Illinois Review

Di Leo: A Tale of Two Hoaxes: Smollett's vs Mueller's

Should such a crime – the entire Mueller Commission, its advocates and its publicists – be simply swept under the rug and be forgotten?

By John F. Di Leo - 

When I was a youngster – shall we say, college through my teens – I occasionally exceeded posted speed limits. Not all the time, of course, and not so wildly to be a danger to the road, but often enough that I got to know Chicago’s “supervision” program rather well.

In Cook County, there is a time-honored tradition that minor traffic offenses – almost always speeding tickets – can be disposed of by going to court and saying “I’d like to stipulate guilt, your honor, and request court supervision in recognition of my otherwise excellent driving record.”

Thorner: Swapping Electoral College for Popular Presidential Vote Gains Momentum

By Nancy Thorner - 

The push to eliminate the Electoral College for the popular vote is on the rise since Nancy Thorner wrote her initial article on the topic for Illinois Review on January 11, 2019, Foolish Illinois lawmakers Electoral College.

The National Popular Vote plan (NPV) guarantees election of the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The plan is a state statute in the form of an interstate compact. It creates an agreement among states to award all of their electoral votes collectively to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote.

Passing NPV will guarantee election of the national popular vote winner once the compact has been joined by enough participating states together to hold a majority of electoral votes (270 of 538).  Until that point, a state’s current rules apply.

Pierce: Heir to Duke of Weselton is Facebook's Master of the Zuck?

By Sam Pierce - 

Fans of Disney's "Frozen" know that one of the film's lesser villains is the toupee-wearing weasel, the Duke of Weselton. What if the "Duke of Weaseltown" is really the ancestor of the master of the Zuck, or possibly someone who associates with the supposedly election-rigging Russians (as the photo would seem to indicate)? A stretch? Maybe.

Lets' explore this as a possible explanation of the character flaws that allow this multi-billionaire to support rabid leftists and perversions of all types while censoring light-hearted commentary from those who may not bow to the altars of his politically correct agenda.

What the IL GOP Platform says about Immigration

SPRINGFIELD - At the Illinois Republican Party's 2016 Convention, the state's GOP delegates overwhelmingly supported a platform that contained this strong plank on the issue of immigration. It emphasized a "front door" policy. 

The issue plank concluded with these words that rank and file Republicans are saying has been totally ignored by the IL GOP leadership - including Governor Rauner - despite Republicans throughout the state supporting this position: 

We call on the Illinois government to assist our federal government in the mission of protecting our homeland. We therefore urge reversal of “sanctuary city” policies, which bar our law enforcement officers from aiding Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents. Border control is a national security and public safety issue. We further call on the federal government to secure and protect our borders and vigorously enforce the law of the land.

We further call on the federal and Illinois government to abandon all incentives that encourage illegal immigrants to settle in Illinois, as these incentives put a strain on our already struggling economy and is insulting to those who immigrated here legally.

Does the Illinois Republican Party's platform mean anything at all?  Should IL GOP demand their party officials adhere to the platform rather than ignore it?

Thorner/O'Neil: Still scratching your head over Trump's victory? You're not alone.

By Nancy Thorner & Bonnie O'Neil - 

The 2016 Presidential election will likely be studied and scrutinized for decades due to its various unexpected and unconventional aspects. No matter if you did or did not vote for Donald Trump, the election and next four years will be informative, possibly even critical to the future of America.

Even if all the facts may never emerge, there is enough known about the direction our country had taken in the previous decade. This direction resulted in an election which reflected that the majority of voters did not agree with this direction and in 2016 wanted a change. For those of us viewing the twists and turns, as new information emerges each day, we can only hope that the facts already exposed and the resultant controversial dialogue will ultimately benefit America in the years ahead.

As George Bernard Shaw stated: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." 

Di Leo: The Spoils of War – Learning Lessons from a French Election

By John F. Di Leo - 

The May 7 Presidential election in France gained the notice of American media far more than any other French election in fifty years. The American press is notorious for its poor coverage of world affairs, so the rare times that the MSM does choose to shine their light on a foreign country, it merits comment.

Kinzinger hopeful to "see great things" from Trump

WASHINGTON - Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) - a Republican who never was a fan of Donald Trump's during the 2016 campaign - continues to hold his cards close to the vest while analyzing the president's first week in office on CNN. But, he wrote on his Facebook page Friday that he remains hopeful that "we'll see great things" from the new president.

Trump approval rating hits 59%

PRINCETON NJ - Approval of President Donald Trump's performance during his first week in office has been steadily climbing - reaching the 59 percent level Wednesday, Rasmussen Polling says:

In the latest of this week’s executive orders, Trump has begun a crackdown on illegal immigration, adding thousands of Border Patrol agents, starting the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and cutting federal funds to so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to enforce immigration law. He also has imposed a temporary ban on refugees from and visas for citizens of several Middle Eastern countries until the U.S. government can do a better job screening out possible terrorists.

