Friend Carol Felsenthal wrote a piece for Chicago Magazine that notes "one problem" with the upcoming Sept. 18 "Right Nation 2010" event in Hoffman Estates, IL.

That "problem," noted Carol, is that "the evening convention, which follows an afternoon 'activist training conference' for conservatives at the nearby Marriot Chicago Northwest, is on Yom Kippur, the holiest of the Jewish High Holy Days." Full article here...

There's just one problem with Carol's article: Yom Kippur, the Jewish "day of atonement," actually begins at sunset on Friday, September 17. More importantly, Yom Kippur ends at sunset (7:38 p.m.) on September 18. The Right Nation 2010 Convention starts at 6:00 p.m. on September 18, so any observant Jews who wish to drive to the Sears Centre Arena to catch the last couple of hours certainly may. Not only that, there will be plenty of Democrat Party activity around the U.S. on Yom Kippur.

I zipped off this note to Carol:

Interesting post Carol, but I've heard no complaints from my many Jewish friends, including Joel Pollak. Joel is a very observant Jew who does not return email or phone calls after sundown on Friday. While your observation is interesting, I think it's making a mountain out of an anthill. In this case however, the ants are understanding of situation and really, really don't care. No reasonable Jewish person will take this as a slap in the face by Corbett or the other organizers or participants of Right Nation 2010.

I don't think that Carol Felsenthal is trying to imply that Republicans are anti-Jewish. I hope not, anyway. After all, they've done more to defend Israel than the Demorats have, certainly, and many Jewish voters are painfully aware of that.

Carol did write that Right Nation spokesman Collin Corbett told her that the event plans were made almost a year ago. "Organizers wanted Glenn Beck as the keynoter," Carol wrote, "and September 18th was the date he was available. Corbett said that all efforts are being made to accommodate Jewish people who might like to attend. The holiday ends at sundown; Beck will probably take the stage at around 8:30 pm."

The Granite City Democrat Precinct Committeemen Trivia Night will be held on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Granite City, Illinois beginning at 6:00 p.m. Yes, that's during Yom Kippur! For only $120 per table you can join in the fun. That's just one of the many, many Democrat events that will callously take place during Yom Kippur, "the holiest of the Jewish High Holy Days."

See more Democrat events in Illinois during Yom Kippur, and remember that these are but a few just in only one state. There are 49 other states in which there will certainly be similar events during - gasp! - "the holiest of the Jewish High Holy Days."

Will Carol Felsenthal - or any other magazine contributor - write about the Granite City Precinct Committeemen Trivia Night, or any of the many other Democrat events nationwide, during Yom Kippur? Don't count on it.

L'Shanah Tovah, y'all, and Happy 5771.

RELATED:
Yom Kippur liturgy Jewfaq.org
New Hampshire Democratic Party - Calendar
South County Democratic Club Meeting
Iowa Democratic Party Fifth District Upcoming Events
Google Search for "democrat calendar of events, september 18 2010"

Al Sharpton has called Glenn Beck hateful, devisive and a bigot. But who is really all of that? Sharpton, really. He's the racist buffoon, not Beck. Watch in the video below, courtesy of Breitbart.tv, and then tell me that Sharpton just wants to bring folks together.

"In August 2000," writes Breitbart, "Rev. Al Sharpton organized the 'Redeem the Dream' march in Washington DC commemorating the 37th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech. His rally included a lengthy address by New Black Panther leader Malik Zulu Shabazz filled with disturbing racism and calls to violence against whites."



RELATED: Putting the Lie to Tea Party Racism and Strong Reactions To NAACP Attack On Tea Parties

I'm not sure what MoveOn.org will be protesting at tomorrow's gathering of Republicans at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago. Sure, the dynamic Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) will be talking about his endorsement of Joel Pollak in his run against incumbent Jan Schakowsky. Perhaps MoveOn has a problem with the right of free assembly? Free speech? Both? Yes, but specifically they're upset about Ryan's "Roadmap For America," which is aimed at "saving MediCare." We'll find out on Wednesday, September 1 - I'll be there, sitting at the Press Table, but you can bet I'll get there early to mingle with the communists - excuse me, progressives - milling about out front as they follow Aunty Jan's marching orders. Time for MoveOn to grow up and actually move on. Even most liberals are getting fed up with their tired old tactics.

Here is the amusing email press release sent out this morning by the Pollak For Congress campaign:

A few remaining tickets can still be purchased for tomorrow's Pollak for Congress fundraiser with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). It is one of the most highly anticipated political events of the year.

If you don’t believe us, just ask the people at MoveOn.org and Citizen Action/Illinois. [Editor's note: For more about these two George Soros-funded groups, visit Marathon Pundit.]

Our friends from the radical left have decided to join the fun Wednesday afternoon by protesting outside the event at the Four Seasons Hotel.

An email sent out to a list of MoveOn.org subscribers is encouraging members to take part in a one-hour demonstration (crowds are rented by the hour) to “protest the dismantling of Social Security and Medicare.” According to the email, our luncheon is kicking off “a national tour” by Republicans.

“Would have been nice if someone told us,” said Field Director Paul Miller. “Now I have to wear socks to the luncheon.”

Our opponent, incumbent Democrat Jan Schakowsky, sits on the Policy Council of Citizen Action/Illinois. Her husband, Robert Creamer, used to lead the organization until he resigned amidst an FBI investigation of charges of bank fraud and tax evasion, for which he later went to federal prison.

Regardless, the Pollak for Congress campaigns welcomes and encourages our fellow Americans to use their free speech and peacefully assemble outside the Four Seasons Hotel. We also encourage them to read the document they are protesting. (It helps.)

We wish our friends on the far left a safe protest, and hope they will also respect our right to assemble and exercise free speech.

Tickets for this event are still available at
http://www.pollakforcongress.com/paulryan.

Sorry, MoveOn.org and Citizen Action/Illinois - no free lunches provided!

I love a candidate who has a sense of humor, don't you?

