Illinois Review

New emails show IRS' Lois Lerner gave confidential tax info to the FEC

Al Salvi, Dick Durbin, Lois Lerner

Paul Bedard of The Washington Examiner is reporting that newly obtained emails show that the Internal Revenue Service shared highly confidential tax information of several Tea Party groups in the IRS scandal with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), a clear violation of federal law.

The public watchdog group Judicial Watch told Bedard Thursday that it was former IRS boss Lois Lerner who shared the information on groups including the American Future Fund and the American Issues Project.

Illinois Review readers will recall that in 1996 Lerner was working for the FEC and involved in the Salvi/Durbin U.S. Senate race - a story that the Chicago mainstream media has ignored to this day.

- - - - - - - - - -
See also:
Lerner intrigue goes back to '96 Durbin/Salvi U.S. Senate race
Lois Lerner to 1996 U.S. Senate Candidate Al Salvi: "We'll get you!"
- - - - - - - - - -

These most recent recent emails, obtained by Judicial Watch through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, show that the IRS gave the FEC the tax returns of the groups, including income, expenditures and staff pay. The emails also revealed the exact wording of the prying political questions the IRS wanted the groups to reveal, such as their goals and the requests for brochures and ads.

According to Bedard, the email chain began Feb. 3, 2009, when the FEC made it’s request to Lerner. She emailed back 10 minutes later, and said: “I have sent your email out to some of my staff. Will get back to you as soon as I have heard from them.”

According to Judicial Watch, the materials “from the IRS’ files sent from Lerner to the FEC contained detailed, confidential information about the organizations, which under Section 6013 of the Internal Revenue Code, it is a felony for an IRS official to disclose - even to another government agency.”

“These extensive emails and other materials provide a disturbing window into the activities of two out-of-control federal agencies: the IRS and FEC,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “And there is the very real question as to whether these documents evidence a crime.”

House ethics committee to take no action against Schakowsky, Gutierrez

WASHINGTON DC - The House ethics committee announced Thursday it will not take any actions against Reps. Jan Schakowsky (photo right) and Luis Gutierrez following their arrests near the Capitol on Oct. 8 at a rally demanding Congress pass an immigration bill.

The two lawmakers paid a $50 fine following their arrest.

Dold Joins Sen. Kirk in Calling on Obama to Increase Sanctions on Iran

LIBERTYVILLE, IL – Bob Dold (R-10), Illinois 10th Congressional candidate, today voiced support for Senator Mark Kirk’s (R-IL) efforts to advance sanctions on Iran amid a flurry of news reports that the White House is pressuring Congress to delay a response. The need for sanctions gained urgency as the Institute for Science and International Security released a report last week that shows Iran now has the technical capability to develop enough weapons-grade uranium for one nuclear bomb in 4-6 weeks. 

During a significant threat to our nation’s ally Israel, Rep. Schneider – a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee – has failed to support Sen. Kirk’s call for additional sanctions on Iran, and further, proposed duplicative legislation that has already passed the House of Representatives in July 2013. 

Illinois' unmatched number of taxing bodies draws national attention

CHICAGO - Ronald Reagan's call for smaller government missed his native Illinois, which has more taxing bodies than any other state. As Bloomberg reports:

Nothing thrives in Illinois like local government -- almost 7,000 units that tax, spend and drive up debt in a state struggling to pay off vendors and cover almost $100 billion of unfunded pension liabilities.

More than any other state, Illinois illustrates how local taxing bodies flourish across the U.S., whether urban or rural, Republican or Democrat. The governments duplicate services and burn tax dollars at the same time states slash money for education and Washington cuts discretionary spending.

In Illinois, which has the 11th highest state and local tax burden in the U.S., overlapping government agencies managing everything from mosquito abatement to fire protection collect billions of dollars, employ tens of thousands and consume resources that could help pay pension deficits and $7.5 billion in outstanding government bills.

Dillard questioned about vote on pro-abortion Human Rights Commissioner

SPRINGFIELD - GOP gubernatorial candidate State Senator Kirk Dillard says there was confusion about the qualifications for Human Rights Commission appointees, and that while he voted in committee to approve an pro-abortion activist for the spot, he opposed the nomination on the Senate floor.