Stopping illegal immigration has long been voters’ number one immigration priority.

Most also support Trump’s plan for temporarily restricting immigration from countries with a history of terrorism and for testing to screen out newcomers who don’t share America’s values.

Thorner: Latest contender to replace Scalia, Judge Neil Gorsuch, is not pro-life

Judge Neil Gorsuch is the latest contender to fill Scalia's vacancy, but he's not pro-life

By Nancy Thorner - 

An article in the Los Angeles Times by David G, Savage on January 24, 2017, "Conservative Colorado judge emerges as a top contender to fill Scalia's Supreme Court seat," confirmed that Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, 49, has emerged as a leading contender for President Trump's first Supreme Court nomination.  Two others top contenders for the position are Judge William H. Pryor Jr. of Alabama, who serves on the U.S. 11th Circuit Court in Atlanta, and Judge Diane Sykes of Wisconsin, who serves on the U.S. 7th Circuit Court in Chicago.

Judge Gorsuch currently serves on the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. He was a former law clerk to both Justice Byron White and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, having also served in the George W. Bush administration's Justice Department.

The LA Times article speaks of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch as a highly regarded conservative jurist, best known for upholding religious liberty rights in the legal battles over Obamacare.  Judge Gorsuch currently serves on the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.  He is a former former clerk to both Justice Byron White and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, having also so served in the George W. Bush administration's Justice Department.

IL Comptroller office staff transition sparks accusations of "looting"

Leslie Munger and Susana Mendoza during pre-election Chicago Tribune editorial interview

CHICAGO - The move from Republican IL Comptroller Leslie Munger's office to incoming Democrat Susana Mendoza's people hasn't been smooth, especially after Mendoza told a reporter over the weekend "it did kind of feel like the place was looted,” rhetoric notched up on Monday. 

Mendoza complained in a radio interview that her staff moved into nearly vacant state offices, with televisions and sofas gone and files, keys, and documents missing.

While Munger admitted to POLITICO ILLINOIS that televisions and sofas owned personally by employees were removed from the state office in Chicago, nothing owned by the state was removed, despite Mendoza's claims.

Akin: Downstate voters send clear message: Stop lawsuit abuse in Illinois

By Travis Akin, Executive Director, Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch -

The 2016 Election is over and voters have rendered their verdicts and have shown they want judges and legislators that will stand up to the personal injury lawyers and stop lawsuit abuse in Illinois.

In the final weeks of the election campaign, personal injury lawyers formed a front group PAC called “Fair Courts Now,” through which they funneled more than $1 million dollars that was spent in support of their favored candidates for two open seats on the Fifth District Appellate Court, which covers all of southern Illinois. Almost all of the money was spent on slick ads and mailers attacking the two judges that ultimately won these two races, Judge John Barberis and Judge James “Randy” Moore.

Biga: Liberals soon to taste Supremacy Clause and rise of Executive Power

By Frank J Biga III -

One of the sweetest results of the election of Donald Trump is the likelihood that the liberals are going to get a good solid dose of their own medicine as conservatives will now have the ability to use the State to advance conservative ideas. This is not something liberals will be used to as most Republicans have been timorous eunuchs when they have held power. President Trump will stand in marked contrast to this analogue and liberal reaction to it could tear the decimated Democratic party apart further. In fact, right now they are taking the wrong approach with serious consideration being given to back-bencher and very liberal Representative Keith Ellison from Minnesota as the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Such a move almost guarantees further GOP pickups in 2018.

Liberals love the State. In fact, as is generally understood in conservative circles, they are statists and not really liberals. They have just usurped the term liberal which used to mean someone who was for more individual liberties. And the Democratic Party is manifestly an anti-freedom party aside from having the freedom to take the life of the innocent unborn. Their presidents in the last 100 years have uniformly used the State to push Progressive ideology by enshrining it in the law using whatever legislative means necessary to achieve these ends.

Donald Trump is their absolute worst nightmare. As a business executive he knows how to wield power, and as a former Democrat he has had plenty of political role models to learn the art of politics from. Trump also has an eleven-year old that I think is the main reason he ran for President. He knows that unless someone changes the trajectory of our nation, that we won’t have a nation left by the time his son Barron is 40.

Di Leo: Post-Election Blues of the Offended Masses

By John F. Di Leo -  

The first week since the Trump/Pence ticket’s solid electoral victory (winning 3084 of the USA’s 3141 counties) has been odd indeed, causing many pundits, both great and small to admit having gotten it wrong.   (I, for example, always knew that between Hillary and Trump, one of them had to win, but my prediction was that if he headed the GOP ticket, the GOP would suffer devastation downballot, which blessedly turned out to be completely wrong).