RELATED:
MoveOn.org to protest Pollak fundraiser in Chicago Illinois Review
Rep. Paul Ryan Joins Joel Pollak at Sept. 1 Luncheon in Chicago Chicago News Bench
A distasteful move by MoveOn.org Los Angeles Times
Pollak Throws Pie In Schakowsky's Face Chicago News Bench
MoveOn Launching Effort to Censor Fox News in Public Places Weasel Zippers

Oh dear Lord, please, do not let this man anywhere near my funeral.

August 30, 2010 - Republican Issac Hayes has accused Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. of using campaign funds donated by ordinary individuals to pay off his legal bills. Hayes is running against incumbent Jackson for the 2nd Congressional District seat in Illinois.

In a statement issued today, Hayes said that "During the first half of 2009 Jesse Jackson Jr.’s campaign committee spent $18,697- on legal fees. This comes in addition to the $100,000 he spent in December of 2008. Jackson is routinely under scrutiny for corrupt practices and even uses his donors’ money to fund his defense."

Contributions to Jackson's campaign committee are down from previous years. Since and including 1996, contributions have been lower than today only in 2000. Source: OpenSecrets.org

Hayes also said that “Jackson’s donors should be made aware that a donation to Jackson is a donation to his legal defense fund. This should speak volumes as to the lack of integrity that the 2nd district residents get when they place a vote for Jackson. I am quite certain people would not contribute their hard earned dollars if they knew it would be used for a defense against a congressional crime. I intend to offer the members of our district a clean break from the politics of the past by leading with honesty and integrity.”

In fact, they actively seek it out. In their own April 7, 2009 press release, they announced that Janice Bendixen joined their organization as "a development consultant tasked with researching and pursuing new funding sources to support Fair programs and infrastructure projects. A range of funding, including private foundation funds and state and federal grants, will be explored."

The fairgrounds on which the Alaska State Fair are held is "private property," and so they claim the right to ask protesters to leave. The Alaska State Fair, Inc. is a private 501(c)(3) corporation (see their bylaws).

Six years ago, grant money was acquired by sneaky tactics. The Alaska State Fair opened its Intermodal Commuter Center on August 26, 2004. An August 24, 2006 press release from the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) said the following (emphasis added):

"The project was initiated by the Alaska State Fair, Inc. (Fair) in collaboration with the Alaska Railroad and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Since the Alaska State Fair was not eligible to apply directly for federal funds, ARRC applied for a grant on the Fair’s behalf. ARRC also administered the federal funds and provided project management for the construction process. The Alaska State Fair funded the 9% local match to the FTA’s grant."

So the railroad acted as proxy to get the public funds for Alaska State Fair, Inc. Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't that somewhat dishonest? It may be technically legal, but screws the system and the laws that are intended to prevent Alaska State Fair, Inc. from getting federal funds.

RELATED:
Video of Obama Protester Brutalized by Alaska Cops at State Fair

Publicly funded Alaska State Fair, Inc. claims the right to beat down a man because the public fair was on "private property"...

This is one of the most blatant and inexcusable violations of a person's civil rights I've seen (watch video below), and it was done by Palmer Police Department (Alaska) officers.

Those cops more resembled Gestapo goons than peace officers as they tackled Sidney Hill, a disable 52-year old man, while he stood his ground and claimed his First Amendment rights as he held a protest sign on the first day of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer on August 26, 2010.

Hill held a large sign that said "LaRouche Says Impeach Obama," which featured a likeness of Obama with a little Hitler-style mustache.

It should be noted that the fairgrounds on which the Alaska State Fair was held is "private property," and so they claim the right to ask protesters to leave. The Alaska State Fair, Inc. is a private 501(c)(3) corporation (see their bylaws). However, they do take taxpayer dollars (more on that below).



It should also be noted that this is not about whether Mr. Hill's sign was politically correct. This is not about civility in public discourse, and it's not about the LaRouche supporters (of which I am NOT one).

Rather, it is about police using excessive force on a man who was simply standing about, holding a sign, honestly believing that he was excercising his First Amendment rights at a fair advertised as public and operated by an entity whose very name easily gives the misleading impression that it is a state-run event.

The Frontiersman newspaper (Wasilla) reported on Friday, August 27 (emphasis added):

A 52-year-old Palmer man who was arrested while protesting at the Alaska State Fair has become a minor YouTube celebrity in the Valley.... An altercation with fair security, caught on a more than nine-minute video and posted on YouTube, led to his arrest on charges of fourth-degree assault, disorderly conduct and trespassing, said Cmdr. Tom Remaley of the Palmer Police Department. The video has also sparked criticism that state fair security personnel used excessive force in detaining Hill. From watching the video, Remaley said he doesn’t feel the force used was excessive.

Perhaps Cmdr. Remaley has poor eyesight, or perhaps his idea of "excessive" is different than the one held by a normal person.

Hill never took a swing at the cops, but at 3:33 into the video, a fat cop grabs Mr. Hill. Seconds later, another fat cop grabbed Mr. Hill. They forcefully moved him off to another area a few yards away, where they immediately forced him to the ground. One has to wonder where the charge of "fourth degree assault" came from (it was later dropped).

At 4:23 into the video, a fair-goer yelled "Somebody call the cops!" At 4:27, one of the cops forced Hill's face into the ground with an elbow on his neck. Citizens pleaded with the officers to "get off of him!"

Suddenly, an off-duty State Trooper grabbed a man standing nearby (at 4:35) and yelled "State Troopers! Get out of here! You wanna go to jail? Get outa here!" He clearly said "Troopers" (plural), and flashed a badge. "Back off!" he yelled, "Back off!" Meanwhile, Palmer police officers continued to sit atop of a handcuffed Sidney Hill even as he complained that he was overheating and was having trouble breathing.

According to the Frontiersman, Dean Phipps, marketing director and spokesman for the Alaska State Fair, "also watched the video of the incident and said fair security 'handled it well'." Mr. Phipps seems to have the same sense of justice that Cmdr. Remaley has. But Phipps went on to tell an outright untruth:

When security personnel discovered Hill had a handgun on him, “that’s when the whole thing changed,” Phipps said. “All the supporters went away when they saw there was a gun.”

That is simply not true, and plenty of his "supporters" can still be seen standing by as the cops escort Mr. Hill away at the very end of the 9:42 video. (Shame on the Frontiersman for not calling out Dean Phipps on that.)