"Senator Dillard voted 'no' on the floor to Terry Cosgrove ... the actual or 'real' recorded vote," Dillard campaign spokesman Wes Bleed told Illinois Review. "There was some confusion over qualifications in committee. Sen. Dillard definitely opposes Mr. Cosgrove's appointment to the Human Rights Committee."

During the October 15th Executive Appointments hearing, Senator Dillard was the only Republican that joined the Democrats in approving abortion activist Terry Cosgrove for re-assignment to the Human Rights Commission. Cosgrove, who actively raises campaign funds for abortion supporters through Personal PAC, will be paid $46,960 annually for serving on the commission from March 2013 until November 2017. 

Two other Republican senators - Tim Bivins and Matthew Murphy voted "no" in committee, and State Senator Sam McCann was not in the room during the vote. All eight Democrats voted "yes."

Author of "The Exorcist" says abortion is "demonic"

Forty years after his book "The Exorcist" rocked America, author William Peter Blatty is upset by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and her obsession with promoting abortion. To him, abortion is "demonic." He's someone who would know.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Blatty explains his concern about his college alma mater Georgetown University, and its embrace of Sebelius last year. He's so concerned that he signed onto an effort expressing disgust with the Catholic-rooted school, and urges them to reverse their current speaker policies, saying:

Rauner launches volunteer video

The Rauner campaign released the following video this week, seeking to recruit volunteers. Sources tell Illinois Review that while Rauner has the money advantage over his Republican challengers, his grassroots support is weak.

Luechtefeld, Meier endorse Cross for Treasurer

OKAWVILLE, IL – The Cross campaign announced this week that State Senator Dave Luechtefeld and State Representative Charlie Meier have endorsed Cross for State Treasurer.

“Tom Cross understands Southern Illinois and has been a strong leader for our region in the General Assembly,” said Luechtefeld. Meier added, “We can trust Tom Cross to work with us to balance the budget and crack-down on the fraud and corruption that bankrupting the state.”

Higgins: The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is back

By Laurie Higgins -

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is poised to rear its ugly and dangerous head again in the U.S. Senate in the next few weeks. The controversial Democrat-sponsored bill (S. 815) currently has 55 co-sponsors, only two of whom are Republicans: U.S. Senator Susan Collins (ME) and our very own, perpetually irksome U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, who has a particular fondness for all pro-homosexual legislation (don’t say we didn’t warn you). U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is also a co-sponsor.

ENDA “[p]rohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity by covered entities (employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or joint labor-management committees).” If passed, no public elementary school or small business owner will be permitted to refuse to hire a man masquerading as a woman.

Hultgren: Obama's healthcare law "should not coerce Americans"

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Randy Hultgren (IL-14) has co-sponsored the Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013 (H.R. 3350). According to Hultgren's office, the legislation is intended to protect Americans whose plans have been canceled as a result of the healthcare law.

“Americans were promised they could keep their insurance plan under Obamacare, but we’ve found that just isn’t the case,” said Hultgren. “Just this week, a constituent of mine told me she received a letter from her insurer informing her that not only would her family of five lose their current plan by the end of the year, but they would be charged at least $370 more per month—for less coverage. And we’ve seen countless others nationwide with similar stories. This is a broken promise and it’s unacceptable.

“I want Americans who are satisfied with their current coverage to be able to keep it. The President’s healthcare law should not coerce Americans into buying new plans that cost more and cover less or cover procedures they don’t need or want.”

Chicago weight police announce fat kids crisis improving, but more money needed

The Chicago Department of Public Health announced today that childhood obesity among Chicago Public School kindergarteners "may" have dropped by five percentage points between 2003 and 2012.

But the fat kids crisis is far from over!

According to the Health Department, despite the decline, the kid's obesity levels are still above the national average for children their age. And the latest government figures don’t show any statistically significant improvements among older students who are measured at 6th and 9th grade.

While government-funded researchers are not able to explain why Chicago kids are heftier than their counterparts in other big cities, most agree that it was a result of "several converging factors."

