Diersen’s News clips and upcoming events, February 13, 2010

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
February 13, 2010

Fellow Republicans:

News clips and upcoming event information:

GOPUSA ILLINOIS

– Participants in outstanding Lincoln Summit include Arrington, Artl, Bowler, Connelly, Cudney, Grasso, Hughes, Krajewski, Sean Murphy, Nalepa, Pearson, and Plummer – Dave Diersen

http://www.gopillinois.com

Proud to be Republican hosted an outstanding Lincoln Summit at Mike Ditka’s in Oak Brook Friday morning, February 12. Participants included John Arrington, Kevin Artl, Mike Bowler, Mike Connelly, Ryan Cudney, Gary Grasso, Patrick Hughes, Brian Krajewski, Sean Murphy, Jim Nalepa, George Pearson, and Jason Plummer. Topics discussed included: What did we learn from the Primary? How can we promote GOP unity? How cam we help return Illinois to the Land of Lincoln (and Reagan)? Participants at this outstanding event, including your GOPUSA Illinois Editor, look forward to attending future such events. Proud to be Republican’s websites: http://www.proudtoberepublican.com/ and http://www.youtube.com/ptbrepublican

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER

• GOP gets fired up at annual Lincoln Day Luncheon – Bernard Schoenburg ¹

(THE ARTICLE: Republican statewide candidates Friday told the Sangamon County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Luncheon that Illinoisans’ mood favors their party this November. “The wind is at our backs,” said state Sen. Dan Rutherford of Chenoa, the GOP candidate for state treasurer. State Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale thanked the local party for its support in the recent gubernatorial election. Dillard, who is within about 400 votes statewide of the apparent winner, state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, told reporters he’s waiting for every vote to be counted before deciding if he will concede or seek a recount. Whoever wins, Dillard told the crowd, will carry a similar message, because he and Brady are singing from the “same hymnal.” Brady was at a GOP event in Chicago, but his wife, Nancy, appeared in his stead. “Billy has this amazing talent for having very exciting elections,” she said, noting that her husband entered the Illinois House via an eight-vote victory over then-Rep. Gordon Ropp in 1992. U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, gave a strong endorsement of U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Highland Park, for U.S. Senate. Kirk faces Democratic state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias in the November election. Shimkus repeated the theme that “Illinois is next” after Massachusetts voters unexpectedly sent a Republican – new U.S. Sen. Scott Brown – to Washington. U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, also told the crowd that voters are going to see the need to end one-party rule not only nationally, but in Illinois. He noted that a year ago Friday – on Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday – President Barack Obama was in Springfield. Obama also used Illinois’ capital city to announce his presidential campaign and running mate, Schock said. “He’s done a lot of invoking of Abe Lincoln,” Schock said of the president. “And as a Republican and someone who knows that he (Lincoln) founded the Republican Party, I feel a little frustrated at times – that somehow he’s trying to get Abe Lincoln to wholly appropriate his (Obama’s) big deficits and out-of-control spending.” Schock got applause when he paraphrased a Lincoln quote: “The legitimate object of government is to do for people that which they cannot do for themselves, but in all that they can do in their individual capacities, government ought not interfere.” Other speakers included Robert Enriquez of Aurora, the party’s secretary of state candidate; Jason Plummer of Edwardsville, the winner of the primary for lieutenant governor; and Bobby Schilling of Colona, a candidate for the U.S. House in the 17th Congressional District. . .Nearly 500 people attended the Sangamon County Republican Party’s 106th annual Lincoln Day luncheon, held Thursday at the Prairie Capital Convention Center, county chairman Tony Libri said. Base price was $75.)

ABC7

• Bill Brady predicts Republican victories in November – Ravi Baichwal (Includes video clip) ²

NBC5

• McCain Likes Kirk’s Chances “He just has to work hard,” McCain said – Mary Ann Ahern ³

FOX NEWS CHICAGO

• VIDEO CLIP: Plummer: Not the Time to Get Rid of Lt Gov ⁴

DAILY HERALD

• Brady, Dillard play nice as final GOP votes await counting – Chase Castle and Ted Cox ⁵
• Brady bides time, but looks ahead to race with Quinn – Ted Cox ⁶

(DIERSEN: Brady says he is “going to camp out in Cook and the collar counties.”)

