Illinois Review

WATCH: Katie Brady on her dad, Bill Brady

Montelongo calls for lawmakers' salary cuts

Peoria- Peoria Councilman Jim Montelongo, candidate for State Representative (92nd District), announced his intention to introduce legislation calling for a 10% salary cut for all elected state officials, including all legislators and statewide constitutional officers, if elected in November.

“Part of sharing the pain of this state budget should be setting an example,” Montelongo said. “With Democratic Comptroller noting the unprecedented nature of the budget situation we are in, I am calling on state officials to share in the pain.”

“We can return state government back to the people by passing common-sense budget reforms that take into account the fiscal reality we are facing,” Montelongo noted.

State Lawmakers' Base Salaries Fifth Highest in Nation

Illinois Policy Institute Calls for Roll-Call Vote on Legislative Pay Raises

CHICAGO - While thousands of state workers take a month of unpaid time off and the state wallows in economic distress, the Illinois Policy Institute finds state lawmakers continue to enjoy one the nation's highest state salaries. According to the latest "Spotlight in Spending" report, state lawmakers' base salary of $67,836 is the fifth highest nationally and 47 percent more than the average Illinois resident makes. Automatic pay raises for legislators assure the disparity grows, with lawmakers making comparable compensation to microbiologists, physics professors and credit analysts. The free market think tank also finds questionable value for that higher pay.

"The day has come to end automatic pay raises for lawmakers," said Kate Piercy, the Illinois Policy Institute's Director of Government Reform. "As Illinois continues to struggle financially, legislators need to ask themselves whether they can justify spending additional taxpayer money on themselves while they are unable to fund the core services that those same Illinois taxpayers depend on."

Meet Dave Lenkowski

Illinois Review had a quick intro with 12th District GOP House candidate Dave Lenkowski recently.Lenkowski's one of the several "under 30" Republicans running throughout the state on the November ballot.

Lenkowski's challenging longtime incumbent Sara Feigenholtz in a Democratic-leaning district that went for Republican Tony Peraica in his 2006 bid against Cook County Board President Todd Stroger. Lenkowski's a high school teacher that is de-icing a negative image of Republicans on Chicago's North side.

Also Meet Sam McCann

Is Kirk part of a plot to undermine U.S. Senate conservatives?

Illinois conservative Republicans have a national dilemma mounting right before their eyes.  The Hill wrote yesterday that the GOP's Mark Kirk is part of an effort to weaken conservative influence in the U.S. Senate:

Centrist Republicans in the Senate are hopeful that victories in the November election will swell their ranks, reduce conservatives’ influence and make it easier to defy GOP leaders.

Much attention is focused on the likely election of conservatives such as Rand Paul in Kentucky and Mike Lee in Utah, and possibly Sharron Angle in Nevada and Marco Rubio in Florida.

But if centrists such as Reps. Mike Castle (Del.) and Mark Kirk (Ill.) win their races, it might soften the influence of conservatives in the 112th Congress.

Radio talk show host Mark Levin talked about The Hill piece Wednesday night and offered a strong admonition as to what Illinois Republicans should do in November.  Listen and then speak up in comments below.   Is Mark Levin on target or way off in his recommendation to Illinois conservatives? 

http://marklevinfan.com/Audio/LibRepublicanPlot.wma

Latest on Blagojevich trial

No Blagojevich testimony, he admits he "talks too much" and the Teachers' Retirement Fund charges are dropped, as reported by Illinois Statehouse News ...

Global Warming and the Collapse of Civilization

By Ghost of John Brown

You're probably thinking that this will be an article on some wild prophecy from Al Gore on the future of man kind.  Actually, it's not.  There are things that have already happened to the world which have brought down civilizations.  Global warming has already brought down civilizations and caused world wide chaos.  As you will see, though, there is no corporate boogey-man to this story.