But the attention from coast to coast this week has not been directed at errant predictions.  Rather, the focus has been turned to groups – groups who feel offended, cheated, threatened, or dissed by their fellow citizens’ choice at the top of the ballot.  And these groups are demonstrating, sometimes even rioting in the streets. 

Is that in any way reasonable?

Remember, after all, that we did not have a clear-cut choice of excellence vs. disaster on our ballot.  We had a pompous political novice, experienced in business and media but untried in government, running against a serially-corrupt, lifelong-socialist, pathological-liar harridan.  For most voters, this was a choice between an unknown quantity and a known disaster.   By only a couple of percentage points (when known vote fraud is factored out), the voters chose Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton.   There is no reason for the supporters of the one to feel horribly dissed by the supporters of the other.

Thorner: Conservative Heritage Foundation optimistic about Trump presidency

By Nancy Thorner - 

Just two days after Donald Trump won his bid for the presidency, representatives from the conservative Heritage Foundation debriefed Chicago area supporters about their organization's optimism and their opportunity to play a key role in transitioning from the Obama Administration to Trump's.

Heritage reports that they are able to have a major input in the Trump presidency, the most input since the election of Ronald Reagan. Members of the group have been in contact with Trump's transition since he won the Republican nomination at this summer's convention in Cleveland, Ohio.  Nevertheless, Heritage says it will hold Trump accountable, desiring that Trump will implement Heritage ideas and polices to "Make America Great Again."

IL Senate Dems lose two Downstate seats, maintain super majority

SPRINGFIELD - Democrats will retain their super majority in the Illinois Senate in upcoming legislative session, voters determined last Tuesday.

Of the two-thirds of the 59-member chamber that were on the General Election ballot in 2016, 19 Democrats were not challenged and eight Republicans faced no opponents - making a total of 27 districts with no choices for voters.

Senate Republicans picked up two seats - Jil Tracy in Peoria (who ran uncontested after Democrat Senator John Sullivan announced his retirement) and Republican Dave Fowler, who unseated longtime Senator Gary Forby in the far downstate 59th District.

O'Brien: 2016 Presidential Election Was 2008 Do-Over

By Teri O'Brien - 

Listeners to The Teri O’Brien Show know that I am fond of quoting the following statistic about the 2004 election in Illinois: one million people in the Prairie State voted for both George W. Bush for President and Barack Obama for U.S. Senate.

What are the takeaways from that statistic? You can probably come up with a few. My primary one is that Barack Obama, and the Left, were successful in deceiving a lot of well-intentioned people into buying what should have been obviously a con.

Blue-sters: Welcome to living in a world of isolation

CHICAGO - It's evidently scary and somewhat traumatizing for Liberals to realize that there's half a population in America that sees things totally different from the way they do. And there's a sizable number that share that view in the only blue Midwestern state of Illinois, too. 

What Liberals don't understand is that those that see the world from a traditional conservative perspective have been fully aware of the Leftist view imposed upon them and have psychologically learned to deal with it. It has made conservatives stronger and more committed to liberty than ever as they've watched the destruction of their great country left to Leftist values.

But here's what Chicago Reader's Ben Jorvasky is dealing with in a piece entitled "Chicago's new, frightening reality: a blue city in the red nation:"

Now it's midnight, and the Chicago Board of Elections is just about finished counting the local votes. With 95 percent of the totals in, Clinton won roughly 84 percent of the city vote. About the same as Obama. So don't blame me. I'm from Chicago. Our firewall held strong. I don't think I've ever felt so alienated and isolated from the rest of the country. We're like a tiny island of blue in a sea of red.

"A tiny island of blue in a sea of red ..."

Foster: Good riddance, Senator Kirk

By Howard Foster - 

Mark Kirk may have been the only Republican U.S. Senator to lose, and readers of this site should consider that a positive political outcome. (Update: New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte has since conceded to her Democrat opponent as well.) He proved to be not only a turncoat, but also mentally unfit for his job. From one cringe-inducing insult to another, Illinois Republicans had every reason to wonder why  Governor Rauner allowed him to run for re-election. Perhaps the real story will now be told. The governor is said to be close to Kirk and could have asked him not to run for re-election. We may then have had a nominee who could have held the seat, though that would have been a tall order. Duckworth essentially ran an error-free campaign.

Cook Co GOP Chairman: Trump gave voice to middle America

Memo from Cook County GOP Chairman Sean Morrison: 

Last night, our nation saw a sea change to our political process with the momentous election of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States. President-elect Trump was able to reach out and connect with millions upon millions of disenfranchised voters who are hungry for change and a shake-up to the political establishment and status quo that has taken hold in our nation’s capital.

