Illinois Review

Beware: The Griffith Lake Forest pension debacle may be in your school district

By Nancy Thorner -

Recent articles by Lisa Black in the Tribune and Paula Skaggs in the Lake Forest Patch about “big benefits” for ex-superintendent Harry Griffith are painful reminders of just how improvidently our tax dollars were spent under his reign. 

Some will say that Griffith's boondoggle existence is old news and that it's best to allow sleeping dogs to lie.  However, lest history repeat itself, it is imperative that the issue of squandering tax dollars remain in the forefront, even more so if a request is made by the Lake Forest School System for increased funding through its 2013 tax levy which should be made public at December board meetings.  

It appears that the root of the “Griffith Gone Wild” problem is that our school boards enabled his every action.  The boards allowed at least three major gaffs to occur in Griffith’s era:  his grossly excessive compensation; his botched handling of the Steinert sexting scandal, including his proven lies to the community; and the huge increases in teachers’ salaries from 2009 to 2012, in which the majority of Lake Forest High School teachers (and administrations) received percentage increases from 19% to 33.114%, helping to propel LFHS to the #2 rank in top Chicago-area High School Districts in cost to educate per student. 

Illinois isn't the worst-run state, it's third worst

If you're thinking of exiting the pitiful state of Illinois these days, you may want to head for North Dakota, Wyoming or Nebraska because they're the three best-run states in America.

Yahoo's 24/7 Wall Street evaluated data concerning all 50 states' budget, their credit rating, their unemployment and their education levels. Here's what they found about North Dakota, the nation's best run state:

Three reasons Republicans are losing the fiscal cliff debate

WASHINGTON - Former Chicagoan and Breitbart.com editor Joel Pollak expresses the concern many conservatives have about how congressional Republicans are handling the fiscal cliff battle. Without a plan, it's impossible to win a war. Pollak lists three reasons why Obama is winning the debate, and it's not because he was just re-elected. Pollak writes in the Washington Times:

Rather, they are losing for three reasons that have little to do with the election: first, they have no good alternative to negotiating; second, they have accepted Democrats’ frame for the debate; and third, they have failed to mount a broader media and cultural strategy.

No alternative. Success in negotiation depends on having a good alternative to talks--what negotiating experts call a Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). Having a good BATNA means you have credibility when you threaten to walk away from a deal; your opponent will have to offer you better terms to keep you at the table. Each side should therefore work to improve its own BATNA--and worsen that of its opponent.

Maybe someone could also pass along this strategic information to Republicans in Springfield?

What it would be like to have a candidate who really believes in conservatism

This must be one of Bill Whittle’s better speeches as he demonstrates what it would be like to have a candidate who really believes in conservatism – even one who is wealthy.

Carney decries GOP "Obsession" with Four Dead Americans; Susan Rice Still Lying

By Teri O'Brien -

As nearly everyone with a pulse now knows, on September 16, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice infamously appeared on five Sunday morning news shows to present a false and deceptive narrative to the American public. Her ostensible purpose was to explain the murder of four Americans in Libya on the eleventh anniversary of the original 9/11 attacks. We know that she told us that these deaths were the result of “spontaneous” demonstration, caused by a “reprehensible” (Hillary Clinton’s word) “offensive” YouTube video. Give Ms. Rice credit. She was able to recite this risible story with a straight face. As of today, she’s still lying. After meeting with the three Republican senators who, unlike Barack Obama, don’t consider the murder of 4 Americans “a bump in the road,” and want to get to the bottom of what happened, she issued a statement describing the meeting, which included the following statement:

This Conservative Life

By Ulysses S. Arn -

The people who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and reelected him three weeks ago are very different from me. The same is true of members of Occupy, union leadership and their sheepish followers, and everyone else who makes up the hyphenated American coalition of the Democrat Party. They act, and think, and vote in ways that I just don't understand sometimes(I do understand them to a large degree because they are Utopian Statist). I have made these point in one form or another here on this blog and in my books, The Arena of Ideas and We Can Do Better(both on sale now at Amazon.com for the kindle Ebook reader, or for Iphone and Ipads using the kindle app), and I feel like making them again to illustrate just how different I am from the people who I believe are destroying this great nation from within.

