Illinois Review

Misfit Politics responds to Eastwood's Empty Chair with "Invisible Obama" (video)

TAMPA - Misfit Politics quickly put together this hilarious response to the Invisible Obama in a chair that actor Clint Eastwood introduced to the world Thursday night at the RNC Convention.

 "If a man's not doing his job, you've gotta let him go ..." is the takeaway line from Eastwood's ad lib speech on the RNC's national prime time stage.  The Man = Obama.

AG's office says $357M of mortgage settlement already in suffering IL homeowners' hands

CHICAGO - Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office notified the Illinois public that her office is granting funds to legal firms for a program assist troubled Illinois homeowners. The funds come from the $25 billion national lawsuit settlement with mortgage providers found to have used "robo-signing" to speed up foreclosure procedures.  

Illinois Review wrote about the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation's grant issued last Friday, and the fact that several on the firm's board of directors were generous donors to Illinois Democrats.  Attorney General Lisa Madigan's father, Michael Madigan, heads the Illinois Democratic Party.

However, funds are not only going to legal firms, they're also going directly to homeowners who've suffered financial loss during Illinois' housing downturn.  Thursday in a press release, the attorney general's office said an independent monitor is overseeing the distribution:

11 IL lawmakers join opposition to ACLU's same sex marriage lawsuit

CHICAGO -- This week, a bipartisan group of 11 members of the Illinois General Assembly filed an amicus curiae brief defending the constitutionality of Illinois law defining marriage as the union of a husband and a wife. Led by Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Westmont) and Senator Bill Haine (D-Alton), the legislators' brief supports a motion to dismiss the ACLU and Lambda Legal lawsuits filed by Thomas More Society attorneys, on behalf of downstate county clerks who were allowed into the case to defend the law.

"We welcome the bipartisan support for Illinois' marriage law offered by this respected group of legislators," said Peter Breen, executive director and legal counsel for the Thomas More Society. "They rightly point out that under our constitutional system, the issue of how the government treats domestic relationships is reserved to the General Assembly."

The legislators assert that the judicial branch should not rewrite the state's marriage laws, stating that "to do so would be to place the court in a position of acting as a super-legislature, nullifying laws it does not like. That is not our proper role in a democratic society." They also claim that such action would, "Dramatically interfere with the constitutional guarantee of separation of powers by which the general assembly is empowered to make public policy...."

Mr. Scam Man (video)

How the Left works through the media

Wow, are the pro-Obama forces out today to counter the RNC Convention and to set things up for the Democrats next week.  Point being - the OTHER side understands media, how to get the attention of overworked writers and reporters and how to emotionally charge up those powerful voices with a keyboard, a mic or a camera, and an audience. 

The conservative side - even here in Illinois - struggles to get how it's all done. But things are looking up. The atmosphere towards the media in Illinois conservative circles is changing and we're impressed that a number of politicians and candidates sent out press releases and comments in reply to Illinois' S&P downgrade this week.  That shows someone is in those circles, and their job - which these folks are evidently beginning to heed - is to get conservative voices into the Illinois media mix.  The good guys are making progress.

Will County candidates to declare independence from Chicago and Cook County politics

JOLIET - On Monday, September 10th, several Will County candidates will gather at the Will County Courthouse at noon to publicly sign a declaration of independence from Chicago-style politics. 

The proposed wording of the document is as follows:

Will County Declaration of Independence from Chicago-style Politics

 We hold these truths to be self-evident ….

That the people of all counties are created equal, that they are endowed with certain Rights.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among people, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

That whenever any leaders of Government become destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to remove them.

2-Hour Islamic ‘Jumah’ Prayers ‘at the DNC’

The host committee for the Democratic National Convention is raising a number of eyebrows after choosing to proceed with featuring Islamic “Jumah” prayers for two hours on the Friday before its convention, though Democrats earlier denied a Catholic cardinal’s request to say a prayer at the same event.

Watch the promotional video via the Bureau of Muslim Affairs, which claims it is hosting the event “at the Democratic National Convention.”

