Illinois Review

Paul Harvey: One of Chicago's Great Broadcasters

By Mark Rhoads

Three years ago I posted an short tribute to Paul Harvey here on Illinois Review as part of the Illinois Hall of Fame series I was then writing often.  Mr. Harvey died on Saturday, Feb. 28 at the age of 90. In the post I tried a little to immitate the way Paul sounded on radio but without much success in matching his distinctive style.  CLICK HERE to read that IR post from 2006.

One story I can share just for fun comes from my friend James R. Evans who was President of L.G. Evans Machine Tool in Lombard and was president of the Illinois Conservative Union from 1974 to 1981.  Jim and his wife Dori knew Paul and Angel Harvey as social friends through the Chicago Golf and Country Club.  I told Jim that I expected Sen. Paul Laxalt (R-Nevada) to come to Du Page County in the fall of 1975 and Jim suggested we invite both Laxalt and Harvey to lunch at the Country Club and they both came. 

Innumeracy in American Journalism

By Mark Rhoads

Social psychologists often bemoan the dangers of illiteracy or semi-literacy in America.  Its true that the ability to read and write and understand English is critical to getting a good job and making a living.  But few people talk about the dangers of "innumeracy" or the lack of ability to use and understand math and numbers at a basic level.  It does not matter if you are left brained or right brained, basic understanding of numbers is a necessary skill that too many lack starting with journalists. 

Chicago Tea Party starts to simmer

Go to Chicago Tea Party on Facebook.com

Freedom Folks' take Chicago protestors' pulse

Freedom Folks Jake Jacobson did an incredible job on this video from yesterday's Chicago Tea Party..  This is a must see and something you need to share with everyone you know.

Chicago News Bench photo journals Friday's Tea Party

Chicago News Bench's Tom Mannis has put together a terrific slideshow of 164 photos taken at Friday's Chicago Tea Party.  The protest, organized by don'tgo.com and the United Republican Fund, was a huge success and unveiled a growing number of unhappy taxpayers.  Great job with the photos, Tom ...

Take a moment to check out the attendance, enthusiasm on a 25 degree gray Chicago day. 

The signs say it all... Chicago News Bench

More from Chicago's Tea Party

Hill Buzz photos HERE

Marathon Pundit photos and thoughts HERE

Forty cities hosted Chicago Tea Parties yesterday throughout the nation...HERE

Chicago Tea Party featured on Fox News' Neil Cavuto

The first of several more posts coming over the weekend about this growing movement ... Were you at Chicago's Tea Party? Are you mad as hell?

Do we need a Senate quota?

by Sam Pierce

Are Senator Roland Burris’ supporters actually supporters of the senator? Not if they share the opinion of his media consultant, Delmarie Cobb.

From AP News via: TheTelegraph:

CHICAGO (AP) — The black community should help rehabilitate U.S. Sen. Roland Burris’ battered image so he can be elected to a six-year term, then work to find an African-American successor, according to talking points prepared by the senator’s new media consultant.

In a note sent to a member of the City Council’s Black Caucus and later posted on an Internet blog, Delmarie Cobb made it clear she believes the main objective of the black community, regardless of how some might feel about Burris, should be to keep a black person in President Barack Obama’s former Senate seat.

Burris is the only black U.S. senator.

Remembering William F. Buckley, Jr. - 1925-2008

Sadly, it was one year ago today that the man who played such an instrumental role - if not the ultimate role - in the building of the conservative movement passed away at the age of 82.

That man is, of course, William F. Buckley, Jr.

It might have been George Will who said it best of Buckley's vital importance as the impetus of the modern conservative movement:

"All great biblical stories begin with Genesis,” George Will wrote in National Review in 1980. “And before there was Ronald Reagan, there was Barry Goldwater, and before there was Barry Goldwater there was National Review, and before there was National Review there was Bill Buckley with a spark in his mind, and the spark in 1980 has become a conflagration.”

Giving Drunken Sailors a Bad Name

By Matt Gauntt

A few days ago, the US House of Representatives passed a $410 Billion spending bill on top of the roughly $800 Billion "Stimulus Bill" that they passed a couple weeks ago.  I spent some time going through the earmarks that are listed.  Taxpayers for Common Sense has a set of downloadable files that outlines the various earmarks.  I only went through two of the eleven files, but here are a few of the gems that I found.