Warning - I will get a little "geeky" for a couple of paragraphs, but I'll get back to the original topic shortly. Tonight I was watching the program "Engineering an Empire", with host Peter Weller.  It is a great series.  The fascinating thing that was mentioned off-handedly was that after the reign of Sneferu (2613-2589 BC), (his "Bent" pyramid is pictured on the right) Egypt fell into a deep drought lasting well over a century.  A hundred year drought?  That kind of caught my attention. This aridification spelled the partial collapse of the Egyptian Empire.  Click on "continue reading" below for more.

Internal Poll Has Schilling Leading Hare, 45-32

from the Schilling for Congress campaign

EAST MOLINE, IL--Bobby Schilling, Republican candidate for Congress in the Illinois 17th District, released an internal poll which showed him leading Rep. Hare, 45%-32%. The automated poll was conducted on July 12th, 2010 by Magellan Strategies and surveyed 715 likely voters in the 17th District. David Flaherty, CEO of Magellan said that the 17th District is in play.

"Without question, it is clear that incumbent Congressman Phil Hare is in trouble," said Flaherty.
"His image rating, reelect rating and ballot test numbers show an incumbent that will be fighting hard to keep his job this November. There is no doubt, based on the results of this survey, that this will be a very competitive race and Republican candidate Bobby Schilling should be in a position to win this fall."

Crenshaw wins November ballot appeal

Wednesday, Bolingbrook resident Cedra Crenshaw won her appeal in Will County Circuit Court to be reinstated on the November ballot against Democratic incumbent State Senator Arthur Wilhelmi.

Wilhelmi, who was appointed in 2005 to fulfill former State Senator Larry Walsh's term when Walsh was elected Will County Board President, won 2 to 1 over Republican Christian Smith in 2006.   

Wilhelmi, who scores a liberal 10 on the United Republican Fund's legislative scorecard, serves on seven Illinois Senate committees.   He chairs the Judiciary Committee and vice-chairs Agriculture and Conservation.  He also serves on the Gaming Committee as well as Criminal Law and Transportation. 

The 42 year old lawyer reported in Illinois State Board of Elections filing that he had $142,000 on hand at the end of June, compared to $4,188 reported by the Crenshaw campaign.

Did Feds Prove Their Case Against Blago?

By Mark Rhoads

The lawyers for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich rested their case and did not let Blagojevich testify or expose him to the risk of cross examination because they say the government prosecutors failed to prove their case.  I have an uneasy feeling they might be right and they definitely were wise to keep Blagojevich off the stand.

Let's sum up what the government did prove.  They proved that Blagojevich talks too much and that he likely wanted to leverage his appointment power for political or personal gain of some kind.  But simply wanting to do a corrupt act and exploring how best to do it is not necessarily by itself a crime.

RNHA of Illinois Support Supreme Courts' Interpretation of the 2nd Amendment

from the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Illinois

“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

"The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed,” Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers. The Final Opinion of the Supreme Courts’ 2007 term, District of Columbia v. Heller, breathed a breath of life into the body of the Second Amendment and to that sentiment of Hamilton’s. Justice Scalia wrote for the 5-4 majority, stating without equivocation that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm in the home for self-defense, unconnected with militia service. However, questions remained regarding what regulations were then permissible, and whether or not the Second Amendment applies against state and local governments?

Republicans and Tea Party Independents to rally on September 18

Chicago – On September 18th, just six weeks before the November election, Right Nation 2010 will bring together tens of thousands of Republicans, Tea Party independents, conservatives and libertarians to unite for victory in the Heartland. One of the keynote speakers for the premier political event in the Midwest is conservative icon Glenn Beck.

It will be Beck’s first appearance in Chicago, the hometown of President Obama and birthplace of the Tea Party movement. Beck headlines an impressive lineup of speakers hailing from every corner of the nation and representing every faction on the right, all converging on the Sears Centre Arena at an event produced to concert excitement.

The United Republican Fund is hosting the event, along with a number of prominent Republican and business leaders. They have partnered with grassroots organizations from throughout the Midwest to facilitate what is being billed as an unprecedented event.