“Obviously I’m really excited about seeing these numbers headed in the right direction,” said Health Commissioner Bechara Choucair. “But we’ve still got a lot of work to do.” Work that will take take a significant amount of taxpayer money, which means the size of government will grow in order to reduce the size of your kids.

More HERE

All Trick, no treat: Illinois grade school test scores drop in 2013

From ISBE's 2013 School Report Card page

CHICAGO - As Illinois schools plunge headfirst into the national Common Core Curriculum standards, test scores for 2013 showed a dramatic drop for elementary age public school students. Chicago Tribune reports:

The Illinois State Board of Education raised the standards by which it assesses student performance to match those laid out in the Common Core State Standards Initiative. As a result, a school's 2013 ISAT composite scores may appear to have dropped considerably even in cases where student achievement has not changed. More information about the change is available on ISBE's website.

Illinois' previous testing standards are being abandoned for the new federal Common Core curriculum standards.

Obamacare is the law of the land. Get over it.

By Irene F. Starkehaus -

I quite recently overheard a man in the throes of ecstasy over his own particular brand genius as he prattled on about the constitutional requirement of the US government to provide health care for all. It was simple, said he. The government is mandated to promote the general welfare for We the People. It's in the Preamble of the Constitution. The government, therefore, not only has the moral authority to end the health inequality that comes about from social and economic disparities, it has the obligation because such discrepancies offend the human right to health.

Human right to health. And I'll tell you, that's a new one on me. In an era when we can barely be bothered with the human right to life, how did we manage to stumble upon the human right to health? Heaven help us if the federal government really did have the authority to guarantee equal health for all. Having witnessed the effects of government solutions for wealth disparity, can you even fathom the ramifications of requiring health equity? The way the Democrat Party goes about its manifest destiny of fairness, government would end up poking out everyone's eyes to make sure we all had the same level of vision.

So I heard this dialogue and I walked away not knowing whether to weep for the dilapidated state of the American education system that could produce citizens with so little understanding of liberty or laugh at his particularly determined misunderstanding of the term welfare as meaning an entitlement program.

Brian Urlacher joins the Aaron Schock team

PEORIA, IL - Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher will be a guest at a fundraising event for Congressman Aaron Schock next month.

Schock says there's been "an oversaturation of politics" in the past six weeks. He thinks Urlacher will be a welcome change.

The Peoria Republican also says it will help him reach an audience that doesn't typically follow politics. He says it's similar to a cover shoot he did for Men's Health magazine or his appearance on the reality TV show "Top Chef."

Illinois pushing thousands of at-risk citizens off state insurance to Obamacare

State officials are pushing about 21,000 Illinoisans to drop their state-sponsored health insurance policies and seek new plans that will hopefully be offered under Obamacare, a shift they say could save the state money.

For 24 years, thousands of Illinois adults unable to get health coverage have turned to the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan, or CHIP, the state's high-risk insurance pool funded in part with more than $24 million in annual taxpayer subsidies.

Under the program, people deemed uninsurable and others who were dropped from group coverage because they lost their jobs or their employer discontinued the benefit were able to buy private health coverage.

But cash-strapped Illinois is seeking to wind down the program and rid the state of the financial and moral responsibility by forcing these at-risk citizens onto Obamacare.

More at the Chicago Tribune HERE

Matune to challenge State Rep. Ron Sandack in Republican primary

Public school teacher Keith Matune (photo right) says is preparing for a Republican primary election challenge to state Rep. Ron Sandack of Downers Grove and could receive backing from a top conservative group.

Matune said he'd be the "clear conservative" in the race and pointed to Sandack's support of same-sex marriage after previously being against it. "My point is a matter of character and personal ethics," Matune said.

Jon Zahm, a field representative for Illinois Families First, said the group might spend money independently to support Matune but wouldn't work with him directly because of campaign finance laws.

The group, led by Chicago-based Family PAC director Paul Caprio, has worked to find a primary election opponent for the suburbs' other House Republican who has backed same-sex marriage, state Rep. Ed Sullivan of Mundelein.

