Updated: Will Mike Madigan Be Toppled in the ComEd Bribery Investigation?

Can Lausch bring down Madigan?

Will this federal investigation be the one to finally bring down Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan?

Wait. Pause. This is a story about utility company ComEd agreeing to pay $200 million in fines for bribery, right? Yes. 

But the Madigan aspect is actually bigger (in my opinion) than whatever crimes were committed by ComEd employees. It has the potential of upending Illinois politics as we've known them for half a century. The end of the Madigan Age may be near.

From the Chicago Sun-Times report, June 17 (emphasis added):

Federal prosecutors implicated Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on Friday in a brazen, Chicago-style bribery scheme involving ComEd that allegedly went on for years and involved payments to Madigan associates exceeding $1.3 million. 

Though the stunning, lengthy details were revealed in documents that charged only ComEd — and not Madigan — with bribery, they said ComEd has agreed to “fully and truthfully cooperate” with federal prosecutors. The company has agreed to pay a $200 million fine and acknowledged that it sought Madigan’s help for legislation that could be worth more than $150 million to the utility company. 

Madigan is not identified by name in the documents, rather as “Public Official A.” But there is no doubt it is him, as the documents identify that person as Illinois’ house speaker. No one in the country has held that title as long as Madigan. 

Mike Madigan

U.S. Attorney John Lausch’s office held a news conference early this afternoon with the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation division. The purpose of the presser is, as the Sun-Times's Jon Seidel put it, "to discuss what could be one of the most significant prosecutions in Illinois history."

I want to note, for accuracy, that the Sun-Times report was not presumptive. Quoted above, it said that "Madigan is not identified by name in the documents, rather as 'Public Official A'." U.S. Attorney Rausch was asked about Madigan in his press conference today, and his response was to not name Madigan (watch full presser on YouTube).

An excellent report by CBS2 Chicago says that "Madigan, 78, has not been charged with a crime, but sources confirmed to CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov that Madigan’s office was served with a subpoena on Friday for documents related to the bribery charge against ComEd."

During his press conference today, Rausch was asked why Madigan has not been named since his own office specifically refers to him as "the Speaker of the House of Representatives" of Illinois. His response was that individuals are not named in ongoing investigations and that no charges have been brought against Public Official A.

The charges against Commonwealth Edison include the following passage (emphasis added).

Public Official A was the Speaker of the House of Representatives and an elected member of that body. As Speaker of the House of Representatives, Public Official A was able to exercise control overwhat measures were called for a vote in the House of Representatives. Public Official A also exercised substantial influence and control over fellow lawmakers concerning legislation, including legislation affecting ComEd.

As the Sun-Times noted, "there is no doubt" that Public Official A is Mike Madigan.

Anybody who has lived in Illinois for more than six months has likely heard rumors about Mike Madigan's allegedly corrupt ways. He's the Teflon Man of Springfield, seemingly untouchable despite a steady stream of suspicion. Madigan has been in the Illinois House of Representatives for nearly half a century, since 1971. He is currently in his 25th two-year term and is running for re-election. His current term ends in January 2021. (See Madigan's bio at  Ballotpedia.)

WLS-TV has an amazing report here.

Today's Sun-Times again: 

The documents filed Friday are full of colorful, Chicago-style quotes. At one point, a Madigan associate warns, “I would say to you don’t put anything in writing . . . all it can do is hurt ya.” At another, that person says, “We had to hire these guys because (Madigan) came to us. It’s just that simple.” A consultant allegedly said payments were made “to keep (Madigan) happy, I think it’s worth it, because you’d hear otherwise.” 

The Madigan associate at one point allegedly explained that, for decades, Madigan had named people to become ComEd employees such as meter readers as part of an “old-fashioned patronage system.”

If you've followed Illinois politics for as long as I have, or for even a fraction of the time that I have, the bigger story here is the possible implication of Madigan in this mess. Predictably, Madigan is denying any wrongdoing in connection to the ComEd scandal.

The Democrat king-maker has had an iron grip on statewide politics that seems unshakable (as I've written about numerous times in the past.) But maybe, just maybe, a tough U.S. Attorney named John Lausch can do what so many in the past could not: topple Madigan.

Stay tuned. This will only get better.

Related: 

• Friends and foes tell Madigan to resign in wake of ComEd bribery case - Chicago Sun-Times, 17 July 2020
• Pritzker Says Madigan Must Resign If Allegations in ComEd Bribery Scheme Are True - NBC5 Chicago, 17 July 2020
• ComEd to pay $200M in federal bribery investigation; Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan implicated in charge - WLS-TV, 17 July 2020
• ComEd Charged with Bribery; Madigan Implicated - WTTW, 17 July 2020
• Fighting Madigan's Iron-Grip of the IL Legislature - Chicago News Bench, 9 Feb 2010
• Secrecy in the Illinois State Capitol - Chicago News Bench, 18 Feb 2010
• Mike Madigan, Blago Enabler - Chicago News Bench, 14 Jan 2009

Is Illinois the Worst State in America?

May 1, 2014 - The Land of Lincoln is stinkin' in the minds of a lot of Illinois residents these days. Massive budget problems, high taxes, cold winters, over-regulation are among the reasons that half -- HALF -- of Illinois residents wish they could live in some other state.

"These findings are from a 50-state Gallup poll," says Gallup on their website, "conducted June-December 2013, which includes at least 600 representative interviews with residents aged 18 and older in each state. Gallup measured residents' interest in moving out of state by asking, "Regardless of whether you will move, if you had the opportunity, would you like to move to another state, or would you rather remain in your current state?"