Note to Illinois and US Politicians: If the UK Prime Minister can, you can too

by Ghost of John Brown

In this state and in this country, politicians have over used and abused travel.  Earlier this year, I penned (can I say "penned" if I typed on my computer?) an article about Nancy Pelosi and her abuse of military aircraft to shuttle back and forth from DC to San Francisco.  Click here for the article.  Last November, ABC Channel 7 ran a story about the $3,000/ hour plane trips that are taken by Illinois elected officials between Chicago and Springfield.  Click here for the full story.

With that in mind, one of the big stories coming out of the UK today is that newly elected Prime Minister David Cameron flew on a commercial flight to attend meetings with President Obama this week.  He even flew business class, not first class.  The telling quote from the Prime Minister's staff was "When we are asking the country to tighten their belts as much as we are it's very hard to justify hiring big jets to swan around the world."  A note to Illinois lawmakers - there are four flights to and from Springfield every day out of O'Hare (I just checked on Expedia).  If you have to fly - do so like "the little people".  Better yet - drive like I do.

Giannoulias Says He'll Accept Donations From Some Lobbyists

from Illinois Radio Network

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias says he's swearing off campaign contributions from lobbyists, but not all lobbyists.

Giannoulias, the state treasurer, promised at the start of his Senate campaign a year ago that he wouldn’t take contributions from corporate lobbyists or political action committees. But that proscription applies only to federal lobbyists and PACs. He has taken money from state-registered lobbyists. He says there’s a difference: Since he's running for a federal office, a state lobbyist can’t try to influence him if he wins.

Obama Poll Numbers in Free Fall

by Mark Rhoads

MSM spin on Obama's falling approval numbers is that people only dislike his policies and not the man.  OK, but the job approval is defined by the unpopular policies.  For example, Obama's Department of Justice wants to sue Arizona to vacate their illegal immigration watch as unconstitutional.  According to the new Qunnipac University Poll, even 29 percent of Hispanics disapprove of a federal DOJ suit to overturn the Arizona law while 60 percent of Hispanics do approve of the suit.  The numbers for the national sample are flipped.  Among all Americans, 60 percent think the suit is a bad idea and only 28 percent approve of the suit.  Only 40 percent of Americans want Obama re-elected in 2012 and 48 percent do not want him to serve another term.  He loses to every major Republican candidate in the poll.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF THE QUINNIPAC UNIVERSITY POLL.

Obama toadies vs. abortion freeloaders

by Jill Stanek

Obama sycophant SodaHead's July 15 blog post headline blared, "Latest Right-Wing Lie Blows Up In Their Faces: NO FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ELECTIVE ABORTION."

SodaHead was attempting to beat back conservatives who were in an uproar over National Right to Life's finding that federal funding for PA's health insurance high-risk pool includes abortion coverage....

Likewise, another of Obama's online guardians, Media Matters, quickly hurled a 1,700-word tome into the blogosphere with such cocky subtitles as (emphasis mine), "[Glenn] Beck repeats discredited claim that Obama admin has OK'd federal funding for elective abortions"....

McCarthy's Decade of Failure on Jobs: 42% Chamber rating

Jeffrey L. Junkas (R-Tinley Park), Republican candidate for State Representative in the 37th District, issued the below statement regarding the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce’s recently issued legislative ratings, reflecting votes by legislators that help foster a positive state economy as viewed by employers.  The long-time incumbent, Kevin McCarthy (D-Orland Park), owns a failing, 42 percent rating the past decade. 

“My opponent’s dismal, failing record of supporting job creators and economic growth in Illinois during the past decade is part of the reason our state has record unemployment and has lost hundreds of thousands of jobs.”

“One of my campaign pillars has been job creation and in my primary endorsement, the Chicago Tribune said ‘Junkas understands what small business owners need to grow.’  It’s time we say enough and give new leaders the chance to do a better job.” 