More HERE

Monticello Illinois farmers honor fallen 31 year old and touch hearts nationwide

MONTICELLO - A collection of photographs taken outside of Champaign Illinois while fellow farmers organized a tribute for young Kyle Hendrix, a 31 year old  Monticello farmer who died losing a battle with cancer, is touching the hearts of Americans nationwide.

The moving photos - by Matt Rubel - hit the web this week and document how Illinois' farming community cares for each other. Not only was equipment from miles around brought in, the farmers are harvesting the Hendrix crop for the young widow and children.

Dr. Ben Carson: Your government is morbidly obese

By Dr. Ben Carson, via The Washington Times -

We have all heard the news stories about people so morbidly obese that they could not exit their house or apartment. I remember one story of a person who had to be lifted out with a crane after a wall was removed.

These people are addicted to eating, and in some cases, ate incessantly even though they knew that they were jeopardizing their health and eventually, their lives. They grew so large that they were barely able to move and rendered themselves largely useless except as a food-disposal unit.
This reminds me of our federal government, which was once agile and responsive, but now is so large and cumbersome that it has difficulty with the simplest of tasks. In order to sustain this ever-growing monster, it must be fed with ever-larger piles of our tax dollars.

Rahm Emanuel to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Obamacare: “Deal with culpability later”

Transcript of CNN's Jake Tapper interviewing Rahm Emanuel:

On someone being fired over Obamacare:

“I have all the confidence and I — and all the assurance that heads are rolling and they’re spinning right now to fix the problem. And that’s what the president wants everybody fix the problem. We’ll deal with culpability later, because the most important thing you’ve got to do is get the problem fixed.”

Full transcript below:

Illinois’ pension crisis keeps getting worse

By Ted Dabrowski -

Even if Illinois pension funds see investment returns that exceed expectations, that still won’t be enough to plug the largest fund’s hole.

The Teachers’ Retirement System reported its pension underfunding grew to $55.73 billion as of June 30, 2013 — an increase of more than $3.5 billion since the end of the previous fiscal year — despite the fact that TRS experienced above-average investment returns of 12.8%.

Two key factors are driving the growing unfunded liability.

First, TRS only has $0.40 in the bank for every dollar it should have today to make necessary pension payouts in the future. That means the high investment returns in 2013 were earned on less than half of the assets that TRS should have.

TRS acknowledged this in a recent press release:

Concern, conviction motivating Bayne's Congressional run

By Joe Kaiser -

Ian Bayne was tired of the political culture in Massachusetts when he lived there more than 10 years ago, and decided to do something about it. He founded the Massachusetts Republican Society PAC in 1998 and worked on a number of high-profile campaigns, including the 2002 gubernatorial campaign for Mitt Romney. Along the way, he clashed with the Democrats and the media.

Bayne, 39, has since moved back to his native Illinois and started a small business, but he is now fed up with what he feels is the same kind of political culture in Illinois that he battled in Massachusetts. Feeling compelled to act again, he declared in April a run for the GOP nomination in the 11th Congressional district, challenging incumbent Democrat Bill Foster.

“It’s not that I want to be a congressman,” Bayne said. “...I just don’t see another choice.”

Part of the urgency to make a difference for Bayne, who is also a syndicated radio show host, stems from his background as the owner of a small, real-estate business. Though he now lives in Aurora, he was born in poverty in Evanston to a single mother, and bounced around from many homes in his early years. He said because of this, he felt desperate and started his real-estate business "out of nothing," but he is concerned that that opportunity may not exist for future generations.

"I genuinely am scared that the opportunity to start businesses won't be here for my children or grandchildren," Bayne said. "I feel that we are losing this country." 

Obama: 'We Leave Nobody Behind'

Commemorating the one year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy Tuesday, Barack Obama issued a statement, saying, "Over the past year, my Administration has fought for these [hard hit] communities throughout the response, and the federal government will remain by their side as our fellow citizens rebuild." He added, "That's who we are as Americans -- we take care of our own. We leave nobody behind." (Unless you're an ambassador under a terrorist attack in Benghazi just before a pivotal election...)