• $1,088,000 for the Animal Waste Management Research Laboratory in Bowling Green, KY

• $638,000 for Foundry Sand By-Products Utilization Research, Beltsville, MD.

• Sorghum Research, but not just one location.  We are funding $246,000 in Lubbock, TX, $452,000 in Bushland, TX and $135,000 in Little Rock, AR.  Is it too much to ask that worthless research only gets conducted in one location?

• Senator Harkin in Iowa got $1,791,000 for Swine Odor and Manure Management Research.  I wonder if this research will help get rid of the stench coming out of Washington DC with all of the pork in this bill.

The way things go ...

.5% cause things to happen
29.5% watch things happen
70% stand agape, eyes bleary and ask "Wha Happened?"

(Maj Bob Worn)

Obama whitewashes his earmark history

by Eric Kohn

Spending, spending, spending. Congress is just fresh off foisting on the American people a whopping $789 billion "stimulus" bill that included funding for, among other universally agreeable, vital investments such as:

> $24 million for United States Department of Agriculture buildings and rent
> $176 million for renovating Agricultural Research Service buildings
> $295 million for administrative expenses associated with food stamp programs
> $650 million for the digital TV converter box coupon program
> $300 million to purchase scientific instruments for colleges and museums

CPAC 2009 continues ...

CPAC 2009 is in full swing, and Townhall.com has provided livestreaming to the main speakers throughout the day.  If you need a conservative shot in the arm, this is the place for it --direct to you from DC. CPAC 2009 reports the gathering to be one of their largest ever.  Conservatives are alive and well...

IL GOP to Quinn: "Put your money where your mouth is"

distributed Thursday from IL GOP's Press Secretary Lance Trover

Now that Lisa Madigan has legally OK-ed a special election to remove Senator Burris, it is time for Pat Quinn to put his money where his mouth is.

Last Friday, when Governor Quinn joined Illinois Republicans in their demand for a special election, he told reporters he would like to have a special election bill passed as quickly as possible saying, “I think the mechanism for passing the law should begin immediately, and get this law passed as quickly as possible.”

Rod Blagojevich was infamous for holding press conferences with great fanfare announcing some grandiose plan and then doing nothing to ensure its passage. The ILGOP hopes the same is not true of Governor Quinn and today is wondering, six days after his press conference, what the Governor has done to ensure special election legislation lands on his desk as "quickly as possible." Senator Cullerton has said that he needs to see a bill from Madigan before he passes anything

Boss Hogg Schillerstrom at it again

For those unfamiliar with Bob Schillerstrom, he's the "Republican" County Board Chairman of DuPage "Hazzard" County. You may recall it was Big Bob who forced a tax increase referendum onto the ballot last cycle, and then redundantly got three Republican State Senators to vote for the tax increase - that also resulted in free CTA rides for wealthy seniors. Oh, and it was Big Bobby who actively campaigned against fiscally conservative Republican country board members who opposed him in 2008.

Well, it seems Boss Hogg Schillerstrom is at it again. This time he's feeding at the federal stimulus trough. And he's happy as a clam to take money from hard-working taxpayers for one of his DuPage "programs" that nobody wants or needs. Bob's appetite for money, power, and other things is big. Seemingly insatiable in fact.

Follow The Stimulus Pork in Illinois

Stimulus Watch has a listing of the "shovel-ready" projects the mayors of Illinois submitted in the 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors report. Check it out. You can click on a project to read its description. You can also discuss the project and vote on whether you believe it is critical or not. For a more local view, you can drill down to projects in a particular city.

So far the total of cost of all the projects submitted by Illinois is $3,108,484,657

IL State Rep Dunkin Is a Doughnut's Gun Grab Act of 2009

by Sam Pierce

The Illinois General Assembly unfortunately includes representatives from Cook County (Chicago Politics anyone?) and this unfortunate fact once again presents a dangerous threat to the law-abiding citizens of Illinois. If only there were a North Illinois and a South Illinois, sigh. A frequent reader of this site has alerted me to this particular, yet not all that surprising threat.

Obama and the Little Red Hen

Who will help me plant the wheat?" asked the Little Red Hen.