IL GOP Chairman Statement on Blago Decision Not to Testify

Illinois State Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady today released the following statement about Rod Blagojevich’s decision not to testify at his corruption trial:

“Our system of justice gives Rod Blagojevich the right to remain silent. But his refusal to answer questions under oath also reveals more of the duplicity by which he campaigned and tried to govern. We shouldn’t be surprised. Rod ran as a reformer, with the full support of Pat Quinn and Mike Madigan. But it was all a sham.

“How many times did Blagojevich promise the people of Illinois that he would testify, that he would swear on the Bible to tell the truth and that he was going to ‘walk the walk’ right up to the witness stand? He said he intended to answer every allegation.

“It’s clear that this decision is more vintage Rod. He’ll probably boast about how hard it was to keep quiet, how he agonized for the people of Illinois, but in the end he had to follow the advice of his attorneys. Sorry, Rod. Actions speak louder than words.”

Shirley Sherrod: Another Community Organizer Enjoying her Reparations?

by Teri O'Brien

As usual, the talking heads on television discussing the Shirley Sherrod matter are missing a huge part the story.

When I first saw the now ubiquitous video, which Andrew Breitbart released yesterday, featuring United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) now-former, for the time-being, official Shirley Sherrod’s provocative comments at an NAACP meeting in March and her subsequent immediate termination, I wondered whether Ms. Sherrod had considered trying to save her job by telling Secretary Vlisack that she is a member of the New Black Panther Party. Granted, like many of the ruling class, he may not have heard of that organization and their thuggery at a Philadelphia polling place in 2008, but she could have referred him to Attorney General Holder.

June unemployment rate rises in Illinois, falls in 39 other states

WASHINGTON -- The unemployment rate fell in most states in June, mainly because more people gave up searching for work and were no longer counted.

Fewer states saw job increases, the latest evidence that the economic recovery is slowing.

The jobless rate declined in 39 states and Washington, D.C. last month, the Labor Department said Tuesday. That's a slight improvement from May, when 37 states saw their rates decline.

In Illinois, the June rate was 10.4 percent, up from 10 percent.

via www.dailyherald.com

Peoria area Republicans Montelongo, Unes taking the fight to Democrat incumbents

If numbers told the story, the race for the 92nd House District is nearly neck and neck, with four months until the general election.

Incumbent Democrat Jehan Gordon of Peoria raised $18,585 for the semi-annual reporting period through June 30 and thus far has spent $10,378, leaving her with about $36,270 in the bank, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections website.

That's compared with Republican challenger Jim Montelongo, Peoria City Councilman, who raised $41,925 for the period, the majority of which came from individual contributions. Montelongo's expenses were $11,688, leaving him with $30,236 cash on hand - just a few thousand less than Gordon - according to his campaign.

In the 91st House District, the report for incumbent Mike Smith, a Democrat from Canton, said he raised $38,160, spent about $31,300 and has an ending balance of $26,741 for the reporting period through June 30.

Smith's general election opponent, East Peoria City Councilman Mike Unes, a Republican, raised $46,475, spent just more than $14,000 and has about $74,000 cash on hand, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

"I know from past precedent that this is going to be a very expensive race, with my opponent's past funding largely coming from outside the district. This outside funding can be countered only by raising the funds necessary to compete, but doing so from within central Illinois as much as possible," Unes said.

via www.pjstar.com

SEIU could own another Cook County Prez

Despite the media frenzy over ACORN and SEIU's inside corruption and shake-up a few months ago, the service employees are just as powerful and will be even more so when they put their bought and paid for Democratic pick for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle into office next November. 

And SEIU's unchallenged $220k power grab is a done deal if you look at how their campaign contributions have jacked up the fundraising gap between Preckwinkle's total $1.3 million to Republican candidate Roger Keats $19,000 campaign war chest. Sun Times reports

In the three-way race for Cook County Board president, Democratic hopeful and Chicago alderman Toni Preckwinkle is far outpacing her competition, raising $1.3 million in campaign contributions since the beginning of the year.

