Illinois Review

Where's Weyermuller? Voting NO on the Wilmette $14.5 Million Dollar Tax Increase

By Mark Weyermuller - 

I'm voting NO on the the $14.5 million dollar tax increase on the ballot in Wilmette on Tuesday, April 7, 2015. The bond issue referendum was proposed by the park district to build a bathroom at the Langdon Beach. The board also plans improvements to the Lakeside Center and various other projects at Gilson Beach on the lakefront. We have all the facts and the fact is taxes are too high.

Thorner: Spirit of Freedom alive and well at the IFI Fall Banquet

Wheaton College Horn Quartet

By Nancy Thorner - 

The Illinois Family Institute, David E. Smith, IFI Executive Director, held its Faith, Family & Freedom Fall Banquet on Friday night, September 19, titled, “Freedom in the Balance,” at the Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows, IL. Featured was Bonhoeffer author Eric Metaxas, whose message was a powerful one in light of the coming November elections. The six hundred friends and members of the Illinois Family Institute who attended the event left inspired with a renewed dedication to go out and spread its timely and prophetic message.

Throughout the program the excellent Wheaton College Horn Quartet & Pastor Rob Daniels, Executive Pastor, Westbrook Christian Church, performed hymns and patriotic tunes, among them the "National Anthem, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "America the Beautiful."  Piano music was also provided by the very talented oldest son and daughter of David E. Smith while dinner was being served.

Dold blasts Schneider for "misleading seniors" about looming Medicare cuts

Schnieder and Dold faced off in 2012 on WTTW's Chicago Tonight

LIBERTYVILLE - Wednesday, the Dold campaign charged incumbent Democrat Brad Schneider of misleading seniors in the 10th CD when he denied ObamaCare would cut Medicare benefits during a 2012 WTTW debate.

Schneider, then the Democratic challenger, rebutted then-Congressman Bob Dold's point that ObamaCare would cut in senior health care benefits. Schneider insisted "not one penny" would be cut. (See Clip HERE.)

"Not only has Brad Schneider’s healthcare agenda slashed Medicare Advantage benefits for seniors to the tune of $150 billion hitting 10th District seniors with an average cut of $1,341 starting next year – but he misled seniors to believe these cuts would never happen," a Dold campaign release said Wednesday. "And he got caught on tape doing it."

O'Brien: Michelle's Latest Junket and The Politics of Black Skin Privilege

By Teri O'Brien - 

The Obamas, the most successful race hustlers in the history of this country, continue to play their skin game and exploit their black skin privilege, while the lap dog media continues to dangle shiny objects like the missing Malaysian aircraft, "March Madness," and bootleg butt injections (and you thought it was just Michelle's arms that people envied!) before the American people.

The use of huge posteriors to distract us from Moochelle's latest junket is not the only irony at play here. Yesterday, the First Klingon took a break from her opulent getaway to speak out in favor of free speech and religious freedom. Perhaps her husband's regime, who has unleashed the IRS on his political opposition and is currently in court trying to force religious institutions into violating their beliefs, could consider applying those fine noble principles here in the United States. Is there also a bit of irony in the fact that Michelle, who, along with the rest of this phony bunch, portrays herself as a champion of the "little guy" has a mother who apparently is terrorizing the staff at their Chinese luxury hotel?

O'BRIEN: How We Got in This Mess: The Presidential Eligibility Dilemma

By Teri O'Brien - 

As we watch millions of Americans continue to suffer in this horrific economy, losing their jobs, their health insurance, and for those of those gullible enough to believe Barack Obama's risible slogans and promises, any "hope," it's a good time to re-visit the 800-pound gorilla in the room; specifically, the fact that Barack Obama is illegally occupying the office of President of the United States. Too harsh? No, I don't think so. Read on.

I hope that you will all indulge me for a few minutes while I express my love and devotion to that outdated document, the U.S. Constitution, drafted over 200 years ago by DWEM (Dead White European Men) who stuck their necks out to make it happen. It has been pronounced "quaint" by none other than liberal wunderkind/twit, the Washington Post's Ezra Klein. If I a guy ever looked like he was about to be on the receiving end of an atomic wedgie, it's this guy, the "whippersnapper apparatchik," Mr. Klein. He finds the Constitution "confusing, because it was written over 100 years ago. Yeah, that Gettysburg Address is also a stumper, right, my lefty friend? That's obviously a fine education they give you at UCLA. In fairness to Ezra, I hear that he has mastered every level of World of Warcraft. 

Unfortunately, it's not only the silly, callow Mr. Klein who regards the Constitution as a relic of a bygone age. Barack Obama himself is no fan of the document of "negative liberties," a way to obfuscate what he really thinks; specifically, that the Constitution is deeply flawed because it is primarily a restriction on the federal government, and that's bad.