The first two minutes are rather dry, but around 2:04 a muezzin sings the call to prayer with an American flag background, and the video “picks up” considerably:

DNC announces speakers for its convention

The DNC has announced the list of speakers at their convention next week. They include:

• Sen. John Kerry (MA)
• Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley
• Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
• Former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine
• Newark Mayor Cory Booker
• Rep. Barbara Lee (CA)
• House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Charlie Gonzalez
• Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Emanuel Cleaver
• Rep. John Lewis of Georgia
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair, Judy Chu
• Rep. Rosa DeLauro
• Rep. Carolyn Maloney
• Rep. Nydia Velasquez
• Rep. Gwen Moore
• Rep. Allyson Schwartz
• Rep. Donna Edwards

The Poster (video)

Youth unemployment remains high, with 18-24 year olds facing unemployment over 15%. In a poll conducted by Crossroads Generation of 800 registered voters aged 18-29, only 22% said that they thought Obama had put into place policies that have made it easier for young people to find jobs.

Madigan warns against holiday gas price-gouging. Does $4.93/gal qualify?

By Fran Eaton -

Just noted this story after paying $4.93/gallon in Cook County earlier this week:

With the Chicago-area price of gas up 14 cents from just a week ago, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is warning gas stations against price gouging in the wake of Hurricane Isaac.

In a statement Thursday, Madigan noted that her office has the power to investigate gas prices after a natural disaster, and that her staff will be monitoring wholesale prices to make sure any price jumps are justified. More HERE

AG Madigan should call the Shell gas station on 167th and Cicero Avenue in Oak Forest, where on Wednesday, they were charging $4.93 cents a gallon for premium grade. When confronted with the outrageous price, the cashier insisted orders came from Shell to hike the price to $4.93 per gallon because of the hurricane. The station is located 1/2 mile to the west of I-57's I67th Street exit. Four gallons were purchased - enough to make a trip out of Cook to Will County, where the 91-octane-requiring tank was filled up at $4.45 gallon. 

Thanks Mr. Obama.

Judge orders state to pay union raises that were canceled last year

A Cook County judge has ordered the state to take steps to ensure that union workers whose raises were canceled last year can be paid in the event he rules the raises must be reinstated.

Judge Richard Billik ordered the state to submit vouchers to the comptroller’s office for unspent salary money in some agency budgets. About $18 million in general fund money and an undetermined amount from other state funds is involved, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. More HERE

Lake County housing agency sues taxpayers for more money

Lake County Housing Authority officials are joining a lawsuit against the federal government over the loss of funding subsidies for their operations.

David Northern, the authority’s executive director, said the recent decision to participate in the legal fight stems from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development withholding operating subsidies from Lake County this year, citing excess money in reserve.

Northern argues that the federal government shouldn’t withold taxpayer-funded federal subsidies just because his agency has not spent all the taxpayer-funded state and local money. More HERE

The taxpayers were not asked for comment, nor are they represented in the lawsuit.

Payments to disabled Chicago cop suspended...kinda

Chicago’s police pension board suspended the disability benefits Thursday of a police officer who, after going on disability because of an injury he said made it impossible for him to safely fire a handgun, has shot and killed several animals while on safari.

The eight-member board stopped short, though, of permanently revoking the disability benefits of Charles T. Siedlecki, citing a snafu in notifying him of Thursday’s “duty-disability status review.” More HERE

The news ... illustrated

ICYMI: An Executive Order You Should Know About

From Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-TX) -

With all that is going in Washington these days some things don’t make the news the way they should. Fourteen days ago President Obama issued an Executive Order that you should know about. This order gives an unprecedented level of authority to the President and the federal government to take over all the fundamental parts of our economy - in the name of national security - in times of national emergency.

This means all of our water resources, construction services and materials (steel, concrete, etc.), our civil transportation system, food and health resources, our energy supplies including oil and natural gas – even farm equipment – can be taken over by the President and his cabinet secretaries. The Government can also draft U.S. citizens into the military and force U.S. citizens to fulfill "labor requirements" for the purposes of "national defense." There is not even any Congressional oversight, only briefings are required.