Eager to Leave: The Chicago Tribune notes that Gallup "points out that Illinois has ranked at the bottom of recent polls gauging residents satisfaction with state taxes, state government and 'overall perceptions of how their state compares to others as a place to live'." About 19 percent of the polled Illinoisans "said they plan to move in the next 12 months, a rate that trailed only Nevada," said the Tribune.

The Facebook page "Illinois Sucks- Let's Move Out of State!" presents stories about the sad state of Illinois, along with brutally frank comments by those suffering there. "Enough of Illinois, and Chicago in particular," asks the page's authors. "Why do you continue to live there? The weather stinks, it's ugly, it's flat, the cost of living is high, the taxes are ungodly. The state government is broke, and so are the schools. The politicians and civic leaders are corrupt; the traffic is terrible. Major tax hikes are on the horizon to pay for the coming state pension bill. Not to mention the awful winters. In fact, I can't think of one good reason to live there. Stop complaining about much Illinois sucks- do something about it and vote with your feet!"

Also See:

• Which states have the most government taxing bodies? Reboot Illinois
• Illinois Emergency Management Agency fears the worst for budget Pekin Times
• Illinois Dems Drop Plans for Tax Surcharge, Progressive Income Tax Heartlander
• Illinois sucks life out of small business Illinois Watchdog
• Why Illinois Is Going Bankrupt Time

Hallelujah! Ald. Sandi Jackson Quits Chicago City Council

They're creepy and they're kooky: The Jackson Family
Photo: Sandi Jackson for 7th Ward Alderman campaign

Jan. 11, 2013 - Sandi Jackson, wife of former Congressman Jesses Jackson, Jr. has - finally - resigned. Goodbye to bad rubbish. She will no longer be the alderman for Chicago's 7th Ward. According to the Chicago Tribune, she submitted her resignation letter "to Mayor Rahm Emanuel today. It is effective Tuesday," January 15. Jackson was first elected to the city council in 2007. In her letter to Emanuel, she cited "very painful family health matters" as a major factor in her decision to resign.

Emanuel took time to praise her in a statement he released in response to her resignation:

"As Sandi takes this time to focus on her family, we give her our deepest thanks and support for her service to our City and the residents of her ward. Her leadership has been greatly appreciated in the Chicago City Council." 

"Leadership?" What leadership, Mr. Mayor? Sandi Jackson seemed to care more about living it up in D.C. than she cared about representing her own ward. How was she leading from 700 miles away?

NAACP Leader Challenges Obama Campaign Official to Boxing Match

David L. Lowery, Jr. (Facebook)

"I'll drop these charges if you vow to do ten rounds with me in the ring," says NAACP leader to Obama campaign official.

Oct. 5, 2012 - We know that Democrats are no strangers to dirty campaign practices, but this is a new low if true. CBS Chicago (WBBM) reported yesterday that David L. Lowery, Jr., President of the Chicago Far-South Suburban Branch of the NAACP alleges that Louis Raymond, the Illinois political director for Obama for America, tried to intimidate him because he has not supported Obama's re-election. (He's not supporting Romney, either.) HOWEVER, Chicago News Bench discovered that Mr. Lowery IS now supporting Obama, and is publicly calling on people to vote for him (see video below).

This is surely a sign of lowered support by disillusioned Black voters who are tired of Obama not giving them the support they expected, but it's also an indication of just how much the Democrats take for granted that Black will vote for them - and how ugly they can get when they don't.

Mike Krauser filed an audio report for WBBM, which broke the story yesterday. In Krauser's report, Lowery says Mr. Raymond added, “We’ve been watching you, and since you don’t support Obama, we’ll deal with you,” before hanging up. Lowery felt so strongly that he may have been threatened by Raymond that he filed a report with the Oak Forest police report, "in case something happens." See Krauser's report here.

We found this new video of Mr. Lowery, posted to YouTube on Oct. 4, which is a clip of his radio show "Let The Truth Be Told With David L. Lowery." Despite his allegation of being threatened, he is today calling on people to vote for Obama.

In the video, Mr. Lowery says (at 1:30) that he is sending out "an olive branch to Obama's team, and to Louis Raymond, who called me and threatened me. Brother, come on my show....and talk about why you feel that David Lowery, Jr. is a threat. All I'm doing is telling the truth."

Still speaking to Mr. Raymond, he continued, "I'll drop these charges if you vow to do ten rounds with me in the ring.... But if you don't, I'm going to keep pressing these charges....and now, you're gonna pay for that."

It's disturbing enough that an Obama campaign official would threaten anybody for refusing to support their man. But add to the mix the fact that Mr. Lowery, the man who was threatened, is Black and a leader in the NAACP and you've got a bizarre story.

Imagine the national outrage if a statewide political director for Romney threatened a leader of the NAACP. It would be front page coverage on every newspaper today, but this story has hardly gotten any attention yet. One cannot blame Mr. Lowery for being angry. I just hope that Mr. Raymond takes the challenge to box ten rounds with him. 

Feds Indict Big Donor to Chicago Ald. Joe Moore, IL Gov. Rod Blagojevich

Raghuveer Nayak

June 20, 2012 - Chicago - FBI agents arrested Raghuveer Nayak, MS, RPh this morning and took him into custody. Nayak was a major fundraiser for Rod Blagojevich, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and donor to Chicago Alderman Joe Moore. He is being held on $10 million bond.

In 2008 it was alleged that Nayak promised to raise $5 million for Blagojevich in exchange for the appointment of Jesse Jackson, Jr. to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. (Other sources put the alleged figure at $500,000, while some sources say it was $1 million.)

