GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - May 25, 2008

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
-- SCHOENBURG: "U.S. Rep. RAY LaHOOD, R-Peoria, has taken himself out of the running for Republican national committeeman from Illinois in favor of a trip to Lebanon."
http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x215044382/Bernard-Schoenburg-LaHood-picks-visit-to-Lebanon-over-bid-for-RNC-post
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois has three members on the national committee. One is state party Chairman ANDY McKENNA, whose term runs through 2010. However, neither of the others, BOB KJELLANDER of Springfield and MARY JO ARNDT of Lombard, is seeking re-election when their terms run out at the end of the Republican National Convention in September. Among candidates to replace Kjellander are PAT BRADY of St. Charles and former state Sen. STEVE RAUSCHENBERGER, R-Elgin. Among candidates to replace Arndt are DEMETRA DeMONTE of Pekin, the Tazewell County GOP chairwoman and a member of the Republican State Central Committee; CAROL SMITH DONOVAN of Chicago, another member of the central committee; and KATHY SALVI of Wauconda, who ran for Congress in 2006 and is the wife of former state Rep. AL SALVI. Brady is a former state and federal prosecutor now working for Deloitte LLP in Chicago. He has the backing of state Rep. JIM DURKIN, co-chair of the JOHN McCAIN presidential campaign in Illinois. Brady, a Bloomington native, also is the cousin of state Rep. DAN BRADY, R-Bloomington. Brady and Durkin were both assistant state’s attorneys in Cook County 10 years ago, when they both got involved in working for a McCain presidency. Brady’s wife, JULIE, is deputy co-chair of the McCain campaign in Illinois, and Brady is on McCain’s national finance committee. Brady thinks a national committeeman’s primary role is to raise money, and “in the state of Illinois, you raise money downtown, in Chicago.” He said he has business connections that he thinks “uniquely qualifies me to be able to raise funds.” Rauschenberger is now a lobbyist, and Brady said he has no interest in lobbying. Brady also notes that he worked as a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., and now advises companies on how to avoid corruption. “I’ve been an anti-corruption guy my entire career,” Brady said. “Given the recent history in the party, I think that it sends a good message for somebody who is, first of all, in it to help the party, (and) secondly (who) has . . . an impeccable reputation and understanding of what ethical boundaries are.” Rauschenberger, 51, sought to become national committeeman four years ago, but got just one vote — from his own congressional district — out of a 19-member nominating committee. Rauschenberger says would have had more support, except that Kjellander “pulled a rabbit out of the hat” and got his longtime friend KARL ROVE, then President GEORGE W. BUSH Bush’s top political adviser, to speak at that gathering. This year, Rauschenberger is touting his understanding of the state and legislature as a 15-year state senator and two-time statewide primary candidate. “I do think I represent the kind of generational change that the Republican Party in Illinois needs,” Rauschenberger said. Rauschenberger also has a consulting practice that takes him to Washington, D.C., meaning it would not be a problem for him to attend RNC meetings there. An association representing the cellular telephone industry is his biggest client. He is also on the state lobbyist list, and — as has been pointed out in www.thecapitolfaxblog.com — does a bit of his work with Advanced Practical Solutions, the lobbying firm of MILAN PETROVIC, a top fundraiser for GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH. Rauschenberger said he is so listed because he gives advice and answers questions for a couple of clients including Elgin Community College. He doesn’t think it taints his GOP credentials. Petrovic has been identified in testimony at the TONY REZKO trial as being the top “bundler” of campaign funds for Blagojevich, with more than $1.9 million raised. “Anybody that’s going to do any kind of effective consulting in Springfield today has got to have an association with some of the Democratic firms,” Rauschenberger said. “This is not the kind of administration where it’s the power of ideas that persuade. I mean, if you’re not working with a Democratic firm . . . it’s pretty tough.” Rauschenberger is being backed by www.ChampionNews.net, an arm of the Family Taxpayers Network, a conservative group led by JACK ROESER. Roeser and Champion News have been critical over the years of Kjellander, who has made big money as a consultant for companies doing business with the state, even during Blagojevich’s Democratic administration. Kjellander said last week that when he was challenged in 2004 by Rauschenberger, “the main issue he used was that I was a lobbyist.” “I find it ironic that the former senator and his friends at the Family Taxpayers Network who’ve condemned me for five years for being a lobbyist now think that the future of the party should be in the hands of a lobbyist.” Roeser said Rauschenberger, as a senator, conducted himself in a way that did not yield allegations against him. And Roeser said Rauschenberger also hasn’t had the kind of windfalls that Kjellander has. He cited the $809,000 fee Kjellander received as a consultant to Bear Stearns, which got a key underwriting role for a $10 billion bond issue done by the Blagojevich administration in 2003 and a multimillion-dollar payout Kjellander got for helping Carlyle Group receive Teachers’ Retirement System money to invest. Kjellander says all his dealings were legal and aboveboard. But that’s not how Roeser sees it. “He’s part of the bipartisan culture of sleaze,” Roeser said. Meanwhile, DeMonte, 58, said she hopes to be national chairwoman to carry Tazewell’s GOP success to the rest of Illinois. ‘”I have been an effective county chairman in Tazewell,” she said. “We energize down here. We elect Republicans down here. We raise money down here.” In 2006 - a bad year for the GOP nationally - GOP county incumbents were re-elected in Tazewell County, and the party won two more seats on the county board and a judgeship.)
-- ‘Trust thing’ gets priority - Editorial
http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x101657231/Our-Opinion-Trust-thing-gets-priority
-- Statehouse Insider - Doug Finke
http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x1875001792/Statehouse-Insider-May-25