By issuing this as an Executive Order the President puts the federal government above the law, which, in a democracy, is never supposed to happen.

Robling talks RNC Speeches on WGN TV

CHICAGO - Illinois Review contributor and political commentator Chris Robling discussed RNC speeches, and reviews the convention on WGN TV Thursday morning. Video below.

David Koch calls for gay marriage, tax increases?

According to Craig Newman at the Sun-Times, David Koch, the billionaire industrialist who, with brother, Charles, has given millions to the Republican cause had a surprising message for the base and the Romney campaign Thursday night.

"I believe in gay marriage," Koch told Politico's Kenneth Vogel.

Perhaps even more surprising, considering Koch's status as a delegate from New York at the Republican National Convention, is his stance on the need for a tax increase to help balance the federal budget. Koch tells Politico:

"I think it's essential to be able to achieve spending reductions and maybe it's going to require some tax increases," he said. "We got to come close to balancing the budget, otherwise we're in a terrible deep problem." As for whether military spending cuts should be on the table, Koch said, "I think to balance the budget, probably every federal department has to take cuts in my opinion. We have to spread it around."

What is really in the GOP platform (video)

In this video Watchdog.org sums - from their perspective - "What is really in the 2012 GOP platform". Seems government does have a place in protecting its citizens to foster freedom within its borders. We are a nation that welcomes those who enter legally and with respect for the liberty, peace and prosperity. That does take some cooperation between states to implement, and thus, an ideally minimal connection at the federal level.

IL Latino Republicans say it's a struggle to woo Hispanic voters

The Chicago Tribune's RNC Convention coverage includes a feature Friday on IL GOP co-chair Gabriela Wyatt (pictured right with Jackson County GOP Chairman Gloria de Campos) -

TAMPA, FL - Illinois Republican Party co-chair Gabriela Wyatt knows the importance of attracting Latino voters in November. She also knows it's an uphill climb for the GOP to make inroads with the nation's fastest-growing demographic.

Some polls show Latino voters favoring President Barack Obama 2-1 over Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Wyatt, a Mexican-born resident of Aurora, said Romney is saddled with years of Hispanic perceptions of Republicans.

Plummer announces three grassroot groups' endorsement

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS - Jason Plummer, Republican Nominee for Illinois' 12th Congressional District, is proud to announce he has received the endorsement of three organizations that champion personal freedom.

National Right to Life, Gun Owners of America, and ABATE of Illinois have all chosen to endorse Plummer's Congressional candidacy. Leaders from these well-respected groups have stated that Plummer is the right candidate to advance their causes.

"This endorsement reflects your commitment to strengthening a culture of life throughout the nation and in U.S. Congress," David N. O'Steen, executive director of the National Right to Life Committee, said in a statement. "We look forward to working with (Jason) to protect the most vulnerable members of the human family."

We Can Change America's Course

From the Heritage Foundation - 

Entering the final stretch of the presidential contest, Americans are facing a monumental choice. The American people will decide the direction of government and its role in their lives for the coming years.

The debate in Tampa this week raised a number of issues, including preserving the American dream of working hard to achieve success. The Heritage Foundation has extensive research and policy prescriptions on each of these issues:

99.9 percent success for GOP convention

By Mark Rhoads -

As a Young Republican, I attended the 1964, 1968, and 1972 Republican National Conventions and I was elected as a Reagan delegate from Illinois for the 1980 convention in Detroit. Watching this year's convention in Tampa, I found this convention to be a huge success in doing the main job that conventions are supposed to do which includes inspiring the party grassroots.

Arlene Crane, wife of Congressman Phil Crane, dies at 79

Former Congressman Phil Crane's wife, Arlene Catherine Crane of Lansdowne, aged 79, died Tuesday August 28, 2012 at 5:40pm at Loudoun Hospital in Lansdowne, Virginia of cardiac arrest.

She was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of the late George and Marie Johnson on September 23, 1932. She was married in Chicago, Illinois on February 14, 1959. She and her family moved to Virginia in 1969 where she remained until her death. Mrs. Crane was preceded in death by her daughter Rachel.