H/T: Patriot Post

ObamaCare "sticker shock" triggers panic in Illinois households

Illinoisans are being notified their health insurance plans are cancelled because they do not meet Obamacare requirements, and Illinoisans getting those letters are shocked by the skyrocketing costs that will change their lifestyles as they find the costs impossible to manage. 

Illinoisans that buy their own health care insurance were promised that they would be able to keep their health care plans if they liked it, not only by President Obama, but U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.

McCain and Durbin talk immigration at City Club of Chicago

By Mark Weyermuller -

Monday, at Maggiano's Restaurant in the Loop, U.S. Senators John McCain and Dick Durbin appeared together in front of the City Club of Chicago. The event was billed as a discussion of immigration reform before about 400 business leaders.

Each of the senators spoke for several minutes, spending considerable time praising each other and discussing immigration reform before the U.S. Senate. Then they fielded seven written questions from the audience on various topics including foreign policy, transportation funding, and healthcare. (During one of the answers, somebody's cell phone went off with the "Godfather" theme music as the ring tone. Professor Paul Green - who was moderating - asked which senator was the Godfather which brought laughs.)

Sebelius denies Obamacare website problems, replies "Whatever"

WASHINGTON DC - During her testimony on Capitol Hill this morning, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told Congress members the ObamaCare website "never crashed." Her answer to whether President Obama is responsible for the failure as “Whatever,” and then said there isn’t reliable enrollment data because ObamaCare is functioning so poorly. 

“Instead of presenting answers and solutions for the ObamaCare trainwreck, Kathleen Sebelius continued the Obama Administration’s campaign to mislead Americans," RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement. "It’s even more clear today that Secretary Sebelius needs to be fired and if she worked for a private company she would have been weeks ago.

Michelle Malkin to headline Restore Illinois Summit

NAPERVILLE - Fox News commentator and Obama antagonist Michelle Malkin will be a key speaker at this weekend's Restore Illinois Summit in Rosemont.

In addition to the Malkin, the summit will feature Tim Phillips, President of Americans for Prosperity; Dana Loesch, radio host and political commentator; Fox News contributor Guy Benson; former Congressman Joe Walsh; and WLS 890 radio host Dan Proft.

In addition, the four GOP gubernatorial candidates - Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, Bruce Rauner, and Dan Rutherford - will appear and speak.

Tickets can be purchased HERE

Illinois uses Day of the Dead to market Obamacare

By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Watchdog -

SPRINGFIELD, IL - In Illinois, painted skulls and merry skeletons will be the new imagery of the zombie-like Obamacare website.

Illinois is promoting Obamacare with a massive, statewide outreach program that will include tying the president’s signature policy piece to the Day of the Dead.

“When you talk about honoring the dead, it is also a celebration of life,” Tomas Ramirez, an outreach counselor at the Pilsen Wellness Center, told Illinois Watchdog. “How does (the Day of the Dead) connect to the Affordable Care Act? By having an opportunity for health care, you have an opportunity to live.”

...The Day of the Dead outreach is the most colorful of the 160 events planned by Illinois’ outreach and enrollment counselors. ...The groups were handed $27 million to help educate people about the new national health care push. ...More HERE

Nestle moving pizza division from Illinois to Ohio

Nestle USA says it's relocating its frozen pizza division from Illinois to the Cleveland suburb of Solon, joining its other businesses and expanding its research center there.

The company expects about 250 jobs eventually to come from the move and associated growth. Nestle acquired the pizza division from Kraft Foods in 2010. It makes such brands as DiGiorno, California Pizza Kitchen, Tombstone and Jack's.

New interactive map shows how state pensioners fare in your school district

For many Illinoisans it is increasingly difficult not not to get upset when thinking about school districts, where property taxes go and who benefits the most. That's especially true if the numbers reflect people in the neighborhood - or in most cases, people who no longer live in the area because they can afford nicer locations.

It's that in-my-backyard revelation that may be causing a stir about Adam Andrzejewski's newest project. His organization - Open The Books - has posted online a "heated" map of government school system pensioners that get more than $100,000 from taxpayers.