Republican Roger Keats brought in just under $19,000, while Green Party candidate Tom Tresser brought in $3,300, according to documents filed Tuesday with the state election board.

Little Barry, Schnorrer-In-Chief

by John F. Di Leo

On July 19, 2010, in a speech from the White House yard, the president sunk to a new low.  In a speech more appropriate to the back door of a mansion than the Rose Garden, he resorted to the age-old technique of begging… not on one’s own behalf – that would be embarrassing – but on the behalf of family, friends, or other worthies.

I’m reminded of the gaggles of panhandlers famous in the piazzas and town squares of Europe.  When last I visited my ancestral home town of Pizzo Calabro, I was warned to beware of Calabria’s omnipresent families of “gypsies.”  A wailing mother, surrounded by her unwashed and shoeless brood, would accost tourists, extolling the virtues of this son or that daughter, so wonderful, if only they had a crust of bread or a bowl of soup to get them through the day. 

Blagojevich's defense may call just one witness

Rod Blagojevich's brother Rob could be the only witness the defense calls, and Wednesday they will decide whether or not they will wrap up their case before the jury. Statehouse News' Bill McMorris reports:

Judge to rule shortly on Crenshaw ballot access

Tuesday, Cedra Crenshaw's attorney Burt Odelson and the Illinois Democratic Party's attorney Michael Kaspar argued before Will County judge Bobbi Petrungaro as to whether Crenshaw's name should appear on the November ballot challenging incumbent State Senator Arthur J. Wilhelmi of Joliet.  Crenshaw, a resident of Bolingbrook, appealed the Will County Board of Elections 2 to 1 decision to remove her based on ballot access paperwork technicalities. 

Judge Petrungaro did not indicate her decision at the hearing Tuesday, but told the parties she would notify them of her decision within a few days.  Senator Wilhelmi told the Southtown Star he would not appeal if the judge reversed the Will County election board's ruling and added Crenshaw back to the ballot.

"Nine Days That Changed The World"

by Mark Rhoads

Some Polish old timers often say that Poland lost World War II twice, the first time to the Nazis in 1939 and the second time to the Communists in 1945.

Tuesday night I was invited to see a screening of a powerful new documentary film called "Nine Days That Changed the World"  It is the best documentary of its kind I have ever seen.  It tells in 90 minutes the story of Pope John Paul II, who returned to Poland for the first time since his election as Pope, during nine amazing days in early June 1979.

Dirt won't stick to clean captain

Southtown Star editorialized Tuesday defended Captain Adam Kinzinger's military record and blasted incumbent Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson:

In war, truth is the first casualty. - Aeschylus. It's full-on warfare. Adam Kinzinger should know that. The young Air Force pilot is battling for a seat in the U.S. Congress, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-11th) isn't going down without a fight.

But yes, we do believe there must be rules of engagement.

And because these particular attacks are specious, we think that Kinzinger, a 32-year-old captain in the Air Force Reserve, deserves a little defense after his opponent tried to explode him with a Mark Kirk hand grenade.

NRO reports Schilling over Hare in 17th CD

H/T Bill Baar for pointing this one out to us on National Review Online -- 17th CD's Bobby Schilling is leading over Democrat incumbent Phil Hare. NRO's Jim Geraghty writes:

Few of my assessments in this cycle have met with more derision than my argument that Phil Hare, an Illinois Democrat, is supremely vulnerable.

His GOP opponent, Bobby Schilling, hired Magellan Strategies to conduct a poll of the district. Magellan conducted an automated survey of 715 likely voters in the 17th congressional district of Illinois: “The interviews were conducted on July 12th of 2010. This [poll has] a margin of error of +/‐ 3.6% at the 95% confidence interval. The survey results are weighted to reflect past turnout demographics from the 2008, 2006, 2004 and 2002 general election cycles.”