Family and friends will be gathering at the Loudoun Funeral Chapel at 158 Catoctin Circle SE in Leesburg, Virginia on Thursday, August 30th, 2012 from 6-8pm. There will be a formal funeral service on Saturday, September 1, 2012 at 1pm in Hillsboro, Indiana at the Hillsboro United Methodist Church with a viewing from 11-1pm at the church prior to the service. Interment will be at Rose Hill Cemetery in Hillsboro, Indiana.

The family is asking in lieu of flowers that donations be made to either Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Research or Alzheimer’s Research.

The IEA continues to hold schools hostage with a heavy hammer

By Nancy Thorner -

The new school year has begun for students in Lake Forest Districts 115 and 67, not unlike in schools districts across Illinois.

Presently residents and taxpayers in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff  are fixed on the looming teacher strike by District 115 high school  teachers, unless a compromise can forged between the District 115 board and the LFEA, which gets its marching orders from the IEA (Illinois  Education Association).

Unknown by many residents and  taxpayers is that the IEA is the state affiliate of the National  Education Association and as such functions as a franchise of the NEA.

Teachers belonging to the IEA automatically belong to the NEA. Part  of their member IEA dues, by requirement, are sent on to the NEA, who allocates the collected dues nationwide to push for Democrat candidates and also to lobby for concessions at the federal level.

Here in Illinois the IEA supports state Democrat candidates and also puts money and support into local school board races, no doubt in an effort to co-opt board members.

Taxpayers going on strike

By Paul Kersey, Illinois Policy Institute -

It’s time we had a talk about government unions.

Government employee unions have become a destructive political and lobbying machine fueled by taxpayer-guaranteed money. Union bosses have flexed their muscles to intimidate lawmakers and block much-needed reforms to government employee pension and health benefit plans that have pushed the state to the brink of insolvency.

Illinois faces more than $200 billion in unfunded pension and health care liabilities, S&P downgraded our credit rating, and government unions still refuse to compromise. This leaves taxpayers in a vulnerable position.

But the unions are not the only ones at fault. They’re playing by the rules.

Labor laws in Illinois breed powerful unions and fail to establish any mechanisms for accountability or restraint:

Navistar's exit package for ex-CEO Ustian begins at $7.9 million

Former Navistar International Corp. CEO Daniel Ustian will get a severance payment of $7.9 million, according to the company's proxy statement, which says stock options and other payments will net him millions more.

The most recent proxy values Mr. Ustian's package at $14.6 million, contingent on a share price of $42.07 on Oct. 31, 2011, the end of the company's fiscal year. More HERE

Mayer Brown ex-exec accused of stealing $850K from law firm

A former chief information officer for Mayer Brown LLP was charged by federal prosecutors today with defrauding the Chicago-based law firm of at least $850,000.

The U.S. attorney's office here said David Tresch, 51, approved payments to a Schaumburg-based office automation vendor, in which he allegedly was an investor. The payments were for work that had not been performed, and Mr. Tresch pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars. He was charged with one count of mail fraud. More HERE

Illinois to Chris Matthews: Chicago means "corruption" not "racism"

Chris Matthews was on MSNBC's Hardball last night covering the Republican National Convention with guests Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post and John Heilemann of New York Magazine. Not surprisingly, the concept of "otherization" was discussed. "Otherization" is liberal-speak for: if you disagree with the President, you're a racist.

Well, last night Matthews decided that reminding people about Obama's roots in "Chicago politics" or even saying the word "Chicago" is now racist.

Here's a word Chris: "desperate".

Always Right: Rutherford, Schock and the sexualization of Illinois politics

Due to political pressure by a liberal Illinois congressman, Fran Eaton's "Always Right" column will no longer appear in the 'Southtown Star,' but will be exclusively published here on Illinois Review.

By Fran Eaton -

This week, the issue of gay politics is in the news as one likely candidate for governor - State Treasurer Dan Rutherford - reportedly made an off-the-cuff comment in Tampa in support of anti-Republican Equality Illinois picking up the bar tab for the Illinois Delegation. The State Treasurer is quoted as saying that those who don’t like it “can go someplace else to drink.”

