GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - March 18, 2008

ILLINOIS REVIEW
-- Why the Rev. Wright Story Is Gathering Steam - Mark Rhoads
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/03/why-the-rev-wri.html
(THE ARTICLE: Today a liberal ("progressive") columnist for the Liberal (aka "progressive") Washington Post is asking exactly the same question many conservatives have been asking here on the posts of Illinois Review: "why did it take Sen. Obama so long to denounce his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright?" CLICK HERE to see the Richard Cohen theory about the Wright-Obama connection. Until the Brian Ross story on ABC-TV Good Morning America on March 13, the story of incendiary tirades by Rev. Jeremiah Wright had not gained very much national news media attention beyond a growing number of blog articles such as those by Illinois Review editor Fran Eaton. Sen. Obama appears to be sincere on the video tape released by his campaign in which he condemns remarks made by his former pastor. That was a good first step in clearing the air even if it was very late. But one cannot help but wonder how amazing it is, given all the video tape material now floating around, that Sen. Obama was able to miss so many church services on exactly the days that Rev. Wright made some of his most hateful statements. Could it happen? Sure. But is it likely? The jury is still out and therein lies some difficulty for Sen. Obama because soon the issue could, repeat could, become a story about Obama's personal credibility rather than the original story as inflammatory as it is. If, again if, some video tape is discovered that actually shows Sen. Obama and his wife in a pew and nodding in assent during a Rev. Wright tirade, it will be so much harder for Obama to explain away. The odds that such a tape might exist are more rather than less due to the celebrity status of Obama even during his ten years as a state senator before his election to the U.S. Senate. Now a lot of resources for network TV and other non-conservative media are being devoted to the search for more video tape. Stay tuned. Obama does not need another Canada-NAFTA story where he tells reporters something that turns out to be not true. Obama is a candidate who has little to offer in national experience so he counts heavily on the fact that voters will trust his judgment. So far in this particular matter, it is exactly Obama's judgment that has been found wanting.)

NBC5
-- Preacher Predicament Pushes Obama To Speak On Race, Religion Obama To Address Issues In Philadelphia Address - Mary Ann Ahern
http://www.nbc5.com/politics/15623738/detail.html?dl=mainclick (Includes video clip)
-- Obama Speech To Confront Racial Issues Illinois Democrat Seeks To Calm Uproar Over Former Pastor's Sermons
http://www.nbc5.com/politics/15626895/detail.html?dl=mainclick (Includes video clips)

CBS2
-- Obama To Talk About Race, Pastor Controversy - Mai Martinez
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/barack.obama.race.2.679208.html (Includes video clips)

DAILY HERALD
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Countries cannot give preference to one group without discriminating against another group. Race and gender based preference giving destroys countries. In his speech today, if Obama would be honest, he would acknowledge that if elected, he would continue to force race and gender based discrimination in America, that is, that he would advance the Democrat Party platform, a platform that forces America a) to give preference to minorities and to give preference to females, and therefore, b) to discriminate against whites and to discriminate against males. In his speech today, if Obama would be honest, he would acknowledge that he and all Democrats blame Republicans for all the problems that minorities and females have and that therefore, if elected, he would assure that only Republican whites and Republican males would have to pay the price of reverse discrimination.
http://www.dailyherald.com/
-- Hastert still backing Oberweis for Congress - AP
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=155307&src=110
(THE ARTICLE: Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert is still supporting Republican businessman Jim Oberweis to replace him in Congress but acknowledges winning the seat back from a Democrat won't be easy. Democrat Bill Foster beat Oberweis in a special election March 8 to win the northern Illinois seat Hastert held for two decades. Hastert retired late last year, forcing a special election to fill the seat until the November general election. Oberweis, who was backed by Hastert, beat state Sen. Chris Lauzen, an Aurora Republican, Feb. 5 in a special primary election for the right to take on Foster. Hastert blamed ugliness in that battle and a short turnaround time between the two elections for Oberweis' subsequent loss. "It was a very bad primary and it wasn't enough time to come back and recover from it," Hastert said Monday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. Foster and Oberweis will square off again this fall, with Foster having the advantage of a few months in the seat. Oberweis said last week he couldn't say why he failed to keep the seat in GOP hands. Hastert said Oberweis will have to decide whether it's worth putting more of his own money into challenging Foster and what kind of campaign he needs to run this fall. Hastert said he considers the millionaire businessman a "good guy" who has "great practical experience, business experience." "He has to really remake himself in the public's eye," Hastert said. "Until he changes his mind, I'm there.")
-- Breaking away from Cook County - Joe Scott, Harwood Heights
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=155261&src=
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: The Republican Party platform discourages tax increases. While some who run as Republicans in DuPage County want DuPage County to have home rule power to raise taxes, others who run as Republicans in Cook County want to limit the home rule power that Cook County uses to raise taxes.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=155502&src=1
-- Cross, Munson, and Schmitz look to pull plug on robo calls? - John Patterson
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=155217&src=109
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: NOT SURPRISING: Democrat Party success in attracting Democrats who lack education and/or job skills and/or have severe health, financial, and other problems to DuPage County is emptying the shelves in the "People's Resource Center" food pantry in Wheaton
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=155216
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: VERY SAD: Diane Niesman of Wheaton argues that Winston Churchill was wrong and that Neville Chamberlin was right
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=155270&src=