Phipps fibbed again when he defended the use of force by the cops. Alaska Daily News quotes Phipps as saying that “The initial attempt was to educate him and let him know what the rules were, and he became belligerent. They felt that they were assaulted ... and then responded to that.” You've seen the video by now: Could those cops have reasonably thought that Mr. Hill was assaulting them at any point?

About the gun that Mr. Hill had: The cops did not know that he had a gun with him until after they had already manhandled him to the ground. In other words, their initial assault on the disabled 52-year old had nothing to do with his firearm.

According to the State of Alaska's Public Safety website, "Alaska Statute 11.61.220 allows anyone 21 or older, who may legally carry a firearm to also carry it concealed without having to obtain a special permit. The possession of a firearm at courthouses, school yards, bars and domestic violence shelters will continue to be prohibited."

Mr. Hill was legally in the clear with that gun while he was on public property. The moment he stepped onto the private property of the State Fair grounds, however, he was in violation of Alaska law AS 11.61.220 (i), which requires that anybody carrying a concealed weapon must "immediately inform a peace officer that s/he is carrying a concealed handgun." He was also probably in violation of AS 11.61.220 for carrying the gun onto private property without the consent of the owner/s.

To repeat, however, the cops used physical force on Mr. Hill even before they knew that he possessed a gun. Until the moment that they realized he had a weapon, they were acting to put a man down simply because he was protesting peacefully at a very public event that happened to be taking place on property that he did not realize was "private."

IOTW Reports wrote an interesting comment about this incident. "Hey, LaRouche supporters are people too, and they have their rights. The man could very well be a loon, that doesn’t matter. What happened in this video is a travesty. I don’t agree with the guy yelling 'this is torture.' It wasn’t. The arrest was wrong, the technique wasn’t.

I respectfully disagree that the technique "wasn't" wrong. The cops could simply have chosen to ignore the man, who was causing no harm to anybody. The fact that he was carrying a gun, unknown to the cops before they manhandled him, posed no more of a threat on the private fairgrounds than it does on a public street. It may sound like I'm contradicting myself, but the arrest was justified solely on the grounds of protesting on private property without permission.

That being said, however, state and local governments really need to review their policies regarding peaceful protests at public events, even when staged on private property. This is especially needed for those public events which are funded by government-confiscated taxpayer money in the form of "charitable" tax excempt donations -- as well as state and federal grants.

The Alaska State Fair DOES take public money:

In fact, they actively seek it out. In their own April 7, 2009 press release, they announced that Janice Bendixen joined their organization as "a development consultant tasked with researching and pursuing new funding sources to support Fair programs and infrastructure projects. A range of funding, including private foundation funds and state and federal grants, will be explored."

Six years ago, grant money was acquired by sneaky tactics. The Alaska State Fair opened its Intermodal Commuter Center on August 26, 2004. An August 24, 2006 press release from the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) said the following (emphasis added):

"The project was initiated by the Alaska State Fair, Inc. (Fair) in collaboration with the Alaska Railroad and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Since the Alaska State Fair was not eligible to apply directly for federal funds, ARRC applied for a grant on the Fair’s behalf. ARRC also administered the federal funds and provided project management for the construction process. The Alaska State Fair funded the 9% local match to the FTA’s grant."

So the railroad acted as proxy to get the public funds for Alaska State Fair, Inc. Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't that somewhat dishonest? It may be technically legal, but screws the system and the laws that are intended to prevent Alaska State Fair, Inc. from getting federal funds.

You never know, these days, when you might become the victim of a poison gas attack. These are dangerous times, and gas attacks have killed many people over the past 100 years! Are YOU prepared? No? Then watch these helpful videos. With the inevitability of World War Three happening before 2012, you'll be glad you did!

Chicago Police detectives are searching for a missing West Rogers Park woman. They ask for the public's help in finding her.

From Chicago Breaking News:

Astrid Argus, 63, left her apartment in the 1900 block of West Albion Avenue about 1 p.m. on Friday, according to an alert issued by police this morning. Anyone with information about Argus is asked to call Belmont Area detectives at (312)744-8266. Chicago Breaking News reports that Ms. Argus had not contacted her family since she went missing on Friday, although "she usually is in close contact" with them.

She reportedly suffers from mental illness "and did not take her medication with her, according to police." Argus is White, with a ruddy (reddish) complexion. Police describe her as being about 5 feet, 2 inches tall and 246 pounds, with blue eyes and gray hair. Police say it's possible that she has checked into a local hospital.

Obamacare ("health care reform") doesn't officially kick in until 2014, but its effects are already doing serious damage to our economy.

I received this ominous text message from a friend in Illinois today: "I had to let two of my employees go because of reduced commissions by Blue Cross. Obamacare starts."

This, of course, is not good. Unemployment in Obama's cynically named "Summer of Recovery" is not getting any better. The effects of the Obama Regime's policies are only making things worse, and this is a strong example of just how destructive those policies are - and will be.

Blue Cross is not the only health insurer that is reducing commissions to people who sell insurance. Commissions for selling policies to individuals and small groups are also getting overhauled, reported the Wall Street Journal in May, 2010. "Companies are already starting to change how they pay salespeople. Starting on May 1, Independence Blue Cross of Philadelphia, Pa., stopped paying small-group agents a percentage commission and instead switched to a monthly flat fee for each contract sold."

The New York Post yesterday noted the early effects of health care "reform," too...

While many of Obama Care's major pieces won't kick in until 2014, a few big changes are already under way -- and offering an early taste of what's in store for American health care. It ain't pretty. Think: greater government control, less competition and fewer options for consumers. As early as next month, for example, the administration is expected to unveil its definition of "unreasonable rate increases." This is its way of dictating premiums.

The NY Post story goes on:

.... HHS, in effect, will cap health-plan profits through its new rules. Not only will it tightly control the rates they charge (which affect revenues) but also what benefits they must provide (which affect costs). At the same time, the feds are mandating how much revenue can be spent on overhead (which can affect both revenue and costs). Yet, insurers will need to hike premiums to deal with reform-related mandates -- rules, for instance, that make health insurance for individuals as much as 10 percent more expensive. If they don't, they risk seeing their profits slip.... President Obama said his plan would give consumers a wider set of options. But even before the plan reaches full throttle, it's clear that's a promise he won't be able to keep. Full article at NY Post...