That was an eyebrow-raiser for conservative Republicans back home who are concerned about preserving traditional marriage in Illinois.

Then Wednesday night, a second potential 2014 gubernatorial candidate - Congressman Aaron Schock - told PBS he is opposed to same sex marriage. In response Gay blogger John Aravois expressed his thoughts about Schock, writing:

“GOP Rep. from IL Aaron Schock said last night on local PBS in Chicago that he's opposed to gay marriage. I think it's finally time we had an honest and open discussion about what this guy's sexual orientation really is. Because if he wants to play the anti-gay card, then he makes his own sexual orientation an issue. He needs to directly answer and put to rest all the talk about him being gay.”

Another eyebrow-raiser. And perhaps the signal that it is time to address a rather difficult topic.

Poor and homeless thrown out of Occupy Tampa camp (video)

TAMPA - On Tuesday, during a Breitbart.com freelancer's exclusive tour of "Romneyville" the protester welcoming camp in Tampa, Florida, residents spoke about dissension within the occupy movement. Resident's said Romneyville, however, was not an Occupy camp, but rather a "poor peoples camp," and camp for homeless people who have been kicked out of Occupy Tampa due to their homeless status. They also emphasized their belief that the "young white anarchists" have a tinge of subliminal racism. Via Brietbart.com.

In the meantime, Occupy Wall Street organizers prepare to celebrate their movement's one-year anniversary in New York, pitted on their 1% enemy on Wall Street:

Who's the guy with Rubio?

TAMPA - One of Mitt Romney's biggest challenges will be rising above the array of Next Generation Republican superstars that surround him, like U.S. Senator Marco Rubio or his VP nominee Congressman Paul Ryan.

#War on Women RNC protesters expose innermost paranoia

Earlier this week, Illinois' 3rd CD Romney delegate Steve Daglas Facebook-posted this photo of a protest on the sidewalks outside the Republican National Convention. Pretty self-explanatory - in so many ways.  These female protestors dressed up as vaginas sum up Leftist feminists' accusation of the GOP's "War on Women" because they object to Obamacare health care mandates. 

The GOP's not attacking your vaginas, girls. No one is.

UAW protest Ryan's anti-Obama, anti-union history

The United Auto Workers Union, which endorsed Barack Obama in 2008, are fuming about GOP Vice-Presidential nominee Paul Ryan's speech at the Republican Nation Convention. They've issued the following predictable complaint, falling in line with Democratic talking points:

DETROIT - Last night Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan attacked President Obama for closing the General Motors plant in Janesville, ignoring the fact that the plant closed during George W. Bush's tenure.

When it was announced that the plant would close, a task force was empanelled to try to save the plant. Co-chaired by former-UAW Local 95 President Brad Dutcher, the task force included many politicians, among them, Wisconsin State Rep. Paul Ryan. Although Ryan participated in the panel and voted for the emergency loans for the auto industry, the plant ultimately closed.

Chicago Pastor Wins Three Year Battle to Uphold Freedom to Speak in Public

CHICAGO - The First Amendment's freedom to speak in public has been the most foundational freedom for Americans since the founding of the nation. Many have benefited from this freedom such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., D.L. Moody, and more recently, a local Chicago Pastor, Curt Teesdale. These men all impacted the culture by quoting scripture and preaching open-air sermons. In 2008, police officers arrested Pastor Teesdale for exercising his First Amendment freedom. He and eight members of his church, Garfield Ridge Baptist, were talking to the public about the gospel and handing out scripture. Now, after a three year battle, the Federal Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals finally reaffirmed Pastor Teesdale's free speech on public streets which will give a continued protection to others to do the same.

After police arrested and jailed Teesdale, he was charged with criminal trespassing despite being engaged in expression on a public street. The 2008 case was quickly dismissed by the Criminal Court, but Mauck & Baker attorneys representing Teesdale filed suit in federal court in 2010 in an effort to protect the freedom to proclaim the gospel in the future.