Shazam! Liberal Death Star Reveals "Truth" About Benghazi Murders. It WAS the Video!

By Teri O'Brien -

The New York Times has a penetrating report out this morning, revealing everything you wanted to know about what really happened in Benghazi on September 11, 2012; that is, if you are hoping to bolster Hillary Clinton's presidential prospects in 2016. I thought it didn't make any difference at this point? What some East Coast Brain afflicted types still consider "the newspaper of record," and the rest of the country considers a joke, claims that we bitter clingers who suggested that the Obama administration, including its uber-competent Secretary of State, dropped the ball were wrong. It wasn't an al Qaeda attack, after all; that is, not CORE al Qaeda. No, your Honor, my client isn't a burglar. He's a robber, not a burglar.

O'Brien: Hey Obama, You Owe Me $2500

By Teri O'Brien -

Will the Obamacare debacle, a cynical purely political power grab enacted by using bribes, background deals, broken promises, and outright, pre-meditated lies, be the death knell of liberalism? Wouldn’t it be ironic if the election Barack Hussein Obama, the first genuine radical leftist to occupy the Oval Office, exposed once and for all the folly of big government redistributionist policies with his signature “achievement”? Some commentators are suggesting just that. What say you? Listeners to last week’s show heard a montage, over 3 minutes long, in which our Sham WOW (Walks on Water) Pitchman-in-Chief endlessly repeated one of the signature lies he used to con the gullible into accepting this socialist scheme; specifically, that “if you like your current plan, you can keep it.” Now American people are learning the ugly truth, not only about this lie, but others, told in the service of tricking them. In these days just after Halloween, it’s clear that the (Un)Affordable Care Act is all tricks, and for those other than the beneficiaries of “Barack’s stash,” no treats. We’ll hear another montage today, and ask “where’s my $2500?”

Pierce: Official Shutdown Campaign Expenditures?

By Sam Pierce -

How demented is the Obama media? Of course, there should be no surprises when it comes to the jug-eared, communist indoctrinated, narcissist who infects the Oval Office and the adoring media's willful omission of his outrageous behavior. These are the very same complicit media outlets who donated untold millions of in-kind campaign contributions to give a man who would, in a sane world, have no greater than a snowball's chance in hell of getting re-elected, a "news" escort back into the once-respected office of the presidency. This media clone of the Ministry of Truth described in Orwell's sadly prophetic "1984" would annhilate a Republican President if his administration attempted any of the brazen acts of contempt exercised by this excuse for a man and his mouthpieces.

This is the very same media that pretends Obama did not decry President Bush's desire to raise the debt ceiling when he was but a fresh-faced junior Marxist in the U.S. Senate. (Many of the words Odumbo read on that day were correct, although today he proves he meant none of them.) Imagine if The White House sent campaign emails such as the following when George Bush was spending our descendants into damnation (which of course, he did) and the government was in a supposed tragic shutdown:

Will Anyone Notice? Pro-Abortion Texas Feminists Threaten Sex Strike

By Teri O'Brien - 

One thing that has always struck me as a tad ironic is the obsession that so many feminists have with ensuring that there are as few legal restrictions on abortion as possible. Seriously? Have you seen most of these chunky frumps, sporting hair styles that look like they were created in a mental institution’s barber shop, stomping around in their sensible footwear, and stridently bellowing in a charming baritone that they aren’t going to put up with any man trying to tell them what to do?

With the possible exception of a bizarre accident involving a loaded turkey baster, what possibility do any of these Napolitanos have of becoming pregnant? Some of them, like Rachel Maddow, who regularly rails against attempts to protect unborn children and, not incidentally, women’s health, are open and “proud” lesbians. Yet they react violently at any attempt to restrict this “procedure” that is so beautiful and wonderful that many of them won’t even say the word. 

Obama’s Payback Scheme for “Unfair” Racist Amerika Succeeding Brilliantly

By Teri O'Brien - 

As the Lame Stream Media continues to operate as the PR shop for the Obama White House, distracting low and moderate information people with the shiny object of the week, be it Paula Deen’s crucifixion for the decades-old sin of using a word that is proudly included in the top ten hip hop songs in America today, the trial of the man who killed Barack’s pretend son, or the location of useful idiot/”29-year-old hacker” Edward Snowden, the country is gradually being transformed into a Cook County writ large.