Congratulations to the Democrats in Congress who passed the monstrous health care legislation without reading it. Congrats to the legions of imbeciles who voted for Obama and the members of Congress who made all of this possible. And congratulations - in advance - to all of you who will help vote those "representatives" out of office in November.

RELATED:
If Health Care Is in ‘Crisis’ Why Does ObamaCare Start 4 Years from Now? Red State
Obamacare Starts Squeezing the Private Sector American Spectator
Obamacare Only Looks Worse Upon Further Review Bloomberg
20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms Investors.com
An Ugly Preview of ObamaCare Real Clear Politics
States Rebelling Against ObamaCare Forbes.com
The Truth About ObamaCare Media Research Center

You should stand at the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem. Secular leftists should probably sit down for this version, as sung by a former U.S. Marine at a Tea Party gathering. It contains the phrase "...then conquer we must, when our cause it is just. And this be our motto, in God is our trust..." We don't want our Lefty friends to hurt themselves when they faint from shock. God and nationalism, oh my! Say, wait, the Lefties don't stand for the anthem anyway, do they?


By the way, does Herman Cain look like a racist KKK member to you???

"On September 18 – six weeks before the November election – an unprecedented event will take place." So says the website of Right Nation 2010, a huge get-together of like-minded patriots in the heart of Obamaland.

"Tens of thousands of patriots throughout the Midwest will come together to celebrate their shared lineage and common purpose. They’ll be joined by popular political, media, and entertainment personalities all assembled to advance the RIGHT principles and the RIGHT people in order to reclaim the Midwest and forever change its political landscape." Register here for this historic event.

The guest bloggers are:

August 26, 2010 - Updated (video below): WLS 890 AM reported that federal prosecutors have dropped all four charges against Robert Blagojevich, brother of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. Federal Judge James Zagel on Thursday said he'll set a retrial date for Rod sometime after January 4, 2011. Update: The Chicago Tribune reports that "Assistant U.S. Atty. Reid Schar said the government was dropping two counts of extortion conspiracy and one count each of wire fraud and extortion because of 'the disparity in the roles" of the two brothers and "in the interests of justice.' Rod Blagojevich still faces retrial on 23 counts. He was convicted last week of a single count of lying to the FBI, but jurors were deadlocked on all four counts against Robert.

Vicki LaRocco might be one of the dumbest women on Earth. The irresponsible mother is actually suing a McDonald's in Schiller Park, Illinois for burns allegedly suffered by her daughter Mykael when she spilled a cup of hot chocolate on herself. LaRocco accuses the McDonald's restaurant of negligence and product liability and is asking for $100,000 plus reimbursement for her daughter's medical bills.

"LaRocco claims in the suit that the McDonald's restaurant at 9449 Irving Park Rd. in Schiller Park served hot chocolate that was 'too hot for consumption' by either adults or children and didn't warn customers that it was served at a temperature that could scald customers if spilled," according to a Sun-Times Media Wire report at CBS2.

A Chicago Tribune report notes that LaRocco's suit "further alleges that McDonald's should have known that the hot chocolate was too hot to drink."

Which part of "HOT chocolate" was Vicki LaRocco too stupid to understand, and why - as an adult and a parent - should SHE not have known that the hot chocolate might have been "too hot to drink?" Furthermore, the suit does not claim that Mykael's burns were caused because her daughter consumed something "too hot to drink." Rather, it claims that she burned herself on something that was, apparently, too hot to spill on one's own leg.

Think about it: Mother Vicki went through a McDonald's drive-thru in April, 2009. News reports say that she ordered the drink, so she must have been driving. So, Moron Mother Vicki orders the HOT chocolate, she pays, and she is then handed the drink by the McDonald's employee at the drive-thru window. At that point, and here's where the trouble begins, this imbecile of a mother hands the HOT chocolate to daughter Mykael - with an allegedly loose lid on the cup.

Vicki LaRocco's lawsuit says that Mykael's leg was burned and permanently scarred by the HOT chocolate. While she alleges that the lid on the HOT chocolate was not on properly, LaRocco accepts no responsibility for her role in handing it to Mykael. Let's review the steps, because they are crucial, and any judge with half a brain will consider them:

1) Mother Vicki orders HOT chocolate in the drive-thru
2) She is handed the HOT chocolate by the McDonald's employee
3) She now has the HOT beverage in her own hands
4) Vicki LaRocco handed the HOT chocolate to her daughter
5) The daughter allegedly burned her leg when she spilled the HOT chocolate

The McDonald's employee, as I read the news reports, is NOT alleged to have handed the cup directly to daughter Mykael. Vicki LaRocco did, but with that allegedly loose lid. If the lid was indeed loose before Mykael took hold of the cup, it would have been loose for only one of two possible reasons: Either the employee did indeed hand off a cup with a loose lid, or the lid became loose while momentarily in Vicki LaRocco's hands. (None of the reports say how old Mykael is, but Mykael is referred to as a "child.")

Therefore, it seems unreasonable to blame McDonald's. IF the employee gave Vicki LaRocco a cup of HOT chocolate with a loose lid, then LaRocco failed in her duty as a parent to prevent harm to a child. In this case, simply checking the tightness of the lid would have prevented the alleged injuries.

People like LaRocco are harmful to society. When stupidity on their part causes them harm, they sue businesses with ridiculous charges of negligence and so on. Too often, the businesses settle out of court, agreeing to give the irresponsible whiners some money to go away. This adds up, however, and combined with the enormous cost of shoplifting, it drives up prices for the rest of us. LaRocco's case is yet another reminder of the urgent need for tort reform (it's not just for doctors, you know).

The problem of abusive law suits is absolutely huge, as Jeff Cornwall, DBA of Belmont University wrote. "The disproportionate impact of government regulation and taxation on small business owners has been well documented," he said. "Well, it seems that when it comes to liability costs, small businesses are getting slammed. The ILR study shows that small businesses shoulder a sizable liability burden, having paid $105.4 billion in 2008. One estimate suggests this amount may increase by 50% by 2011." Full article at Belmont University's Center for Entrepreneurship...