Good and Bad Immigration Proposals

By Phyllis Schlafly -

After a genuinely grassroots Republican platform committee produced a principled document on a plethora of issues, including immigration, some people who were not part of the process are promoting pro-amnesty proposals. Writing this week in the Wall Street Journal, Jon Huntsman suggested that President Obama’s executive order offering work permits to 1.6 million illegal immigrants doesn’t go far enough.

The facts do not support the pie-in-the-sky views of those, such as Jon Huntsman, who say they want to increase immigration because it will boost our sagging economy. A new study by the Center for Immigration Studies reports that the economic progress made by all immigrants, legal, illegal, and their U.S.-born children under age 18, lags far behind native-born Americans and nearly half remain below the poverty line.

More reactions to S&P's downgrade of IL credit rating

More responses are coming into Illinois Review regarding the S&P's decision to downgrade Illinois' rating. Standard's points to Illinois' refusal to deal with their unfunded obligations as the main reason for their move. 

During press availability in Tampa Florida at the RNC Convention, House Minority Leader Tom Cross and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno issued the following statement:

“When the Democrats adjourned the special session on pensions two weeks ago, we stood together and said we should not leave Springfield until we pass comprehensive pension reform to address our crisis.  We continue to be ready to address the problem, armed with ideas and solutions that could work. We cannot wait until after the election, or even after the Governor’s grassroots’ tour. The time for action is now. S&P’s downgrade today cited our ‘lack of action on reform measures’. This is a clear signal that we must work on a comprehensive bill that solves our pension problem—not a piecemeal approach. The blame game must end, let’s get to work.”

And State Representative Sid Mathias writes:

"S&P has downgraded Illinois’ credit rating because Springfield has done nothing to reform a pension system that is in massive debt and is entirely unsustainable. We’re playing chicken with a freight train, and we wonder why we keep losing. We went down to Springfield two weeks ago under the guise of achieving pension reform, knowing full well that if we did nothing our credit rating would take a hit, and yet we were sent home without addressing this $85 billion unfunded liability. I called on my colleagues to no longer kick the can down the road and instead to stay in session for as long as it took to finally achieve pension reform, to no avail.

"Unfortunately, it is the people of Illinois who lose in this scenario. Thanks to this credit downgrade, it will be more expensive to build schools and fix roads. It also puts us one step closer to bond markets closing to Illinois, a devastating result that was unimaginable just a few years ago. We must stop playing political games while daring credit rating agencies to take action against us. It’s time to come together to find an equitable solution to this pension mess, rescuing our children from this back-breaking debt while removing the uncertainty for Illinois workers."

More to come ...

O'Brien: Obama's Reddit AMA Didn't Include My Questions

By Teri O'Brien - 

From the Washington Post:

If you haven’t heard, President Obama was on reddit Wednesday doing an AMA, or “Ask Me Anything.” He is the first sitting president to participate in the site’s popular feature. News of the president’s participation spread quickly, and the site became unavailable temporarily because of the load.

Mmm …"Ask Me Anything." What would you ask? Perhaps one of the following questions:

Is it true that you have spent millions of dollars to keep your passport and college records sealed, and if so, why?

Have you seen Dinesh D'Souza's movie "2016," and if so, what do you think of it?

Smart Grid meters start three Chicago area home fires

Crain's reports on problems developing in Philadelphia which led to suspending smart-meter installations that state lawmakers okayed for Illinois' Com Ed last year during a heated - and finger-pointing - debate on the Illinois Senate floor. Now the topic's getting hotter as smart meters were found to be involved in three suburban Chicago home fires.

Two weeks after Commonwealth Edison Co.'s sister utility in Philadelphia  suspended smart-meter installations after a fire and more than a dozen incidents  of overheating, ComEd says there have been three “small fires” involving smart  meters it installed in suburban Chicago homes.

“ComEd has experienced three smart meter events that resulted in damage to  metering equipment and to the immediate area around the meter due to small fires," the utility said in a statement responding to questions from Crain's.  Two of the incidents were at homes in River Forest and the third was at a home  in Berwyn.