For example, in the blue collar Bremen Township School District 228, a number of names turned up that are retired now, living comfortably off business and home owners' hard-earned tax dollars. We went to Open The Books map and searched "Bremen." Here's the first five pensioners listed, the amount they get each month, how much they could get in total, and how much they paid into the pension system.

Schakowsky on Obamacare website meltdown: "GOP, Get Over IT!"

Another addition to Illinois Review's "You Can't Make this Stuff Up File," this time from Illinois' 9th U.S. Congressional District representative on Wednesday's Obamacare hearing: 

I'm speaking now at #Obamacare hearing, I want to say to GOP GET OVER IT

— Jan Schakowsky (@janschakowsky) October 30, 2013

CNN anchor: Obama threatens reporters who say “anything bad” about him

According to CNN’s Carol Costello, the Obama Administration tries to get reporters fired for embarrassing the president.

On CNN last night, Costello said if you make Obama look bad, you can lose your job as a reporter. “...I felt it first hand when I was, you know, reporting on the presidential race. I mean President Obama’s people can be quite nasty. They don’t like you to say anything bad about their boss, and they’re not afraid to use whatever means they have at hand to stop you from doing that, including threatening your job,” she revealed.

H/T: MrConservative

Washington Post gives Obama's health care promise four pinocchios

“That means that no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise to the American people: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what.” -–President Obama, speech to the American Medical Association, June 15, 2009 (as the health care law was being written.)

“And if you like your insurance plan, you will keep it.  No one will be able to take that away from you. It hasn’t happened yet. It won’t happen in the future.” -–Obama, remarks in Portland, April 1, 2010, after the health care law was signed into law.

The Washington Post, a legacy newspaper that has never been mistaken as conservative, has given President Obama four pinocchios for lying about his Obamacare plan. Four pinocchios is considered a "whopper" of a lie in the Post's ratings.

RNC mocks HealthCare.gov with parody of MAC vs PC ads

The Republican National Committee has taken advantage of the disastrous rollout of Obamacare and the debacle surrounding HealthCare.gov by releasing a new web video series comparing the government to the private sector.

The videos are a parody of the Apple commercials comparing the MAC to the PC, focusing on customer service, ease of use and quality of care.

More videos HERE

Madigan accuses BGA of bullying, and an ‘agenda to impugn the Democratic Party’

Among the many persecuted groups in Illinois, the Democratic Party doesn’t come up too often. But Mike Madigan insists that he’s getting bullied by the Better Government Association, just because he’s blue. In a letter to the Democratic caucus, Madigan complains that the BGA is on a witch hunt for a story that revealed that as many as 29 of 30 people who circulated nominating petitions for him have been on the government payroll.

More HERE

Federal informant DiFoggio dead in apparent suicide

Michael Sneed of the Sun-Times is reporting that Michael DiFoggio (photo right), a politically connected Bridgeport developer who became an informant for the feds, has apparently committed suicide.

DiFoggio was a key government witness in the recent corruption cases of former Cook County Board Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno and former Ald. Ambrosio Medrano.

His cooperation with the feds was a source of widespread speculation whether more indictments were in the works. “According to my clients on the street, there was a Second Act coming,” said prominent defense attorney Joseph R. Lopez, who has represented many organized crime figures over the years.

DiFoggio had secretly recorded Medrano and Moreno for the feds. He passed a bribe of $5,000 to Moreno in his car to help grease the deal in December 2010. Just a few months before, Moreno had been appointed to a Town of Cicero local business assistance committee by Cicero President Larry Dominick.

At one point, Moreno told DiFoggio: “I don’t want to be a hog, I just want to be a pig. Hogs get slaughtered, pigs get fat.”

Photo by: John J. Kim~Sun-Times

Stand-your-ground laws are non-partisan, Cato Institute legal expert says

WASHINGTON - At U.S. Senator Dick Durbin's Stand Your Ground hearing on Tuesday, Cato Institute fellow Ilya Shapiro set the record straight on the legal history of protecting citizens' right to defend themselves without a "duty to retreat."

The concept of defending oneself does not reflect political party or ideology, as Senator Durbin strived to portray through his own comments, as well as the testimony of witnesses he invited before his committee.