"A former campaign fundraiser for imprisoned ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges related to his outpatient surgery centers," reports the Chicago Tribune today. "A judge set bond Wednesday for Raghuveer Nayak (RUG'-oo-veer NAY'-uk) at $10 million. Nayak has agreed to post six properties in Indiana and Illinois and will be released from custody Wednesday."

The feds have charged Nayak, 57, with 19 counts of mail fraud, interstate travel in aid of racketeering and filing false tax returns. He is also accused of "paying bribes and kickbacks to physicians for patient referrals."  Nayak was arrested at his home in Oakbrook home by FBI agents this morning. Wednesday at this suburban Chicago home and took him into custody.  READ the entire indictment here (pdf).

Nayak owns outpatient medical centers in Illinois and Indiana. One of those clinics is Rogers Park One Day Surgery Center at 7616 N. Paulina in Rogers Park, a neighborhood on Chicago's far north side.

Nayak gave big money to
Chicago Alderman Joe Moore

In late 2008, Governor Rod Blagojevich attended an Oct. 31 luncheon meeting at the India House restaurant in Schaumburg. The event was sponsored by Raghuveer Nayak. Not only was Nayak a major supporter and fundraiser for Blagojevich, he also had very close fundraising and business ties to the Jackson family. That's "Jackson" as in Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.  Nayak's event raised over one million dollars was raised for "Blagojevich's campaign as a way to encourage him to pick Jackson for the job."

From 2000 to 2008, Nayak contributed nearly $10,000 to Chicago Alderman Joe Moore (49th Ward, Rogers Park). Moore, a fervent supporter of Blagojevich, has made no public statements about Nayak's role in the Blagojevich-Jackson scandal, or about today's arrest.

Nayak's contributions have tended to be almost exclusively to Democrats, with the notable exception of John McCain, who might as well be a Democrat. "From 1993 through June 30, 2008," reported the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, "Rogers Park One-Day Surgical Center gave $194,830 to candidates in Illinois, 100% of which was contributed to Democrats. During that same time, Nayak gave $24,700 in personal contributions."

Raghuveer Nayak's Political Contributions, as sampled by selected websites: Newsmeat.com and CampaignMoney.com

A Song for Rod Blagojevich and his Rocky Mountain Retreat

Rocky Mountain High
(federalprisoncalls.net)

March 15, 2012 - Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich settles into a federal prison near Denver, Colorado today. It made me think about his new digs in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. He'll be a guest at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Englewood in Littleton, Colorado. Naturally, this made a John Denver song came to my mind.

Now he walks in quiet solitude the forest and the streams
Seeking grace in every step he takes
His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake

The full lyrics are below, and some of them are weirdly appropriate for Blago's plight. "While there are views of the Rocky Mountains and a golf course from the compound," reports 9-News KUSA-TV, "former prisoner[s] have told Chicago reporters it only serves as a reminder of things that can't be enjoyed behind bars." That sounds like complaining that the glass is half empty. The fact remains that the inmates can see the mountains. It's a great view.

Perhaps this will be good for  "Inmate No. 40892-424," as he will be officially known. Maybe it will do him some good to get away from those who enabled him to commit his crimes.  Time in the big house, and a lot of fresh mountain air, just might cleanse Blago's  soul. I can't say for certain, of course.

Blago checks in (photo: MSNBC)

All I know do know is that I've been waiting years for an excuse to include a John Denver song in a blog post, and although Blago's relocation to Colorado is a really flimsy reason to do, I'm taking the opportunity. (Now, if I can just get that danged song outa my head....)

Words by John Denver;
Music by John Denver and Mike Taylor

He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Comin' home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door

When he first came to the mountains his life was far away
On the road and hangin' by a song
But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care
It keeps changin' fast and it don't last for long

But the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullabye
Rocky mountain high

He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below
He saw everything as far as you can see
And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun
And he lost a friend but kept his memory

Now he walks in quiet solitude the forest and the streams
Seeking grace in every step he takes
His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake

And the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply
Rocky mountain high

Now his life is full of wonder but his heart still knows some fear
Of a simple thing he cannot comprehend
Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more
More people, more scars upon the land

And the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly
Rocky mountain high

It's Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
Friends around the campfire and everybody's high
Rocky mountain high

UPDATED: Cowardly Suzanne Elder Scrubs Campaign Video

LIKE A SOVIET PROPAGANDA MINISTER, Suzanne Elder has made great effort to scrub her words from the historical record. Why? Because she was harshly critical four years ago of State Sen. Heather Steans, who is a powerful apparatchik of the Illinois and Chicago Democrat power mills. Since losing to Steans, however, Elder has sucked up to both Steans and to the Democrat establishment that she publicly called corrupt earlier. Ooops, that was embarrassing, and so Elder has had her campaign video ripped from YouTube and other sites. Imagine a former candidate who ran for governor, US Senate, mayor, or any other office pulling down campaign ads and not allowing the public to use them. It's cowardly, it demonstrates a profound hypocrisy, and it's just so damned Soviet.


"What did they say in February 2008 about Heather Steans? Back then, Steans was hand picked by the Democrat Machine to replace Carol Ronen in the 7th District State Senate race. Interviewed in this video are Suzanne Elder, who ran unsuccessfully against Steans, and Jeff Smith, who is currently running for State Representative in the 18th District." ~ Originally posted 12/19/2009

Ashamed of Her Own Words: Cowardly Suzanne Elder
doesn't want you to see her 2008 campaign video

UPDATE, JANUARY 2012:  Suzanne Elder has proven herself to be a dishonest, cowardly revisionist of the public historical record. Like her Soviet counterparts who removed unpleasant truths from text books and people's memories, Elder has been busy removing her own actions from the public record.