The first thing that sets me apart from the cabal of leftist, especially those of my generation(I don't turn 30 until next week), is that I have chosen to abstain from having sex until I am married. I could have been just like many of my fellow classmates and had sex as a teenager but I opted to follow my conscience not my loins. In doing so I denied myself instant gratification in lieu of being able to tell my future wife that our first time will be my first time. And because I made that choice all those years ago I now expect she who I will spend the rest of my life with to have the same convictions and principles. I am waiting for her and she(should be) waiting for me.

Chris Matthews compares GOP to Hitler (video)

By Teri O'Brien -

Topinka says no to new borrowing

SPRINGFIELD - Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka on Tuesday warned against any additional borrowing to pay down the state's massive backlog of unpaid bills, noting that Illinois already has bonded its way to one of the lowest credit ratings in the nation, and cannot afford to dig deeper into debt.

The alert from the state's Chief Fiscal Officer came during a House Executive Committee hearing and in response to proposed legislation to borrow $4 billion to pay down more than $9 billion in unpaid state bills. With Illinois already carrying more than $160 billion in debt, now is not the time to borrow, Topinka said.

"When you're drowning in debt you don't start applying for new credit cards," Topinka said. "The rush of new cash may create a short term feeling of relief but it will make our situation worse, and cost our taxpayers even more, in the long haul."

Chicago nurse pleads guilty to scheming to steal state grant money

By Jayette Bolinski, Illinois Watchdog -

CHICAGO - The former treasurer for a Chicago-area nurses association pleaded guilty Monday to a federal mail fraud charge for allegedly scheming to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in state grant money between 2005 and 2009.

Tonja Cook, 45, will be sentenced March 25 in federal court in Springfield. She could be sentenced to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.

Cook, a registered nurse, was treasurer of the Chicago Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association. She allegedly schemed with the chapter’s program director, Margaret Davis, to steal $500,000 worth of state grant money, which Davis and Cook used for themselves, as well as Davis’ family, friends and political associates, according to authorities. ...More HERE

Dutch TV edits Netanyahu press conference to make him sound like a baby killer

Apparently it was done for satirical reasons. But we wonder if Obama will have the film maker arrested when violence breaks out over this one?

More HERE

Chicago home prices slip after 5 straight gains

A closely watched index of local home prices fell in September, its first decline after five consecutive increases.

The S&P/Case-Shiller index of Chicago-area single-family home prices fell 0.6 percent from August to September, according to a report released this morning.

Chicago-area prices were down 1.5 percent year over year, making the city and New York the two in a 20-city index where September prices were down compared with September 2011. ...More HERE

Durbin "no" on entitlement reform even for concession on tax increases

This is why Republicans should not cave on tax increases...because they’ll just end up holding an empty bag and the country will lose again:

From Politico: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin has a message for Republicans insisting on wholesale changes to entitlement programs in exchange for new tax revenue: not yet.

In a speech later this morning that seeks to crystalize the progressive approach to deficit reduction, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat will try to split the debate about overhauling Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from the negotiations over resolving the fiscal cliff.

“Progressives should be willing to talk about ways to ensure the long-term viability of Medicare and Medicaid but those conversations should not be part of a plan to avert the fiscal cliff,” Durbin says, according to excerpts provided by his office. The speech is taking place at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

Radogno meets with Czech Ambassador

Springfield, IL – Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) met today with Czech Republic Ambassador Petr Gandalovic and Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka in the Senator’s Statehouse office. During their meeting, Gandalovic spoke with Radogno and Topinka about the Czech Republic economy and the relationship between Illinois and the Czech Republic government.

Gandalovic was in Springfield to speak at the University of Illinois Springfield as part of the university’s Ambassador Series. The program welcomes leaders from across the globe to interact with students, university educators and staff, as well as local community, government and business leaders.

The news ... illustrated

Reid calls for US Senate vote on UN Treaty for Disabled Persons

WASHINGTON DC - Former US Senator Rick Santorum - the father of a disabled preschooler himself - sounded an alarm at a press conference Monday about the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  Immediately after the press conference, the alert was ratcheted up. Santorum writes:

Yesterday, Karen and I -- along with our daughter Bella -- joined with U.S. Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Michael Farris of the Home School Legal Defense Association for a news conference calling on the Senate to NOT bring up this flawed treaty.