DAILY HERALD
-- FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Illinois has nation's worst pension problem State's $42 billion debt is climbing by the second - Ryan Keith
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=197304
-- Police at free gas stunt will cost Seals $2,200
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=197394
-- No amnesty for illegal immigrants - Susan James, Maywood
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=196464
-- Illinois' top export: federal tax dollars - Peter Brunk, Palatine
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=196118&src=
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Mary Wiley of Chicago wants everyone else to give her and everyone else free heath care. What is next -- free food, free clothes, free housing, free transportation, free entertainment, free everything?
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=196452&src=
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ron Coppel of Schaumburg blasts "the Austrians, the Hungarians, the French, the Poles, the Ukrainians, the Croats, and the Latvians," but he especially blasts the "Germans"
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=197165&src=
-- Obama can't expect his wife to be free of scrutiny in campaign - Kathleen Parker
(Not posted as of 7:00 AM)
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: The Daily Herald publishes the name, branch, rank, and town of the 144 Illinois service members who died in Iraq and the 14 who died in Afghanistan. The Daily Herald vehemently despises President Bush and argues vehemently that fighting terrorism in Iraq is not worth the cost. Did the Daily Herald publish the names primarily to honor the service members' sacrifice or to argue again for immediate withdrawal?
(Not posted as of 7:00 AM)

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- Big decisions ahead Candidates face tempting moves that could backfire - Steve Chapman
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0525chapmanmay25,0,1076497.column
-- Myths about the white male vote - Michael Tackett
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-finepoint_thinkmay25,0,923680.story

CBS2
-- Obama Blasts McCain On Veterans' Benefits - AP
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/barack.obama.john.2.732290.html

SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN
-- One week left to avoid another budget gridlock - Kurt Erickson
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2008/05/25/opinions/guest_columns/24553326.txt

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
-- It's crunch time at Statehouse - Doug Finke
http://www.pjstar.com/news_columnists/x1192324142/Finke-Its-crunch-time-at-Statehouse

SOUTHTOWN STAR
-- Save a few bucks; let government go broke - Tom Houlihan
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/houlihan/966978,052508houlihan.article
-- Is Illinois getting rich on gas taxes? - Guy Tridgell
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/968769,052508gastax.article

COURIER NEWS
-- Illinois pension problem has ugly ripples - Ryan Keith
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/963242,EL25_PENSION2_WEB_052508.article

ILLINOIS REVIEW
-- For a Pro-Life Platform - Charlie Johnston
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/05/for-a-pro-life.html
-- My encounter with an Obamaniac - Jim Economos
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/05/my-enoucnter-wi.html
-- Bloggers focus on Obama and Ayers - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/05/bloggers-focus.html

ILLINOIS ISSUES
-- MARCH 2007 FLASHBACK: The Illinois GOP puzzles over ways to rebuild - Aaron Chambers
http://illinoisissues.uis.edu/features/2007mar/gop.html (Dead link but cached by Google)
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The GOP has long been split between the social conservatives and members who take a more liberal approach to matters such as abortion and gay rights. Establishment Republicans tend to be more liberal on social issues, or they believe that such issues should not dominate a platform. They also tend to win statewide elections, and they control the party's statewide infrastructure. Conservative activists argue that establishment leaders overemphasize their push for a conservative social agenda in order to distract from their own shortcomings. "These people are characterless on any issue, and they're trying to run this right-to-life issue as being the only issue," says Jack Roeser, head of the Carpentersville-based Family Taxpayers Network. "They're nuts. It's only because they are totally broken on any kind of a value issue." . . . Roeser, on the other hand, would prefer to see a conservative's conservative like Lauzen advance in the Republican ranks. Opposition to abortion is, after all, a plank in the party's platform. . . "The Republicans had better have a platform with some decent values in it," (Roeser) says. "They better find parts of it that are relevant to what's going on in this state right now. And they better present a vision, or Republican voters are not going to come out.")