The video that was posted here on December 19, 2009 was "Virtual Democracy Presents Suzanne Elder." It was a campaign ad. There is no other way to consider the video. It was released while she was running for office, and it featured Elder and several locally well known Democrats bad-mouthing Heather Steans.

One of those Democrats who dissed Heather Steans is Jeff Smith, who has done legal work for Elder. He was also running in the Democrat primary for the 17th House District (IL) until he suspended his campaign for mysterious reasons on January 12, 2012.

Elder has been sucking up to her one-time rival, IL State Senator Heather Steans, for a couple of years now. Because the video featured statements that were highly critical of Steans, Elder filed a copyright complaint with YouTube, claiming that she owned the copyright to the video. However, this video was a campaign ad, and copying it to post here or on YouTube falls under Fair Use in exactly the same way that you or I could freely post an old campaign ad for Al Gore or George Bush. Elder has been busy wiping out any record of what she once loudly said in order to get elected. Today, she suppressed the truth because it makes it hard for her to work within the corrupt Democrat Machine in Chicago and Illinois.

Elder was quite willing to make those statements, and to present anti-Steans statements by others, back in 2008. Now that she's cozy with the Democrat Machine corruptocrats again, the video is an inconvenient irritation. I have little doubt that Steans and the Machine put pressure on Elder to get the video taken down. You can see the email, below, that YouTube sent to me on her behalf.



THE EMAIL FROM YOUTUBE

Date: Wed, Dec 21, 2011 at 1:14 PM
Subject: Video removed - Copyright Infringement

Dear rogersparkbench:

We have disabled the following material as a result of a third-party notification from Suzanne Elder claiming that this material is infringing:

Virtual Democracy Presents Suzanne Elder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYoCTAyVKh8

Please Note: Repeat incidents of copyright infringement will result in the deletion of your account and all videos uploaded to that account. In order to prevent this from happening, please delete any videos to which you do not own the rights, and refrain from uploading additional videos that infringe on the copyrights of others. For more information about YouTube's copyright policy, please read the Copyright Tips guide.

If one of your postings has been misidentified as infringing, you may submit a counter-notification. Information about this process is in our Help Center.

Please note that under Section 512(f) of the Copyright Act, any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material was disabled due to mistake or misidentification may be liable for damages.

Sincerely,

— The YouTube Team

A Year Later, Illinois Tax Hikes Are Miserable Failure

January 12, 2012 - ILLINOIS - Every  conservative in this tax burdened state knew things would only get worse when the Democrat-controlled legislature raised taxes in January one year ago. We warned, we screamed, that it would discourage new business ventures and chase away existing ones. They did not listen. They never do.

A year ago today, the Illinois General Assembly decided to raise the individual income tax rate by a whopping 67%. The corporate income tax rate was increased by 46%.

Even a few of the libs here (those with partial regrowth of their frontal lobes) knew this would happen. What, then, is wrong with Gov. Quinn and the rest of the mentally-challenged Democrat legislators in Springfield?

“We have some temporary tax increases that are designed to pay our bills, get Illinois back on fiscal sound footing and make sure that our state has a strong economy.” - Gov. Pat Quinn, Democrat, Illinois

Note Gov. Quinn's use of the phrase "temporary tax increases." Turns out it might be as "temporary" as the tolls on Illinois highways: It's here for good, in other words.

A stunning (but not surprising) report released today by the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) notes that Quinn's tax hike not only didn't work, it caused more damage to the state's economy. "One year later,"says IPI, "it’s clear the tax hike was the solution to neither Illinois’ fiscal problems nor its continuing economic decline. Today things are worse." IPI's report, called "The Verdict Is In: The Tax Hike Failed," goes on to cite reasons why:

1.  Spending grew, bills went unpaid and pension reform stalled.

2.  Illinois’ unemployment problem worsened.

3. The tax hike made Illinois less competitive and forced businesses to leave the state.

The full report, of course, gives very detailed information about the above reasons for the tax hike's failure to mend the Illinois economy.

IPI also points out that "The tax hike spurred a number of companies to leave or threaten to leave. The state resorted to handing out tax incentives to keep large businesses from leaving. This reinforced Illinois’ reputation of favoring the powerful and connected at the expense of everyone else. It is this perception – grounded in reality – that keeps many entrepreneurs from even considering Illinois as a place to found or grow their business," and "Overall, Illinois fell to 28th place in 2012, from 16th place in 2011 (revised). In particular, Illinois fell 16 places in the corporate sub-index, dropping to 45th in the nation, from 29th prior to the tax hike."

WJBC notes today that "The increases are estimated to bring in about $7 billion in revenue for 2011, but even that shot of cash is not expected to cover expenditures. Quinn’s budget office projects that the state will run a deficit of $507 million this fiscal year and an even larger deficit of $818 million in fiscal 2015, when the majority of income tax increases are set to expire, and he has not identified how to balance that budget." Well, ain't that great? Happy new year, Illinois.

The Illinois budget is still out of control, thanks to Quinn's band of progressive liberal morons in Springfield. "Quinn’s budget office projects that the state will run a deficit of $507 million this fiscal year," says the WJBC report, "and an even larger deficit of $818 million in fiscal 2015, when the majority of income tax increases are set to expire, and he has not identified how to balance that budget."

Please also see "Taxburgers and Fee Fries."

