Video: Stunned Pelosi Reads Charlie Rangel's Censure on House Floor

One of the most influential, and most crooked, members of Congress was finally censured on the House floor today. Charlie Rangel was found guilty by colleagues for unethical behavior. Rangel, by the way, is the man whom Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) called her "leader." Yup. Pelosi made "culture of corruption" a household phrase. Words can boomerang. "The U.S. House censured Democratic Representative Charles Rangel of New York for ethics violations," Bloomberg reported today, "including soliciting donations for an academic center bearing his name and failing to fully pay his income taxes. The vote was 333-79. Under the censure, Rangel stood on the House floor as Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, read the resolution outlining his violations." Watch Pelosi in the video below, dressed like a vampire, eyes glazed over, tongue thick with confusion, arm pits moist with tension, as she read the good news. Below: Rep. Jan Schakowsky praises her "leader" Charlie Rangel:

(Video) Rep Jan Schakowsky Praises Charlie Rangel, Calls Him "My Leader"

July 30, 2010 - No surprise, really. Crooks of a feather flock together. Rep. Jan Schakowksy (D-IL) is married to convicted check kiting felon Robert Creamer, so she feels completely comfortable praising tax cheat Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and admitting in the video below that she looks to him as a guide for how she should vote in Congress. She also thinks he's the greatest thing since sliced bagels. Marathon Pundit wrote about this today with an interesting take on the affair: In her speech to the National Black Leadership Commission, Schakowsky praised Rangel as "my leader, Charlie Rangel" and declared, "People may look to see how I vote, but that's 'cause I look first at how Charlie’s voting." Hey Jan, why not listen to your constitutuents instead of sleazeballs like Rangel?In 2005, while the Republicans still controllled Congress, Schakowsky gushed in The American Prospect, "Think about what it would mean for progressives if Nancy Pelosi were House speaker and congressional committees were chaired by people like George Miller, John Conyers, Charlie Rangel, and Henry Waxman." More at Marathon Pundit... Yes, well, we no longer need to imagine. Five years later we're deep into the Hope And Change Nightmare. Rangel is in deep trouble, and Democrats are in a panic about it now that it will embarrass them so close to the mid-term November elections. Many are calling for Rangel to resign, including Comrade Obama Himself. They're not calling for Rangel to resign out of any sense of what is morally correct. They want him as far away in the shadows as possible when his criminal trial begins. Meanwhile, Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) faces charges of misusing her office. What was it that Nancy Pelosi said about cleaning up Congress in 2006? Do you remember that? RELATED: More Calls for Rangel to Resign‎ Wall Street Journal Will the Rangel trial hurt Dems in November? The Hill Anthony Weiner's rant captures Dem impotence The Plum Line WaPo buries Dem fundraiser's fraud, highlights GOP fundraising scandal Washington Examiner

Schakowsky's Big Lie About Jobs

July 1, 2010 - Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky lied? The wife of convicted felon Robert Creamer telling untruths? Really? Joel Pollack, the Republican running against Mizz Schakowsky in the 9th Congressional District of Illinois, released a hard-hitting statement this afternoon: On FOX News today, my opponent, Jan Schakowsky, stated: “This administration, this Congress, is set to create more jobs in 8 months than net jobs created in the last 8 years of the Bush administration. I know a lot of people say that’s not true. Check it out.” (See "Schakowsky Defends Dems' Handling of the Economy" on FoxNews) So I did. In the last 8 months, the U.S. economy created 1.2 million net jobs. In the 8 years of the Bush administration, the U.S. economy created 4.4 million net jobs. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) So Ms. Schakowsky is wrong. Furthermore, since the Obama administration took office, the U.S. economy has lost 2.8 million net jobs. And since Nancy Pelosi took over Congress in 2007, the U.S. economy has lost 6.6 million net jobs. So Ms. Schakowsky is wrong, again. If we measure private sector jobs alone, we find that the U.S. economy lost nearly 700,000 net jobs under the Bush administration (after gaining nearly 4 million before the recession began). Under the Obama administration, the U.S. economy has lost 3.4 million private sector jobs. So Ms. Schakowsky is wrong, again. In the 8 months since October, the low point of the recession, our economy has added about 500,000 private sector jobs. But comparing that number to net jobs under Bush is worse than comparing apples to oranges. We might as well simply count the 4 million private sector jobs created under Bush and ignore the fact that those jobs disappeared. Ms. Schakowsky’s argument is therefore dishonest. Perhaps Ms. Schakowsky is basing her numbers on rosy projections from the Obama administration, or Pelosi’s talking points. The American people have quickly learned that we cannot trust those numbers. In February 2009, for example, Ms. Schakowsky promised that the stimulus bill would boost jobs in Illinois by 148,000. Since then, Illinois has actually lost over 144,000 jobs. The people of the 9th district know that Ms. Schakowsky’s claims about jobs are simply false. Perhaps she believes in the “big lie” theory--that if you tell a lie big enough and often enough, people will believe it. Well, we aren’t buying it. We are tired of the big lies on jobs. And it is becoming clear that the only way to create jobs in our district is to vote out Jan Schakowsky, and vote for a fresh start.

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?"