'Not I,' said the cow.

'Not I,' said the duck.

'Not I,' said the pig.

'Not I,' said the goose.

'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she did. The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain..

'Who will help me reap my wheat?' asked the little red hen.

'Not I,' said the duck..

'Out of my classification,' said the pig.

'I'd lose my seniority,' said the cow.

'I'd lose my unemployment compensation,' said the goose.

'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she did.

SB 600 simmers

If you haven't heard already, SB 600 was not called for a vote yesterday in the Senate Elections Committee. Senator Maggie Crotty (D-Oak Forest), chairman of Elections, says she held yesterday's vote in response to pressure from higher level Senate Republicans, although not Minority Leader Christine Radogno, CapitalFax reports. 

In the meantime, four Republican Senate co-sponsors pulled their names off -- Bill Brady, Randy Hultgren, Dan Duffy and Matt Murphy. The next meeting for Elections has not yet been scheduled.

Another Illinois Combine Member Goes Down

by Cal Skinner

One of former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson's “Wunderkinds” has plead guilty to federal charges concerning the Edwards Hospital Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board scandal.

Nicholas Hurtgen, who at the time was Managing Director of the Chicago office of Bear Stearns, also has a connection to ex-Crystal Laker and ex-felon Don Udstuen, who was an Illinois and McHenry County power broker.

When Wisconsin Energy was seeking an Illinois lobbyist in 1999, Hurtgen asked Don Udstuen’s advice. The government says that Udstuen conferred with Governor George Ryan and Ryan suggested Ryan's good friend, lobbyist and former Republican State Senator Art Swanson. Swanson was hired.

Conservatives converge on Capitol

Join American Conservative Union's 2009 C-PAC vicariously through livestream viewing beginning at 9:00 am CST here on Illinois Review:

Les Miserables: Do You Hear the People Sing?

207 years ago today, novelist Victor Hugo was born in Paris.  Son of a general in Napolean's army,  Hugo himselft is best known for The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables.  That reminded us of this song in Les Miserables, which could be a theme song used in the nationwide Chicago Tea Parties to be held Friday, February 27 at 11:00 am at Chicago's Daley Plaza.

Stanek on Mancow this morning

Today I'll be in studio on Mancow's WLS radio show in Chicago between 10-11a CST discussing Barack Obama's impact on the abortion issue.

I was on Mancow's show last fall discussing Obama and the Born Alive scandal. Mancow leans pro-life and was horrified by Obama's position. At the time he had 2 sidekicks who were pro-abortion.

FuffPo's Cristina Page's Redistributive Goals

by Sam Pierce

I occasionally visit the vile Huffington Post because I believe it is important to know what the enemies of liberty and responsibility are advocating. It was also the original inspiration for this blog, as one might have surmised in reading the title Malignant Liberal Idiocy. Today’s visit provided the usual sense of anger and disbelief as I skimmed the summaries of the sewage posted within the on-line septic tank. One piece in particular caught my eye because noted HuffPo abortion advocate, Cristina Page, was once again attempting to diminish the actions and motives of decent people (or as she calls them: “so-called anti-abortion movement”) because some of them disagree with her taxpayer funded birth control bonanza (”hand-out” doesn’t seem to be anatomically correct here.)

Cristina Page: “Pro-Life” Movement Admits Pro-Abortion Stance.

Find out more at 1-800-RECOVERY@JOEBIDEN.TV

by Eric Kohn

It's reasons like this that are why I expect the grand design of the Obama administration is to have Joe Biden spend as much time in Dick Cheney's "undisclosed location" as humanly possible:

Oh yeah, what was that website number?  I think it's 1-800-RECOVERY@JOEBIDEN.TV.  That's it, right?

Oh well, no big deal, I suppose.  I'm sure that it just got lost somewhere in that labyrinthical "series of tubes" that is the internets.

We have a President that won't give up his Blackberry and we have a Vice President that won't give up his abacus.

Hilarious... 

Stimulus: Why Not Defense?

by Matt Gauntt

If you want to watch an exhilarating view of the technological prowess of American manufacturing, watch "Battle of the X-Planes".  It chronicles the competition between Lockheed Martin and their famed "skunk works" against Boeing to develop the next combat aircraft - the Joint Strike Fighter.  The ingenuity and creativity of our best and brightest is great to watch.