Related articles

• Governor Makes Gloomy Forecast For Ill. Budget (chicago.cbslocal.com)
• Moody's downgrades Illinois credit rating--again (marathonpundit.blogspot.com)
• Crony capitalism: Sears gets $275 million Illinois tax break, none of its 79 store closings are in state (marathonpundit.blogspot.com)
• Study: Illinois and New Jersey tied for most outbound migrations (marathonpundit.blogspot.com)
• Illinois Move-Out Rate Among Nation's Highest (huffingtonpost.com)
• New Illinois Law Raises Earned-Income Tax Credit (chicago.cbslocal.com)
• Higher Illinois Taxes Hurting Poor, Homeless (homelesspatriot.blogspot.com)

BLAGOJEVICH GUILTY ON 17 COUNTS

June 27, 2011 - 2:55 PM, CHICAGO - BLAGO IS GUILTY. The jury has convicted former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on 17 of 20 counts against him in his retrial.

From AP: This time, the 12 jurors voted to convict the 54-year-old Blagojevich on 17 of 20 counts after deliberating nine days. He also faces up to five additional years in prison for his previous conviction of lying to the FBI.

Blagojevich was acquitted of soliciting bribes in the alleged shakedown of a road-building executive. The jury deadlocked on two charges of attempted extortion related to that executive and funding for a school. More at Associated Press...

RELATED:
IL Senator Heather Steans Lies About Blagojevich Connections - CNB

New Madigan Mailer Slams Steans for Blago Ties and Lying - CNB

Campaign Flyer Links Steans to Blago Pay-to-Play -CNB

Joel Pollak's Open Letter To Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky

May 18, 2011 - Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky was a cohost this morning on the Don Wade and Roma show at WLS 890 AM (5:00 - 9:00 AM, Monday-Friday). She was sitting in for Roma, who is recupperating from minor foot surgery. I thought it would be appropriate to republish an open letter to Schakowsky from her former contender for the 9th District Congressional District. That letter was sent out on May 11.

May 12, 2011 - Do American youth think of the United States as a "loser," and are they as stupid as Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL 9th) seems to think they are? Her recent remarks have been interpreted that way, and it has set off a firestorm of indignation. Joel Pollak is one of those who is upset by Schakowsky's remarks on MSNBC's Hardball yesterday. Pollak ran for U.S. Congress in Illinois's 9th congressional district in 2010. He lost to incumbent Jan Schakowsky, a socialist Democrat. Pollak wrote the public letter below on May 11, 2011 to Schakowsky in response to her recent comments calling America a "loser" and generally assuming that American youth are stupid and as equally disloyal as is she and her party. Dear Rep. Schakowsky: I noted with interest and alarm your comments on Hardball with Chris Matthews, which aired on MSNBC on May 11, as referenced in the Daily Caller (http://tinyurl.com/43jxfdg). You stated that young people are “getting over this feeling that maybe America’s kind of a loser” since Osama bin Laden’s death. You also described bin Laden’s death as a “murder.” No doubt that is a view shared by some on the radical left, but it is certainly erroneous--and irresponsible when expressed by a member of the U.S. House of Representatives intelligence committee. Osama bin Laden’s death was not “murder.” It was justice, delivered by American heroes who benefited from intelligence that, had you had your way, likely never would have been available to them. How dare you claim to speak for “young people” in America, after you made my age an issue in the 2010 campaign, highlighting my youth in your fundraising letters. How dare you claim that young Americans had no pride in their country until now. How dare you challenge anyone's patriotism when you retained a campaign manager and political director who referred to principled opponents of the Ground Zero mosque as "f***ing dumba**es." (http://tinyurl.com/5sqylto) You evidently have little regard for the thousands of young people who proudly volunteer to serve their country. You evidently have not taken the time to get to know young people like the Navy recruits I have befriended through my wife’s military service. They proudly cheered the successful mission to kill bin Laden--not because it made them proud of America, but because they have always been proud of America. I won’t question your patriotism. But I will question you, questioning theirs. Proudly, Joel B. Pollak

Affiliate Marketers Under Assault

Affiliate marketers have come under assault recently. It's getting rough out there, as though the weak economy wasn't bad enough. Recently, Google has killed the search engine rankings for tens of thousands of affiliate marketers with its ("Google Farmer" or "Google Panda" algorithms).

Many of you are also bitterly aware of the recent debacle in Illinois, where Governor Pat Quinn and his fellow Democrats decided that taxing Amazon.com affiliates would be a good idea. It destroyed the livelihoods of hundreds of Illinois residents.

A report in March at Chicagoist.com summed up the anti-affiliate online tax legislation in Illinois: Online retailer Amazon barely waited for the ink to dry on Gov. Quinn's signing of HB 3659 into law by dropping its Illinois-based affiliates. HB 3659 requires all online retailers with a business presence in Illinois, like Amazon's affiliate program, to collect state sales tax on online purchases. In a statement to its Illinois affiliate owners, Amazon said, “We had opposed this new tax law because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive. We deeply regret that its enactment forces this action.” Full article...