Add Vicki LaRocco's lawsuit and tens of thousands more and you begin to see the problem.

I'm waiting for, and fully expecting, a lawsuit one day by some idiot who blinds himself with a knife in a restaurant and then claims negligence and product liability. After all, there's no warning on knives in eateries that warn us about their sharpness. Restaurant staff never advise customers to "be careful with that knife, now, you could poke somebody's eye out with it." The blinded auto-stabbing victim could ask for serious money from the restaurant and the knife maker, in addition to all the medical bills. Don't forget the emotional trauma and the dry cleaning bill for the bloodied shirt, and the ongoing cost of maintaining a seeing-eye dog. We would all end up paying for it one way or another.

Perhaps the authorities should step into the case and investigate why Vicki LaRocco was, perhaps, negligent in handing a HOT chocolate to her child - without first making sure it was safe for the girl to handle. Is Vicki LaRocco really fit to be a parent?

"Where do you stand on the important issues facing Illinois?" So asks the Cook County Tea Party, who sent this reminder today for a great event happening in Joliet on Thursday, August 24. The event is co-sponsored by the Illinois Policy Institute and For the Good of Illinois.

Want to meet with local candidates and leaders? Looking for a chance to make your voice heard?

The Illinois Turnaround Tour is stopping in Joliet on Thursday, August 26, and you’re invited to join us. Together with cosponsors from across the state, we’re hosting a rally and educational forum to introduce voters to candidates across party lines—and to discuss the public policy issues that will be crucial for our state in 2010 and beyond. Learn more about the Illinois Turnaround Plan.

Illinois Turnaround Rally: 6:00 pm-6:45 pm
Click here to register for this FREE event!

Joliet Area Historical Museum
Rooftop Terrace
204 N. Ottawa St.
Joliet, IL 60432

Candidates Forum: 7 pm-8:30 pm

The Renaissance Center at Joliet Junior College
Grand Ballrom
214 North Ottawa St.
Joliet, IL 60432
Phone: (815) 280-1404

The two facilities are connected.

Rally Speakers:
John Tillman, Illinois Policy Institute
Adam Andrzejewski, For the Good of Illinois

Candidates Forum:
Cedra Crenshaw, candidate 43rd Senate District (Confirmed)
Maripat Oliver, candidate 85th House District (Confirmed)
Sue Rezin, candidate 75th House District (Tentatively Confirmed)
Jeffrey Junkas, candidate 37th House District (Confirmed)
Ryan Eggert, candidate 86th House District (Confirmed)

Candidates Invited:
Sen. Arthur Wilhelmi, 43rd Senate District
Rep. Emily McAsey, 85th House District
Rep. Careen Gordon, 75th House District
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, 37th House District
Rep. Jack McGuire, 86th House District

I was thinking the other day (I do that now and then) about the tactics of Saul Alinsky. Without getting into the fine details, one of the tactics that Alinsky advocated is mockery ("ridicule") of one's opponents.

Alinsky's exact words, as written in his book Rules For Radicals: "Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon." That tactic has been masterfully used for decades by the Left. It has not mattered to them if their ridicule is based on truth or not. For the leftists, the ends justfies the means.

Sometimes the target of ridicule becomes distracted by the taunts thrown their way. More often, however, it is public opinion that is directly affected by the ridiculing of a targeted person or group. We conservatives know this well, because we have been the targets - the victims - of Aliskyesque ridicule for so long. For too long, conservatives have allowed ridicule by the Left to distract them. Worse yet, conservatives rarely seem to understand that there is a very simple antidote to Alinsky's ridicule poison.

Remember when you were a child and you were told that "stick and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you?" Sure you do. As adults, we understand that there is much truth to that axiom. Even so, words can hurt when they are abused.

So, then, here's the antidote:

Laughter. That's right, laughter. "The best medicine," as they say, can cause the most vile of insults thrown your way to become weightless and - therefore - virtually harmless. One of the best forms of laughter is that which you direct at yourself. Self-deprecating humor is endearing. It is also very disarming. The ability to laugh at oneself is an armor that is virtually indestructible in the battlefield of ridicule.

Conservatives need to understand this. When we are attacked by mockery and ridicule, we must disarm the attacker by laughing it off. Then, however, we must turn the attack back on the enemy by using his own tactics. That's one of the purposes of Chicago News Bench. It's why we use humor and satire and sarcasm. It's why, admittedly, we get sophomoric now and then. In fighting fire, sometimes, fire itself can be a useful weapon. Fight Alinsky with Alinsky, I say.

I have found that the leftists and liberals have a stunted ability to be self-deprecating. They love to make tasteless jokes about conservatives, but can't stand it when it's turned back on them. For decades, they have all enjoyed and shared retouched photos of conservative politicians that make them look like Nazis or pigs or whatever. That's why I so often turn that around on them.

Here, for example, is a picture that I did of Chicago Alderman Joe Moore, a "progressive" Democrat who freaks out when I do this. In fact, Moore hates this so much that he actually had an intern compile a dossier on me, with dozens and dozens of pages printed of this blog. He keeps dossiers on other bloggers, too. By using Alisky tactics, I keep Ald. Moore at least a bit distracted from his task of further destroying our democratic republic.

ALSO SEE:
Chicago Aldermen As Nazis, #3 In Series
Images of Democrats as Nazis (Is It Wrong?)
Fear No Art: Joe Moore Boozing
Fear No Art: Joe Moore Half-Cocked
"Obama Waffles" Brings Out Democrat Lunacy
Fear No Art?

Jah sure, it's a press release - but it's an informative press release, don'tcha know. Here's your chance to meet, greet and/or yell at State Senator Bill Brady. He's running for governor, and he'd love to see your smiling and/or scowling faces. Will Bill hide in his big tour bus until the exact start time of the event (as is his habit), or will he give you a "warm reception" and a hearty hand shake in return? Remember in November: Bill Brady does not suck nearly as much as Rod Blagojevich's two-time running mate Pat Quinn.