There is no doubt what President-elect Trump was able to capture was a silent but strong movement that transcends political ideologies and gave a voice to a middle America who are fed up with ‘business as usual’ politics.

Trump’s victory has reshaped the political landscape and the Cook County Republican Party is looking forward to working with and supporting his incoming administration to achieve the goals and aspirations of all Americans. We agree. There is so much potential in our country and in our people that must be realized.

As President Obama, Secretary Clinton and President-elect Trump have all stated clearly, it’s now time to put the campaign behind us and move forward as one country because there are many issues and much work that lies ahead for our great nation.

Did Illinois miss the red political wave that swept America Tuesday night?

CHICAGO - The nation was swept with a tidal wave of red votes Tuesday night, as was the vast majority of Illinois' 102 counties (see map above.)

However, the minority of counties that held blue in Illinois happen to be the most populated - including Cook, the City of Chicago's collar counties, Peoria, Quad Cities, Champaign and Metro East area. In a state of 13 million residents, 2,975,634 voted for Hillary Clinton (55%) and 2,115,017 voted for Donald Trump, who swept the nation by winning the needed 270 electoral college votes. 

Illinois' congressional delegation lost two key Republicans - U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and 10th CD Congressman Bob Dold. 

Biga: America speaks: The Blue Wall topples

By Frank J Biga III -

What a rollercoaster of a day! I took a Personal Day off from school to help with some local campaigns and do some calling for the Trump campaign from home. In to the very early morning I put signs out for GOP candidates in Maine township. I always get a little excited and positive when I do this sort of thing.

But I have to say that during the day, I should have kept the cable channels off. The mood just seemed that Trump would perform well but that ultimately would fall short. I must have heard the term “Ground Game” about two dozen times form various pundits. And knowing that in a normal election cycle such an organization makes a difference, this was quite depressing.

Despite this, I spent some of my time during the day calling for the Trump campaign in to Michigan and I thought he had a good chance there because of the focus on this But I was worried about Florida and without Florida any victory path for trump would get problematic. So, as I got together with my family to watch the results, it was one of tempered optimism. If this holds, it will mean a comfortable victory in the Electoral College with around 310 electoral votes for Trump.

Voters put pressure on GOP to deliver

WASHINGTON - One point American voters made clear Tuesday night is "Republicans, here's your chance to deliver - fix the economy, and set America on the road towards a brighter future."

In January 2017, Republicans will hold majorities in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate - as well as the White House with the election of a President Donald Trump.

Across the nation, 33 states now have Republican governors - the highest number of Republican governors since 1922. 

Pressure will mount immediately as both houses of Congress begin the process of deciding leadership for the next legislation session - will members want leadership change to match the calls of voters in their districts, or will they stick with the leadership now in place? 

Illinois Republican incumbents U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and Congressman Bob Dold - two of the most liberal GOPers in their respective chambers - will not return to office next session.

More to come ...

Thorner/O'Neil: What Can We Do to Save This Nation?

By Nancy Thorner & Bonnie O'Neil - 

Are you concerned about our country?  Certainly, the 2016 election confirmed many of our worst fears, including that America is in a frightening decline.  Once again the mainstream media has continued to confirm its blatant liberal bias which is not just disappointing, it is outrageous. Many media sources put aside any attempt for fairness in reporting in order to help a specific candidate win an election.

Consider this statement by the late journalist Michael Kelly:  "What journalists choose and how journalists frame inescapably arises out of what journalists believe.  As a group, journalists believe in liberalism and in electing Democrats."   Knowing this blatant bias exists, do we think media sources will make any serious attempt to expose corruption by their chosen candidates once elected and in office?  Will they continue to protect this person no matter the subject or issue? 

Other than Rush Limbaugh, the entire media has been dominated by liberal Democrats for decades.   FOX news, under the ownership of conservative Rupert Murdoch and the expert guidance of Roger Ailes, became the one exception to the media’s liberal domination, and in so doing, FOX grabbed the top spot in ratings, as Conservatives finally found a source that mirrored their political viewpoints.  However, since Ailes is no longer with FOX, the hope is that Mr. Murdock's replacement will prove to be as talented as Ailes in keeping FOX programming “fair and balanced” and far more conservative than other media sources.  

Rhoads: Pray for America and the World

By Mark Rhoads -

All Americans need to pray for President-Elect Donald Trump and our country regardless of our personal votes on Tuesday. Exit polls showed that millions of Americans are angry and hopefully that anger may have found a release.

Although Trump will not win the national popular vote, his majority of 279 in the Electoral College is impressive. He will not govern alone since Republicans lost only one seat in the Senate and only six seats in the House so the GOP retains the majority in both houses of Congress. In all cases, the winning GOP senators won more votes than the President-elect in their states.