And just like that, Senator Harry Reid announced that he will bring this treaty up for a vote this week.  

CRPD, if ratified, threatens U.S. sovereignty and parental rights, and would effectively put the U.S. under international law when it comes to parenting special needs children. One provision in the treaty would give the government, acting under U.N. instructions, the ability to determine for all children with disabilities what is best for them.

CPS CEO looks to data to raise 4th graders reading scores

CHICAGO - Independent freelance journalist Jeff Berkowitz asked Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett how to improve Chicago children's poor reading scores. He writes about her convoluted and no-answer response Tuesday:

Jeff Berkowitz: Robin Steans, [Executive Director of] Advance Illinois, said that approximately 25% of the kids in CPS are reading at grade level- do you agree with that number? She was talking about 4th graders, I believe.

CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett: I am reviewing- I don’t have that number at my finger tip and I have been reviewing that data, but I have been a little bit preoccupied at this moment around another issue [School closings]. I would suspect that she is closer to being correct than not, but I don’t have the exact number at my mind.

Illinois Carry urges lawmakers to override Quinn's SB 681 veto

From Illinois Carry - 

URGENT! Make the call! Urge your State Senator to OVERRIDE Quinn's veto of SB681. The General Assembly will reconvene for the fall veto session this Tuesday, Nov. 27th. It is urgent that you call your IL State Senator and urge him/her to OVERRIDE Quinn's veto of SB681.

SB681 was meant to be a bill allowing in-state mail order sales of ammunition. It passed both the Illinois Senate and House and went to the governor's desk for his signature. Instead, he vetoed the bill and turned it into a gun ban which would ban many of our commonly owned firearms.

Veto Session: “Medical” Marijuana in the Land of Lincoln?

By David E. Smith -

Illinois state lawmakers return to Springfield today for the first day of the lame duck Veto Session. Among the many pieces of legislation the legislature might take up is HB 30, which would legalize “medical” marijuana. 

Facts about HB 30:

If passed, HB 30 would allow the creation of 59 “medical” marijuana stores throughout the state of Illinois – one for each state senate district. 

If passed, HB 30 would conflict with federal and Illinois zero tolerance drug laws.  HB 30 allows for a qualified patient to get 2½ ounces of marijuana every 14 days (183 joints, 13 per day). Even the most experienced marijuana drug user smokes on average three to four joints a day, which would leave roughly 135 joints, or around 1.8 ounces. The patient could sell the 1.8 ounces of marijuana for $250 to $550. Diversion of medical marijuana would be a problem for schools and teachers. 

Read the rest of Illinois Family Institute's concerns about legalizing medical marijuana HERE.

For Economic Growth: Full Steam Ahead!

By John F. Di Leo -

In the 1760s, the British fought a world war, partially to defend her American colonies from French encroachment. When they tried to unfairly raise taxes to pay for that war, American colonists objected, so the British solved the problem in a way that suited the times: They merely mandated that virtually all American commerce must move through London. Everything had to be exported to London and imported from London… so that the king would be sure to get his cut. The colonists objected, and started a war of independence over it, because the king had them chained; this coastal nation could only ship through the Atlantic Ocean, and Great Britain ruled the Atlantic.

In the summer of 1775, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, working together (yes, this was before he turned traitor) captured Fort Ticonderoga to win the prize of its wonderful artillery… then abandoned it when they couldn’t figure out a way to move the guns the 220 miles from the fort to Boston. New England was then an unnavigable region of forests and mountains; with no roads, trucks, rails, or other modern transportation solutions, those 220 miles may as well have been across an ocean… at least until the brilliant Henry Knox came along with a plan for that noble train of artillery. But Knox’s solution could hardly be replicated as a regular mode of trade.

Chicago Teachers oppose CPS school closing plan

CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to delay announcing which Chicago Public Schools will be closed next year, but it's fairly clear he plans to defy union teachers' demands to shut down no schools next year. 

If the Illinois legislature allows the CPS to delay their school closings announcement until March 31, 2013, they promise they will not close any other CPS schools for the next five years.

