GOPUSA ILLINOIS Daily Clips - July 12, 2008

DAILY HERALD
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: OUTSTANDING: Former Republican Paul Froehlich does the right thing: "After a contentious, lengthy debate, Froehlich rose to point out the Republican Party platform adopted at the GOP state convention just a few weeks ago, officially opposes gambling. Then he added that he supports the official Republican position on gambling."
http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/255
(THE JOHN PATTERSON POSTING: Froehlich needs new material About a year ago, Schaumburg state Rep. Paul Froehlich decided he wanted to be a Democrat. That was big news because Froehlich had spent nearly a decade running the local township Republican organization and been elected to the General Assembly under the GOP banner. The representative might want to keep this all in mind when he rises to speak on the House floor and challenge his former colleagues on the Republican side. Earlier this year, he questioned a downstate Republican's idea to bring year-round horse racing to the track at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. Froehlich pointed out that the lawmaker pushing the deal had once opposed gambling. "Have you ever changed your mind?" Republican state Rep. Raymond Poe shot back at Froehlich as the House burst into laughter. Then, on Thursday, Froehlich decided to again take on the Republicans again on the issue of gambling. Many Republicans were calling for more and bigger casinos to finance billions worth of state construction spending. After a contentious, lengthy debate, Froehlich rose to point out the Republican Party platform adopted at the GOP state convention just a few weeks ago, officially opposes gambling. Then he added that he supports the official Republican position on gambling. There was less laughter this time, but his comment brought many chuckles from the Republicans. Some wondered if Froehlich was about to switch back.)
-- Cause change by electing the GOP - Phil Collins, North Chicago
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=216440&src=

CHAMPION NEWS
-- VERY VERY VERY SAD: Meet the 28 GOP State Representatives who betrayed Republicans: Suzanne Bassi, Mark Beaubien, Bill Black, Mike Bost, Dan Brady, Rich Brauer, Franco Coladipietro, Tom Cross, Joe Dunn, Roger Eddy, Brent Hassert, Renee Kosel, Michael McAuliffe, James Meyer, Bill Mitchell, Donald Moffitt, Richard Myers, Raymond Poe, Dennis Reboletti, Chapin Rose, Jim Sacia, Angelo Saviano, Ron Stephens, Ed Sullivan, Jil Tracy, Michael Tryon, Ron Wait, and Dave Winters
http://www.championnews.net/article.php?sid=1079
(FROM THE IBENDAHL ARTICLE: Okay, check your tickets. Whoever had "33 days" in the pool to guess how long it would take House Minority Leader Tom Cross and his hapless cohorts to shamelessly disregard the latest version of the Illinois Republican Party Platform - congratulations, you are a winner! At the State GOP Convention in Decatur on June 7th, delegates adopted a new platform for the Illinois Republican Party that included this provision: "We call on the Governor and the General Assembly to balance the state budget and provide for a responsible capital development program without resorting to the expansion of gambling, which harms Illinois' families and our state's business climate and presents costly challenges for both law enforcement and social service agencies." That language couldn't be clearer. But nevertheless, a large majority of House Republicans broke ranks with the Platform (and every measure of fiscal responsibility) to support Rod Blagojevich's plan to massively expand gambling. On Thursday that gambling bill (HB 2651) failed in Springfield, having received only 44 votes in the House. But incredibly, 28 of those "yes" votes came from members who claim to be Republican (17 Republicans voted "no" and 6 more didn't vote, citing "excused absence"). See how all members voted here. As we reported yesterday, it fell to House Speaker Mike Madigan and the 38 "no" votes from his Democratic caucus to stop Cross & Co. from helping Blagojevich create an even bigger disaster for Illinois. Below are the Republican State Representatives who voted "yes" this week on HB 2651. These are the Republicans who agree with Blagojevich that it's a good idea to try and gamble our way to better roads and bridges. The next time you see any of these officials, try to find out what they were thinking. Better yet, maybe it's time to start looking for new blood who will abide by even the most basic planks of the GOP Platform.)

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
-- VERY SAD: Durbin reports $8.2 million in campaign fund - Dennis Conrad
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-il-campaigncash-durb,0,6234440.story
-- Obama campaign condemns Mac riff - John McCormick
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/07/barack_obama_bernie_mac_and_je.html
-- Obama camp on defensive after salty Bernie Mac riff - Louise Roug
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-campaign_satjul12,0,3038084.story

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Everyone knows that to promote a "pathway to citizenship," to promote amnesty, to promote more guest worker programs, and to promote more mass immigration, is to promote more illegal immigration. Sadly, Lynn Sweet argues that McCain has done more than Obama to promote a "pathway to citizenship," to promote amnesty, to promote more guest worker programs, and to promote more mass immigration, all of which promotes more illegal immigration. If Mexico accepts Sweet's argument, Mexico might endorse McCain instead of Obama?
http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/1052512,CST-NWS-sweet12.article
-- Bernie Mac's riff too crass for Obama - Abdon Pallasch
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1052688,obama071208.article
-- Sorry about that 'sorry': State has good side - Carol Marin
http://www.suntimes.com/news/marin/1052715,CST-EDT-carol13.article