For those of you unaware of what that looks like, it features crony capitalism, race-obsessed politics, corrupt political elites stealing the hard-earned cash of those unfortunate enough not to be in on the whole racket. The Obamacare train wreck was the first step, a massive income redistribution racket, premised on the belief that it’s “unfair” that those who work and achieve should be able to obtain better medical care than the wino pushing the shopping cart and muttering to himself, the illegal alien and his many relatives, or the shiftless serial sperm donor, his many baby mamas and their spawn.

Black conservatives have run on the IL GOP ballot since 2004

CHICAGO - Despite the theme currently resounding on Chicago and Springfield airwaves, black conservative Republicans from Illinois have run for office often - they've just never won.

None were enthusiastically backed by the IL GOP, because the IL GOP has limited resources, and what they accumulate is used most often to protect threatened GOP incumbents at the Congressional, rather than the state levels. 

But the fact is, there is a notable list of black conservatives that have run for public office as Republicans over the years in Illinois. 

In 2004, former UN Ambassador Alan Keyes ran for U.S. Senate against then-state Senator Barack Obama after GOP nominee Jack Ryan pulled out of the race.

In 2006, Dr. Eric Wallace, endorsed by the United Republican Fund as one of their "6 in '06" candidates, ran for state Senate against south suburban Democrat Maggie Crotty. In 2008, Wallace bid to be a delegate for presidential candidate Fred Thompson and in 2012, he ran to be a delegate for presidential candidate Rick Santorum. 

Obama’s Relentless Assault on the Bill of Rights Explodes in His Face

By Teri O'Brien - 

Have you put a Post-it over your laptop’s camera yet?

In 2007 and 2008, when Sen. Barack Hussein Obama ran for president, he excoriated President George W. Bush, and Vice President Cheney for the policies their administration used to fight terrorism, which he characterized as anti-American, unconstitutional, and out of sync with “who we are.” Perhaps it’s time for the Consumer Products Safety or one of the thousands of federal agencies with their armies of bureaucrats eating out our substance to bring a bait-and-switch case against the One because Senator Obama would be appalled by the actions of President Obama, a man with an exuberant enthusiasm for drone strikes, even against American citizens “suspected” of terrorism, and a complete lack of concern about the federal government collecting an endless amount of information about our phone calls, emails and internet activity. As many have noted earlier this week, Richard Nixon bugged an office. Barack Obama is bugging the whole country. And, to continue with the 1970’s comparison, Benghazi is still worse than Watergate, where no one died, and Daniel Ellsberg’s “Pentagon Papers” looks like the work of backward children compared to this past week’s unprecedented release of extremely classified information from the National Security Agency, including the very enlightening PowerPoint presentation about the previously completely secret “Prism.”

Cuisine and Contributions … And a License to Kill

By John F. Di Leo - 

Reflecting on the real-life impact of the IRS "Questionnaire-Gate" scandals…

“Congratulations, Restauranteur!”

You’ve just signed a lease on a great property. It’s a beautiful restaurant, just the right size, with a modern kitchen, and a terrific location with plenty of parking. You start decorating – painting, ordering window treatments, maybe updating the floor a bit, bringing in a custom bar that you found at an auction, re-upholstering the chairs, no, every other chair, to make it distinctive. You’re making it your own.

You’ve had the menu in mind for a while, so you start outfitting the kitchen to meet your needs – removing the deep fryer, adding more ovens or ranges, whatever fits your chosen cuisine. You start hiring, signing contracts for perishables and meats and alcohol and sodapop. You get your local business license, the approval of the health department, and now only one barrier remains:

Your liquor license hasn’t come in yet.

Obama’s Triple Crown of Scandals

By Teri O'Brien - 

There will be no Triple Crown winner, but we do have a troika of Obama scandals, all of which were in the news this week. This morning on CNN, a gleeful Jessica “Barack Just Smiled at Me!” Yellin, celebrated their latest poll, which shows that these messy questions about unethical, or even illegal, behavior by members of his administration has not diminished the endless love the American people have for the Dear Leader. She’d fit right in in North Korea.

Some, including the members of the House Ways and Means Committee, who held a hearing last week about the IRS’ targeting of Tea Party and conservative groups, are less enamored. Former Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller, who recently decided to move his previously scheduled exit to his cushy retirement up by a couple of weeks, responded to requests to know who initiated this policy with shoulder-shrugging, bored evasiveness.

His demeanor said “Whatever. I don’t really care what happened. Let’s get this over with.” He couldn’t say. He didn’t know. He didn’t remember. Cue The Carpenters. This has only just begun. What do we know after this hearing? Some Republicans are opening talking “impeachment,” but is that really helpful? Is “scandal” really an agenda, especially when we learned last week that the House is close to a deal on “comprehensive immigration reform?” Short answer: no.