But the Chicago Teachers Union doesn't trust CPS and insists there's no need to close any schools. They're telling lawmakers to vote against the 4-month extension in listing planned school closings. They've started a website "MoveChicagoSchoolsForward" to inform parents about the need for neighborhood schools. More HERE.

Many Voters Don't Like Rich People

By Mark Rhoads -

Did Mitt Romney lose in part because voters dislike rich people and privilege? The last very rich candidate for president before this year was Sen. John Kerry in 2004 and he also lost. Then one has to go back 44 years to the rich Sen. John F. Kennedy but he won in a super-close race. President Franklin Roosevelt was from a rich and aristocratic family but maybe many voters did not know that just as many did not even know he was in a wheelchair until he referred to the fact on radio in 1945. 

Voters have many times elected rich candidates to the US Senate and for governor but not for president but with two exceptions. What do you think? Is being seen as rich something that disqualifies a candidate? 

Glenview massage parlor owner gets life in federal prison for forcing slave labor

WASHINGTON - A former Illinois spa and massage parlor owner who used violence and threats of violence to force three women from the Ukraine and one from Belarus to work for him without pay and, at times, little to no subsistence over a two-year period was sentenced Monday to life in federal prison without the possibility of parole, the Justice Department said.

Alex Campbell, 45, of Glenview, Ill., was sentenced in his conviction of charges of sex-trafficking, forced labor, harboring illegal aliens, confiscating passports to further forced labor and extortion involving four foreign women whom he mentally and physically abused while forcing them to work for him.

Chicago's Father Pfleger says Americans should address love affair with guns

CHICAGO - Gun owners need to address their love affair with guns, Chicago's controversial Father Michael Pfleger said Monday at a press conference denouncing legislation to legalize concealed carry during this week's veto session. 

"Thank God Illinois can be an example and not be pressured into following the rest of the country," he said.

The newly-formed Stop Concealed Carry Coalition is pushing for Illinois to remain the only state in the union that doesn't allow citizens to exercise self-defense by carrying a concealed weapon. Thirty-one lame duck lawmakers not bidding for re-election set the stage for votes with no accountability.

The group organized an online petition which they plan to present to lawmakers when they gather in Springfield Tuesday. They're hoping for 7500 signatures on the online petition drive before presenting to the General Assembly.

The petition found here says it opposes making it legal for Illinoisans to defend themselves against criminals in public, cars, buses, trains, churches, school and libraries, or anywhere else outside their homes:

Parents of disabled children urged to oppose UN Treaty

Parentalrights.org has initiated a petition drive objecting to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The rights of American parents to determine their children's welfare and care would be overruled by an international standard if the U.S. Senate passes the treaty. ParentalRights.org writes:

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities threatens the right of parents to make decisions for their own children if either the parent or the child is disabled. Article 7 of the CRPD says, "In all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration."

International law expert Geraldine Van Bueren of the University of London accurately summarizes the application of this standard when she writes, "Best interests provides decision and policy makers with the authority to substitute their own decisions for either the child's or the parents', providing it is based on considerations of the best interests of the child." Ratification of CRPD will allow government officials to determine what is best for a child, even if fit and loving parents disagree.

Ratification would also be the first time the United States has ratified a treaty whose primary aim is to impact domestic policy, and the first time that entitlements would be established as economic, social, and cultural rights in America.

New culture shocker documentary "Genius" to appear December 8

"Would you kill John Lennon for $10 million?" That's the question several college age students were asked by the makers of a new independent movie produced by those that made the online documentary "180." Another culture shocker film, the entirety of "Genius" will be released December 8th. The trailer below gives a taste of the cold hearts and morally repugnant souls expressed by the Next Generation in "Genius."

It makes one think about their life in the hands of those university students interviewed - especially if you become vulnerable and in need of human compassion. Of course, political experts are insisting the Republican Party will never win unless it abandon religious beliefs and social values.

Farrakhan making sense, blasts mainstream media

In case you missed it, Louis Farrakhan smashes on media reporters during a commercial break on a local Chicago radio station.

Supreme Court rejects plea to ban taping of police in Illinois

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from the Cook County state's attorney Anita Alvarez to allow further enforcement of an Illinois law that prohibits people from recording police officers on the job.