This Saturday, August 28, Republican Candidate for Governor Bill Brady will be visiting the Lincoln Park Victory Center! Let's give Senator Brady a warm reception. The office is located at 2768 N. Lincoln Ave. (map) in Chicago, and Senator Brady will be coming by at about 11am, so we need you to come to the office between 10am and 10:30am so that we have a great crowd for Senator Brady. It will be a great opportunity for one-on-one photo opportunities and a chance to spend some time at our Victory Center with the next Governor of Illinois.

We'll also be phone banking on Saturday, so please contact me at (708) 670-5543 or jcallaway@ilvictory.org to sign up to help us make Voter ID calls for our Republican candidates. Senator Brady will make some calls with us when he stops by, but its up to us to have a big day of calling and continue the excellent work that we've been doing at the Lincoln Park Victory Center and across Illinois. The work we are doing is invaluable for all of our Republican candidates for this Election and for many years to come.

Event Details:
What: Rally for Senator Bill Brady and Phone Banking
Where: Lincoln Park Victory Center - 2768 N. Lincoln Avenue (MAP)
When: Saturday, August 28 - 10am - 5pm (Senator Brady arrives at 11am)
Contact: Jon Callaway at (708) 670-5543 or jcallaway@ilvictory.org

Note: More "Illinois Victory 2010" office locations can be found at Illinois Review.

AUGUST 24, 2010 - Chicago News Bench busts serial exaggerator Pamela Geller yet AGAIN. In a hysterical August 23, 2010 post on her "Atlas Shrugs" blog, Geller claimed, with a screaming red all-caps headline:

ATLAS EXCLUSIVE! GROUND ZERO MOSQUE IMAM FEISAL'S EXTREMISM EXPOSED: IN HIS OWN WORDS: "THE UNITED STATES HAS MORE BLOOD ON ITS HANDS THAN AL QAIDA," ELIMINATION OF ISRAEL, THE N-WORD, "FAHRENHEIT 911"

What does Geller want you to believe by that? Simple: By saying her report is "exclusive," Pamela Geller is claiming that she is the first one ever to "expose" Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf as saying that the U.S. "has more blood on its hands than al Qaida." That is simply not true, and Geller most certainly knows this. Here's why Geller's claim to an "exclusive" story is absolutely false.

Click images to enlarge them.

Have a look at the top video in Geller's post. The video contains a mere 4 minutes and 32 seconds (4:32) of the original audio from a lecture given in 2005. The original audio is more than one hour and 17 minutes (1:17:31) in length and was posted on the website of The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre in Adelaide, Australia. That's where the imam gave the lecture in which he said that "the United States has more blood on its hands than al Qaida" in a lecture on July 12, 2005.

You can hear the entire audio (mp3) at the Bob Hawke Centre website (be patient; it's a big file and will take a minute or two to load). Once you're there, fast forward to 22:00 minutes into the audio to hear Feisal say those words. The audio of this lecture was posted many months (if not years) before Geller's August 21, 2010 "exclusive." As of 11:30 p.m. Chicago time on August 23, the Hawke Centre notes that the "Latest content revision" of their post was on "Monday, 7 September 2009."

That's nearly a full year before Geller's so-called "exclusive" on Altas Shrugs. There it is, the full audio, for all the world to hear, on the website of the Hawke Centre. It's that very audio from with Geller's video taken. All she did was snip out part of it, slap a still photo of Imam Rauf into it, and call it an "exclusive." Tsk tsk tsk.

The Atlas Shrugs post is not exclusive in exposing Imam Rauf 's radical connections, either, so there's another misrepresentation by Geller. In fact, the "Family Security Matters" blog ran a post on July 16, 2010 with the headline, "Exclusive: Ground Zero Mosque Imam’s Radical Connections." That's five weeks before Geller's "exclusive."

On August 22, 2010 "at 2:09 pm," the Sweetness & Light blog posted "Rauf Justified Muslim Terrorism In 2005" the day before Geller's "exclusive."

On August 19, 2010, WTOP.com ran an Associated Press story that noted Rauf's 2005 Hawke Center lecture, including the quote, "that the United States has more Muslim blood on its hands than al-Qaida has on its hands of innocent non-Muslims." On the same day, Breitbart's Big Peace website had a post headlined "AP Gets its ‘Facts’ Wrong: Fact Checking Agenda Journalists," which also mentioned Rauf's bloody hands comment. April 19 is four days before Geller's "exclusive" post.

This is not to say that there isn't some good information in Geller's post. Trouble is, it's hard to know which bits are good and which bits are exaggerations or fabrications in a post written by a woman who is demonstrably less than truthful.

Now, I'm certainly not defending Imam Rauf here. He does, after all, refuse to acknowledge that Hamas is a terrorist group and says the 9/11 attacks were caused by U.S. foreign policy.

But let's strive for some accuracy. If Rauf is an enemy, we need to know him. You can't know somebody if the information you're given is unreliable. Geller has shown herself to be unreliable, as we have shown previously.

Geller also screamed, in her absurd headline, that Rauf used "the N-word." Without context, that sound pretty bad. Put in context, however, and any reasonable person would have to say that Rauf's use of the word was not inappropriate. In speaking about words that cause conflict between people, he paraphrased people who hold prejudices and try to use words to divide us:

"If gender is not what distinguishes us we'll look at skin coloring and say, ahhh, niggers or whities or whatever, and you create a gender, er, ah, an ethnic conflict."

I find nothing wrong with that statement by Rauf. It's actually quite correct. He was talking about those who want to divide groups, and how they will continue to seek out psychological methods to do so. The use of the word "nigger," in that statement, is completely appropriate. Geller, in one of her frequent apoplectic fits, presented his use of the word with the clear intention of painting him as an anti-Black bigot. Maybe he is, maybe he's not, but you cannot draw that conclusion from the way he used the N-word in the context that Geller herself presented.

Another irksome example of Geller's overstatement of fact is that she calls Imam Rauf''s statements "explosive." Well, kinda sorta, but not really. Is Rauf the first to say that the U.S. has blood on its hands, or to misrepresent the number if Iraqis killed by U.S. forces? No. Is he the last? No. Did his now-five-year-old statements cause an "explosion" of heated world reaction soon after he spoke them? Nope. Have there been many other people who have said far more incendiary things about the U.S., the War on Terror, Iraq, Afghanistan, and more? Of course.