• White House reaches out to Roskam on health care – John Patterson ⁷

(FROM THE ARTICLE: The two Illinois politicians again shared the spotlight recently when, during Obama’s televised meeting with House Republicans, Roskam openly wondered what had happened to the talented dealmaker he’d known back in Springfield, the one who could reach across party lines to find agreement and get things done. Roskam said he’s sure that exchange is why he got a call Friday. “Back in the old days he (Obama) had the flexibility to sit down and negotiate,” Roskam said. Asked if he feared being painted as an Obama patsy within Republican circles, Roskam said that would not happen. He said he made it clear if the White House expects Republican votes, then the president needed to start getting behind individual proposals that Republicans are comfortable with and have supported.)

• Obama’s czars push abortion agenda – Mary Stuhr, Addison ⁸
• DIERSEN HEADLINE: Jeffrey Crowell of Naperville acknowledges that RINOs have not only severely damaged the Republican Party, they have severely damaged America ⁹
• DIERSEN HEADLINE: Nancy Perlman of Glen Ellyn wants affordable health care to be everyone’s “birthright.” ¹⁰

TRANSLATION: Pearlman wants Democrats to use government to force those who pay taxes (mainly Republicans) to pay more taxes so that government (Democrats) can provide more subsidized health care and more free health care, especially for the poor (Democrats). The Democrats’ obvious goal is to make it illegal in American provide health care unless you are a government employee (Democrat) or government contractor (Democrat.)

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

• McCain visits Chicago for Kirk fundraiser – AP ¹¹
• McCain says Senate race no sure thing for GOP – Monique Garcia ¹²
• “TEA Partiers:” White, angry, anti-Obama – Mark Silva ¹³

(DIERSEN: “Democrats:”Anti-White, angry, anti-conservative, anti-male, anti-religious, anti-America, anti-etc.)

• Quayle: Obama ‘talks down’ to people – Mark Silva ¹⁴
• Cohen sends resignation letter to state Democratic Party – John Chase and Monique Garcia ¹⁵
• Chicago Tribune vs. Plummer: Reading between the lines of GOP lieutenant governor nominee’s resume Jason Plummer, 27, touts leadership in private, public sector, but a closer look finds limited experience – Rick Pearson, Ray Long, and Ray Gibson ¹⁶

(DIERSEN: Will the Democrat Chicago Tribune spend as many millions of dollars to get Plummer to withdraw as it spend to get Jack Ryan to withdraw?)

• Laid-off Wheaton employee in bind over health care costs – Gerry Smith ¹⁷
• Controversial bill would strip powers from local school councils Sen. James Meeks says plan would make it easier to for top Chicago schools’ administrators to hire and fire principals – Adam Ahmed ¹⁸

(FROM THE ARTICLE: The bill faces a battery of impediments. In 2007, Sen. Dan Cronin, (R-Elmhurst), introduced legislation simply to review the purpose and powers of local school councils, and that bill went nowhere. Further, with a battle brewing in Springfield over teacher pension reform and other hot-button pension issues, it’s not going to be an easy climate in which to pass such a bill.)

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

• DIERSEN HEADLINE: Free week of condoms comes to Chicago CHICAGO — Planned Parenthood of Illinois is encouraging sexually active individuals to talk to their partners about the importance of using condoms to protect against sexually transmitted infections. ¹⁹ Planned Parenthood will be recognizing National Condom Week by giving away free condoms at all its Illinois health centers next week (Feb. 14-21). Illinois ranked eighth out of 50 states for the most gonorrhea cases in 2008 and ninth out of 50 states in chlamydia cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationally, nearly 19 million sexually transmitted infections occur each year. Condoms are the only form of contraception that also helps reduce the risk of disease.)
• Discontented voters could go Green – Carol Marin ²⁰

BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH

• GOP defends Dillard’s decision not to concede – Chris Essig and Mike Riopell ²¹

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS

• Giannoulias, Kirk shake hands for first time since primary at Lincoln dinner – Shia K. ²²
• Brady acts like GOP gov winner, rips Quinn – Greg Hinz ²³
• Will Kirk face conservative foe in Senate race against Giannoulias? – Greg Hinz ²⁴

