Illinois Review

Rossi: Dem Candidates Go Loony Left on Climate Change

By Randy Rossi - 

Just when you think that the Democrat candidates for president can’t get any crazier, they do!

CNN just collaborated with the Democrat candidates for president and invested 7 hours to allow them to pontificate on the most insane and destructive proposals imaginable to address the manufactured crisis of manmade climate change which would not only bankrupt America and send us to the Dark Ages, it would destroy our Republic and give the government total control over every aspect of our lives including what kind of food we eat, what cars we drive, and how many babies we can have!

AJ+ Is Al Jazeera

There’s a social media site whose glitzy videos populate your newsfeed. Its content overflows with typical leftist tropes. No, it’s not CNN or MSNBC. You should know what it is and the nefarious people backing it. Raheem Kassam, author of No Go Zones, explains why, when you come across these videos, you should swipe left.

Weyermuller: Remembering Phyllis Schlafly

By Mark Weyermuller -

Phyllis Schlafly passed away three years ago yesterday. Born August 24, 1924 - Died September 5, 2016.

She worked her way through college testing machine guns during World War II. She and her husband had six children, after which she earned a law degree. She ran for the U.S. Congress, then became active in protecting the traditional American family. She founded the Eagle Forum while resisting the Leftists' Equal Rights Amendment and was one of the first champions in the pro-life movement.

What’s the Purpose of a Corporation?

The modern corporation, as we know it today, was born of state power. It was chartered specifically as a vessel for a variety of anti-competitive privileges.

Earlier this month, a group of 181 CEOs, including those of many of the country’s largest and most influential companies, signed a statement signaling commitment to the betterment of society and to “an economy that serves all Americans.”

Are Catholicism and America compatible?

"America,” proclaimed Pope St. John Paul II in 1995, “has always wanted to be a land of the free. Today, the challenge facing America is to find freedom’s fulfillment in the truth.”

Skillicorn takes a pass on 14th CD GOP primary bid; endorses Oberweis

CRYSTAL LAKE – Instead of challenging him in the 14th CD, State Rep. Allen Skillicorn announced Wednesday he's endorsing Jim Oberweis in the 2020 IL GOP Primary. The winner of the March 2020 primary will challenge Democrat newbie Lauren Underwood in the General Election.

“It is no secret that one of the issues I am most passionate about is taxes,” Skillicorn said. “From Day One in the State Legislature, I have been a consistent opponent to tax increases. The one member in the State Senate with a similar record of opposition to taxes is Jim Oberweis. Lauren Underwood will do nothing but vote for tax increases. Jim Oberweis will stand up for taxpayers.”

Feds officially drop charges against provocative former IL congressman

PEORIA - Federal prosecutors officially dropped all charges against former US Rep. Aaron Schock Wednesday. 

Schock, who represented Illinois' congressional district that included Peoria, was charged in a 24-count indictment in November 2016. Those charges included wire fraud, mail fraud, theft of government funds, making false statements, filing false reports with federal election officials and filing false tax return.

He pled guilty to some charges, agreed to pay back misspent funds and pay taxes he owed to the federal government. A judge dismissed two counts.

Another ILGOP US Senate candidate announces primary bid

SPRINGFIELD - Dr. Tim Tarter of Springfield has joined the list of Republican candidates vying to challenge incumbent Dick Durbin in 2020. He has the support of Congressman Rodney Davis (IL-13) and Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming.

Where’s Weyermuller? At Chicago NW Side GOP Club Election Kickoff Meeting

By Mark Weyermuller -

Newsflash: There really are Republicans in Chicago!

How the LGBTQ Community became Illinois' most feared political force

The late Michael Bauer (r) with Mayor Lightfoot (c) and Bauer's husband Roger Simon (l) 

CHICAGO - In Crain's Chicago Wednesday, columnist Greg Hinz writes about a funeral he attended Tuesday of one of Chicago's most powerful and influential gay rights leaders, activist Michael Bauer. 

Illinois political leaders attended the funeral to pay their respects for Bauer including, Hinz writes, Governor Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Cook Co Board President Toni Preckwinkle, US Senator Dick Durbin, as well as "Illinois General Assembly leaders and so many union bosses, newspaper publishers and sundry movers and shakers."

Rep. Miller says reforming Illinois government is an uphill battle, but he's in for 2020

OAKLAND – State Representative Chris Miller (R-Oakland) says there is too much unfinished business in Springfield and he will be running for re-election in 2020.

“The need for reform in Illinois government is greater than ever,” the downstate rep said in a press statement. “There is a growing dissatisfaction with state government because too often our legislative leaders are listening more to politically-connected insiders than they are to the people of this great state. I know it is an uphill battle and I know the challenges we have in getting real reforms passed into law, but I am not one to back down from a challenge. I am running again to keep the pressure on Springfield to finally put politics aside and put the needs of people of Illinois first.”

Thorner: Does the Declaration of Independence still matter?

By Nancy Thorner - 

On the program at the 4th Annual Conservative Activist Conference held at Bolingbrook , IL, on Saturday August 24, 2019, hosted by the Illinois Conservative Union, Carol Davis, Chairman, ICU, was one of many excellent speakers, Chicago author and lawyer, David Shestokas. Shestokas shared a fascinating story about his book, "Creating the Declaration of Independence." 

Chicago's Gun Offender Website is Problematic

Lennie Jarratt fears the new Chicago Police Department’s (CPD) Gun Offender Dashboard website could end up being a case of a well-intended plan having too many unintended consequences.

“It would have people charged with things like unlawful possession on the same page as those facing much more serious crimes,” Jarratt, project manager for the Center for Transforming Education at the Heartland Institute, told Chicago City Wire.