The justices on Monday left in place a lower court ruling that found that the state's anti-eavesdropping law violates free speech rights when used against people who tape law enforcement officers.

The law set out a maximum prison term of 15 years.

Finally some good news for Illinois...More HERE

Fixing Chicago's Traffic Gridlock: Reason's Adrian Moore and Sam Staley

Earlier this year, the Reason Foundation's Adrian Moore and Sam Staley, in partnership with The Union League Club of Chicago Public Affairs and its Transportation Subcommittee, outlined a market-based plan to improve Chicago's traffic woes. Through a combination of user fees, innovative financing, and state-of-the-art electronic tolling, the pair found Chicagoans could greatly reduce the hours they currently spend in traffic without raising taxes.

Illinois spent $200,000 for eco-friendly customized zip lines

By Ben VanMetre, Illinois Policy Institute -

Providing entertainment may seem like a far cry from an essential government service, but not in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) doles out hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in grants each year. Funding entertainment is one of the many ways in which this money is used.

The 2012 Illinois Piglet Book exposes some of the most outrageous ways in which the DCEO uses taxpayer dollars. Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tour Inc., for example, received $200,000 for the development of “eco-friendly customized zip lines.” ...More HERE

Republicans and Obamacare

"Why doesn't the Republican-controlled House of Representatives give both voters and President Obama what they wished for? ... Obamacare will be imposed on all Americans by 2014. But so far the Obama administration has granted more than 1,200 exemptions to favored corporations and unions, covering about 4 million Americans. Shouldn't Republicans seek to end all exemptions rather than tackle the improbable task of overturning Obamacare itself? Their motto should be: 'Equality for all; special treatment for no one!' One of the brilliant themes of the 2012 Obama campaign was forcing Republicans, on principle, to systematically oppose most of the things that the administration wanted them to oppose -- thereby shielding itself from the unwelcome consequences of its own ideology while winning political points. Now, in defeat, Republicans should agree to let the chips lie where they fall: Tax only the truly rich; reward only the truly deserving illegal immigrants; and exempt no one from Obamacare. Nothing could be fairer or more equal than that." --historian Victor Davis Hanson

The news ... illustrated

Will Republicans commit suicide by reneging on Norquist's anti-tax pledge?

By Nancy J. Thorner -

On this day, Monday, November 26, Congress, returned from its week-long Thanksgiving holiday at which time lawmakers and President Obama will attempt to avert a looming fiscal crisis which very will could send the US economy plunging into another recession.

There are just 36 days left in the Lame Duck session as of today, the time between Election Day 2012 and January, 2013, for a solution to be found that stops taxes from going up on 450 million American
families and help reduce our nation's deficits in a smart and responsible way. 

All sides claim to want to avoid the automatic one-two-punch of expiring cuts and major across-the-board spending cuts (Sequestration) to the Pentagon and domestic programs which came about because of the failure of Congress and the White House to deal with the government's out-of-control debt and a much needed overhaul of its unwieldy tax code.   Sequestration calls for $55 billion, 9 percent cut to the Pentagon next year and another $55 billion in cuts to domestic programs, including a 2 percent cut to Medicare providers.

Top 10 most likely vetoed bills to be considered this week in Springfield

HIGHLAND - State Senator Kyle McCarter (R-Highland) lists these bills Governor Pat Quinn has vetoed as on the docket for discussion when they return for veto session Tuesday.  Before January 1, a two-thirds majority will be required to override the governor's veto. On January 1 and before the new General Assembly is sworn in, a simple majority will be required to override a veto or pass any other legislation.

Senate Bill 681 was originally meant to allow Illinois residents to make online purchases of ammunition from Illinois-based businesses. Illinois residents can already buy ammunition online from suppliers outside of Illinois, but a glitch in the law prevented similar purchases from Illinois-based retailers. The Governor completely rewrote the proposal to turn it into a ban on semi-automatic firearms. The Governor’s changes are opposed by the sponsors of the original measure, who must decide if they will move to override the Governor’s changes or let the measure die and re-introduce the legislation next year.

Senate Bill 1849 authorized a casino for the City of Chicago, in addition to four new land-based casino licenses for other communities and gambling outlets at the state’s horseracing tracks.  Although the Governor vetoed the measure, in recent weeks he has indicated an interest in negotiating an expansion of gambling, including a casino for Chicago. Gaming supporters are unlikely to attempt to override the Governor’s veto, but may instead try to negotiate a new measure.