The new Congress also needs our prayers.  We can hope and pray that the president-elect will be able to grow in his new position and listen to wise and experienced advisers and Vice President-elect Mike Pence who will help him unite the country. Their advice and counsel will be needed to convince the rest of the world that Americans do not bear any bad will to our friends and allies overseas.

God is still on his throne and his ways can be mysterious. God Bless America.

Early exit polls show voters unhappy with both Trump and Clinton

NEW YORK - News organizations began releasing exit polling results this afternoon, and among their findings, an overwhelming number of those polled by Fox News said they were bothered by Trump's treatment of women and Clinton's use of personal email server.

Seventy-one percent of voters said they are bothered by the real estate mogul’s treatment of women, while 28 percent say it doesn’t bother them, according to Fox News.

There's no reference to how they felt about former President Bill Clinton's treatment of women.

However, sixty-two percent of those polled said they were bothered by the controversy over Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email server. 

Time we heard from you: Why did you vote how you voted?

You went to the polls. That's a choice.

You picked one candidate over another for each of the public offices on the ballot - another array of choices. 

Why did you choose how you did?  Why did you vote at all?

How did you determine which candidates you trusted with your county, state or nation's future? 

Did TV or internet affect your choices?  How about mailers? 

It's your turn to tell the powers-that-be why you voted as you did today. 

Share in the Illinois Review comment section below. It's time we hear from you. 

Di Leo: 2016 all-important vote will decide tax issues from federal to local levels

By John F. Di Leo - 

 

As we walk into the polls today, the question isn't just whether the Republicans are more honest than the Democrats. It's true, by geometric proportions, but that's not the only issue.

 

And the question isn't just who has the better platform. The Republican platform of cutting taxes to spur job growth, and cutting back on federal regulations so that we can bring employment back from overseas, is obviously far superior to the Democrats' failed tax-and-spend agenda.

 

But again, the platform difference - the big picture - isn't the only issue.

Di Leo: Polling, Elections, and Reality

By John F. Di Leo -  

The polls are finally getting honest, and it's neck-and-neck. 

The pollsters have had a heck of a time with this election, since astronomical candidate negatives and an electorate full of regular voters who intend to vote third party, skip the race, or even skip voting entirely, throws a monkey wrench into their models.  Polls are scientific, but they’re based on certain standard baselines; this election messes with those baselines, which messes with their science. 

You can only extrapolate a result over a nation of 330 million from a sample of one thousand if you know what each demographic always does. This year, we don’t know what they’ll all do, so the pollsters can’t tell what to make of it.  Many pollsters skew on purpose; this season, even the ones who are trying to be honest don’t really know what to do with the numbers.

As a result, in this election, there is no longer any such thing as a red state or blue state.

For one Clinton IL native, last year's Trump rally in Springfield launched an adventure

CLINTON - Of all places, Joe Alexander hails from Clinton IL. But since last year's Trump rally in Springfield Illinois, Alexander's been busy traveling with the Trump/Pence campaign to over 30 states. 

On his Facebook page Monday morning, Alexander writes:

Signs vandalized: Cook Co Board of Review race next to turn nasty

COOK COUNTY - The Democrats in Cook County aren't happy to hold the majority of seats on the Board of Review - they want the only Republican - Dan Patlak - voted out on Tuesday.

First it was anonymous faux porno photos being circulated in a Downstate rep race.

Now It's gotten nasty in his Cook County race, as Commissioner Patlak posted on his Facebook page Sunday: 

ICYMI: Di Leo: Why I left #Never Trump-ers to happily vote for Trump and Pence

Tomorrow is Election Day, and there's still a few that say they are undecided - hard to believe, but it's true. Over the past few days, Illinois Review contributor John Di Leo's recent explanation of how he moved from being a #NeverTrumper to voting against Hillary Clinton and for Donald Trump has been circulating on the Internet. Sunday Di Leo's op-ed reached a new high of Facebook "likes" - surpassing 1k. 

If you're still an undecided and if you're looking for reasons to vote one way or another, you might want to review Di Leo's rationale for his final choice after resisting for months: Donald Trump and his VP pick Mike Pence.

Read Di Leo: "Why I left #NeverTrump-ers to happily vote for Trump and Pence" 

Di Leo: "An Economy that Works for Everybody?"

by John F. Di Leo -  

Hillary Clinton promises us "an economy that works for everybody."

In speech after speech, she insists that she's the one for the middle class. For the worker.  For the small businessman.  For the college student.

But have you studied her policy proposals?  I have.