TH ONLINE
-- Hastert urges support of $31 billion plan Illinois political trust remains problem - Mary Rae Bragg
http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=202919

CNN
-- Obama: Florida, Michigan are Clinton's 'last slender hope'
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/25/obama.election/?iref=hpmostpop

WASHINGTON POST
-- McCain says Obama and Clinton threaten gun rights - Caren Bohan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051603134.html

WASHINGTON TIMES
-- McCain and the black vote - Editorial
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080523/EDITORIAL/615783323/1013

NEW YORK TIMES
-- FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD EDITORIAL MADE TO LOOK LIKE NEWS: Worries in G.O.P. About McCain Camp Disarray - Adam Nagourney
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/us/politics/25mccain.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1211718816-T3R0MJrtO80ocP0ko5HADQ

HOUSTON CHRONICLE
-- Romney says McCain wouldn't be 3rd-term Bush - Lorraine Woellert
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/5799386.html

HERALD NET
-- Obama's foes gather mud to sling Some on the right say they have suspicions that the candidate has communist ties. - Dana Milbank
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080525/NEWS02/52623642

NEWS OKLAHOMA
-- Rallying points: McCain 'vision' is start of GOP platform - Editorial
http://newsok.com/rallying-points-mccain-vision-is-start-of-gop-platform/article/3247954/?tm=1211691621

AFP
-- Between McCain and Obama, it could get nasty
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i1RD9k-YXI0_Su-B9v80PUh0acug

WORLD NET DAILY
-- Obama's 'gay' problem Senator's appeal to LGBT crowd as sudden liability - Matt Sanchez
http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=65122

OPERATION SUPPORT OUR TROOPS ILLINOIS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: GOPUSA ILLINOIS listed as a one star sponsor for the July 19 benefit concert in Wheaton
http://www.osotil.org/rockin2008.html

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
-- Outstandingly, the Illinois Republican Party posts its platform on its website, but outrageously, the Illinois Democratic Party does NOT post its platform on its website - Dave Diersen
www.gopillinois.com
(THE ARTICLE: Outstandingly, the Illinois Republican Party (IRP) posts its platform on its website at http://www.digitalvictorycms.com/_uploaded/348687-platform.pdf, but outrageously, the Illinois Democratic Party (IDP) does NOT post its platform on its website (DEAD LINK: http://www.ildems.com/platform/). Your GOPUSA Illinois Editor is a member of the IRP Platform and Resolutions committee. Needless-to-say, the new IRP platform should provide a clear alternative to the IDP platform. I want to read the IDP platform because based on actions taken by the IDP, its platform outrageously calls for electing Obama, reelecting Durbin, attracting people to Illinois who lack education and/or job skills and/or people who have severe health, financial, and/or other problems; driving all taxpayers and all businesses out of Illinois; promoting Combine members; promoting corruption; promoting voter fraud; promoting socialism; promoting dependency on government; promoting illegal immigration; promoting amnesty; promoting more guest worker programs; promoting more mass immigration; promoting multilingualism; promoting abortion; promoting homosexual activity; abolishing the Second Amendment; driving Illinois into bankruptcy; joining with RINOs to blame all past, present, and future problems on conservatives; etc. I would greatly appreciate it if someone would email me (diersen@aol.com) or fax me (630-653-9665) the IDP platform.)
-- OUTSTANDING: Republicans to sponsor Chicago Highlanders in Wheaton's 2008 Independence Day parade; Claar pledges $250, Carlin pledges $50 - Dave Diersen
www.gopillinois.com
(THE ARTICLE: Outstandingly, last year, Republicans Mary Jo Arndt, Alan Bolds, Fred Bucholz, Dave Carlin, Roger Claar, Franco Coladipietro, Mike Connelly, Paul Daniels, Kirk Dillard, Bob Earl, DuPage Young Republicans, Jim Flickinger, Mike Formento, Mike Fortner, GOPUSA ILLINOIS, Mike Gresk, Gwen Henry, Randy Hultgren, Bob Jacobsen, Chris Kachiroubas, Gary King, Mark Kmiecik, Bob Larsen, J.R. McBride, Debra Olson, Mike Prueter, Peter Roskam, Darlene Ruscitti, Leonard Sanchez, Ron Smith, Phil Suess, and Tim Whelan contributed a total of $3,300 to sponsor Big Queenie the elephant ($2,000) and the Chicago Highlanders ($1,300) in Wheaton's 2007 Independence Day parade. Yesterday evening, I asked them to consider again sponsoring the Chicago Highlanders in Wheaton's 2008 Independence Day parade. Outstandingly, Claar has already pledged $250 and Carlin has already pledged $50.)