(THE ARTICLE: So far, it’s just talk – and there’s good reason to think it never will amount to more than that. But some conservative Republicans indeed are chattering about the possibility of fielding a hard-right champion to run this fall as an independent or third-party candidate for the U.S. Senate against Republican nominee Mark Kirk and Democrat Alexi Giannoulias. Fueling the talk is the fact that Mr. Kirk, a North Shore congressman who is considered a political moderate, got only about 56% of the vote in last week’s GOP primary despite very strong backing from the Republican establishment. Given that, “Mark Kirk would be very wise to listen to what some of the conservatives have to say,” says Family-PAC’s Paul Caprio, whose group has very strong feelings about the abortion issue. “There are a lot of people who fear Mark could become another Arlen Specter,” adds Mr. Caprio, referring to the Pennsylvania senator who recently left the GOP to become a Democrat. But another top conservative activist, former gubernatorial hopeful Dan Proft, says the talk thus far is “nothing I take seriously. A lot of folks with grand visions and no plan. . . .I don’t see anything credible on the horizon, at least not yet.” Indeed, no champion yet has emerged, though some say Matteson physician Eric Wallace, who considered running for the Senate last fall and still has a campaign Web site, or the Constitution Party’s Randall Stufflebeam might do it. Meanwhile, the Kirk campaign appears to be taking nothing for granted. The congressman met right after the election with businessman Patrick Hughes and others who ran against him in the primary. Further, as yet unspecified outreach efforts reportedly are on the way. Bottom line, the big conservative groups with the big money stayed out of the primary, and there’s no sign they’d rather Mr. Giannoulias win. National Republicans say they’re not concerned. But any third candidate could create real problems for Mr. Kirk in this predominantly Democratic state. Team Kirk will need to be careful, because the situation could change, and definitely is worth watching.)

SOUTH CHICAGOAN

• DIERSEN HEADLINE: VERY SAD: Anti-conservative Gregory Tejeda demonizes and denigrates Republicans ²⁵

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR

• Plummer spent big on campaign – AP ²⁶
• LaHood stresses importance of high-speed rail, bipartisanship – Terry Bibo ²⁷

(DIERSEN: Why does Obama promote LaHood? LaHood works hard against conservatives and against Combine opponents. LaHood worked hard to get conservative and Combine opponent Peter Fitzgerald to not seek a second term in the U.S. Senate and that led to Obama getting that seat and then the presidency.)

SUBURBAN CHICAGO NEWS

• Karl Rove to be keynote speaker at GOP dinner March 19 ²⁸

CHICAGO NOW

• BERKOWITZ V. PLUMMER: Late breaking news: Jason Plummer’s application to become Lt. Gov. of Illinois found – Jeff Berkowitz ²⁹

CHICAGO DAILY OBSERVER

• Two Way Winner for GOP in Governor’s Race – Tom Roeser ³⁰

REPUBLICANS FOR FAIR MEDIA

• IL GOP Gov’s Race: McKenna’s Ad Did In Kirk Dillard, Not Jim Ryan – Daniel T. Zanoza ³¹

ILLINOIS REVIEW

• BEYOND TRAGIC: Pew Poll shows one-third Americans view Socialism favorably – Nancy Thorner ³²

(DIERSEN: Everyone knows that when America was formed, if it had gone with socialism instead of capitalism, America would never become prosperous or safe and America would never have become the leader of the free world. Therefore, American would never have been able to end WWI, end WWII, end soviet communism, etc. With socialism, instead of there being fewer poor people, we all would be poor. Socialism discourages individual responsibility and promotes dependency on government. Socialism is almost as demotivating and destructive as communism.)

• Representative Connelly calls for Local Jobs Meeting ³³
• Obama Panders to the Feminists – Phyllis Schlafly ³⁴
• Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote – Joe Calomino, AFP-IL state director ³⁵

DAN PROFT

– DIERSEN HEADLINE: Proft on WLS Saturday, February 13, noon-2PM; guests include Plummer and Meeks
www.WLSam.com

(FROM PROFT: Proft Tackles Issues Foreign and Domestic on “The Big 89″ from 12noon-2pm Saturday, Feb. 13) Will the combined U.S.-Afghan offensive in Marjah turn around the War in Afghanistan? Should Illinois eliminate the post of Lt. Governor? James Meeks leading the effort for K-12 reform in Illinois. Where is the GOP? Dan Proft’s guests tomorrow will include Capt. Stephan Toussaint of the Illinois National Guard who served 10 months in Afghanistan (Laghman Province), ILGOP Lt. Governor nominee Jason Plummer and Rev. State Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago). Tune in from 12noon-2pm. Call-in: 312-591-8900. WLS-AM 890. WLSam.com.)