The Taxman Misses....Again

The taxman misses. French lawmakers wanted to tax digital giants like Amazon, but their tax plan, write Elke Asen and Daniel Bunn, hit the wrong target:

Ruling Against Johnson & Johnson raises more questions

It could be that Johnson & Johnson is not the culprit the media reports it to be. Johnson & Johnson must pay $572 million for helping create the opioid crisis, an Oklahoma judge ruled this week. The company, said the judge, minimized the addictive hazards of prescriptions opioids in promoting the drug. But, writes Jacob Sullum, the evidence shows that medically prescribed uses of opioids are not a significant source of addiction or overdose:

Shimkus to retire in 2020; says he's "just tired"

COLLINSVILLE - After 20 years, Congressman John Shimkus announced last Friday that he would not be running for re-election again in 2020. 

"It has been the honor of my lifetime to be asked by the people of Illinois to represent them in our nation’s capitol. Each day I have tried to do this as best as I possibly could, and my success lies squarely at the feet of my incredible staff in Illinois and Washington, DC," Shimkus wrote on his Facebook page.

"I will leave the political field knowing that I have served honorably and, with the help of many, accomplished a lot for my constituents, our state, and our nation."

Monday, Shimkus - prolific on Twitter and Facebook - said he is tired.

Trump on Labor Day: We honor those that turned the US into an economic powerhouse

Issued from the White House on August 30, 2019: 

On Labor Day, we recognize the remarkable American workers who comprise the greatest labor force in the world.  American workers are the heart and soul of our Nation’s economic resurgence.  Since my first day in office, I have followed through on my promise to fight for an agenda that puts American workers first.

Chicago marks 154 shooting homicides thus far this summer

ABCNews photo

CHICAGO - The HeyJackass.com website reports thus far this Labor Day weekend, nine killed in Chicago and 31 wounded - but that's just the latest.

"Since opening day on Friday, May 24th, we’ve tallied 154 homicides plus another 850+ shot & wounded. This particular weekend, like other holiday weekends, tend to be stupider than most, so we’ll no doubt be adding to those totals before it’s all over," the website writes.

The Poorest 20% of Americans Are Richer on Average Than Most Nations of Europe

America’s poor are surprisingly wealthy. If the poorest 20 percent of Americans were a country, they would rank in the top half (13th) in material well being among the countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. This finding, writes James Agresti, contradicts a recent New York Times video op-ed by Taige Jensen and Nayeema Raza, who “claim that the U.S. has ‘fallen well behind Europe’ in many respects and has ‘more in common with “developing countries” than we’d like to admit.’”

The most glaring evidence against the Times’ rhetoric is a note located just above the OECD’s data for poverty rates. It explains that these rates measure relative poverty within nations, not between nations. As the note states, the figures represent portions of people with less than “half the median household income” in their own nations—and thus—”two countries with the same poverty rates may differ in terms of the relative income-level of the poor.”

Rossi: Is Equal Justice Dead?

By Randy Rossi - 

Finally the IG report on James Comey’s abuse of power by leaking documents to the news media to start the “Russian Collusion” investigation is out and it is devastating to Mr. Comey. It clearly points out that James Comey absolutely broke FBI rules, processes, and his employment agreement by keeping and leaking FBI documents with the admitted intent to start that phony investigation because he hated President Trump. The IG report summed it up by saying that Comey “Set a dangerous example for FBI employees” and they made a criminal referral to have Comey prosecuted. That’s the good news!

Sadly, the bad news is that despite the overwhelming evidence, the DOJ has chosen not to prosecute James Comey on this particular issue. Just like Hillary Clinton was not prosecuted for committing multiple felonies by not submitting the 30,000 of her e-mails that were subpoenaed and then destroying them and “acid washing” her computers hoping to hide those e-mails from the American people. My law professor told us 35 years ago that if we were subpoenaed by the feds to give them documents and refused to provide them and then destroyed those documents, we would go to jail for 10-20 years. Everybody but Hillary Clinton that is!

Ozinga takes message directly to 37th House District voters

It's 2019, and social media is no longer something "nice" to have for a political campaign ... it's now a way to get a candidate's message directly to potential voters. It's cheaper than TV, mailings or radio and it allows an authentic insight into how the candidate thinks - something skeptical voters want.

In Illinois' 37th House District, Republican Tim Ozinga is taking the social media path to a new level in his bid to be the party's nominee in the November 2020 election.  

North Carolina Paves Way for Patient Freedom

Every year, millions of Americans needlessly suffer from debilitating diseases because the process of bringing new drugs to patients is hopelessly outdated and convoluted. Fortunately, federal legislation known as Right to Try (RTT) was passed into law in 2017. In essence, RTT allows terminally ill patients access to some unapproved therapies. As RTT was a successful step toward patient freedom there are still improvements to be made to expedite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) drug approval process. RTT effectively started the discussion around the shortfalls of the current FDA drug approval process and drew attention to the need for reform. 

As the North Carolina Legislature concluded its 2019 legislative session, Republicans and Democrats came together in support of patient freedom and further reform by passing House Bill 934, which was signed into law in July by Gov. Roy Cooper (D). 

More HERE

AOC Bad Idea: Abolishing the Electoral College

You can always count on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to say things that don’t make any sense. Last week the radical democratic socialist proposed yet another in a long series of impractical, unachievable and harmful ideas: abolishing the Electoral College.

Before explaining why this is a very bad idea, let me give some breaking news to Ocasio-Cortez, who apparently was absent the day her high school social studies teacher explained how the Constitution is amended.

More HERE