CBS2
-- McCain Vows To Reveal More About Fundraising
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/mccain.fundraising.details.2.769155.html

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
-- Governor’s rivals see cuts to budgets - John O'Connor
http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x223007707/Governor-s-rivals-see-cuts-to-budgets

CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS & ABC7 & CBS2
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Diersen strongly advises all candidates for American political offices, all American elected officials, and all American political party leaders to drive and to promote American nameplate vehicles. Outrageously, Obama is considering sponsoring a foreign nameplate car, a Toyota, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. Sadly, if he does, I am sure that those who despise/hate American nameplate vehicles, who despise/hate the American automotive industry, and who despise/hate America will be overjoyed.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=30176
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/politics&id=6259812
http://cbs2chicago.com/politics/obama.nascar.sponsorship.2.769213.html

SOUTHTOWN STAR
-- Why nothing ever gets done in Springfield - Editorial
http://www.southtownstar.com/news/opinion/editorials/1050474,071108edit.article

ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH
-- Blagojevich draws comparisons with ex-Gov. Dan Walker - Kevin McDermott
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/8683EFAF2FAE9BC6862574840013A116?OpenDocument

PIONEER LOCAL
-- Republican house candidates host meeting July 15
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/glencoe/news/1051804,gl-58thmeet-071108-s1.article
(THE ARTICLE: Republican candidate for State Representative of the 58th District Tim Stratton and Republican candidate for State Representative of the 59th District Dan Sugrue plan to unveil the "Agenda for Action," a seven-point agenda designed to get Illinois back on track. In addition to a 10 a.m. July 15 press conference, House Republicans are also hosting a Town Hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. that will be aired over the internet at www.ilhro.com. Internet viewers will be able to watch the town hall live and ask questions over the internet. The press conference will be held at the Lake County Republican Central Committee, 320 Peterson Road, Libertyville. For more information, call the Illinois House Republican Organization at (815) 577-1400)

SUBURBAN CHICAGO NEWS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrat Mike Cetera praises Republican Tom Cross for avoiding "wedge issues"
http://blogs.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconblog/2008/07/not-republican-or-democrat-jus.html

DAILY ILLINI
-- Budget bleak if House and Senate don't cooperate - John O'Connor
http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2008/07/11/News/Budget.Bleak.If.House.And.Senate.Dont.Cooperate-3390065.shtml

CHICAGOIST
-- Roskam and Morgenthaler Spar Over a Soldier's Right to Porn
http://chicagoist.com/2008/07/11/candidates_spar_over_a_soldiers_rig.php

FRANK AVILA
-- 59 MINUTE VIDEO CLIP: Frank Avila interviews Fran Eaton, Southtown Star Columnist and Editor of Illinois Review.com
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8917703943939347146&hl=en

ILLINOIS REVIEW
-- Rockin' for the Troops Next Saturday - Fran Eaton
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/07/rockin-for-the.html
(DIERSEN: Sponsors for the July 19 fundraiser concert at Cantigny in Wheaton include: Congresswoman Judy Biggert (Two Star), Milton Township Republican Committee (Two Star), Sauerberg For U.S. Senate (Two Star), DuPage County (One Star), DuPage Federation of Republican Women (One Star), Friends of Michael Prueter (One Star), GOPUSA ILLINOIS (One Star), and Naperville Area Republican Women's Org. (One Star) SOURCE: http://www.osotil.org/rockin2008.html)
-- Bad for America - George Kocan
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2008/07/bad-for-america.html

TOM ROESER
-- If McCain’s “Straight Talk Express” Runs Over Phil Gramm I’ll Be Disappointed Because He Told It Like It Is.
http://www.tomroeser.com/blogs/blogview.asp?blogID=24665

DOCTOR POLITICS
-- Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz - Senator Bill Brady
http://doctorpolitics.com/?p=135

CAPITOL FAX
-- House GOP candidates in tough spot - Rich Miller
http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/2008/07/11/house-gop-candidates-in-tough-spot/

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
-- Gambling Bill (HB 2651) Defeated in the House! How did they vote? - Anita Bedell
http://www.illinoisfamily.org/news/contentview.asp?c=33964

CHICAGO DAILY OBSERVER
-- Straight Talk from Phil Gramm Rebuke from McCain - Tom Roeser
http://cdobs.com/archive/our-columns/straight-talk-from-phil-gramm-gets-rebuke-from-mccain%2C1356/

WORLD NET DAILY
-- BEYOND TRAGIC: McDonald's says Christian boycotters 'hate' homosexuals CEO says company has obligation to 'make a difference . . . and we do'
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=69295
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Those who oppose homosexuality for religious reasons are participating in "hate," according to an official for McDonald's, the worldwide purveyor of Big Macs and Happy Meals. "Hatred has no place in our culture," corporate spokesman Bill Whitman told the Washington Post in response to a campaign by the American Family Association for a boycott of the burger-and-fries outlets because of the corporation's advocacy for the homosexual lifestyle. "That includes McDonald's, and we stand by and support our people to live and work in a society free of discrimination and harassment," Whitman said. "Throwing out any pretense of being neutral in the culture war, McDonald's has taken up the rhetoric of gay activists, suggesting those who oppose same-sex marriage (SSM) are motivated by hate," the AFA said in a new alert about its campaign today. "AFA has asked for a boycott of McDonald's restaurants because of the company's promotion of the gay agenda. AFA asked McDonald's to remain neutral in the culture war. McDonald's refused," the group said.)

