GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - April 13, 2008

DIERSEN: It seems that the Combine ordered the news media to cover up Wright's latest tirade, but outstandingly, the Chicago Sun-Times refused to comply.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Outrageously, Wright used the Pincham funeral to demonize America's founding fathers, Fox News Channel, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly. Very sadly, his audience gave him "a booming standing ovation." Do the Democrats, including Clinton and Obama, agree with Wright's latest statements? Very sadly, those who hate America and who hate whites agree with Wright.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/892017,wright041208.article (Includes Wright audio clip)
(THE ARTICLE: Wright criticizes media at Eugene Pincham funeral Fires back at Fox News during sermon at Pincham funeral - Art Golab The Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., former pastor of Barack Obama’s Trinity United Church of Christ, has kept a low profile since some of his sermons landed him in the middle of a political firestorm. But on Saturday Wright made his first extensive public remarks since the controversy began as he paid tribute to his friend, former appellate judge R. Eugene Pincham, a congregant at Trinity since 1987. While discussing “seven lessons the judge taught me,” Wright never mentioned church member Obama, who has rejected some of Wright’s comments, which included denunciations of America for its mistreatment of black people and claims that America’s promotion of terrorism abroad helped prompt the 9/11 attacks. But Wright did take the opportunity to bash some of the critics of his controversial statements, including Fox News personalities Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. Standing ovation And while Wright made no mention of terrorism, he did revisit the topic of America’s mistreatment of blacks, saying America’s founding fathers “planted slavery and white supremacy in the DNA of this republic,” and adding that Thomas Jefferson wrote, “ ‘God would punish America for the sin of slavery.’ I guess that makes Thomas Jefferson unpatriotic,” he said to the cheers of the congregation. Reflecting on the late Pincham, Wright said his faith “was not the jingoistic, chauvinistic ‘you’re either with us or against us’ demonizing kind of faith.” Wright said Pincham was friends with “Jews, Muslims, rabbis, imams, fathers in the Catholic church and [Louis] Farrakhan in the Islamic faith.” Escalating into full-preaching mode, Wright thundered, “Fox News can’t understand that. [Bill] O’Reilly will never get that. Sean Hannity’s stupid fantasy will keep him forever stuck on stupid when it comes to comprehending how you can love a brother who does not believe what you believe. [Pincham’s] faith was a faith in a God who loved the whole world not just one country or one creed.” At that point, congregants nearly drowned Wright out with a booming standing ovation. Wright also referred to Fox News as “Fix News.” And, talking about Pincham’s integrity and honesty, Wright said, “You don’t change who you are because of where you are. You don’t stop telling the truth because it is not politically correct or it makes a racist uncomfortable. You don’t blame other folks for not fixing some of the problems in our own community that we can and need to fix ourselves.”)

ILLINOIS REVIEW
-- Hannity & Rauschenberger: Obama State Senate years exposed - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/04/obama-state-sen.html (Includes 6 1/2 minute video clip)
(THE ARTICLE: Hallelujah! One Illinois GOP State Senator has the guts to tell it like it was when Barack Obama was in the Illinois General Assembly rather than wet kissing Obama and being used to promote an Obama presidency. Former state Senator Steve Rauschenberger was featured this weekend on Fox News -- Sean Hannity's America -- exposing Obama's hypocrisy and slick vote maneuvering . . . something you won't see on an Obama ad. Are you listening, Senator Dillard?)
-- Day 53: 11th Congressional District: Democrat Congressional Candidate With Ethics Problems Winning By Default - Lee Newcom
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/04/day-53-democrat.html

CHICAGO DAILY OBSERVER
-- How Oberweis Can Win the First Time--and I Mean the General Election! - Charlie Johnston
http://cdobs.com/archive/our-columns/how-oberweis-can-win-the-first-time-and-i-mean-the-general-election983/