TOM ROESER

• Bill Brady’s 100% Conservative Rating on Social Policy – the Most Impeccable for a Governor Candidate Ever. ³⁶

RED STATE

• Michael Steele’s Urgent Memo to the GOP State Chairmen ³⁷

(THE LETTER: URGENT FROM THE CHAIRMAN From: Michael Steele, RNC Chairman To: State GOP Chairmen and Chairwomen Date: February 12, 2010 Subject: Recruiting Precinct Delegates/Precinct Committeemen and Committeewomen As you know, I promised that our new RNC website, GOP.com, would, by January, 2010, have tools enabling precinct committeemen across the country, in every county, to be able to network with one another – to form caucuses, organize, recruit more precinct committeemen, etc. The RNC wanted to create a template web site and offer it to every state and county GOP committee. That hasn’t happened. Mea culpa. Rather than a top down approach, let’s try a bottom-up approach. So, I need your help. A quick review of many of the State GOP web sites shows that there is virtually no mention of the fact that our Party is at half-strength in the precinct committeeman ranks. And virtually none of the sites contain urgent pleas, prominently displayed, to visitors of the sites to come into the Republican Party as soon as possible as precinct delegates (as you know, it’s called committeemen, captain, etc. in some states) so the Party can go from half-strength to full-strength going into the 2010 election cycle. Also, there are virtually no explanations as to what a precinct committeeman is and how vitally important they are to the functioning of our “Grand Old Party” – indeed, as you know, because precinct committeemen vote for the leadership of the Party, and directly impact the outcome of the primary elections, they ARE the Party. Some of the county web sites have this information, but dang few. Here’s one good example of what we need: http://www.maricopagop.org/precinct-committeeman/step-by-step-guide-to-becoming-a-precinct-committeeman-2/. (I’m informed this particular example was accomplished not by the Party officers but by brand new volunteer precinct committeemen who volunteered their time and skills – didn’t cost the Party a cent! And the Party didn’t even ask – the volunteers did it on their own and then presented the new web site on a silver platter to the county leaders.) There are a few other good examples, some of which have been compiled here: www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com (It’s even got a comparison of our Platform and the Democrat Party Platform – we don’t even have that at our GOP.com web site!) So, here’s my urgent request to you, my Republican brothers and sisters: Please, please, implore your County Chairpersons to prominently place on their web sites, as soon as possible, the following: An explanation to all visitors about the vital power and importance of the precinct committeeman position; how, by becoming one, they can actually “do something” because they will help strengthen and reinvigorate the Party; and how easy it is to become one. Implore them do what they did in Maricopa County, Arizona, if need be, if funds are tight – ask for volunteers from the precinct committeemen ranks. And now you’ve got some good examples for how to do it. I realize that you don’t really have the power to do this, because you know, as I do, that the real power within our Party lies with the precinct committeemen themselves. If precinct committeemen want this to happen at the county level, they can make this happen, as they did in Maricopa County, Arizona. Let’s get ‘er done. Thank you.)

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG

• Grafton Township Board Hiring Battle – Cal Skinner ³⁸

CHICAGO CURRENT

• Meister, Iraq war veteran criticize Kirk’s support for ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ – Adrian G. Uribarri ³⁹
• Brady faces questions over conservatism and running mate – Adrian G. Uribarri ⁴⁰

NEW AMERICAN

• Will Illinois Replay ‘Massachusetts Miracle’? – Jack Kenny ⁴¹

HUFFINGTON POST

• John McCain Defends Sarah Palin’s Hand Notes, Says A Teleprompter’s Worse (VIDEO) ⁴²

POLITICO

• Conservative manifesto coming soon – Kenneth Vogel ⁴³
• White House looking for new GOP partners – Jake Sherman ⁴⁴

(THE ARTICLE: The top White House health care official requested a meeting with Republican Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) this week, a sign the Obama administration is trying to find new GOP partners on health care overhaul legislation. Nancy-Ann DeParle, the director of the White House Office of Health Reform, spoke with Roskam by phone this afternoon about how to push forward with health care legislation. Much of the dialogue centered on an amendment Roskam introduced in the Ways and Means committee in July that dealt with waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare. The Illinois congressman said the White House seemed to be interested in the provision. It turned into a “monologue,” Roskam said, when he suggested Democrats move that item as an individual bill, along with issues like purchasing insurance across state lines and other cost-containment provisions. He predicted Democrats would certainly find Republican support on a host of health-care related issues if they broke the legislation down into smaller pieces. “This has to be broken down,” Roskam said he told DeParle Friday afternoon. “So if you think this amendment is a good amendment, have the Speaker run it as a separate bill and let’s go out and follow true on that.” Reaching out to Roskam is a window into Obama’s strategy on bipartisanship – Roskam is an old friend of Obama’s from the Illinois legislature, he’s on a path to Republican leadership and he’s a well regarded member of the Ways and Means committee. Roskam is also not part of elected GOP leadership, so he may be a good target for a White House looking to forge new alliances. Roskam was also a key Republican that Obama spoke with at the House Republican retreat in Baltimore two weeks ago. An administration official said DeParle talks to Republican lawmakers “time to time, including Republicans who have interesting ideas about health reform.” Roskam hasn’t signaled a good deal of leeway on voting for the health-care overhaul legislation in its current form. “Obamacare,” he said, “has become toxic as a piece of legislation.” If the White House is looking to pick up votes by adopting “leftover” Republican provisions, they can count Roskam out, he said. “Its legislative log rolling,” Roskam told POLITICO after the phone call. “It’s the oldest game in the book.” Roskam, a free-trade advocate, is also looking to negotiate with the White House on trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea – so he may end of on the White House speed dial.)