Obama in the Bunker on Benghazi, Coverup Exposed with Victoria Toensing

By Teri O'Brien - 

After last week’s hearing on Benghazi before Darryl Issa’s House Oversight Committee, we have even more questions about what happened on the most recent anniversary of 9/11. Still, it’s a clear picture is emerging, and common sense allows us to connect the very obvious dots. We’ll explore the remaining questions with über attorney Victoria Toensing, who represented the Benghazi whistleblowers, and who was scheduled to appear last week, but was delayed while traveling. Combining what happened in the hearing with an application of my knowledge of the Chicago Way, I’m pretty sure I understand what happened. I’ll tell you during today’s show. Suffice it to say for now that it’s time to put Valerie Jarrett, David Plouffe, and Obama’s ultimate sleazemeister, David Axelrod under oath and get some answers.

There was another hearing in Congress last week, this time in the Senate on immigration. Any doubt that this 844-page monstrosity drafted by the Gang of 8 is a trick cooked up by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), should be gone after what we heard last week. Of the over 300 amendments proposed to the bill, the defeat of the one specific change tells us everything we need to know. Paging Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). Let me say it again: you are being played.

A Tale of Two Cities Highlights Two Visions of America, and the GOP's Failure

By Teri O'Brien -

The Washington Post had an interesting article last Sunday about Woonsocket, Rhode Island. One third of the people in this town are on what used to be called, in a less sensitive time, food stamps, but which are now called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). The name changed and so did the stigma involved in presenting food coupons. Now, government dependents just swipe a card that looks just like your ATM card, Peasant. Recipients in Woonsocket call the first of the month “Check Day,” and they don’t mean paychecks.

At precisely one second after midnight, on March 1, Woonsocket would experience its monthly financial windfall — nearly $2 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Federal money would be electronically transferred to the broke residents of a nearly bankrupt town, where it would flow first into grocery stores and then on to food companies, employees and banks, beginning the monthly cycle that has helped Woonsocket survive.

Ted Nugent sings Illinois National Anthem today on Teri O'Brien Show

By Teri O'Brien -

Legendary rock and roll superstar and American patriot Ted Nugent drives the Left nuts (and that’s a short drive, as you know) with his no-holds-barred exposure of their hypocrisy and deceit. The interview you’ll hear on today’s show will not disappoint. You’ll also hear his terrific new song, “I Still Believe,” available at tednugent.com as a free download, and another little ditty that I didn’t even know exists until Ted performed it on during our chat, the Illinois National Anthem. Don’t miss it!

Did you spend yesterday’s Gun Appreciation Day at a firing range? I did, and it was a blast (no pun intended). We’ll talk to one of the organizers of that terrific event, Larry Ward.

Who Wants a Tax Increase?

By Teri O'Brien -

Ever the demagogue, Barack Obama crisscrosses the country, continuing to campaign, despite winning last month’s presidential election. Polls show that 60% of Americans support raising taxes on “the rich,” and he’s determined to keep stoking the fires of class envy to maintain the political advantage that he sees awaiting him after we “plunge” off the “fiscal cliff.” By doing so, he’s hoping to start off his second term making it clear that that’s “not going to play that game that I will play,” the “game” being abiding by the Constitution and allowing Congress to control the debt ceiling. Predictably, here we have the breathtaking arrogance and lawlessness that he demonstrated in his first term, now on steroids. Yet, one prominent, even legendary, member of the Jurassic media says that if there is a recession, Barack Obama will own it. Who is he, and is he right?

Putting 2012 under a Microscope

By John F. Di Leo -

Reflections on the late disaster, a month after November 6…

When disaster strikes, it is easy to see only the negatives, and easier still to cry out “All is lost.”  Negativity rules the day, all the more so in politics after a national election.

But there are lessons to be learned in every defeat, and if we objectively view these election results, we will see a foundation upon which a wise movement can build, to save this country from its current path of destruction.

This won’t pretend to be an exhaustive list, but perhaps there will be a few points here that others aren’t mentioning, or at least, aren’t emphasizing enough.  Some points may seem unkind, but no offense is intended.  We just have to be able to learn from our mistakes.

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:

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?

Two conservative groups call on IL GOP chairman to step down

DuPAGE - DuPage Conservatives joined the Illinois Center Right Coalition Monday in passing a resolution calling on the Illinois Republican Party's chairman Pat Brady to resign -

The text of the ICRC Resolution reads as follows:

WHEREAS the election laws of the State Of Illinois have been ‘engineered’ to greatly impair the opportunity for third party / independent candidates for office and

WHEREAS the Democratic Party of the State of Illinois has a party platform which the ICRC cannot support and

Obama’s 2nd Term – a checklist

By Nancy Thorner and Jane Keill -

Barack Obama has won a second term.  In our opinion, he will not change his philosophy that the government should control the country, even under pressure from his own party to compromise.  He will be looking out for his legacy, however, his far left ideology and his cold personality will cause him to stumble again and again, but the media will protect him.