RELATED:

• Google Panda Farmer Algorithm Update And Your Small Business BizzBeginnings 
• Why Google’s Panda_Farmer update worries SEOs Smart Income Tips 
• Interesting Facts About Google Farmer Update Information Bible 
• Google Farmer (Google Panda) may lower your Blog Ranking MicroReaders 
• How To Recover From Google’s Farmer SEO Algorithm Article Directory Project 
• Interesting Facts About Google Farmer Update Information Bible 
• Amazon Takes Action in Illinois as War on Sales Taxes Continues WSJ.com

You Can Stop The Illinois Monster Tax Hike

We can stop it.......The Democrats don't have the votes yet to pass their economy crushing, job killing, freedom stealing 75% tax increase. Governor Quinn, House Speaker Madigan and Senate President Cullerton came to an agreement last week on the proposed tax increase, but they've been unsuccessful in convincing enough Democrat members of the House and Senate to support this man caused disaster. Here's what has taxpayers and businesses across Illinois looking up moving companies: Your personal state income taxes will go up by 75%, increasing to 5.25% of your income. State corporate tax rates will increase to 10.9%, making the taxes on Illinois businesses the highest in the industrial world. Cigarette taxes will go up by $1 to $1.98 per pack. Even if you're not a smoker, this will cause more people to cross the border into Indiana, Wisconsin and Missouri to buy their cigarettes (and other products while they're there), costing the state more revenue. Keep in mind that Chicago is the state's largest border city. We have a structural budget gap in Illinois. The total budget gap is running at a staggering 40%, but the solution is not raising taxes by 75%. The only approach we can count on to solve Illinois' budget crisis is to stop spending. We need to tell our representatives that we want them to vote NO to tax increases, NO to more spending, NO to more borrowing and NO to new government programs. Let's keep the pressure on these people: There are three state representatives running for Chicago city office in February. They need to face the voters next month - we don't have to wait two years to send them a message at the ballot box. They are: Susana Mendoza (D-Chicago). Phone 217-782-7752. Fax 217-782-8917. Mendoza is running for Chicago City Clerk. Email her at staterepmendoza@gmail.com William Burns (D-Chicago). Phone 217-782-2023. Fax 217-782-8569. Burns is running for Alderman in the 4th Ward. Email him at repwillburns@att.net Harry Osterman (D-Chicago). Phone 217-782-8088. Fax 217-782-6592. Osterman is running for Alderman in Chicago's 48th Ward. Email him at hjo17@aol.com Click below to find the phone and email address of your own: State Representative or State Senator Don't know the name of your state represenative or state senator? Click here to find out. If we can stop Illinois Democrats from raising taxes by the end of the lame duck session on Tuesday, January 11, then it may not happen at all. Where you can find us: Chicago - Illinois - National

SEIU Endorsements Tell Us Who NOT To Vote For

The Tea Party Patriots Chicago put together a good list of SEIU-endorsed candidates running in Illinois. As right-minded folks know, the corrupt SEIU's endorsement is a sure indication that a candidate is not fit for office because they are in the pocket of the union leaders and their wallets. Here is the list, which originally appeared today under the headline "at the Tea Party Patriots Chicago website as written by "Pat": Although I wanted to write a piece on who the candidates are and what they stand for, I have not had the time available to dedicate to such a task. So instead I thought of a way to generate a list of people we should be weary of. I grabbed a list of candidates who the SEIU has endorsed. This is the same SEIU who held rallies to raise our taxes. Therefore it is easy to assume that any candidate that the SEIU has endorsed will in fact have trouble with fiscal responsibility. So here is a list of SEIU endorsed candidates that probably do NOT deserve your vote: U.S. SENATOR Alexander (Alexi) Giannoulias, Democratic Party U.S. SENATOR (UNEXPIRED TERM) Alexander (Alexi) Giannoulias, Democratic Party U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Bobby L. Rush, Democratic Party U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Jesse L. Jackson, Jr, Democratic Party U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 4TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Luis V. Gutierrez, Democratic Party U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Mike Quigley, Democratic Party U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 7TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Danny K. Davis, Democratic Party U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 9TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Janice D. Schakowsky, Democratic Party U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 11TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Deborah "Debbie" Halvorson, Democratic Party U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 12TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Jerry F. Costello, Democratic Party U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 14TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Bill Foster, Democratic Party U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 17TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Phil Hare, Democratic Party GOVERNOR / LT. GOVERNOR Pat Quinn, Democratic Party ATTORNEY GENERAL Lisa Madigan, Democratic Party SECRETARY OF STATE Jesse White, Democratic Party STATE COMPTROLLER David E. Miller, Democratic Party STATE SENATOR, 1ST STATE SENATE DISTRICT Antonio "Tony" Munoz, Democratic Party STATE SENATOR, 7TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT Heather A. Steans, Democratic Party STATE SENATOR, 13TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT Kwame Raoul, Democratic Party STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 1ST REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT Susana Mendoza, Democratic Party STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 2ND REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT Edward J. Acevedo, Democratic Party STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 4TH REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT Cynthia Soto, Democratic Party STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 5TH REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT Kenneth (Ken) Dunkin, Democratic Party STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 11TH REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT Ann M. Williams, Democratic Party STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 27TH REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT Monique D. Davis, Democratic Party STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 32ND REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT Andre Thapedi, Democratic Party STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 114TH REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT Eddie Lee Jackson, Democratic Party COUNTY CLERK, COOK COUNTY David D. Orr, Democratic Party PRESIDENT, COOK COUNTY BOARD Toni Preckwinkle, Democratic Party COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 5 Deborah Sims, Democratic Party COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 6 Joan Patricia Murphy, Democratic Party COMMISSIONER, COOK COUNTY BOARD OF REVIEW, DISTRICT 1 Brendan F. Houlihan, Democratic Party COMMISSIONER, METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT Mariyana T. Spyropoulos, Democratic Party Barbara McGowan, Democratic Party

Schakowsky Urges Voter Intimidation

Chicago - October 19, 2010: In a speech last night at the communist-owned Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park (video, right), incumbent Jan Schakowsky urged fellow Democrats (video, below) to intimidate voters into supporting her and other candidates. She told a roomful of liberals that the message for campaign workers should be "I don't get off your doorstep until you get out to the polls and vote." Others present at the event included: Alderman Joe Moore (49th Ward); State Sen. Heather Steans (7th District); David Orr, Cook County Clerk; Alexi Giannoulias, Mob Banker; Pat Quinn, Governor of Illinois; about 90 hypnotized voters.