The men and women that build these aircraft are some of our best and brightest.  They create phenomenal technology to protect the brave men and women in our military, which ultimately secure our freedom.  However, there are those in Congress that don't see it the same way.

The administration has signaled that they want to cut "big ticket weapons programs".  However, this is amazing to me in the era of spending tons of money to create jobs.

Curiosity stirred about Rahm Emanuel's taxes ... again

When the dogged work of an investigative blogger found that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had been living free of charge for several years in Congresswoman Rosa DeLaura's DC basement apartment, questions re-surfaced as to whether Emanuel's tax issues were more widespread.  Because former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle was forced out of the Obama Administration's HHS Secretary spot due to his "forgetfulness" to report the luxury of a limousine driver at his beckoned call as a possible taxable income, tax queries focused back on Emanuel. (See Dick Morris' "Rahm's Rent is Just Tip of the Iceberg" HERE.)

With all those wheels grinding, a simple Google search turned up questions Illinois Review raised about Emanuel's Chicago property listings in November 2008, and the controversy as well as the vitriol stirred among loyal Cook County leftists for asking questions about Emanuel's 5th CD residential property taxes. 

Obama offering "Free Government Money". And free cookies, too!

by Eric Kohn

I came across this Google ad while surfing the "internets":

Free government money. From his Highness, Barack Obama. He's just giving it away. And at no consequence to anyone! It's just free! And you never have to pay it back.

Did you get that!?!  IT'S FREE!!!

This is perhaps why I'm increasingly getting that "we're so completely doomed" feeling...

Chicago Politics: Even Byrd Is Scared

President Obama is using the economic pain and suffering of millions of Americans to further his leftist political agenda and consolidate power in what may be the biggest executive branch power grab since FDR's attempt to pack the Supreme Court. And even the Left-wing, Democrat Senator Byrd is concerned about it - as reported by Politico today.

Chicago politics. The Washington DC types have no idea what has rolled into town.

ILGOP Opposes SB600 and Sen. Lauzen

The following email was sent out at 10:00 am this morning by the Illinois Republican Party. Strangely Illinois Review didn't receive it from the IL GOP. An IR reader forwarded a copy. Since is says "Press Release" we're running it here, without comment.

Press Release from the Illinois Republican Party:

Important Reasons Christine Radogno and Senate Republicans Should Oppose The Lauzen Bill

1. The Lauzen Bill will change Republican Party elections to match those currently conducted by the Illinois Democratic Party. Currently, Illinois Republicans, like 45 other states, allow the grassroots of the Party to elect its leaders. Look at the make up of the Illinois Democratic Party, and you will see that it is comprised of Chicago Machine politicians and Party insiders. Illinois Democrats, led by Chairman Mike Madigan, don’t conduct open meetings, elect their leaders in secret and ARE THE SAME LEADERS who endorsed Blagojevich, drove Illinois $9 billion into debt and allowed the appointment of Roland Burris – click here and you will see: http://link.gop.com?42-1758-5145-210256-29945 

2. An overwhelming majority of grassroots Republicans already defeated the Lauzen Bill at the 2008 Party Convention in Decatur. Senator Lauzen was motivated by a personal agenda and was afforded every opportunity to make his case. The Illinois Republican Party called for a vote that Senator Lauzen himself failed to attend, and the resolution was crushed:

78% Opposed Lauzen Bill - 22% Supported Lauzen Bill

Obama doesn't believe in "big government"? Did I miss something?

by Eric Kohn

Cutting through all of the (generally expected) pomposity surrounding President Obama's speech last night, one line in particular jumped out at me, as I imagine it did for a good many other right-thinking people:

As soon as I took office, I asked this Congress to send me a recovery plan by President's Day that would put people back to work and put money in their pockets. Not because I believe in bigger government - I don't.

From the first days of his presidency, I've been willing - perhaps through a suspension of disbelief usually reserved for Michael Bay movies - to at least endeavored myself to take Obama at his word. 