Obama has made clear he will use the next four years to push the generalized themes of "economic fairness" and a "new economic patriotism" in all major policies areas.  

The reelected President Obama claims he has received a mandate from the American people to enact his policies.  In a fierce headline debate over the approaching fiscal cliff, Obama argued that a majority of Americans agree with his approach to combine spending cuts with revenue. That means asking the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more in taxes.

Obamacare brings hope, change and costs to Denny's

Oh, the hope, change and costs Obamacare is bringing. New policy at Denny's.

Mitt Romney: Half-Right, But Still Clueless

By Teri O'Brien -

The denizens of the 24/7 nuthouse, which I watch so you don't have to, MS-NBC, and other fellow travelers in the Lame Stream Media, are feigning outrage over Mitt Romney's recent post-election statements, in which he blamed his campaign's failure to rescue our country from the clutches of the Chicago Mafia on the "gifts" the One has bestowed on his supporters.

As I told you here, there certainly were answers to Obama's argument "Vote for me! I'm giving you free stuff!" Mitt failed to make them because he is not a conservative. Unlike Ronald Reagan, who spent decades reading, writing, analyzing and honing his conservative message, a message he understood in his bones, Mitt tried to speak conservatism as a second language, which is why the obvious answers weren't there, and why he is left throwing up his hands saying "What am I supposed to do? I can't compete with free stuff!"

Wrong, but you need to articulate a clear message about free people, free markets, and prosperity, and why government dependency starts out as a cozy, comfy little hideaway from cold, cruel reality, and ends up being an inescapable prison.

Young voters stepped away from Obama in 2012

WASHINGTON DC - Generation Opportunity, the nation's largest social media and grassroots organization reaching out to young Americans ages 18-29, is releasing data and analysis on young voters and the 2012 election. Generation Opportunity has built a fan base of over 4 million on Facebook and has been in front of hundreds of thousands of young adults through direct contact at the grassroots level, raising awareness of and fostering a discussion on critical economic issues including overall and young adult unemployment, debt, and federal spending.

1. There was a stunning 11-point swing in the young adult vote in the 2012 Presidential Election.

In 2008, then-Senator Barack Obama won 18-29 year olds by 34 points (66%-32%). This year, President Obama won 18-29 year olds by 23 points (60%-37%). The youth vote swung 11 points away from President Obama, more than twice any other age demographic. No other demographic showed movement anywhere near this: 30-44 showed +1% point increase in support for Obama from 2008; 45-64 showed -5% decrease in support for Obama since 2008; and 65+ showed -4% decrease in support for Obama since 2008.

Five Romney offers America ultimately rejected

Ouch. The National Journal's Ron Fournier pokes back to the GOP candidate Mitt Romney in a piece responding to Romney's sour grapes' Obama campaign gifts comment this week. Fournier points out 5 rejects the Romney campaign offered America:

1) The race card. It arrived by air, not mail, but it was nonetheless a campaign hallmark when Romney's team falsely accused Obama of gutting welfare-to-work legislation signed by President Clinton. The Romney campaign knowingly exploited the anxieties of some white, working-class voters who see welfare as a handout to minorities (despite the fact that more whites than blacks get government assistance).

2) Class war. Another gift that wouldn't stop giving, Romney declared that his campaign wouldn't worry about the 47 percent of the electorate that was unlikely to vote for him because they paid no income taxes and were dependent on the government. Yes, there is an element of racial politics in this cynical construct, but we won't look a gift horse in the mouth. Fittingly, Romney finished with about 47 percent of the vote.

Transforming the Amerikan dream

By Cranky Housewife -

What is it with Democrats and their penchant for Disneyfied dystopias anyway? It's absolutely ridiculous the imagery that they cling to. Far be it from me to criticize, but – and in keeping with this theme – I've never understood the American Left's preoccupation with King Arthur and Camelot, try though I might. Seriously. Every time a Democrat manages to lie, cheat or steal his way into the presidency, the liberal establishment suddenly starts measuring all the White House conference rooms for round tables or some such nonsense.

Ironic really, since the round table symbolizes a level of chivalric equality that completely eludes them, but I suppose that's quite beside the point.