Mayor Daley Will NOT Run For Re-Election (Updated)

The long, dark nightmare is over. September 7, 2010 - 1:40 PM - Mayor Daley of Chicago will NOT run for a seventh term. Listen to Mayor Daley's announcement (mp3) at WLS. Chicago Breaking News has a little blurb about this, as do the Chicago Sun-Times and WSJ's MarketWatch, and CBS2 has a nifty video report with Skippy Jacobson. Watch for ad nauseum analysis beginning this afternoon about Daley's career as Da Mare. (Our own speculation: His internal polling showed that he could not have won.)

August 19 IL State Budget Town Hall Meeting

There will be a "State Budget Town Hall Meeting" on Thursday, August 19 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at St. Augustine College, 1333 W. Argyle, Chicago (map). That's in Edgewater, Chicago's 48th Aldermanic Ward. Those who attend will be treated to a blurring of facts about the FY 2011 Illinois Budget. The meeting, sponsored by State Senator Heather Steans and State Representative Greg Harris, both "progressive" Democrats, promises a cavalcade of excuses from both as they try to act as if they've had nothing to do with the nightmarish situation of the state's budgetary crisis during their years in the Legislature. There will also be presentations by the Civic Federation and Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. A cautious and tense Q& A session will follow. RELATED: Unbalanced State Budget Triggered Downgrades Civic Federation Report: Illinois Budget Crisis Worst in Nation Chicago Public Radio Heather In A Corner Lake Effect News

Court Rules For Cedra Crenshaw, She's On The Ballot

The Democrat Machine tried to shut down the feisty mother, a Black, Republican, Tea Party-backed candidate, but Cedra Crenshaw fought back and is on the ballot. On July 21, a Circuit Court in Will County, Illinois, put Cedra Crenshaw on the November ballot as the Republican nominee for State Senate, 43rd district. Like Illinois Green Party nominee Kenneth Williams, who won a somewhat similar ballot access lawsuit on the same day, Crenshaw had been chosen by party meeting after the primary was over. No one had run in the Republican primary for State Senate in the 43rd district. Illinois law lets qualified parties choose nominees after the primary by party meeting, if no one was nominated for that office in the primary. Source: Ballot Access News Soon after the favorable ruling, Crenshaw posted this press release on her Citizens For Crenshaw page on Facebook: “I am just one mom, and today is a victory for all moms, dads, and regular people vs. the Chicago Machine and their political games. I am delighted by the news that I am back on the ballot. Together, we will hold my opponent accountable for his horrific voting record,” said Cedra Crenshaw. From the inception, Crenshaw had called on Sen. Arthur Wilhelmi to stop his party’s ballot challenge. Instead, Wilhelmi encouraged the specious, technical attack to restrict Crenshaw’s ballot access, as he repeatedly said, “the law needs to be followed.” Today, the court spoke and the Wilhelmi machine lost. Good government and the rule of law won the first battle. Throughout Wilhelmi’s entire political career, he has been timid in the face of corruption. Wilhelmi could not even stand up to corrupt Gov. Rod Blagojevich. On the question, should the people of Illinois have the right to recall corrupt Gov. Rod Blagojevich- he voted “present”. Even as the Crenshaw challenge became a national news story, Wilhelmi refused to defend the most basic principle in our representative democracy: ballot access. Wilhelmi was again “present” while basic democratic principles were being trashed by the leadership of his party. The people of Illinois are weary of Wilhelmi- politicians. “My team worked very hard to get on the ballot, collecting 2,100 petition signatures in only 19 days. It is evident that our work ethic needs to go to Springfield and reform Springfield!”, stated Crenshaw. This is a leadership election and once elected to the state senate Crenshaw will introduce legislation to clarify election law and help make ballot access less complicated for everyone -- even independents and third parties. The people of Illinois need to hold their career politicians to account, and competition at the ballot box means accountability for lawmakers. Crenshaw also posted the following on her campaign website: State Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi has a fight on his hands, and his Democratic bosses have only made it worse. Party leaders brought out the big guns to try to blow Republican challenger Cedra Crenshaw off the November ballot for the 43rd District seat. But a Will County judge ruled Wednesday that Crenshaw's ballot petitions are valid, rejecting the argument contrived by the Democrats who wanted Wilhelmi to coast to victory unopposed. Grasping at the straw extended to them by the state Democratic Party's top elections attorney, Michael Kasper, the pliant Democratic majority on the Will County elections commission had swiftly thrown out Crenshaw's petitions based on a hypothetical — or shall we say imaginary — quandary. More at the Chicago Tribune... RELATED: Bill Kelly Interviews Cedra Crenshaw About Democrats' Attempts To Shut Her Out CNB Cedra Crenshaw, Candidate Mom, Escapes Clutches of Chicago Machine Big Government Judge Rules Black Tea Party Candidate's Petitions Valid Huffington Post Tea Party Activist Cedra Crenshaw Wins Legal Battle... MyFoxChicago Cedra Crenshaw to Chicago Democrats: THANK YOU! ChicagoNow