COURIER NEWS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Oberweis and Foster attend Kane County Bar Association (KCBA) musical. "Many of the evening's laughs came at the expense of" Oberweis. "Oberweis appeared to take the barrage of jokes in stride, laughing and applauding along with the other spectators. At one point the performers recognized Oberweis and asked him to stand up for a round of applause." Is the KCBA fair and balanced organization? How many laughs came at Foster's expense? Were there any jokes about the KCBA and the news media covering up the serious charges that Foster's former wife made against him during Kane County divorce proceedings?
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/892366,3_1_EL13_A3LAWYERS_S1.article
DIVORCE DOCUMENTS: http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Divorce_documents_for_politician_Bill_Foster
(THE ARTICLE: Kane County Bar Association hits milestone - David Gialanella ST. CHARLES -- From Martha Stewart to Britney Spears to recently resigned New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, no one was spared. The Kane County Bar Association celebrated its 150th anniversary with a Sesqui-Sensational Bar Show Friday night at the Arcada Theater in downtown St. Charles. It was the associations's first musical event in 12 years. With more than 400 tickets sold -- not including the performers and complimentary passes -- it also was the best-attended event in Kane County Bar Association history, according to KCBA President Patrick M. Flaherty. "A number of our members decided to put the band back together, so to speak," Flaherty told the crowd just before the show began. Dozens of lawyers and judges sang, danced, told jokes and occasionally used language seldom heard in Kane County courtrooms during the choreographed musical, which featured a full band. There were song-and-dance numbers featuring 16th Circuit Judges Donald Hudson and Patricia Piper Golden, and even a juggling prosecutor -- Assistant State's Attorney Lark Cowart. The music was well-arranged and rehearsed, but the event mostly was an excuse to poke fun at anything and everything. President George W. Bush was imitated during a skit called "Are You Smarter than the President?" Writers poked fun at Kane County drug court as defendant "Oxie Cotton" crooned a parody of New York, New York. Many of the evening's laughs came at the expense of Republican congressional candidate and dairy magnate Jim Oberweis, who unexpectedly attended the event. Congressman Bill Foster -- who currently is finishing out retired Rep. Dennis Hastert's term -- also was in attendance. The melodic quips were numerous and sometimes bordering on personal, with performers digging into Oberweis' likability, past political defeats, even his ice cream prices. One performer donned horns and a cow-print toga while throwing fake money into the crowd. In a parody of The Beatles' Nowhere Man and during least two other numbers, singers serenaded Oberweis by calling him a "loser," with a "temper" who should "lose the hairpiece." "It doesn't matter what you do, no one will ever vote for you," they piped in three-part harmonies along with guitar accompaniment. Oberweis appeared to take the barrage of jokes in stride, laughing and applauding along with the other spectators. At one point the performers recognized Oberweis and asked him to stand up for a round of applause. "It's all in good fun," one performer -- appellate prosecutor Gregory L. Slovacek -- told the crowd. "We hope.")
-- Do Kane votes really count with eSlate? Federal lawsuit casts doubt on electronic balloting used locally - Dan Campana
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/892396,3_1_EL13_A1ESLATE_S1.article
-- Call for better election monitoring has fallen flat - Dan Campana
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/892392,3_1_EL13_A1ESLATE_S2.article

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Chicago Tribune reports that Davis, Farrakhan, Pfleger, and Stroger attended Pincham's funeral, but fails to report that Wright outrageously used the funeral to demonize America's founding fathers, Fox News Channel, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly or that very sadly, his audience gave him "a booming standing ovation."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-pinchamapr13,1,7061840.story
-- Obama defends self over remark about "bitter" voters - John McCormick
http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-obama-bitter-2-apr13,0,898924.story (Includes video clip)

SOUTHTOWN STAR
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Southtown Star reports that Burke, Davis, Farrakhan, Pfleger, and Rush attended Pincham's funeral, but fails to report that Wright outrageously used the funeral to demonize America's founding fathers, Fox News Channel, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly or that very sadly, his audience gave him "a booming standing ovation."
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/892237,041308pincham.article

ABC7
-- Obama: Remarks on working class ill chosen
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/politics&id=6077151 (Includes video clip)
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: ABC7 reports that Alverez, Davis, and Stroger attended Pincham's funeral, but fails to report that Wright outrageously used the funeral to demonize America's founding fathers, Fox News Channel, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly or that very sadly, his audience gave him "a booming standing ovation."
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6077416 (Includes video clip)