If you’re a skeptic of campaign-commissioned polls, fine. But note that the unemployment rate in Illinois is 10.4 percent (it was 10.8 percent last month), the state is sick of the machine politics that put Rod Blagojevich in place, and the national mood is frustrated and angry. Just how unlikely is it that Phil Hare would be in trouble?

The rest HERE.

Robert Dold releases new radio ad

New law raises the penalty for aggravated assault on a police officer

Senate Bill 2488, sponsored by State Senator Larry Bomke (R-Springfield), has now been signed into law. The new law raises the penalty for aggravated assault against a police officer from a misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony.

“With the signing of this bill into law, we are giving our men and women who serve our communities extra protection against those that wish them harm,” Bomke said. “The more stringent penalties will bring justice and protect our front line law enforcement officers.”

President Barack Obama, M.D.

by Mark Rhoads

If you did not know that Barack Obama is entitled to use the initials M.D. after his name, I should quickly warn you that in his case, the initials stand for "Master of Demagoguery."  Consider his blast at GOP lawmakers who were voting no on yet a further time extension for more jobless benefits after inital periods of eligibility had expired because they demanded Obama cut the budget in another place to pay for it.  Here is what Obama said on Monday:

"The same people who didn't have any problem spending hundreds of billions of dollars on tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans are now saying we shouldn't offer relief to middle-class Americans," Obama said.

Can anyone spot an obvious flaw in Obama's fake "logic?"

Leftist journalists plot: "Call them 'racist'"

In Today's Daily Caller, Jonathan Strong reports about a documented conspiracy among leftwing reporters to cover up the 2008 controversy surrounding Jeremiah Wright:

The crisis reached a howling pitch in mid-April, 2008, at an ABC News debate moderated by Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos. Gibson asked Obama why it had taken him so long – nearly a year since Wright’s remarks became public – to dissociate himself from them. Stephanopoulos asked, “Do you think Reverend Wright loves America as much as you do?”

Watching this all at home were members of Journolist, a listserv comprised of several hundred liberal journalists, as well as like-minded professors and activists. The tough questioning from the ABC anchors left many of them outraged. “George [Stephanopoulos],” fumed Richard Kim of the Nation, is “being a disgusting little rat snake.”

Tentative deal with unions reached to end construction strike

A tentative deal has been worked out to end the nearly three-week construction strike that idled work on schools, a casino and some 300 road projects, including the resurfacing of the Eisenhower Expressway.

The agreement between the Mid-America Regional Bargaining Association and the Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 was reached after a nine-hour bargaining session Monday. It includes a 3.25% increase in wages and benefits for each of the next three years. The hourly wage for construction laborers is $35.20, and for heavy equipment operators about $45. 

via www.chicagobreakingnews.com

Will Illinois miss the Tea Party revolution, too?

The Washington Post's Mark Thiessen writes about Washington preparing for a fiscal conservative Republican surge this fall, but points out a counter-insurgency among not-so-fiscally-prudent Republicans that may accompany the Tea Party candidates into office:

With the departure of Sen. Arlen Specter to the Democratic Party, it seemed as if Republican moderates were a dying breed. All that was left of the troika that put President Obama's $787 billion stimulus over the top were the women from Maine -- Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Olympia Snowe. But then Sen. Scott Brown arrived in January, and he has hewed a centrist course -- recently joining Collins and Snowe in providing the GOP votes needed to pass both President Obama's big spending "jobs" bill (a.k.a. "son of stimulus") and his financial regulation bill filled with budget gimmicks that will eventually add more than $5 billion to the deficit. Judging from the comments on Brown's Facebook page, many Tea Party activists believe they were duped. But the Republican senator from Massachusetts is simply voting like, well, a Massachusetts Republican.

Others may soon join the big-spending ranks. In Delaware, one of the most liberal Republicans in the House, Rep. Mike Castle, is the favorite to become the state's next senator. And in Illinois, moderate Republican Rep. Mark Kirk holds a narrow lead in the Illinois Senate race for Obama's seat. Both have weak records on fiscal issues. Castle rates a lowly "C" from the National Taxpayers Union, while Kirk gets a slightly better "C+" rating.