High Court ruling revives Obamacare challenge

WASHINGTON DC - Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court granted Liberty Counsel’s Petition for Rehearing in the ObamaCare case of Liberty University v. Geithner. Liberty Counsel filed the petition for rehearing on behalf of Liberty University and two private individuals. The ruling breathes new life into the challenge to ObamaCare. The Court directed that the case be reheard at the federal court of appeals in Richmond. This may pave the way for the case to return to the High Court in 2013. At issue is the constitutionality of the employer mandate and also whether ObamaCare’s forced funding of abortion is unconstitutional under the First Amendment Free Exercise of Religion Clause and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

In 2010, Liberty Counsel filed the first private lawsuit against ObamaCare on the day it was signed by President Obama. In 2011, an appeals court in Richmond, VA, ruled that the Anti-Injunction Act (AIA) barred the court from addressing the merits in the Liberty University case, which challenged the individual mandate (Section 1501) and the employer insurance mandate (Section 1513) of ObamaCare. In addition to the constitutional arguments that Congress lacked authority to pass the law, the suit also raised the Free Exercise of Religion and the RFRA claims because of the forced abortion funding.

Halvorson and Williams line up to succeed Jackson Jr

CHICAGO - Former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson, who was once Senate President Emil Jones' right hand, lost the 2012 Democratic primary to Jesse Jackson Jr. Now she's decided she's going to try again in a special election to succeed Jackson, who resigned last week, citing health reasons.

A second candidate, Rev. Anthony Williams, who ran as a write in candidate in Jackson's 2nd CD last November, also announced Sunday he's seeking the Democratic nomination.

No word yet from the Republicans, although Brian Woodworth, who failed to oust Jackson in November, asked his Facebook followers whether he should try again in the special election. Former 2nd CD candidate Isaac Hayes, conservatie online magazine editor Eric Wallace and former Markham alderman John Arrington reportedly are also being encouraged to get in the race.

Governor Quinn is expected to announce Monday the date of the special primary and general election schedule. Estimates are the Jackson fill in election could cost the state in excess of $5 M.

Expect no General Assembly drama until January 2013 lame duck session

SPRINGFIELD - Despite the fact lawmakers will be returning to Springfield Tuesday, there's fairly broad consensus that nothing significant will take place until after January 1.  In the new year, General Assembly voting requirements will lower back to a simple majority. 

Thus, in the weeks after January 1 and before the newly-elected lawmakers are sworn in, the 15 Senate and 21 House members that will not be sworn in with the new General Assembly - referred to as "lame ducks" -  will be free to vote with no constituent accountability.

Lawmakers are bantering about pension reform, same sex marriage, casino and gambling expansion, among other controversial topics that are likely to be voted on after January 1.  In the new General Assembly House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) and Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) will each hold super, veto-proof majorities.

Should the rich pay higher income taxes? (video)

Watch this discussion on Stuart Varney & Company with a millionaire that argues the rich should pay higher taxes. Do you agree or disagree with his arguments?  Should the rich pay more?

The politics of climate change and how to get the job done

By Cranky Housewife -

Frankly, it wouldn't matter if Republicans held the House, Senate and presidency along with the Supreme Court. You are destined for minority status through your bleary pursuit of ambiguity. A complete crisis of confidence as it were. The Democrats will always maintain the upper hand over the GOP in the battle for America's inner self because they know exactly what they want. The GOP only knows what it doesn't want. The Left's manifesto is their mission statement and their mission statement encourages misdirection through sacramental relativism. They have been given permission by their philosophers and priests to do what it takes to get the job done and that's an awful lot of latitude through the grays that survive between black and white.

You Republicans hold no such advantage over your political adversaries. You lack the liberty to deceive. Don't misunderstand. It's not that Republicans are more foundationally ethical, mind you. Rather, you are bound by the limits of Judea-Christian ethicism and this holds you back from the power to rule with an iron fist. When a Republican lies or cheats, there is a very real sense that his actions are worse because it is his job to be principled. Dems are simply not held to such old fashioned morality.

