The Satanic Temple says on its website that it operates the clubs "at select public schools where Good News Clubs also operate."

 

“Patti Garibay, founder and executive director of American Heritage Girls, a Christian alternative to the Girl Scouts, told Fox News Digital in an email, "At a time when youth are experiencing a mental health pandemic, it is outrageous that a school district would allow a club based on the master of confusion."

Hospital System Backs Off Race-Based Treatment Policy After Legal Threat

For The Washington Free Beacon, journalist Aaron Sibarium reports that a race-based medical rubric used by SSM Health “gave race more weight than diabetes, obesity, asthma, and hypertension combined” was recently abandoned after the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative legal nonprofit, threatened them with a lawsuit claiming that the medical policy was both “immoral” and “illegal.”

The now-defunct rubric is much more radical, prioritizing healthy minorities over white patients with many of the largest risk factors for COVID-19. A 49-year-old white woman with hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and asthma would only get 19 points under the rubric, just shy of the 20 point threshold for antibody therapy. But a 50-year-old black woman with no underlying health conditions would receive 22 points, making her eligible.

The policy was initially justified by the claim that "COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on low income communities and certain racial/ethnic minorities in the United States." However, these purported racial disparities vanished when new analyses included relevant variables like health comorbidities and class.

"Black race was not associated with higher in-hospital mortality than white race," an analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded, "after adjustment for differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics on admission." A study of Maryland and District of Columbia hospitals likewise found no relationship between race and severe disease "after adjustment for clinical factors."

More HERE

Paprocki: Why Illinoisans should stay and fight

By Matt Paprocki - 

One person leaves Illinois every 4 minutes and 18 seconds.

I sympathize with that person.

She is tired of being ignored in favor of special interests. She is tired of paying high taxes with little to show for it. It can be exhausting to fight for a better Illinois ­– but it is not futile.

Illinois is worth fighting for. I explain why, in the spirit of George Washington, below.

We can change the culture of Illinois – in fact, we already have. Imagine what we can do if Illinoisans take a stand and refuse to be driven out of their home state.