Thiessen's comments put Illinois conservatives in a predicament about what to do in November -- vote for a possible Scott Brown-like Republican or be complicit in electing a mobster banker as our U.S. Senator?

Quinn gives quiet OK to Brady bill over prison flap

Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday quietly signed a new law sponsored by his Republican rival and inspired by a controversy over the Quinn administration's early release of prison inmates.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, would require the Department of Corrections to post on the Internet photographs and other information about prisoners who are released early. A key goal of the law is to give crime victims and communities a user-friendly and specific location to check on whether a perpetrator is getting out of prison ahead of schedule.

via www.chicagotribune.com

Cook County tries to bully suburbs

If you had any remaining delusions that the controlling faction of the Cook County Board of Commissioners actually represents the county's suburbanites, you should drop them now.

In the latest outrage, board President Todd Stroger and his supporters threaten to abdicate maintenance of some suburban road intersections if the towns won't let the county put red-light cameras there (and collect all the ticket money from mostly suburban drivers.)

via www.dailyherald.com

House Republicans ask: Where are the jobs?

Among those U.S. Congress members included in this montage is Illinois' own Peter Roskam; asking "Where are the jobs?"

Sandoval new Metra chief?

Sneed hears rumbles state Sen. Martin Sandoval has applied to replace Metra's late chief Phil Pagano, who committed suicide in the wake of a financial fraud probe. Sandoval is currently chairman of the Illinois Senate transportation committee.

via www.suntimes.com

Hultgren and Hatcher call for budget reform downstate

AURORA -- Too much power in two few hands.

That's the way two Republican state legislators described the state of state government Monday night, before about 20 people at an Aurora Republican Women's Club meeting at Prisco Center.

State Sen. Randy Hultgren, R-Wheaton, and State Rep. Kay Hatcher, R-Oswego, said the legislature could be of more help in the current budget situation if there were less power concentrated in two people -- House Speaker Michael Madigan, and Senate President John Cullerton.

"So much of what is done is directed by Mike Madigan," Hultgren said. "There is a weighted emphasis on a few districts in Chicago."

Obama: "Women not paid equal to men" -- Everyone's a victim in an election year

The White House | Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release | July 20, 2010

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON EQUAL PAY

In America today, women make up half of the workforce, and two-thirds of American families with children rely on a woman's wages as a significant portion of their families' income.

Did "Sexy Lexi" help fund Giannis' orange Lamborghini?

Thanks for the IR mention, Chicago Now's American Princess, who writes about "Sexy Lexi" Giannoulias and one of his family bank's loan recipients, mobster Nick Giannis.

...Incidentally, I got the tip on this from Illinois Review, who points out that one of the convicted felons who qualified for a loan during Giannoulias' tenure as Chief Loan Officer of Broadway Bank was none other than Nick Giannis of Boston Blackies fame. Nick Giannis used to zip around in the single douchiest automobile I have ever seen: a sparkly (yes, sparkly) orange Lamborghini Gallardo, which he would double park in front of overpriced Rush St. restaurants that people from the North Shore think are super-cool and unique because they serve food from a "limited menu" or on "small plates," over which they can discuss things like gentrification. So, personally speaking, I hold Alexi Giannoulias in some way responsible for perpetuating that menace, and by extension from that the sparkly-dragon-tee-shirt bait known as Cedar Hotel. Although those Stoli slushies are delicious.

And "Sexy Lexi" wants to be our junior U.S. Senator?

Blago's brother Rob testifies

Statehouse News' Bill McMorris reports on Monday's Blagojevich trial proceedings:

Today's Talk: What will happen in November 2010?

We here at Illinois Review are hearing all the same speculations you are -- the U.S. House majority will return to Republicans, but the Democrats insist that's not likely (ask VP Joe Biden).   So how will your local congressional candidate do in November?  How will the U.S. Congress look in 2011?