BEACON NEWS
-- McCain, Hastert weigh in on 14th Congressional District loss - Andre Salles
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/847890,2_1_AU18_14THDIST_S1.article
(THE ARTICLE: It's been more than a week since Democrat Bill Foster defeated Republican Jim Oberweis to become the next congressman from the 14th District. But heavy-hitting Republicans are still weighing in on why their party lost. On Monday, Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, appeared on National Public Radio's Morning Edition and mentioned the 14th Congressional District election. McCain flew to Aurora last month to campaign for Oberweis, appearing at a fundraiser that pulled in $257,000, according to campaign staffers. During his radio interview, McCain discussed illegal immigration, and suggested that hard-line stances on that issue contributed to Oberweis' defeat. Oberweis has long been a proponent of strengthening laws to curb illegal immigration. "We just had a loss of Denny Hastert's seat out in Illinois," McCain said. "The Republican candidate out there, I am told, had very strong anti-immigrant rhetoric also, so I would hope that many of our Republican candidates would understand the political practicalities of this issue." Oberweis spokesman Bill Pascoe said that McCain is simply misinformed -- Oberweis has never spoken against immigrants, just against illegal immigration. "What Jim has spoken out for forcefully is the enforcement of our laws," Pascoe said. Retired Speaker Hastert, whose seat Foster won, said Monday he is still in Oberweis' corner for the November election. He blamed the intense primary election between Oberweis and State Sen. Chris Lauzen and the short turnaround time before the March 8 special election for the loss. In an interview with the Associated Press, Hastert said Oberweis will have to decide whether it's worth putting more of his own money into challenging Foster. Hastert said Oberweis is "a good guy" who has "great practical experience, business experience." "He has to really remake himself in the public's eye," Hastert said. "Until he changes his mind, I'm there.")

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: The Associated Press, a mouthpiece for the Democrat Party, puts its spin on young Republicans
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-il-youngrepublicans,0,4476544.story
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Outrageously, Naperville School District 203 discourages assimilation by pushing bilingualism on its "youngest students"
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-foreign_language_18mar18,0,2290643.story

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Sneed reports on McCain
http://www.suntimes.com/news/sneed/847717,CST-NWS-SNEED18A.article
(FROM HER REPORT: The tiltin' Hilton: U.S. Sen. John McCain marked the 35th anniversary of his release from the notorious Hanoi Hilton prison at a Chicago fund-raiser Friday. The kicker: The fund-raiser was at the Chicago Hilton. The comment: McCain noted the service was better at the Chicago-based hotel. McCain, who is attending a fund-raiser practically every day in an effort to fatten his war chest, pulled in $700,000 at the Friday event. Sneed hears a prominent Dem showed up at McCain's VIP reception: Former U.S. Commerce sec Bill Daley -- who contributed no cash, but wanted to give McCain his regards. Sneed is told emissaries from Mayor Daley and Ald. Ed Burke, who were attending the Irish Fellowship dinner Friday night at the Hilton, were dispatched to the McCain event wondering if they could have a word . . . but McCain had already left.)
-- Democrat presidential race mired in liberals' victim politics - Steve Huntley
http://www.suntimes.com/news/huntley/847494,CST-EDT-hunt18.article
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Democrat Party mouthpiece, the Chicago Sun-Times, outrageously argues that Obama addressed the Wright problem "head-on"
http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/847971,CST-EDT-edit18.article

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
-- OUTRAGEOUS: Illinois law would give tax break to Oprah, other talk shows - Ryan Keith
http://www.sj-r.com/News/stories/27096.asp

NORTHWEST HERALD
-- A not-so-Super Tuesday? - Kevin Craver
http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2008/03/17/news/state/doc47df3ea3350d4558420874.txt

WQAD
-- OUTRAGEOUS: Blagojevich not ruling out gambling expansion - AP
http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=8029142&nav=menu132_2_2
(THE ARTICLE: Governor Rod Blagojevich says he's still willing to talk about gambling expansion to pay for a statewide construction program. He says he won't rule it out if others want to talk about more casinos to raise revenue to build roads, bridges and schools. But he says his idea to partially lease the state lottery is better. The only thing Blagojevich says he's ruling out is raising taxes to pay for an infrastructure program. Blagojevich proposed an $11 billion state capital plan as the centerpiece of his recent budget address. Just a few months ago, everyone was talking about gambling expansion until feuding between Blagojevich and some lawmakers doomed the idea. Republican Rep. Angelo "Skip" Saviano of Elmwood Park says he expects gambling expansion will come up again.)