And the only people her economy will work for are the bureaucrats who manage the unemployment lines, and the social workers and accountants who mail out the welfare checks.

copyright 2016 John F. Di Leo

JayZ features "F--WithMeYouKnowIGotIt" at Clinton Rally Friday night

Beyonce, Hillary Clinton and Jay Z in Cleveland Friday night | Doug Mills Twitter photo

CLEVELAND - Thousands of Hillary Clinton supporters rallied Friday night with their Democrat presidential candidate in Cleveland Ohio to hear rapper Jay Z spout line after line of vulgarity and sexism, especially when performing his hit “F—WithMeYouKnowIGotIt.”

Rookie downstate lawmaker faces lewd mailers circulated by anonymous source

CHRISTIAN COUNTY - Mailers containing lewd photo-shopped photos appearing to be of State Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Litchfield) is hitting mailboxes in Bourne's downstate district, the state rep's campaign reported this week.  

"We take this disgusting threat and act of intimidation very seriously and are working with state and local law enforcement to investigate. If anyone has information about who is behind this sickening stunt, we ask that they call 217-836-2177," the campaign said during a press conference.

Macoupin County GOP Chairman Terri Koyne told Illinois Review that she thinks the mailing which appears to be targeted towards Bourne's family and friends is something other than a dirty campaign tactic by Bourne's Democrat opponent Mike Mathis.

Now available free online: Illinois Policy Action's "Madigan"

CHICAGO - A controversial hour-long documentary about House Speaker Mike Madigan's decades long control of the Illinois House was shown throughout the state over the last couple of months, and is now available online "Madigan: Power. Privilege. Politics."  

The film, produced by Illinois Policy Action, is one aspect of an all-out effort this election cycle to loosen the power grip Madigan and his Democrat cronies have on the state - blocking political and budgetary reform. 

Di Leo: Hillary Clinton and the Watergate Standard

By John F. Di Leo -  

When did we first encounter Hillary Clinton? 

Remember? 

Way back... when she was a young lawyer working for the Democratic Party side on the Watergate Committee.  In the mid-1970s.

A very long time ago.

Hillary Rodham Clinton believed that - because of Richard Nixon's role in the Watergate scandal - he was unfit to serve as President.

How does the now-69-year-old Clinton hold up against her own Watergate Standard?

Before you answer, consider this. 

She has allegedly committed literally hundreds of thousands more crimes than he did.

(Note:  We have to say "allegedly" - because she hasn't yet been tried.  But all indications are that the empaneling of grand juries and issuance of indictments are just around the corner... and it was her own shenanigans - also illegal, and confirmed by recent Wikileaks dumps - that caused these investigations to be postponed as long as they have been!)

9th CD voters demand investigation in Schakowsky's dark dealings with husband's firm

By Keith Liscio for Observer.com - 

Tuesday morning a Donald Trump supporter who lives in Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s Illinois Congressional district organized a rally outside of the Congresswoman’s Evanston office demanding investigations into Robert Creamer and others alleged to have incited violence at a Trump rally in Chicago in March.

Creamer is Schakowsky’s husband and the political consultant with Democracy Partners who appeared in a surreptitiously recorded undercover video in which he and associates from Americans United for Change seemed to take credit for planting agitators at Trump rallies. In the videos, Creamer also claims to work on behalf of the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign.

DiLeo: Why I left #NeverTrumpers to happily vote for Trump/Pence ticket

By John F. Di Leo -

When the 2016 primaries began, I was excited at the prospect of nominating Governor Bobby Jindal or Governor Scott Walker.  I even imagined a dream ticket consisting of the two of them, the Republican Party’s great reform governors who so successfully turned around their states.

But then, they were the first to drop out, and we were left with many others who – in my opinion – were fine in various ways, but didn’t compare.  So the excitement left, but I didn’t worry because the Republican Party would still nominate someone who’d beat Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders in a landslide.  Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Rick Perry – we had so much talent, so much experience, on that field.

I identified as #NeverTrump in the primaries, of course, because a party with so much provable governmental experience to choose from had no business nominating someone without such a clear record. And I felt that if the Republican Party nominated Donald Trump, throwing over so much talent in favor of an electoral outsider would do irrevocable damage to the Republican Party.

Trump outlines "New Deal for Black America," which includes school choice

DETROIT - Presidential candidate Donald Trump briefly outlined a plan for urban renewal while in Detroit Michigan Monday night, a plan he calls "A New Deal for Black America."

Trump, who is losing by double digits in blue Illinois, is in a heated race with Hillary Clinton for Michigan's electoral college votes.  He told the crowd gathered he would work to bring back their jobs and push for school choice for Detroit's African-American children:

Wikileaks shows Donna Brazile sneaking second debate question to Clinton crew

NEW YORK - When interim Democratic National Convention's interim chair Donna Brazile was caught passing along a debate question to Hillary Clinton's campaign, she responded with outrage when Fox News' Megyn Kelly asked her about the allegation. 