MSNBC's Olberman Says "Oh God" Before Jindal Speaks

IL GOP blasts ballot option for state central committeemen

At 1:00 PM today, the Senate Elections Committee is likely to hear testimony on SB 600, which would remove the current legal vehicle Republicans use to elect state central committeemen and leave only one alternative -- that of ballot election in each Congressional District. State Senator Chris Lauzen is sponsoring the legislation, and Senate Minority Leader Chris Radogno as well as other key Senate Republicans and Democrats have signed on. Illinois Review congratulates each senator who has so courageously stood for open elections and signed onto this legislation.

In the meantime, the Illinois GOP sent out a scathing email to county chairmen within the past few hours, we're told, and here's what the highly antagnostic message from the IL GOP's Political Director Curt Conrad said:

Eye on the Prize (of children)

by Susan Ryan

The Early Ed Watch Blog has a series - Illinois & Chicago-Hint of What's to Come? I've had this thought often since last November concerning our country's future.

These articles revolve around the possibilities stemming from the early education program initiated by Illinois' impeached governor Blago, along with lots of help from the Illinois legislators.  Consider the players and their national recognition (notorious and not) and your interest might perk up.

Octomom's gift to the pro-life movement

by Jill Stanek

I don't know why Nadya Suleman opted for single, poverty-stricken motherhood on steroids, pun intended, undergoing the in vitro fertilization procedure several times to produce 14 children since 2001. The last eight were born Jan. 26....

But in one fell swoop Suleman has spotlighted problems with unregulated IVF and turned public opinion against unregulated IVF.

Now is the time for pro-lifers to introduce legislation in their states regulating IVF and with it regulating the creation and care of embryos.

There is perfect model language, introduced in the Georgia Senate last week, The Ethical Treatment of Human Embryos Act, SB169

Dean of the Senate vs. President Obama

by Mark Rhoads

The dean of the Senate and one of the great pork barrel kings of all time, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-West Va.), has written a letter to President Obama that is critical of Obama for making so many special policy czars at the White House outside regular cabinet channels. It is a new cabinet inside the cabinet say some in the White House press corps.

Now some Obama partisans will no doubt point out that in 1943 Sen. Byrd was a "Kleagle" whatever that is (recruiter?) when he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan or some version thereof. But for all his pork spending on West Virginia, Byrd is an authority on separation of powers, the Constitution, and Senate rules and he believes in Congressional oversight of agencies.

Even a busted clock is right twice a day and Sen. Byrd correctly understands that Obama is trying to concentrate all power and decision-making on the White House staff where it will be hard to get accountability rather than in the departments and agencies that must report to Congress on their policy and budgets. Here are the comments of Sen. Byrd reported in Politico. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/19303.html 

Manzullo and Roskam respond to Obama's first speech to Congress

You Go Roland!

by Teri O'Brien

It has been one week since the New York Post published that silly cartoon suggesting that Barack Obama’s recently passed “stimulus” pork piñata had been written by a marauding chimp, and the predictable howling from the political correctness posse continues. Everyone in the media echo chamber, from the passel of mentally-challenged hags on ABC’s “The View” to the solemn commentators on cable tv, agrees: the cartoon is offensive, disgusting, racist, and outrageous. Yet, those who see racism everywhere are standing by silent while the only African-American member of the U.S. Senate is being practically lynched by a bipartisan mob.

Yesterday, our senior senator, Dick “Eddie Haskell” Durbin met with Sen. Burris, trying to explain to him that he needs to resign. Our new governor said last week that Sen. Burris needs to resign. Even Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, he of D.C. madam fame, says he should resign.

It isn’t at all clear to me that Sen. Roland Burris should resign. He was appointed by the then sitting governor, who had been elected twice. He has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Yes, he has a bad memory and changes his story a lot. I thought those things were prerequisites to being an elected democrat official here in Illinois. What am I missing?

Illinois politics

Glenn McCoy

Why Would the General Assembly Stimulate Housing Inventories?

by Brian McDaniel

I'm hesitant to write this out of concern for violating Ronald Reagan's Eleventh Commandment not to speak ill of a fellow Republican, so please understand this is a critique of policy rather than personality.

In this morning's Joliet Herald News, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, flanked by two other members of the General Assembly and residential developers, outlines four bills they believe will stimulate housing starts throughout Illinois.