George Ryan's son arrested for DUI

BRADLEY - Law enforcement officials found imprisoned former Governor George Ryan's son, George Ryan Jr, sleeping in his running pickup truck outside a Bradley, IL White Castle early Thursday morning, the Kankakee Daily-Journal reports.

Ryan Jr, now 48, failed sobriety tests and refused chemical testing, Bradley Police reported. He was released on bond Thursday morning.

Ryan Jr stood with his father (pictured below) when he addressed the press the night before the former governor went to prison.

(Photo from Fox Chicago)

‘Rooftop Pastor’ Considers Congressional Bid With Jackson Jr.’s Departure

CHICAGO (CBS) — Pastor Corey Brooks, commonly known as the “rooftop pastor,” confirms he is considering a bid for the 2nd District congressional seat left vacant by Jesse Jackson Jr.

Brooks says two “highly respected” and well-known individuals recently reached out to him and asked him to think about it. As a result, he is organizing an exploratory committee, which met Sunday night. ...More HERE

Rahm Emanuel's Puzzling Washington Post OpEd

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel editorialized in the Washington Post today, and Chicago Republicans aren't as enthralled with the mayor as he seems to be with himself -

In a Washington Post editorial, Rahm Emanuel states he has the prescription to rebuild America; yet, he has failed to fix the city he was elected to lead.

Why should America trust a Mayor who has no answer for the gang violence that continues to haunt his city streets? There were 4 more deaths and 19 injuries from shootings this holiday weekend.  

Who should take advice from a Mayor who gave up on taxpayers when a teacher's union threw a tantrum?  

Why Obamacare is Not a Done Deal

By Teri O'Brien -

Secretary of State Kathleen Sebelius has given the states a reprieve from Obamacare’s mandate that they set up the health insurance exchanges necessary to implement the law. Or has she extended the deadline, hoping that they won’t realize that they are now in the position to torpedo Barack Obama’s entire redistributionist, job-destroying, health-care rationing, death-panel mandating scheme? No wonder people like MS-NBC’s Chris Matthews hate the Tenth amendment.

Some people appear hell bent on turning Thanksgiving, which has traditionally been a wonderful time to reflect on our blessings and bask in an attitude of gratitude, into an opportunity to re-enact the Jerry Springer show by engaging in fist fights over smartphones and stampedes to purchase flat screen TVs. Others view the day as an opportunity to bus in rent-a-mobs to big box stores to engage in annoying pro-union agitation, which is largely ignored by the employees of those stores. I’m no fan of the SEIU or National Education Association, as you know, but do those who say that it’s wrong to make retail employees work on Thanksgiving have a point?

Lewis and Tolkien discuss marriage laws

Forty-nine years ago Thursday, Chronicles of Narnia's treasured author C.S. Lewis passed onto his eternal reward. C.S. Lewis was not only brilliant in fiction, he wrote Christian theological masterpieces that have become classics. One of his most referred to is Mere Christianity. 

Lewis addresses marriage and divorce in the series, and many saw his findings as controversial. Almost half a century later, Lewis' views are still being debated. With states facing referendum on legalizing same sex marriage, the question Lewis raised widens. Should there be two layers of marriage law, as he suggests in Mere Christianity?

The Pilgrims and Property Rights (video)

And one last mention of Thanksgiving 2012 and those ground-breaking, freedom-seeking Pilgrims in this succinct lesson from Reason.tv on property rights -

Obama ‘thinking’ of backing off of no-corporate-money for Inauguration

By Moe Lane -

Hey, guess what? Barack Obama’s not running for anything any more! Which means that he officially no longer has to care about progressive sensibilities.

President Barack Obama’s fundraising advisers have urged the White House to accept corporate donations for his January 2013 inaugural celebration rather than rely exclusively on weary donors who underwrote his $1 billion re-election effort.

People involved in his re-election campaign said White House staff and campaign advisers have been debating whether to accept corporate money to stage the events but haven’t made a final decision.