Some of you may wonder why I - a conservative blogger - am "attacking" Geller. She is, after all, one of the premier bloggers on the political Right. My answer should be obvious: Truth is truth, lies are lies. When I see a lie, I like to call it out, and I don't give a damn if it's by a fellow conservative. In fact, I probably care more in that case.

Ask yourself: Do you want truth and accurate information, or bad information tainted with exaggeration? When a high-profile blogger like Geller get caught exaggerating, fabricating and lying - and when her crap gets picked up and drooled on by guys such as Mark Levin, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh on their August 23 radio shows, not to mention every gullible blogger out there - it ultimately harms the conservative cause. It gives fuel to left-wingers such as Eugene Robinson, whose Washington Post article "The right-wing, blinded by its own hysteria" posted today.

The New York Post was suckered into the frenzy, too. They ran this idiotic paragraph in an August 23 story with the headline "Ground Zero imam's comments from 2005 sparking fresh controversy":

"The audio recording, taken from a July 2005 speech that Rauf gave at the University of South Australia in Adelaide, was posted in snippets Monday by conservative blogger and commentator Pamela Geller on her AtlasShrugs.com blog." Full article...

Someone should tell the NY Post that the only reason the five-year old lecture is sparking "fresh controversy" is because Geller sensationalized the crap out of it, and idiots like the NY Post writer/s (the piece has no byline) bought into Gellers' P.T. Barnum act.

Geller's post is ridiculous in other ways, as well. Even after sounding the false "exclusive" trumpet, Geller herself went on to write this: "In July 2005, Ground Zero Imam Rauf gave a public lecture, presented by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre/UniSA International and The Migrant Resource Centre, entitled, What does it take to change the relationship between the West and the Muslim world?" She unintentionally tripped and admitted that this material has been out there before her "exclusive" post.

Geller went on to include snippets of the transcript of Imam Rauf's 2005 lecture, but she did so in a sloppy, haphazard an visually jarring manner. The full, unedited transcript can also be found at the Hawke Centre's website, on the same page that features the audio.

Geller could have saved herself a lot of trouble by simply posting something like this:

A muslim imam with suspected ties to terrorists is on record as saying that "the United States has more blood on its hands than al Qaida." He said that back in July, 2005. You can hear the full audio and read the unedited transcript at The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre/UniSA International and The Migrant Resource Centre."

Of course, had Geller done that, she wouldn't have had an "exclusive." Geller should retire from blogging and get a job waiting tables at a local New York deli. Her tall tales will serve as a harmless source of amusement for the old folks coming in for prune juice and lox. The crap she's serving to readers currently tends to cause heartburn and upset stomachs.

RELATED:
Exclusive: Ground Zero Mosque Imam’s Radical Connections Family Security Matters
Rauf Justified Muslim Terrorism In 2005 Sweetness & Light

Friend John Ruberry has been all over the wasteful spending on "Recovery and Reinvestment Act" signs by the Obama Regime. He posted this photo on his Marathon Pundit blog. It shows one of those signs in Dixon, Illinois - the hometown of President Ronald Reagan during the "Summer of Recovery."

Notice the sign to the left of the Recovery propaganda and you can smell the irony. Notice the sign to the right for "Tipsy Martini Bar." You might need a stiff drink or two once you know that "Recovery" signs like the one shown here have "cost Americans $20 million--so far," according to John. By the way, do you see any evidence of a "project" in this photo? No, me neither, but this sign is supposed to make us all believe that the Obama Stimulus is working.

"53% Say They Would Vote For Hayes Over Jackson, Jr." That's the headline of an August 23 press release from Isaac Hayes, the Republican nominee running against incumbent Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (Democrat; photo left) in the Illinois 2nd Congressional District.

More from that release (click on article image, right, to enlarge):

CHICAGO, IL- In a three day telephone poll done by City News, 53% of those polled said they would vote for Isaac Hayes over Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Hayes commented, “Obviously this surge of support has come with many voters realizing that while Rod Blagojevich may be done with his trial for now, my opponent’s is only beginning. This district is fed up with corruption and wants a voice. They want someone who shares their character and values. I’m here to give them that.”

Hayes’ opponent, Jackson spends more time worrying about securing a job for himself while 15 million Americans struggle everyday to find work. Hayes will bring the honesty and integrity that is so badly needed, back to the district.

Editor's Note: City News is a crappy little newspaper in Chicago that, incredibly, still has no website in the year 2010. As a result, there is no link to the story and we can only present the poor-quality scan of the article as provided by the Hayes campaign. Also, there is no date on the article, but from what we can gather we assume the poll was done during the week of August 16.

For more information, please visit http://www.isaac4honesty.com/news.asp?artid=94
Also see "Where’s Waldo’ in the 2nd Congressional District?

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) has endorsed Joel Pollak in his race against U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowksy (D-IL) for Congress in the 9th Congressional District. Ryan will join Pollak at the Four Seasons Hotel, 120 East Delaware Place on September 1 for a luncheon at which Ryan will discuss his endorsement of Pollak's campaign. Ryan is the ranking Member of the House Budget Committee. UPDATE: MoveOn.org will be protesting outside the hotel.
Click here to register for this special event.



When: September 1st, 2010
Time: 12:00-1:30 PM
Where: The Four Seasons Hotel , 120 East Delaware Place, Chicago, IL 60611

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) pushed hard, very hard, to save her favorite Chicago bank. All her huffing and puffing and pleading and threatening couldn't save ShoreBank. This weekend, Schakowsky and her minions are crazy mad about this huge and very public failure of Schakowsky's influence.

Schakowsky and her supporters are lashing out this weekend like crazy people, going so far as to have a supportive political action committee order the disruption of a campaign event by her Republican opponent Joel Pollak. It's a tactic more suited to the student senate campaign of a petulant 10th grader, but sadly typical of Democrats like Schakowsky.

ShoreBank's website today shows the FDIC's notice (https://www.sbk.com/).

According to the FDIC's Friday, August 20 press release, "This evening and over the weekend, depositors of ShoreBank can access their money by writing checks or using ATM or debit cards. Checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual."