FOX NEWS CHANNEL

• VIDEO CLIP: Roskam Tells Fox News Obama Needs to Shed Pelosi’s Partisan Tactics ⁴⁵
• McCain Fundraising for Obama’s Old Sen Seat – Svein Schwab (Includes video clip) ⁴⁶

WALL STREET JOURNAL

• What I Saw at the Tea Party Convention The attendees want politicians who will deliver on Obama’s promise of clean and open government. – Glenn Reynolds ⁴⁷

(FROM THE ARTICLE: Cincinnati tea-party activists are running candidates for Republican precinct executive in every precinct in their area-if elected, these candidates will help set policy platforms within the GOP and have sway over which candidates the party endorses. Activists in other states are doing the same. Adam Andrzejewski, who ran in the Republican primary for governor in Illinois, told me he will run candidates in each of Illinois’ precincts.)

JOURNAL NEWS

• $500K fine for immigration violations paid by Koch Foods – Michael D. Pitman ⁴⁸

CHINA POST

• U.S. Right making comeback amid growing frustration – CNN ⁴⁹

SENATOR LAUZEN

• Edward F. Dillard, Jr.: “An Inexhaustible Good Nature” ⁵⁰

GOPUSA

• MARCH 27, 2006 FLASHBACK: Important questions to ask your representative on the Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee – Dave Diersen ⁵¹

ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY

• 2010 State Central Committee Candidates ⁵²

UPCOMING EVENTS: FOR EVENT DETAILS, VISIT THE EVENTS PAGES AT: www.illinoisreview.com, www.weareillinois.org, and/or www.dupagegop.com

2/13 Event: Tazewell County Unity Breakfast
2/15 Event: Lisle Township GOP meeting
2/15 Event: DGTRO organizational meeting
2/16 Event: Winnebago County Republican Central Committee meeting in Rockford
2/17 Event: Winfield Townhip GOP meeting
2/18 Event: Addison Township GOP meeting
2/18-20 Event: CPAC 2010
2/20 Event: TAPROOT breakfast meeting in Lombard
2/22 Event: Northwest Lincoln Day Dinner in Schaumburg
2/22 Event: Vernon Township GOP meeting
2/23 Event: Bloomingdale Township GOP meeting
2/23 Event: York Township GOP meeting
2/24 Event: Milton Township GOP monthly meeting
2/24 Event: DuPage Young Republicans meeting in Wheaton
2/25 Event: Family Pac Federal fundraiser for Rubio
2/26 Event: Pankau fundraiser in Medinah
2/27 Event: NTRO monthly meeting
3/3 Events: County Party Conventions
3/5 Event: Wheaton Women’s Republican Club chili dinner and legislative update
3/8 Event: Republican State Senate Campaign Committee Reception in Springfield
3/12 Event: Senator Cronin’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner at Diplomat West Banquets, Elmhurst
3/14 Event: Addison Township GOP Annual Brunch
3/19 Event: Rove to speak at DuPage GOP Lincoln Day Dinner
4/9 Event: NTRO Annual Pizza Party
5/5 Event: Cinco de Mayo RNHA fundraiser in Aurora
7/4 Event: Wheaton & Glenn Elyn Indepence Day parades
7/17 Event: Operation Support Our Troops concert in Wheaton
11/2 Event: General election

Each and every morning, I send a GOPUSA ILLINOIS email to each and every GOPUSA ILLINOIS subscriber. If the email does not appear in your inbox, to view a copy of it, please visit: http://www.gopillinois.com. Also each and every morning, I post a link to that copy on the Illinoize page at http://www.capitalfax.blogspot.com. Since January 1, 2005, GOPUSA ILLINOIS has brought to your attention 59,727 internet postings and information on many upcoming events free of charge and without any advertising. GOPUSA ILLINOIS asks that its subscribers use the information in the emails to help elect and reelect Republicans who can and will defend and advance the Illinois Republican Party platform.

Thanks,
Dave Diersen
Phone: 630-653-0462
Fax: 630-653-9665

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50. http://www.lauzen.com/mediacenter/voice.cfm[back]
51. http://gopusa.com/illinois/commentary/IRPSCCquestions3-27-06.shtml[back]
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