But you know what I mean. It's their attitude – they are the ones that we've all been waiting for…like their mere presence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue alone fulfills a messianic prophecy and neither sword nor stone shall be required. Camelot. It's always their "go to" paradise for some odd reason. Did they even bother to read the Arthurian legends to see how they ended? Camelot is a romanticized failure of the highest order. A cautionary tale that details how the venality within can unravel the purest of hearts when vigilance against such corruption is ever relaxed. It's a story of what happens when the moral code fails.

Moving Forward: Striking a Winning Pose

By Sam Pierce -

Now that the "most important election in our lifetime" has passed, it is the natural time to reflect on the outcome and hear the expert advice on what must be done if members of the Republican Party seek to delight in future electoral success. Now is the time to determine how to wake up on the morning after the next election and find ourselves on the winning side as opposed to clinging to those nuisances that hinder the possibilities for success at the ballot box. It is time to "evolve" and align with people, positions, and ideals that are the most popular. Now is not the time time to be concerned with being "right," especially at the expense of, to quote noted philosopher Charlie Sheen, "winning!"

I will not claim to have cornered the insight market as it pertains to the disastrous election of 2012. I cannot explain, with absolute certainty, the factors contributing to the tragedy of last Tuesday. We must, however, pay close attention to those who are blessed with political omniscience and disregard just how wrong they may have been in predicting electoral outcomes. We must look at what wins in modern America.

DiLeo: Advice from an Office Wall

By John F. Di Leo -

On the walls of my office, I have several prints of my heroes.  General Washington on horseback, pointing his sword down at my computer as if to say “Get to work!”… Colonel Hamilton in profile, posing for a sawbuck… a photo of President Reagan in the Oval Office… a sketch above a quote, of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, reminding us that “The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist, the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Most imposing and inspiring is “Signing the Constitution” (yes, it’s a terrific poster-sized version of the famous Howard Chandler Christy mural of all Framers, gathered at Independence Hall in 1787).

As I worked at my desk on Black Wednesday, I periodically looked up at these prints, and asked them questions.  Why?  How?  Why now?  What do we do next?  How do we conquer this depression (both kinds)?  Can we move on?

They didn’t answer back.  They’re just pictures, after all.  Long gone, all of them.  Heroes of days gone by. 

But I’ve always found that if I think about these patriots, answers do come to me. 

Jackson Jr sources reveal ongoing plea deal with feds

CHICAGO - Just two days after being re-elected to Congress by his faithful 2nd CD constituents, sources close to allegedly "ill" Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr now reveal that the congressman is negotiating a plea deal deal with the feds.

The accusations have something to do with allegedly using campaign funds to remodel his Chicago home (to please his wife?) and to buy a $40k watch for a girlfriend (something like the photo to the right?). As the Sun-Times' Sneed writes:

Sneed is also told Jackson, who returned to Mayo Clinic after undergoing outpatient treatment in the seclusion of his home in Washington, D.C., is not only being investigated for allegedly using campaign funds to decorate his Washington home — but also Sneed hears he may also have used campaign funds to buy a $40,000 Rolex watch as a gift for a female friend.

An heir apparent to the beneficence and largesse of the Jackson dynasty, Jackson has been immersed in a cloud of federal scrutiny for the past three years.

And we've been led to believe all along that it was those mean, cruel, 1% Republicans that have been unfairly bigoted in their congressional query. Another huge embarrassment for Illinois fools.

Tuesday, Congressman Jackson received 181,067 votes to Republican Brian Woodworth's 67,396 and Independent Marcus Lewis' 38,733.

Donnelly: Should successful people in Illinois "go Galt"?

By Bruce Donnelly -

Successful people in Illinois lost the election yesterday. The future looks pretty bleak, not just because several good Republican candidates lost their races, but because virtually unchecked Democratic power was reinforced in Springfield.

A few local wins are small consolation for the continued rise of radical progressives in Washington and Springfield.  They now have virtually unchecked power to keep ruining us all economically.

The Republican Party in Illinois has failed miserably - again - and it will cost us all dearly.  The Democrats now have a veto-proof majority in both the Illinois House and Senate, as well as the Governor's mansion.  Even if Republicans make a few gains in 2014,  that won't change the situation.  Illinois is effectively a one-party socialist state now.  The Republican Party seems to lack any viable plan to become relevant again.

I don't generally like Ayn Rand's philosophy, as detailed in Atlas Shrugged, but it may finally be time for rational leaders to "go Galt" in Illinois.

Walsh contemplates 2014 gubernatorial bid

ELK GROVE - After his loss to Tammy Duckworth Tuesday, the talk has been Wednesday that Congressman Joe Walsh may be contemplating a 2014 bid for governor.  The thing no one's mentioning today is that Walsh has been thinking about it for months.