Brazile, who at the time was a CNN contributor, spouted her familiarity with Christian persecution for being asking about the information handoff. But perhaps more than righteous indignation, Brazile's angry response stemmed from being caught - as she has been once again. 

"As a Christian woman, I understand persecution," Brazile told Kelly. "Your information is false. What you're -- well, for suggestive e-mails were stolen. You're interested and you're like a thief that wants to bring into the night the things that."

Monday, an email discovered by Wikileaks from Brazile to Clinton campaign manager John Podesta and Jennifer Palmieri on March 5 suggests Brazile leaked questions at least twice - once about Clinton's views on the death penalty and a second about Flint's lead poisoning crisis.

What about those judicial slots? ICJL releases voting guide for Illinois judges

ELMHURST - To better educate Illinois voters about choices for judges, Monday the Illinois Civil Justice League (ICJL) released the ratings of judges and judicial candidates running for election and retention in the November General Elections.

The ICJL judicial ratings are a part of the most complete and comprehensive voter education initiative of its kind, designed to assist voters in making informed decisions about the judicial candidates on their ballot.

The initiative called Judges: Good and Bad-You Can’t Afford to be Indifferent can be found at illinoisjudges.net.

Where's Weyermuller? Celebrating Halloween with neighborhood's scariest display

By Mark Weyermuller - 

Some people have said I have the scariest yard in all of Illinois. How can this be? Halloween displays contains lawns full of witches, monsters, and skeletons, yet my yard seems to be more frightening.

I suppose it's because my Halloween display includes full-size figures of politicians. This year's centerpiece focuses on presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. They are separated by a large air-blown pumpkin with a sign that says, "debate moderator." Hillary is holding a cellphone - wiped clean, of course.

Schakowsky's headaches continue over husband's dirty campaign tricks

CHICAGO - Husbands are causing Clinton insiders lots of headaches these days, and there's no question IL Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky can identify with Clinton aide Yuma Abedin's recent spousal embarrassments. 

After all, Schakowsky's husband Bob Creamer did not only spend time in prison for bank fraud and tax troubles, he was caught in several undercover videos appearing to admit his part in stirring up violence and illegally coordinating with the Clinton campaign. 

Creamer "stepped away" from his campaign gig at "American United for Change" as soon as Project Veritas rolled out the secretly-recorded videos - but not a word came from his wife Jan Schakowsky, who led a protest outside a Republican fundraiser the same day Donald Trump cancelled a scheduled rally in Chicago, fearing violent protesters.

Mendoza's flowery words for Speaker Madigan come back to haunt her

CHICAGO - Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza served 10 years in the Illinois House before being sworn into her current job in May 2011. During her time in the Illinois House, she became a vocal admirer of Speaker Madigan - who is now under unprecedented political criticism as a documentary funded by Illinois Policy Action circulates the state.

The 44 year old Mendoza is now in a heated race to unseat Governor Rauner-appointed State Comptroller Leslie Munger.

The statewide race has become a symbolic contest between Illinois' top two power players - Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and longtime Democrat House Speaker Mike Madigan. Both Madigan and Rauner have invested heavily in the race - tying both candidates to their most noteworthy supporters.

Now Mendoza's flowery speech nominating the powerful Mike Madigan to retain his speakership in 2011 is being circulated after it was unearthed by the Munger campaign - with hopes of reminding voters of Mendoza's devotion to Madigan.

FBI Director re-opens Clinton email investigation

UPDATE: The New York Times is reporting that the new emails to which Director Comey is referring came from former Congressman Anthony Wiener's electronic device - up until August, Wiener was married to Clinton insider and confidante Huma Abedin. Wiener is under suspicion of using electronic devices to entice a minor. 

D.C. - The Federal Bureau of Investigations has just learned of Secretary Hillary Clinton emails that Director James Comey says "appear to be pertinent to the investigation" he testified about earlier this year.

The FBI says as a result they are re-opening an investigation to determine whether or not emails in an "unrelated case" contain classified information.

Comey said in the letter dated October 27, 2016 to key U.S. Senate and House members that he had no idea whether the material they were looking into was significant or how long it would take to make such a determination.

Kirk shocks by ridiculing Duckworth's heritage during Springfield debate

SPRINGFIELD - Republican incumbent U.S. Senator Mark Kirk is getting heat nationwide Friday morning after an exchange with Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth Thursday night in which Kirk ridiculed Duckworth's assertion that her family's roots stem back to the Revolutionary War era.

Duckworth was born in Thailand, but her father was American - something Senator Kirk must not have known when the following exchange took place:

Tammy Duckworth: My family has served this nation in uniform back to the revolution. I am a daughter of the American Revolution. I've bled for this nation. But I still want to be there in the Senate when the drums of war sound because people are quick to sound the drums of war and I want to be there to say this is what it costs and this is what you're asking us to do. And if that's the case, I'll go. It's families like mine that bleed first. But let's make sure that the American people understand what we are engaging in and let's hold our allies accountable because we can't do it all. 