Shapiro said (video below): "…there’s nothing particularly novel, partisan, or ideological about these laws. All they do is allow people to assert their right to self-defense in certain circumstances without having a so-called “duty to retreat.” The SYG principle has been enshrined in the law of a majority of U.S. states for over 150 years, originating as judge-made common law and eventually being codified by statute."

Schock on glitch-ridden Obamacare rollout

WASHINGTON - On Fox News' "On the Record" Tuesday night, Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock (R-17) discussed the Obamacare rollout debacle and what he thinks will happen if Democrat Congress members continue to ignore what their constituents back home are saying about what the plan will do to their health insurance coverage -

Thorner: Will the Nov. 30 deadline promise be the straw that broke the camel's back?

By Nancy Thorner -

It was on Friday, October 25th, that Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Kathleen Sebelius, speaking at a panel in San Antonio, urged potential healthcare consumers to disregard ObamaCare website horror stories and partisan bickering over the law. In Sebelius' words when asked what advise she would give to those seeking federal healthcare plans:

"Sign up," she said, "Don't believe what you've heard. Just check it out, look at the prices, look at the plans.

Sebelius further indicated that "significant improvement" have already been made and that administration officials vowed to have the site fully repaired by Nov. 30 (two months after the October 1st roll-out), and fully workable in time for users to buy the coverage that takes effect on January 1st.

O'Brien: The Reason Ronald Reagan Was Victorious Over the Left

By Teri O'Brien - 

I heard Rush Limbaugh talking Tuesday about something that we’ve discussed here, and on The Teri O’Brien Show; specifically, that East Coast Brain Rot-afflicted establishment Republicans don’t get it. They don’t understand that we are in an existential battle for the soul of this country, which is why instead of standing with guys like Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Mike Lee, who do appreciate what we’re up against, they fight them instead of Barack Obama.

People sometimes say “why can’t Republican leaders today be like Ronald Reagan?” When it comes to waging war against the Left, Sen. Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House John Boehner are at a distinct disadvantage compared to President Reagan. Ronald Reagan had the experience of fighting communists when he was head of the Screen Actors Guild in the 1940′s. He knew how vicious and deceitful they are, and how there is nothing they won’t do to further their utopian vision. Guys like McConnell don’t have a clue.

Thorner: Illinois pension debacle expands more each day

By Nancy Thorner -

Illinois Representative Jeanne Ives (District 42- R), in her Veto Session Half-Time Report, described the time spent as just typical days of minimal activity.  There was no serious pension reform, but there were increased spending requests, and discussions of tax incentives for large corporations to entice them to stay in Illinois.

To add insult to injury, Illinois has the worst-funded pension system in the nation ($100 billion and rising) with only 39 cents in assets for every $1 of obligations. 

Shouldn't the state of Illinois be reckoned with as a state having a financial crisis of gigantic proportions, given that the state is estimated to be $5.4 billion behind in paying its bills and where more than 20 percent of its budget is devoted to public employee pensions.  Additionally, Illinois also has the second highest unemployment rate in this nation.

Ted Cruz refers to Illinois Review in stand-your-ground debate with Dick Durbin

WASHINGTON - At U.S. Senator Richard "Dick" Durbin's "Stand-Your-Ground" hearing on Tuesday, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) referred to an Illinois Review story (HERE) about how State Sen. Barack Obama actually supported legislation that strengthened Illinois' stand-your-ground law.

As evidence that such laws are not racially biased, Cruz noted that “in 2004 a state senator in Illinois by the name of Barack Obama co-sponsored an expansion of Illinois’ law providing civil immunity for those who use justifiable force to defend themselves." He continued, "The notion that stand your ground laws are some form of veiled racism may be a convenient political attack, but it is not borne out by the facts remotely.”

Related Illinois Review stories:

Obama Co-Sponsored Legislation Strengthening Illinois' "Stand-Your-Ground" Law

Confusion Over Illinois Self-Defense Law Continues

Does Illinois Have a "Stand-Your-Ground" Law? The Answer is "Yes"

Schock grills Administration, calls Obama's promise a lie

Today, Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) participated in the House Ways and Means full committee hearing on the status of Obamacare implementation. The administration witness at the hearing was Marilyn Tavenner, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

During the hearing, Schock directly challenged the promise made by the Obama Administration that “if you like your plan, you can keep it.” Schock read aloud an emotional story of an individual in the Illinois 18th congressional district who received her notice in the mail that she would not be able to keep her current health care plan and would see her rate nearly double, because her plan has been deemed ineligible by Obamacare.