NAPERVILLE SUN
-- DuPage County making headway in collecting overdue fines $45 million remains outstanding - Paige Winfield
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/847369,6_1_NA18_FINES_S1.article
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: DuPage County is offering scholarships to "disadvantaged students." The Illinois news media argues that Illinois Republicans are "advantaged" and that Illinois Democrats are "disadvantaged." Therefore, it seems, the Illinois news media would want only Democrat students to get those scholarships.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/847617,6_1_NA18_SCHOLARSHIPS_S1.article

CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS
-- Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to appeal overturning of abortion notification law - Greg Hinz
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=28607

CBS NEWS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: McCain throws Santorum and Oberweis under the bus concerning immigration?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/17/politics/politico/thecrypt/main3944618.shtml
(THE POLITICO ARTICLE: McCain Cautions Candidates On Immigration - By Josh Kraushaar On NPR’s “Morning Edition” today, John McCain suggested that strong anti-immigrant rhetoric contributed to two recent, high-profile GOP Congressional losses – of former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, who badly lost to Sen. Bob Casey in 2006, and Jim Oberweis, who lost the heavily Republican seat of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert this month in a special election. "I know that there have been some races, like here in Pennsylvania, where Senator Santorum emphasized that issue [immigration] and lost by a large number,” McCain said on NPR. “We just had a loss of Denny Hastert's seat out in Illinois. The Republican candidate out there, I am told, had very strong anti-immigrant rhetoric also, so I would hope that many of our Republican candidates would understand the political practicalities of this issue.” McCain campaigned for Oberweis last month, helping the campaign raise about $257,000. Oberweis will be on the ballot again in November, against Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) During the campaign, Oberweis proposed his own plan to crack down on illegal immigration, and aired a television ad arguing that politicians in Washington "can't seem to fix" the problem. McCain’s advice is going against the strategy of a handful of leading Republican Congressional candidates. Just today, one of the Republicans’ top Congressional recruits, Hazleton mayor Lou Barletta, invited all three presidential candidates “to come to our great city to discuss the issue of illegal immigration in the United States.” Barletta, who is running against Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.), has built a national political following over his strident opposition to illegal immigration and the punitive measures that he took as mayor to curb it. Continue reading post . . .)

POLITICO
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: The Democrat Party exists to elect candidates who can and will advance its platform which is liberal. The Republican Party exists to elect candidates who can and will advance its platform, which is conservative. Sadly, Democrats are overjoyed that Mark Kirk, who runs as a Republican, "for years has pressed his own party to get beyond the red-meat conservative agenda and embrace a 'suburban agenda'”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9092.html

WORLD NET DAILY
-- 8 reasons I won't vote for John McCain - Gordon James Klingenschmitt
http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=59187

WASHINGTON POST
-- From the Right, He Looks Too Blue Think real conservatives will vote for John McCain? Don't count on it. - L. Brent Bozell
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030702845.html

WALL STREET JOURNAL
-- The Obama Bargain - Shelby Steele
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120579535818243439.html

DAVID LIMBAUGH
-- Wright Connection Fatally Undermines Obama's Central Theme
http://www.davidlimbaugh.com/mt/archives/2008/03/new_column_wrig.html

GOPUSA
-- The Barack Obama Double Standard - Doug Patton
http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/dpatton/2008/dp_03171.shtml

CHAMPION NEWS
-- Defeat in the 14th: The GOP’s problems extend well beyond Hastert’s old district - John Biver
http://www.championnews.net/article.php?sid=872

WLS
-- Dream Team No More: Identity Politics Melting Down Democrat Party - Dan Proft
http://www.wlsam.com/Article.asp?id=621110&spid=17432

REPUBLICANS FOR FAIR MEDIA
-- Chicago News Execs Prompted More Thorough Coverage of Obama: Better Grasp of Issues Gave Chicago Journalists The Edge - Daniel T. Zanoza
http://rffm.typepad.com/republicans_for_fair_medi/2008/03/chicago-news-ex.html