Ryan accepts RNC's 2012 nomination for vice president

TAMPA, FL - Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan accepted the Republican National Convention's nomination for vice-president Wednesday night in Tampa.

New Mexico Gov Martinez challenges Obama's lackluster record

TAMPA - New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, the first Hispanic female governor in history, spoke Wednesday night at the 2012 Republican National Convention, challenging the President's broken promises and lack of leadership. 

Martinez told of her transition from a Democrat to Republican, her part growing up and helping to build her family's business, while reaching out effectively to Hispanics and women in one fell swoop with comments such as:

In many ways Mitt Romney and I are very different. Different starts in life. Different paths to leadership. Different cultures.

But we've each shared in the promise of America, and we share a core belief that the promise of America must be kept for the next generation. 

El sueno Americanos es tener exito. 

It's success.

Success is the American Dream.

And that success is not something to be ashamed of, or to demonize.

Review her speech in its entirety below the fold -

Reagan's words on preserving freedom

Join the new and growing Illinois' URF Women's Network

Is Holder's DOJ 'Community Organizing' Occupy Activists at the RNC?

By Rebel Pundit -

What are uniformed field representatives of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Community Relations Service (CRS) doing assisting Occupy/anarchist activists outside the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Tampa?

Exclusive video captured by Breitbart News during Occupy/anarchist demonstrations outside the RNC Tuesday shows CRS field representatives, wearing DOJ logo polo shirts and hats, conversing with Occupy protesters.

In one case, a CRS representative and protester are seen to high-five each other. And CRS representatives are also seen relaying specific instructions to the activists about the location of prearranged buses that were apparently taking them to their next scheduled demonstration.

More HERE

Quinn shows selective concern about conflicts of interest

By David W. From, IL State Director, Americans for Prosperity -

Governor Quinn apparently believes that some special interests are more special than others. This Tuesday when he vetoed legislation to expand gaming, Governor Quinn specifically cited the absence of a ban on campaign contributions. The Chicago Sun-Times wrote in a column yesterday: “Quinn ‘was more convinced than ever the absence of a ban on campaign contributions from gaming licenses and casino managers was a deal breaker.”

Governor Quinn apparently believes that some people whose livelihood depends on state lawmakers’ decisions should be restricted from making campaign donations to those lawmakers and elected officials. However, he shows selective concern for conflicts of interest in campaign finance by refusing to take action to address the most glaring conflict of interest in state government: contributions from government unions.

In his last campaign, Governor Quinn’s largest campaign contributors were government unions like SEIU, AFSCME and the IEA, giving him over $5 million. More recently, we saw this summer that while the Democrat-controlled General Assembly negotiated and then failed to act on pension reform, leadership committees for the Democrat House and Senate majorities raked in nearly $450,000 in contributions from SEIU, alone.

Make no mistake; the biggest and most powerful special interest in Springfield is the government unions. These powerhouse unions are the largest contributors to the legislative leaders in the General Assembly and the Governor, the very same leaders who are supposedly representing the taxpayers in direct negotiations and in determining how to reform pensions and curb spending. Doesn’t this seem like a conflict of interest?

Reaction to S&P's Illinois Downgrade

Immediately after another S&P downgrade for Illinois to an "A," lawmakers, office holders and candidates began reacting -

State Representative Candidate Susan Sweeney (R-55)
“The people of Illinois should not be surprised by this…they should be outraged. The politicians in Springfield knew full well that if they ignored the need for pension reform it would lead to a downgrade that will cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. Pat Quinn and the Democrats promised us that the largest tax increase in state history would help solve our problems by paying down our backlog of bills. Instead, our ballooning pension payment consumed all the revenue.  All the tax increase did was chase more jobs away and leave taxpayers holding the bag.”

State Representative Candidate John Lawson (R-56)
“While politicians in the General Assembly claim that they are fixing the state’s budget problems, they have gone ahead and made them worse, yet again. Now, more than ever, we need elected officials that will go to Springfield to be independent and get common-sense solutions enacted. Unfortunately, Rep. Mussman has gone to Springfield to participate in her party’s financial dismantling of Illinois – actions that will result in more of our hard-earned incomes going into state coffers.”