"The package would create a tax incentive for home buying, give developers property tax breaks on undeveloped lots, give builders tax breaks on unoccupied houses, and reward banks that are active in the home loan market."

With all due respect, housing starts may be good for contractors, but the market does not need additional inventory right now. According to Milwaukee-based Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC), the Chicago housing marketed presently has a 14-month supply of homes on the market, despite single-family home prices being off 13-percent from their peak.

Schock responds to Obama

Newly-elected 18th CD Congressman Aaron Schock responds to President Obama's first Congressional speech:

Marriage Tips From Jim Bob Duggar

by David Hendrickson

We’ve all seen the show “17 Kids and Counting”, and now the Duggars have 18 kids. That was a completely useless piece of information, but I wanted to write it just so that people can’t feed their constant need to correct stupid little inconsistencies. Anyways, this family is awesome. They are extremely conservative religious types: meaning that they seem completely happy and content, and yet you still wonder when they’re going to murder their neighbors.

I was recently on TLC’s website to do a little research on the family and the couple who started the wonderful freak show, and I found a list of marriage tips from the husband and father, Jim Bob Duggar. I read through these tips and was like, “Wow, this guy sure knows how to run a family and have a great marriage. I intend on practicing the same tips when I‘m married.” So I thought that I would share the list with you:

I still have checks, so I must have money

by Matt Gauntt

As a teenager, I was able to work as a teller at a bank.  For a 16 year old kid, it was a great job, and I learned a lot.

One of the stories that I heard from my branch manager was from a young man who was turned down writing a check because he had no money in his account.  The young man was "one can short of a six pack" from a mental point of view.  His comment to my branch manager was "I must still have money in my account. I have four checks left in my register".  (Yes, there are people that clueless out there).

I thought of that story as I read the accounts of what President Obama and Congress want to do.  I looked on the Drudge Report and a couple of other locations.  What shocked me was that it is not just President Obama.  Here are a few of the little tidbits:

There he goes again...Demagogue in Chief

by Mark Rhoads

The late Democratic Gov. Huey Long would be proud of his rhetorical son. Demagoguery is the normal default position for President Barack Obama. He apparently does not even understand the distinction between demagoguery and normal rhetoric because for him the tactics of demagoguery are normal rhetoric.

"The cost of our of doing something will be high but I can assure you the cost of doing nothing is greater." Mr. President, the demagogic tactics you routinely employ every single day you have been in office are beyond the pale. You present your fellow citizens with bogus choices between "doing something" and "doing nothing." You are supposed to be some articulate wizard who is a master of the English language, and yet you seem unable to string together three coherent thoughts in a row about what you think the primary problem of "this global crisis" is.

Rove advises IL GOP

Monday night, former Bush advisor and campaign mastermind Karl Rove advised Illinois Republicans on what they need to do to win back lost political territory in 2010. 

Rove began by telling the story of an old German couple who lived in the heart of Democrat-controlled Texas, but remained loyal to Abraham Lincoln and his ideals...

The operative question here...

by Eric Kohn

From a Politico breaking news report:

Sen. Dick Durbin has told Sen. Roland Burris he should resign. "If I were in that position, I would resign," Durbin said Tuesday afternoon.

So now the question becomes, "how do we get Dick Durbin in 'that position' so that he'll be compelled to resign"?

Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome... 

Cross-posted at EricKohn.com

Bailout Prize Patrol

Statewide candidates address NW Cook Lincoln Day Dinner

Republicans interested in running for statewide office in 2010 introduced themselves Monday night to Northwest Suburban Republicans. In addition to the three featured in this clip, IL GOP Chairman Andy McKenna and DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett addressed the audience of 550 energetic party loyalists. The evening's keynote was former Bush adviser Karl Rove.

Your thoughts...

Roskam on ABC 7's Newsviews

Downstate Tea Party Notice

by Sam Pierce

The fantastic idea of having a Nationwide Chicago Tea Party is growing as patriotic citizens across the country organize concurrent tea parties for those that cannot travel to Chicago. (H/T Velvet Hammer @ Ironic Surrealism v3.0)

For those of us in Southern Illinois it might not be feasible to travel to Chicago. Fear not, Bill Hennessy of Hennessysview.com has organized a Tea Party on the steps of The Gateway Arch in St. Louis!