Some say Walsh willingly took a bullet for the IL GOP by going for the more difficult 8th CD race rather than thumping it out with Randy Hultgren over the 14th CD during the March 2012 primary, so he's owed a favor.  While that particular angle wasn't brought up in this conversation back in July, Walsh was even then clearly contemplating a bid at the Governor's Mansion. 

Cynicism is not a Virtue

By Peter Karlovics - 

I know people are frustrated by the messiness of our process, and the noise and visual pollution that political campaigns create.

I wish people would recognize that noise and visual pollution for what it is... the beautiful sound of mother freedom clearing her throat before the people speak on election day. And that doesn't happen in a dictatorship, where everyone is quiet.

People love cynicism, because it is easier to dismiss all candidates as "corrupt" or "dishonest." Cynical Americans do not have to research the candidates,their positions, their records of performance, their integrity, etc.

Total 2012 House Majority PAC expenditure in Illinois: $3,670,000

As Illinois congressional races closed late Tuesday night, Democrats sent out a full expose' on the millions they spent in Illinois.  The House Majority PAC spent nearly $4 million, they said, in a race by race breakdown, wherein the Democrats won 5 out of 6:

Limbaugh: "The Right is outnumbered, and we're losing ground ..."

"We are outnumbered, and we are losing ground. It is impossible to beat Santa Claus." conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh told his audience today in response to the Obama victory Tuesday.  "We've allowed this to happen.  The Left has been relentless for decades pushing this [mindset]."

"We've done the outreach [to Latinos, blacks and women]," Limbaugh said. "It hasn't worked. Republicans aren't given credit for Allen West, Mia Love, Clarence Thomas and Condoleezza Rice. The Left gets away with every smear."

"The antidote is happy, full-fledged message conservatism," Limbaugh said.

Are Limbaugh's comments on target?  What do you think the Right should do to regain political relevancy?

Why We Lost: In a Word, Timidity

By Teri O'Brien -

I was right about one thing. It was over by 11 p.m. Central. Unfortunately, I was wrong about Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and Colorado. I was really, really wrong, and I was very surprised. It was more 2004 than 1980. Like you, I am disappointed, however, I am not one to dwell on disappointments. After all, life is full of disappointments, and given that the human mind can focus on only on thing at a time, if we ruminate about events that have happened, and that we have no power to change, we waste time and mental energy that we could use to do something constructive. What is constructive in the face of bad outcomes is to learn from them. So what have we learned? Why did Mitt Romney lose? In a word, timidity.

IL GOP loses five Congressional seats

SPRINGFIELD - A first look at the congressional races show Illinois Democrats were successful in taking advantage of newly-drawn US House congressional districts to turn four Republican into Democratic districts.

Voters put Democrat Congress members Bobby Rush, Jesse Jackson Jr, Dan Lipinski, Luis Gutierrez, Mike Quigley, Danny Davis and Jan Schakowsky back into office with overwhelming support.

Republican House members Peter Roskam, Randy Hultgren, Adam Kinzinger, Aaron Schock and John Shimkus also were re-elected with generous support from their constituents.

And Barack Obama’s brother lives in a hut

By Cranky Housewife -

The living conditions of Barack Obama's brother? It might seem like white noise to our newly revealed reality that we truly are all socialists now… if you don't mind me quoting Newsweek from 2008, but this is no small point to be made because like it or not, conservatives in Illinois and around the country will need to begin once again rebuilding a political party that appears completely incapable of delivering wins via a single and unbearably simple concept. Freedom is better than servitude. Always. And in order to move this nation away from the sword with which it is hell bent on impaling itself, we must understand the obstacles that we are up against and come up with more workable solutions to the complications our party faces.

First problem – the Republican Party is broken. I'm sorry, guys. It just is. Moderates and conservatives, like water and oil, are not mixing well and neither side is particularly interested in compromise. Well, at least the moderates are not interested in compromise with us. They'll certainly tie themselves in pretzel knots to work with progressives if that's what it takes to get along. Wouldn't want to alienate them, don't-cha know. I'm already gagging over the moderate pundits on FOX News as they lecture the Tea Party over its "extreme" positions and how we cost Mitt Romney this election because we oppose infanticide and I'm telling you. RINOS may think they've got conservatives where they want us…but it wouldn't be the first time they misinterpreted the exit polls, now would it?

Top 5 reasons why Romney lost

By Jeff Berkowitz -

5. Romney simply is not very likeable. Putting aside their views, this just isn’t a guy you would prefer to have a cup of coffee or beer with over Obama.

4. Romney lost two of the three debates. As the challenger, he needed to win two of the three. The first one, which he won, was the fluke. Obama is the better debater—he just had a bad night on Debate No. 1.