UPDATE x1: AG Madigan gives out $4.7 million more

NOTE: After the original publication of this story, AG Madigan's office offered their version concerning the distribution of funds. That response is below ...

CHICAGO - Attorney General Lisa Madigan continued distributing funds to legal firms Tuesday, this time, $4.7 million onto Chicago's Legal Assistance Fund. Last week, the first $4.5 million went to the Metro-East area Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance firm to provide free counsel to people who are going through foreclouse. The funds the attorney general's office is distributing are from the $20 million Illinois won in a national lawsuit against the big five mortgage providers. 

Tuesday, Illinois Review looked into the first mortgage counseling grant issued last Friday and found generous Democrat campaign givers among the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation board members. We also provided forms provided by the Attorney General's office as to how the funds would be spent.

IL Treasurer Rutherford Reacts to S&P’s Downgrade of Illinois Debt

SPRINGFIELD – Standard and Poor’s has lowered their rating on bonds issued by the state of Illinois today, August 29. Illinois was dropped from an A+ rating to an A rating, including the warning from S&P analysts that Illinois has a negative outlook.

“Illinois plans to issue General Obligation bonds in September of 2012. The cost of these bonds to taxpayers will increase because of the lower A rating. Analysts at S&P noted ‘the downgrade reflects the state's weak pension funding levels and lack of action on reform measures intended to improve funding levels and diminish cost pressures associated with annual contributions’ in their statement issued today.”

“Just as I said last week after we received a sobering warning from Moody’s,  I urge the legislature to act decisively towards comprehensive, constitutional, and fair pension reforms that will reverse this situation. It’s not even two years since the largest income tax increase in Illinois history, and those revenues have already been consumed by the escalating cost of the state’s pension systems. Taxpayers are justifiably frustrated and angry over Springfield’s lack of action to protect their dollars.”

Log Cabin Republicans and Equality Illinois stir controversy at RNC

TAMPA - A standoff of sorts is brewing among gay rights activists as a group within the Log Cabin Republicans push the group's committee to withhold endorsement of the Romney-Ryan ticket because they support the Defense of Marriage Act and a federal amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman. The Log Cabin Republicans raised $1 million in 2004 to protest George W. Bush's pro-DOMA position and ran televised campaigns nationwide.

The LGBT anti-Romney/Ryan controversy made its way down to the state level, as the Letz Get Real LGBT blog reports that Equality Illinois sponsored a party for Illinois Republican convention delegates in Tampa this week. Equality Illinois, a state focused gay rights advocacy group, is attempting to schmooze the IL GOP away from their support for Chick-fil-A and its staunch pro-traditional family state platform plank. 

The EQIL bar bill pickup caused some stir among the ILGOP delegates.  So much so, an unconfirmed LetzGetReal report says:

Illustrated News - Tough Road for Romney

Schock with Decatur's WSOY AM in Tampa

TAMPA - Illinois Congressman and rumored 2014 gubernatorial candidate Aaron Schock spoke about his experiences traveling with Mitt and Ann Romney during a campaign tour with Decatur IL's WSOY AM while attending the RNC Convention. He also says his focus - as everyone else's should be - is on the November election, not 2014 - yet.

Illinois delegate makes splash on RNC Platform committee

TAMPA - One of Illinois' RNC delegates - Sharee Langenstein from the 12th CD - was featured Wednesday in her hometown newspaper because of the notable work she's been doing on the RNC platform committee.  And, IR has learned, she's writing language offering compromises on other procedural issues being debated about delegate selection.

Langenstein was elected as a Santorum delegate, but is now wholeheartedly supporting Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan for President and Vice President. She is a Murphysboro attorney that specializes in adoption and serves as Eagle Forum's national chairman on religious freedom issues. She also advises Illinois Homeschool PAC.  She's married, with six daughters.  

Illinois Review wrote about some of Langenstein's nationally-recognized efforts on the RNC platform committee last week, and The Southern picked up more today ...