Mark Kirk: I forgot that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington. 

Kirk's comment was followed with an awkward silence, and then the panel at the Sangamon County Convention Center moved to another question.

Before the debate, Kirk's chances of being re-elected were listed by FiveThirtyEight.com as being 8%, with Duckworth at 91%. By Friday morning, Kirk's chances dipped to 7.4%. 

Biga: Forget Roman Empire, U.S. now eerily similar to Late Imperial China

By Frank J Biga III - 

Historians often use the history of the Roman Republic and Empire as a guide stone to the development of the United States and seek analogous situations between the two to explain whether the United States is rising or declining. But I think a better historical period and civilization to study in this regard is late Imperial China. This revolves around issues that were very similar for both including illegal drugs, philosophical change, and foreign influence. Consider the following historical progression:

China is known as the Middle Kingdom. This self-appointed moniker derives from the fact that Imperial China (which ranged from the Shang Dynasty in the 2000s BC all the way through the Qing Dynasty to 1911) regarded other civilizations as barbarian and beneath the culturally superior Chinese. The Chinese were superior to all except the spirits in the Heavens - hence the name the Middle Kingdom.

UPDATE: Former IL Congressman threatens to grab musket if Trump loses

UPDATE 5:19 PM: Mr. Walsh will be on CNN with Anderson Cooper tonight at 7:30 PM CST to discuss this controversy, he just told Illinois Review. "I haven't been contacted yet by the Secret Service, although I've been told that I was reported to them once again," he said. 

CHICAGO - A provocative Tweet by Chicago radio talk show host Joe Walsh created a stir among Leftist critics Wednesday afternoon. Thursday, Walsh's comment was used by Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Duckworth to boost a last minute campaign fund drive for her bid against incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mark Kirk. 

In 2012, Duckworth beat then-Congressman Joe Walsh's re-election bid, after being for his first term in the 2010 Tea Party Revolution year.

First, the Duckworth campaign posted Walsh's controversial Tweet: 

And then Duckworth's campaign attempted to boil Walsh alive, tying him to Trump's "sore loser" talk:

Thorner: Trump threatens to "Drain D.C.'s Swamp"

By Nancy Thorner -

The shameless "borking" of Trump to paint him as a woman hater, one who supports violence, a loony-tune, and so much worse, has become non-stop since he became the Republican presidential nominee this past July, fostered by print media and TV networks which have unabashedly joined forces with the Democratic Party for the election of Hillary. Rightly perceived by Republican establishment elite is that Trump, not of the establishment, would shake up the status quo and the power and money that flows to those who support the globalist agenda of the rich and powerful working behind the scenes to control this nation's destiny, such as George Soros, Bill Gates, the U.N., Bush and Clinton cartels, members of the elite Republican establishment in the U.S. House and Senate, and foreign countries who gave to the Clinton Foundation in what is known as Pay for Play.  

Fifty Republicans, claiming to be national security experts, signed a letter predicting that Trump would be the worst president in history when it comes to keeping America safe. I'm confused!  Isn't the first duty of the president to keep the American people safe?  How will Hillary's call for opening the nation's borders through which murderers, drugs, drug lords, cartels, and hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants flow and extending a welcoming mat to thousands of un-vetted Syrians for whom we could query our database until the cows come home and yet draw blanks when no records exist, keep Americans safe?

Unlike Trump, Hillary can't even define the enemy as Islamic extremist terrorists and her support of the Iran nuclear deal is the worst appeasement policy in modern American history and has compromised our security.

Thorner/Clarke: It's not about Hillary or Trump, it's about ending corruption

Obama's corrupt DOJ intervened and these voting poll intimidators were set free

By Nancy Thorner and Ed Clarke - 

This election is really not about Trump or Clinton. It is about whether we want to continue having a corrupt Justice Department, a corrupt IRS, a corrupt FBI, whether we want to continue denying children the opportunity to go to charter schools to improve their education, about the make-up of the Supreme Court, and there is so much more. 

We know that the Democrats will continue to march lock step toward a country that suppresses minority opinions, that takes over more of the economy and reduces economic opportunity, and makes the world a more dangerous place for US citizens.  Republicans have demonstrated that they believe in the rule of law, love their country and support a strong national defense. A President Trump would be reined in by the Democrats in Congress and by the divided Republicans in Congress.

At this point it really doesn't matter if Trump is sufficiently conservative or a closet Democrat.  To the extent that Trump starts conversations with a negotiating posture, it may have no relationship with the final outcome.  We believe that Trump will act as a problem solver who first loves his country and the opportunities it offers people.