Translation: Barack Obama is planning to accept corporate money for his second inauguration, and he’s fully expectant that the level of grumbling from progressives in response will not go above a TPM Livewire post. Either that, or Obama has decided that the progressive reaction will be easily survivable even if it gets to the point of actual screaming. The second is arguably more likely to be correct, but the first is certainly possible…

Congressmen Davis and Rush pray for Jesse Jr., ignore his crimes

Two Chicago Congressmen have come out to show support for Jesse Jackson Jr. and his family and say they're disappointed more politicians aren't doing the same.

U.S. Reps. Danny Davis and Bobby Rush joined about 200 people Saturday for the weekly service at the Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH coalition in Chicago.

They joined bishops and ministers on stage in a special prayer for the Jackson family. ...More HERE

Jackson's resignation timing could cost the state $5M

CHICAGO - Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr not only cost 2nd CD several months of having no representation in Congress, the timing of his resignation will cost Illinois upwards of $5 million, researchers predict. 

Recent special congressional elections in Illinois cost between $2700 and 4000 per precinct. The 2nd CD has 590 precincts, shooting the costs to nearly $2.5 M per election.  The special election will require a primary and a special election.  And while local officials were hoping to coincide the special election with the 2013 local elections, Illinois law collides.

Governor Quinn must set a special-ection date within five days, under Illinois law. The election must be held in the 115 days after that. Illinois primaries will take place Feb. 26, but the April 9 election date falls outside the 115-day special-election range. March 21 is the earliest the 2nd District special election could be held.

Occupy Rockford protests Wal-Mart, capitalism, profits; Applauds Obamacare

By Ulysses S. Arn -

On Black Friday, members of Occupy Rockford protested Wal-Mart outside their East State Street store in Rockford, Illinois.  The Occupiers were unhappy with wages for Wal-Mart employees and that Wal-Mart sells products made in China.  These folks didn't grasp the fact that products are made overseas as compared to being made in the US because of taxes, regulations, and the cost of labor. 

When I brought up Obamacare regulations are causing employers like Denny's to cut their workers hours to under 30 per week one Occupier said that Obamacare was the greatest thing to happen in years.  Huh?!??  This same guy wished Obamacare went further, as in single payer socialized medicine. 

Another Occupier kept complaining about corporations, profit, and greed. I tried to explain basic economics to him that without profit no business would exist and that without businesses no one would have a job. I also tried to encourage them to read and watch the late great economist Milton Friedman so they might get an education on how everything they think they know is wrong. No one is forced to shop at, apply at, accept job offers from, work at, or stay at Wal-Mart. Those points completely went over their heads.

Is conservatism a casualty of the times or its salvation?

By Nancy Thorner -

Many who faithfully read Illinois Review every day most likely refer to themselves as "conservative Republicans." I have been concerned for a number of years regarding the future of self-proclaimed conservatives and their waning influence in the Republican Party.

In Lake County there is a functioning and active conservative group that dates back to 2001, the Republican Assembly of Lake County. 

Years ago it was mandatory for RALC members to be pro-life, to ascribe to marriage between one man and one woman, to uphold gun rights via the Second Amendment, etc.  Its Platform is closely aligned with the Platform of the Republican Party in Illinois.  With a relaxation of membership qualifications, no longer is it necessary for a candidate to check "yes" beside all questions asked of prospective members on the RALC membership application form to qualify for membership. 

AFSCME asks Illinoisans for thanks and support

SPRINGFIELD - Although AFSCME Local 31 leaders are confident the courts will rule in their favor and that there's really no reason to be worried yet, union officials appear to be irritated that Governor Quinn effectively terminated their contract this week when negotiations failed. 

"Terminating the contract has little immediate practical effect, as all existing terms and conditions of employment remain in place under state law. But it signals the Quinn Administration’s lack of respect for the collective bargaining process," a press statement said.

“In 40 years of collective bargaining, Pat Quinn is the first and only Illinois governor to terminate a union contract,” AFSCME executive director Henry Bayer said. “His action will heighten employee frustration, provoke instability in the workplace and make settling a contract more difficult.”

So this Thanksgiving weekend, AFSCME Local 31 is asking Illinoisans to sign their petition in support and thanks for all they do for the people of Illinois. Indeed, the same union workers that picketed the Illinois Capitol alongside SEIU, demanding the 67% state income tax hike and also joining Occupy Now's 99% rallies last fall, are now asking for taxpayer support. Thus far 173 have signed in.