Bill Kelly Interviews Cedra Crenshaw About Democrats' Attempts To Shut Her Out

It's the Democrats' plantation racist mentality at work. Cedra Crenshaw is a Black American, highly educated and very bright. Her sin: She's a conservative. Worse yet, she's a Tea Partier. In the eyes of the Democrat power brokers, she has strayed from the plantation and must be stopped. Here's a must-see video (below) by Bill Kelly, columnist for the Washington Times and host on WIND 560 AM in Chicago. Kelly interviews Tea Party favorite, Cedra Crenshaw, about the Illinois Democrat Machine's attempt to knock her off the ballot in Illinois. She's running for State Senate in the 43rd District and the Dems are scared to death of her. Crenshaw also has a few choice words about the NAACP's recent condemnation of the Tea Party movement as "racist." In his Washington Times column, Bill Kelly wrote that Crenshaw's opponent, State Sen. A. J. Wilhelmi, was "Originally appointed- not elected in 2005.... and his political insiders filed a challenge to his competitor - Crenshaw’s nominating petitions. Using intimidation scams honed in Chicago, approximately 1300 of Crenshaw’s 2115 petition signatures were disputed. The challenge was so frivolous that it even questioned the home address of Crenshaw’s campaign manager, Mark Batinick. For the past five years, Batinick, his wife, and five children have lived at their current address in Plainfield Township." More at Washington Times... Fox News Chicago gives additional background: Crenshaw, a 37-year old mother of three who studied accounting at North Carolina A&T, submitted hundreds more signatures on her nominating petitions than required. But Will County officials knocked her off the November ballot, saying one of the sentences in her filing should have used slightly different wording. "I am angry," said Crenshaw, an African-American who rejects complaints that the Tea Party movement is racist. "And a lot of the voters are very angry, as well. Right here in the State of Illinois, the vote is being denied to the voters of the 43rd State Senate District by a frivolous challenge." More at myfoxchicago.com... "Kelly Truth Squad" can be heard at 10:00 p.m. on Sundays at AM 560 WIND. The Kelly Truth Squad Radio Show is a natural offshoot of Kelly's website of the same name. He's also blogging over at Chicago Now, and has been busy with column at the Washington Times column, "The Tea Party Report."

Why Is Roland Burris Soliciting Campaign Contributions?

I asked this question on May 24, and it bears repeating today. Burris, a Democrat, was appointed by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on December 30, 2008 to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Berserk Obama. "I will not be a candidate in the 2010 election," Burris said at a press conference in July, 2009, "I will not run." (Source: The Hill) In light of today's news about the possibility that Burris might have to leave office earlier than previously expected, we again wonder aloud why Burris still has his Senate campaign website up - with an active "Contribute Now!" button that leads to a PayPal donation page. On June 16, 2010, the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decided that a special election must be held to replace Burris. The decision is based on the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says - in effect - that Roland Burris is only a temporary appointee to the U.S. Senate until an election is held to fill the Obama seat. The decision says that whoever wins the court recommended special election on Nov. 2, 2010 would take office immediately, but would be replaced in January by whoever wins the already-scheduled election on the same day. Neither the Kirk nor Giannoulias campaigns have commented on this development yet. (See GERALD A. JUDGE and DAVID KINDLER, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. PAT QUINN, Governor of the State of Illinois, andROLAND W. BURRIS, U.S. Senator.) Burris was sworn in as a U.S. Senator on January 15, 2009. Burris soon came under fire for contradicting himself a number of times about his contact with Blagojevich's brother Robert prior to being appointed to the Senate. On February 14, 2009 Burris admitted that he spoke to the Blagojevich camp. A Burris spokesman said that Robert Blagojevich asked Burris "to contribute or help raise up to $10,000 in campaign cash before Burris was named a U.S. senator on December 30," according to CNN on Feb. 14, but "Roland Burris told reporters in January that his appointment has nothing to do with money." On Feb. 17, the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Burris's contradictions; on Feb. 20, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn called for Burris to resign. On Feb. 24, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) publicly asked Burris to resign. More and more pressure and embarrassment was piled onto Burris essentially made him a lame duck. Realizing that, and the disrespect he was getting from his own party, Burris finally announced that he would not run for election in November, 2010.

"He assured us there was nothing wrong, so we said, ‘Well, say it under oath.' It troubles me that there was a need to file an additional affidavit.” ~ Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL

So - again - why is the "Roland Burris For U.S. Senate" website still soliciting campaign contributions? (Why is that website still up?) You might think that it's just his old site, put up before he agreed to not run and then forgotten about. Not so. At the bottom of the website is a notice that says, "Copyright © 2010 Roland Burris." Remember, Burris agreed to not run back in July, 2009. Has Burris gone back on his word? Or is he just trying to scam campaign donations that will end up as personal income after paying taxes on them? If anybody is foolish enough to click Burris's donation button and actually donate, what will Burris do with the money? Isn't it fraud to accept money under false pretenses? Burris needs the cash, for sure. In April, 2009 Clout Street reported that "Burris campaign officials.... released a report showing the new senator raised only $845 from January through March and had $111,032 in debts from defending himself in ongoing ethics and perjury probes and travel." It's only gotten worse. As of March 31, 2010, according to OpenSecrets.org, Burris's campaign committee is $141,650 in debt and had only $5,654 cash on hand. Will Dick Durbin - or anybody in authority - please look into this? RELATED: Possiblity of two Illinois Senate elections on Nov. 2 Chicago Sun-Times The Problem With the 17th Amendment‎ The Atlantic Blagojevich case timeline‎ Chicago Sun-Times U.S. Constitution: 17th Amendment FindLaw.com

Why Is Roland Burris Soliciting Campaign Contributions?

I asked this question on May 24, and it bears repeating today. Burris, a Democrat, was appointed by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on December 30, 2008 to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Berserk Obama..... Read the rest at "Why Is Roland Burris Soliciting Campaign Contributions?"