The Wall Street Journal reports that, "Regulators seized ShoreBank Corp. on Friday and agreed to sell assets to a team led by the community lender's executives and backed by several large U.S. financial firms. The bank closure, which is the 114th of the year in the U.S., caps months of uncertainty for a $2.16 billion Chicago bank that had ties to the Obama administration and deep roots on Chicago's South Side. The new institution will be known as Urban Partnership Bank and led by William Farrow, a former First Chicago Corp. executive who was ShoreBank's president and operating chief at the time of its failure." More at Wall Street Journal...

That WSJ article continues with:

"The attempts to save ShoreBank were complicated by calls for inquiries into the assistance offered by the nation's largest banks. Republican lawmakers have questioned whether the Obama administration pressured the big banks for help. The White House has said it didn't pressure the lenders. Rep. Darrell Issa of California, the top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, will request a probe by the FDIC of ShoreBank, a spokesman said Friday."

Schakowsky was a major player on the side trying to save ShoreBank. During her campaign for re-election in the 9th District of Illinois, her opponent Joel Pollak has often used the ShoreBank to highlight Schakowsky's corruption and thuggery. A May 14 article written by Pollak, for example, "Sachs + Schakowsky + Shorebank = Shakedown" at BigGovernment.com, addressed the shady manner in which Schakowsky was trying to save ShoreBank:

"...Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein has been calling Wall Street friends to cough up $125 million to save ShoreBank, which faces federal closure next week. Rep. Jan Schakowsky suggested in January that Illinois taxpayers foot the bill. That would have been the first state-led bank bailout in U.S history. The idea was abandoned–so it appears the government is shaking down Goldman Sachs instead.... ShoreBank has close connections to the Obama administration, including controversial figures such as former 'green jobs czar' Van Jones. Its executives have contributed in the past to Rep. Schakowsky and other Illinois politicians. ShoreBank did not just make loans in poor communities–there are other local banks that do that without getting into trouble–but also specifically made loans that the recipients had little hope of repaying."

More reasons why Schakowsky was so eager to save ShoreBank are listed in a January 19, 2010 press release from Pollak, as posted at Backyard Conservative:

"The answer may lie in the history of campaign contributions by ShoreBank executives and employees. Federal Election Commission records reveal that ShoreBank executives and employees gave thousands of dollars to Rep. Schakowsky and Sen. Durbin. They also gave heavily to Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Indeed, Crain's Chicago Business reports that "President Obama and the first lady are former neighbors of ShoreBank executives. Other ShoreBank-related contributions include Democrats across the country and left-wing organizations such as MoveOn.org. The ShoreBank bailout would seem to be more of the same Blagojevich-style, pay-to-play politics that Illinois has suffered under for too long."

Schakowsky is not the only Democrat who is upset by the failure of ShoreBank. Community organizer Barack Obama is probably ticked off as well, as noted by ZeroHedge.com:

By keeping ShoreBank artificially alive for far longer than it deserved, the assets amortized far more than they would have had it been taken into receivership by a non-conflicted bank, and thus the final cost to taxpayers would have been far less. As it stands, Goldman and 11 other banks are receiving a multimillion dollar gift to conduct a portfolio liquidation run-off of ShoreBank's assets, while merely making sure existing deposits are serviced. At least we now know just how truly angry at Wall Street Obama is.

We noted here, back in May, that the failure of ShoreBank would probably "cause Obama to go ballistic on Wall Street."

It should be noted that although regulators seized Chicago's ShoreBank on Friday, "Ilwaco-based ShoreBank Pacific was not included in the closure." So reports The Chinook Observer, which reports that ShoreBank has multiple corporate identities. "FDIC will absorb total losses of about $367.7 million in the deal. The bank burned through a bundle of money in the collapse of the real estate bubble." HOWEVER, an August 22 article at Portland Business Journal reported that OneCalifornia would acquire ShoreBank in a stock purchase agreement, announced on Saturday evening, August 21. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The FDIC is part of the federal government, which means that taxpayers - you and I - will "absorb" those losses. Sadly, there is no reason to believe that Urban Partnership Bank will be any less tied in to the corrupt Green Mafia than was ShoreBank. It will likely still have the same stink of oligarchical elitism.

As noted by Bill Zielinski at ProblemBankList.com, "Although the Government did not directly bail out ShoreBank, after reviewing the manner in which ShoreBank was closed and then resurrected by regulators, it appears that a 'stealth bailout' for the owners of ShoreBank was conducted. Providing direct cash from the TARP to ShoreBank would have been highly visible and controversial. Instead, ShoreBank was recapitalized through loss-share guarantees from the FDIC and a $367.7 million loss taken by the FDIC insurance fund."

Joel Pollak, of course, wasted no time in putting out a press release on August 20 about ShoreBank and Schakowsky Connection:

"The money for the management buyout comes from the big Wall Street banks whose arms were twisted by the Obama administration, through intermediaries like Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). Meanwhile, the government and the taxpayers are saddled with the responsibility of dispensing with ShoreBank’s bad assets. We are the victims of an insider deal, done at the highest levels of the administration and the Democratic Party. The ShoreBank bailout-turned-buyout is a corrupt collusion between Washington and Wall Street that will not create jobs or investor confidence in Chicago’s low-income communities. It will sustain the terrible idea that poor communities must depend on patronage to survive."

True, but that's exactly how the Democrats like it.

RELATED:
ShoreBank fails; will be reincarnated as Urban Partnership Bank Chicago Business
ShoreBank update: A shutdown…and a quick, smelly reincarnation Michelle Malkin
Failure Of Obama's Pet ShoreBank Costs Taxpayers $368 Million... ZeroHedge.com
ShoreBank to be seized by feds Marathon Pundit
ShoreBank to be Split and Saved? National Legal and Policy Center
ShoreBank, praised by Democrats, closed Friday by regulators The Hill
Glenn Beck Dissects The ShoreBank Matrix Chicago News Bench
Failing ShoreBank, Cap-And-Trade and Jan Schakowsky Chicago News Bench
ShoreBank: Too Green To Fail? Central Illinois 9/12 Project