In Illinois, things seem to be a little more iffy for Republicans, but there's growing hope that Illinois could ride a national "throw the bums out" wave to a new political scenery in Obama's home state.  How will your local candidate do in November?

What's your predictions?  Will Republicans win, or will things remain the same?  Don't just sit there and let the demoralizing Democrat trolls take over the comment section -- tell us what YOU think.

Oppose Lame Duck liberal tricks, Freedom Watch says

FreedomWorks has launched the campaign website, “NoLameDuck.com” to build conservative grassroots opposition to a potential lame duck session immediately following the 2010 elections in November and before the new U.S. Congress is sworn-in.

Given the success of conservatives in the early primary battles, it is likely that Democrats in Congress will be dealt a serious blow in this year’s election cycle. With the threat of losing control of both the House and Senate, far-Left leaders including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are signaling towards a lame duck session as a last chance to enact liberal wish list items- with the cap and energy tax, card check, and additional spending and tax hikes at the top of the list.

Is that your *bleepin* phone?

State Journal Register's hit on to a *bleepin''* hilarious idea, by making some of Rod Blagojevich's most notable wiretapped obscenity tirades now downloadable ringtones.

Here's his "I Don't Wanna be Governor" rant that can now be heard when your cell's summoning you ...  

Download Blago-ringtone-dont-want-to-be-gov

The rest are HERE.

Major National Sponsors Announce Partnerships with Right Nation 2010

Americans for Prosperity & Freedom Works Headline Impressive List of Sponsors

Chicago, IL – Right Nation 2010, the largest political event in the Midwest and the primary destination for Republicans, conservatives and tea party independents to be held September 18 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, has announced partnerships with a number of national influential organizations.

Headlining the new sponsors are Americans for Prosperity, a limited government, free-market government watchdog group with over a million members nationwide, and Freedom Works, a Washington DC based think-tank dedicated to lower taxes and less government, led by former US House Majority Leader Dick Armey.

Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair

Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Illinois State Fairgrounds
Director's Lawn
801 Sangamon Avenue
Springfield, Illinois

Don't miss your chance to kickoff the fall campaign and ensure Republican victories in November. Free lunch, beverages, live entertainment and a kids play area will guarantee a great time for all, not to mention a chance to meet the candidates who will take us to victory this fall.

This year’s Republican Day will also include a kids’ area complete with a jump house, various games and face painting. The candidates will speak around 12:30 p.m. and will be available to meet with supporters throughout the day.

Complimentary tickets are available to Republican Day at the State Fair by registering at www.GOPDay.com no later than Friday, August 13.

Gary Sinise hosts event for Kirk

Giannoulias' Hypocrisy Never Ends

from the IL GOP

In Alexi’s world, trial lawyers and unions don’t count as special interests;

Since DSCC accepts contributions from Wall Street interests, corporate PACs, federal lobbyists and BP’s law firm, will Alexi swear off DSCC contributions?

Last week, Alexi Giannoulias revealed he raised less than $1 million in the second quarter of 2010 – less money than his opponent raised in the month of June alone.  As the Chicago Sun-Times reported, “Giannoulias' fund-raising was hobbled most of the last quarter because of a cloud over him because of the April failure of his family owned Broadway Bank.”

In response, Giannoulias made a series of hypocritical statements in an effort to “spin” his way out of a terrible fundraising quarter.

Stimulating waste

Today's Chicago Tribune's editorial board supports Congressman Aaron Schock's (R-Peoria) efforts to dump politician-aggrandizing, expensive construction project signs...

Unnecessary road signs, by contrast, have no lasting or even temporary value. True, they provide work to the companies and workers that make and install them. But every dollar spent on them is a dollar that can't go to other companies and workers who do things like lay asphalt and repair bridges, which will be useful long after the money has all been spent.

Schock has introduced a bill, the "End the Stimulus Advertisement Act," that would ban such displays, and it deserves passage. But if politicians insist on putting up signs giving credit, here's what the signs should say: "Project Funded by the American Taxpayers."