Caps off for voting!

By Chris Robling - 

Voting in President Obama's 4th Ward of the City of Chicago, from my friend, who is one of the highest-ranking USG employees here, under subject line: "worst voting experience":

"Chris, I was a UN observer for the first Iraqi elections - and I had greater confidence votes mattered than I did about my own vote today.  Attached is a photo of my election official wearing an Obama baseball cap.  Woman in front of me also given an extra ballot.  This is all unfolding in Chicago’s south loop (1212 South Plymouth Court)" ...

Ten minutes later -- "also... told I could not vote because my ward listed on my voter registration card didn't match the location. I explained our wards were redrawn recently and I eventually persuaded the Obama cap to find my own name in the book and was eventually able to vote."

Leftists urge voters to "Hold Republicans accountable"

American Bridge to 21st Century is a leftwing SuperPAC that's been running ads and helping the Obama campaign. Here's how they urge people on their email list to get out and vote this morning. It's more of Obama's "best way to get revenge - vote" theme: "Hold Republicans accountable." Accountable for what? 

The rest HERE

Rasmussen finds 95 Electoral College toss-ups

Rasmussen Polling's last Electoral College findings before Election Day, November 6, 2012:

Vote Today – Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Polls are open 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Locate your polling place online at:

http://www.elections.il.gov/votinginformation/registrationlookup.asp

The Modern Democratic Party and Barack Obama, the Outsourcer-in-Chief

By John F. Di Leo -

Among the Obama campaign’s many accusations this year, one of the more interesting ones has been the claim that Mitt Romney was an “outsourcer” during his days at Bain Capital.

When exploring this claim, we must remember the job of a company like Bain Capital: it’s to create value for the investors by building a successful company. The vast majority of companies that Bain shepherded to success during Romney’s tenure were and are, in fact, major employers, major retail, wholesale, or manufacturing firms that employ thousands and thousands of Americans.

The net result of Mitt Romney being involved in the American economy has unquestionably been the creation of hundreds of thousands of good jobs here in the United States, and also, naturally, many overseas as well, when these companies expand to other markets and include other origins in their sourcing.

Robling: Time and a Party in Illinois

By Chris Robling - 

To read Sheldon G. Adelson’s Wall Street Journal op-ed this morning is to resolve yet again that the Illinois party of, by and for the people, not the public employee unions, shall not perish from this earth.

It will not be easy. Abelson fairly and appropriately rubs our noses in our beloved state’s travails, noting that apparently President Obama wants to do the United States what his Illinois Democratic mentors have done to the Land of Lincoln.

We know this; many of us have noted it. In this presidential race our steps have been small –- one state senate seat here or a state rep seat there. The unprecedented concentration of Congressional
races, each with a strong Republican candidate, has been a marvel to watch, but their benefits will be in Washington.

Tax alert: 12 different hikes on local ballots

Americans For Prosperity - Illinois has been working to stop several local tax initiatives on Tuesday's ballot. The project, called AFP'IL's Local Anti-Tax Initiative, is an effort to assist taxpayers in local communities in opposing referenda questions that will increase taxes or increase in debt. Below is a list of the questions they are actively opposing on the Nov. 6 ballot.

More than half of Illinois' State House seats unopposed in 2012

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois House, while spending millions on district battles has shocking number of Democrat and Republican lawmakers not facing a challenge November 6. Of the 118 House races, more than half - 64 - House members will either go back or be voted into office for the first time with no election opposition. 

RNC political director: "Democrats' ground game is a myth"

The Republican National Committee's Political Director, Rick Wiley, released this memo, sent to "all interested parties," giving his take on why Republicans will fare well Tuesday:

The Obama camp has been firing off a number of memos in desperate attempt to convince the media (and themselves) that they're not losing. What they aren't telling you is this isn't 2008; the numbers show we're doing much better in early voting, and they are doing much worse.

But more importantly we are poised to blow the Obama campaign out on Election Day thanks to a superior GOTV program and a historical GOP Election Day advantage 

In the four party-registration states (Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada), we are poised to win the Election Day vote by even greater margins than we did in 2008. That's right, Jeremy Bird, we beat you on Election Day even in 2008. 

Greenberg nears 21,000-door mark in House campaign

WHEELING - Jonathan Greenberg, Republican candidate for House, says he's knocked on almost 21,000 doors in 2012, working to oust Democrat incumbent State Rep. Elaine Nekritz.  

"Thirteen months after knocking on my first door in Buffalo Grove, it was great to finish up in Wheeling with my friend, Commissioner Dan Patlak," Greenberg said. Patlak, a fellow Republican, is running for re-election for the Cook County Board of Review.