NATIONAL JOURNAL
-- VERY SAD: McCain's Latino "Children"
http://adspotlight.nationaljournal.com/2008/07/mccains_latino_1.php

AMERICAN THINKER
-- Right on Cue: Obama Media Minions Focus on McCain's Divorce - Patrick Casey
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/07/right_on_cue_obama_media_minio.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: It can be argued that Barack Obama won his Senate seat in 2004 on the back of his opposition's divorce files. While much ado was made nationally of the contents of his Republican Senate opponent Jack Ryan's files, the release of which caused Ryan to drop out of the race against Obama, divorce files were also critical to Obama's win in that year's Democratic Senate Primary. Is Obama now going to try to use Senator John McCain's divorce files to win the Presidency? The New York Times recalled in April of 2007 that Team Obama, running for an open Illinois Senate seat in 2004, was locked in a two man race against millionaire Democratic liberal Blair Hull - and losing. The following account about that race is contained in a fascinating NYT profile of David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist - Obama's Narrator: [As the 2004 Senate primary neared, it was clear that it was a contest between two people: the millionaire liberal, Hull, who was leading in the polls, and Obama, who had built an impressive grass-roots campaign. About a month before the vote, The Chicago Tribune revealed, near the bottom of a long profile of Hull, that during a divorce proceeding, Hull's second wife filed for an order of protection. In the following few days, the matter erupted into a full-fledged scandal that ended up destroying the Hull campaign and handing Obama an easy primary victory. The Tribune reporter who wrote the original piece later acknowledged in print that the Obama camp had "worked aggressively behind the scenes" to push the story. But there are those in Chicago who believe that Axelrod had an even more significant role - that he leaked the initial story. They note that before signing on with Obama, Axelrod interviewed with Hull. They also point out that Obama's TV ad campaign started at almost the same time.] Notice the method - Axelrod and Obama worked behind the scenes to force a newspaper to do their dirty work, much the same way they drove the coverage demanding the release of Jack Ryan's files.)

FOX NEWS
-- 'Special Report' Panel Discusses Jesse Jackson's Obama Comments and Whether We're Experiencing a 'Mental Recession'
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,380482,00.html
-- Newt Gingrich on Jackson's Obama Comments
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,380481,00.html
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: VERY SAD: McCain mimics Clinton and Obama and engages in gender based politics
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/07/11/mccain-pushes-plan-for-helping-women/

MCCLATCHY NEWS SERVICE
-- New poll shows Obama ahead, with ominous signs for McCain - David Lightman
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/254/story/43661.html

ASSOCIATED PRESS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: BEYOND OUTRAGEOUS: Obama outrageously keeps arguing that Americans should TAKE THE TIME to learn Spanish as a second language. If Americans had WASTED TIME doing that in the past, America would not be anywhere near as technologically advanced, as prosperous, as safe, or as strong as it is today. America would not have had the strength to defeat Germany in WWI, defeat the Axis in WWII, put a man on the moon, defeat communism, etc.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5isOFwdbq0tsqatW6vJpkDRTI1gMgD91RT60G1

ACCURACY IN MEDIA
-- Manipulating the Media for Obama - Cliff Kincaid
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/manipulating-the-media-for-obama/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
-- Obama's Liberal Shock Troops - John Fund
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121581650524447373.html

NEW YORK TIMES
-- Speaking of Language, Monsieur Romney - Michael Powell
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/speaking-of-language-monsieur-romney/?scp=2-b&sq=romney&st=nyt

WASHINGTON TIMES
-- $600 earrings a costly gaffe? Presidential candidate surrogates say the darndest things - Christina Bellantoni
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/12/600-earrings-a-costly-gaffe/

DESMOINES REGISTER
-- GOP hopes Iowa event will help energize party
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080712/NEWS09/807120328

DALLAS NEWS
-- DIERSEN HEADLINE: Phil Gramm tells the truth. Sadly, McCain throws Gramm under the bus.
http://metrocolumnistsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/07/quote-of-the-day-john-mccain-r.html

BOSTON HERALD
-- Obama fends off criticism while McCain slaps Gramm
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1106500

CHRIS MCNEIL
-- State Representative Kosel wrong in supporting gambling expansion
http://www.chrismcneil.org/opinion

2008 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
-- OUTSTANDING: 2008 Platform Committee Launches Interactive Web Site
http://www.gopplatform2008.com/intro.aspx