Only 7 of Illinois' 3,500+ mayors back gay marriage

SPRINGFIELD, IL - The left-wing group "Illinois Unites for Marriage" (IUM) is reporting that 7 of the more than 3,500 Illinois mayors have come out in support of redefining marriage in Illinois.

According to IUM, the mayors of Plano, Geneva, North Aurora, St. Charles, Elburn, DeKalb and Sleepy Hollow released a joint letter Tuesday morning stating their support.

Gay marriage activists are targeting suburban Republicans as well as moderate Democrat members of the House Black Caucus to get the votes needed to make gay marriage legal. Illinois legalized civil unions in 2011.

Durbin echoed Obama's promise: "If you like what you have, you can keep it"

"First and foremost, it stays true to the President's call that if you like what you have, you can keep it. The bill also makes health insurance more affordable to all Americans - including people who are self-employed or work for a small business, people who have a pre-existing condition, and people who change jobs or lose their jobs." --U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) | January 5, 2010

The context of Senator Durbin's promise to the people of Illinois:

Quinn considering Chicago Treasurer Neely as his running mate

Neely is sworn in as city treasurer in May 2011. (Nancy Stone/ Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Gov. Quinn has spoken to Chicago City Treasurer Stephanie Neely about being his lieutenant governor running mate.

Selecting Neely, an African-American woman, could help Quinn with black voters who have increasingly been divided over Quinn's support of gay marriage and failure to enact any meaningful education reform.

A new state law requires candidates for governor and lieutenant governor to run as a team in next year’s March primary elections. And candidates for governor cannot begin circulating their nominating petitions until they secure a running mate. Candidacy petitions must be filed by early December.

Illinois Obamacare grant goes to California

By Jackson Adams -

A California group with a history of making political contributions to Illinois politicians and connections to the Obama administration was awarded a federal “navigator” grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, to help Illinoisans enroll in the Obamacare health insurance exchange.

The East Los Angeles Community Union, or TELACU, was awarded a grant of $294,182. They were one of only 11 groups to win federal navigator grants earmarked for Illinois.

“Navigator” is one of a number of titles for those certified to guide the uninsured into Obamacare’s insurance exchanges. Other titles include “in-person counselors” and “assisters,” depending on where the funds for the positions came from.

Woodstock, Illinois company calls it quits, moves to Ohio

PQ Shelters Inc., a subsidiary of the Armor Group Inc., announced it will be moving its operations from Woodstock, IL to Mason, OH.

The move will result in approximately 100 manufacturing jobs moving from Illinois to the region between Cincinnati and Dayton.

More at Dayton Business Journal

Congressman Roskam talks HealthCare.gov

WASHINGTON - Congressman Peter Roskam welcomes questions from constituents:

Then he asked a question of the HealthCare.gov website company head Tuesday in Washington D.C.:

Former Foster staffer blasts ObamaCare as "not affordable to me"

Sue Klinkhamer, who worked for Democratic Congressman Bill Foster before he was kicked out of office for his support of the healthcare law, said that she was a defender of the President’s healthcare law for years because she thought it would finally provide affordable healthcare to all Americans. That was until she herself had to enroll and found that the law was anything but affordable.

From the Sun Times: “I am a Democrat and I believe in health care for all,” she said. “And I was excited that previously uninsured people could now get insurance on the open market. But this is not affordable to me.”

Illegal aliens to get Illinois driver's licenses starting in December

CHICAGO - Illegal aliens living in Illinois may begin applying for a state driver's license in December. Secretary of State Jesse White said Tuesday a pilot program will begin at four state driver services facilities. The full rollout at 21 other locations is scheduled for January.

Supporters say the law will save Illinois motorists money and improve safety. Critics in law enforcement say there's very real potential for identity fraud.