NBC5
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: NBC5 fails to report that Wright outrageously used Pincham's funeral to demonize America's founding fathers, Fox News Channel, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly or that very sadly, his audience gave him "a booming standing ovation."
http://www.nbc5.com/news/15865450/detail.html (Includes video clip)

CBS2
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: CBS2 reports that Farrakhan attended Pincham's funeral, but fails to report that Wright outrageously used the funeral to demonize America's founding fathers, Fox News Channel, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly or that very sadly, his audience gave him "a booming standing ovation."
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/Eugene.Pincham.louis.2.698487.html
-- Obama's 'Bitter' Comments Giving Hillary A Boost?
http://cbs2chicago.com/campaign08/barack.obama.hillary.2.698525.html (Includes video clip)
-- Obama Concedes Remarks Were Ill Chosen
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/barack.obama.hillary.2.698085.html (Includes video clip)

DAILY HERALD
-- Chertoff sharply criticized businesses that complain the crackdowns on their hiring of illegal immigrants will cost them money. In a federal court case last year, groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce argued that the department had failed to account for the economic impact of new regulations on businesses. The argument "basically suggests we can't enforce the law because it will prevent people from making money illegally," Chertoff said. "The business community loves it (hiring illegal immigrants) because you have illegals, you pay them less, they have no place to go to complain."
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=172115
-- Higher priorities than Wrigley Field "I will put politics aside and play ball with Gov. Blagojevich on this issue." - State Sen. Kirk W. Dillard, Hinsdale
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=170985&src=
-- Democratic Party has lost credibility - Wayne Oras Sr., Schaumburg
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=171871&src=

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
-- Lawmakers half-finished? Or just beginning? Many get ready for a long summer - Doug Finke
http://www.sj-r.com/News/stories/28588.asp
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: LaHood to speak at Schock fundraisers April 25 in Springfield and April 26 in Peoria
http://www.sj-r.com/Opinion/stories/28558.asp
-- Statehouse Insider - Doug Finke
http://www.sj-r.com/Opinion/stories/28554.asp

NAPERVILLE SUN
-- Filling the boomer gap DuPage County companies prepare for more workers to retire - David Sharos
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/business/892178,6_3_NA13_RETIRE_S1.article

GALESBURG REGISTER MAIL
-- Illinois legislature has six weeks left and much to do Budget, construction bill, expansion of gambling some issues - Doug Finke
http://www.galesburg.com/news/news_state/x987433673

NEW YORK TIMES
-- Obama Steps Back; Clinton Raps Him Hard - Jeff Zeleny and Julie Bosman
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/12/obama-says-he-misspoke-clinton-raps-him-hard/
-- Obama, Now on the Defensive, Calls ‘Bitter’ Words Ill-Chosen - Katharine Seelye Jeff Zeleny
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/us/politics/13campaign.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1208232000&en=e8a5bc530db23329&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin

LOS ANGELES TIMES
-- Obama expresses regret for remarks on small towns “I didn’t say it as well as I should have,” Sen. Barack Obama tells a Muncie, Ind., audience, but “I said something that everybody knows is true.” Clinton says the comments "are out of touch," and McCain also takes aim. - Alex Brandon
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obama13apr13,1,6505389.story

BOSTON GLOBE
-- Obama v. Clinton: Behind scenes, campaign aides wage harsh battle Effort aims to sway coverage voters receive - Don Aucoin http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/04/13/behind_scenes_campaign_aides_wage_harsh_battle/

WASHINGTON POST
-- Rezko Corruption Trial: Illinois Governor Is In Courtroom in Spirit Stories of Influence, Prosperity Abound - Peter Slevin
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/12/AR2008041201745.html

PITTSBURG TRIBUNE REVIEW
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: The Democrat Party platform is outrageously anti-religious -- it promotes socialism, abortion, and homosexual activity. Nevertheless, Democrats Obama and Clinton try to "reach religious voters" in Pennsylvania.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_562130.html