Beat The Democrat Machine In IL-7th State Senate District

Help Adam Robinson defeat Machine Candidate Heather Steans in the 7th Illinois State Senate District. Let's throw out Steans, a Blagojevich crony who was hand picked by the Machine and its operatives. Steans and her husband Leo Smith contributed at least $180,000 to Rod Blagojevich over the years. Some estimate it to be over $200,000. Indeed, Steans is one of the Democrats who enabled Rod Blagojevich. You want "change?" Here's your chance, people. Visit Adam's website, learn about him, and consider clicking on that "Donate" button to help this guy go up against the big money vested interests of the Machine. Also see: Adam Robinson on Facebook and Adam Robinson on Twitter (@adrobins) Adam writes: Over the past several months, I’ve heard one consistent theme from people throughout my district – CUT THE WASTE. The majority of residents support my plans to implement zero-base budgeting in this state, and to place a statutory cap on spending increases. Voters also agree that the time has come to stop wasting taxpayer money on bureaucracy and bloat, and start focusing our limited resources on essential services like education and social services. Despite a $13 billion budget deficit and some $5 bill in unpaid bills from last year, state lawmakers opted to head home for the summer without taking any substantive steps to avert a complete financial meltdown in Illinois. Can you imagine running your household finances like Springfield manages your tax dollars? Read more here... Heather Steans has been part of the bad management in Springfield. It's time to fire her. RELATED: Heather Steans still taking money from Health Insurance companies Heather Steans Lies About Hubby's Blago Connections Sen. Heather Steans Lied on Her Resume Videos of Jim Madigan Owning Heather Steans See Heather Carry Water For The Machine. Contributions from Heather Steans & husband to Rod Blagojevich (pdf) Heather Steans' Husband Goes Nuts in a Gay Bar Flashback to Elder and Smith on Heather Steans Senator Heather Steans, For The Children

Trouble For ShoreBank Bailout (Updated)

This is developing, just posted today by Chicago Breaking Business at 1:06 p.m. CDT. The shady bailout of ShoreBank is in deep doo-doo. Excerpts: By Becky Yerak - The bailout of Chicago-based ShoreBank has hit a serious snag as the Federal Reserve and Treasury drag their feet on whether to provide funding to the ailing South Side lender, sources close to the situation say. Last month ShoreBank lined up commitments from private sources, including Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, General Electric and Chase, for a capital infusion of about $135 million. That private money was to have made ShoreBank eligible for about $75 million in government funds from the Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program. The bank has needed to raise about $200 million to stave off possible seizure. Rep. Jan Schakowsky must be having fits today, but the Tea Party Patriots Chicago is feeling pretty good about it: We are winning on the ShoreBank bailout issue. Last week, the Chicago Tea Party held a Stop the ShoreBank Bailout Rally with Joel Pollak and Issac Hayes.... Democrat Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) has done everything in her power to push for the bailout of ShoreBank, but is not receiving sufficient support from the Federal Reserve and the White House. Read more here... Yerak's report continues... Bill Brandt, chairman of the Illinois Finance Authority, a government financing body that has looked at ways to help ShoreBank, is disappointed by the developments. He says ShoreBank plays a unique role in helping downtrodden communities, particularly those in black neighborhoods. ”Given all the time and effort that went into this, the board of the Illinois Finance Authority, the local civic leaders on the South Side of Chicago and others I’d imagine, would be outraged over this development,” Brandt said. ”This is truly an example of the government moving the goal posts when they don’t want to lead,” he said. RELATED: BackyardConservative: A Congressional Investigation of ShoreBank Marathon Pundit: Anti-ShoreBank Tea Party Crony Capitalism Shores Up Shore Bank Chicago Daily Observer Congressional Republicans Calling For Investigation Into ShoreBank The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Saving Two Presidents ... Tea Party Protests Obama's Favorite Bank « The Foxhole

Poll Shows Few Trust Rep Jesse Jackson

The association of Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. with the alleged corruption of Rod Blagojevich is hurting his Congressional campaign. So says a poll released on June 16 by James H. Taylor, Sr., publisher of The Kankakee City News. Even though the poll was conducted before the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich began, it shows a serious lack of trust in Jackson by potential voters. At the same time, the poll shows a rise in voters' respect for Isaac Hayes, Jackson's Republican challenger, who is seen by poll respondents as "the honest one." Hayes and Jackson are vying for the 2nd Congressional District seat of Illinois. A June 17 press release from Hayes says that he believes the recent Kankakee City News poll shows "how frustrated the citizens of Illinois Second District are with Congressman Jackson and that they are ready to go against the grain for a long overdue change of management." “Our communities must have hope for their future and their children’s future and in order to give them that hope," said Hayes, "we must have change.” Publisher Taylor said this about the City News poll: Hayes is viewed, according to recently conducted telephone and paper City News poll as the ‘honest one” while those polled had questions about the nature of Congressman Jackson’s role in the alleged attempts to sell and buy the U.S. Senate seat of former U.S. Senator Barack Obama. Some polled believed Congressman Jackson’s reputation is in question as a result of tapes revealed during the Blagojevich criminal trial. Those polled, 56% said they felt Congressman Jackson had failed to properly represent the voters of the 2 nd District and 78% of those polled checked a poll question that asked if they believed Congressman Jackson’s voting record reflected a disconnect with the majority of African American residents of the 2nd District. Those polled also, by a margin of 2 to 1 indicated that they did not trust Congressman Jackson and by a majority those polled said they believed Congressman Jackson’s voting record was more in line with those of interests outside the 2 nd District. Asked if they felt candidate Hayes would be more representative of the views and objectives of 2 nd District residents, poll respondents by a four to one majority said yes. Asked if they felt Congressman Jackson had told the truth about his involvement in efforts to purchase the U.S. Senate Seat formerly held by President Barack Obams, 79% said they did not believe Congressman Jackson had been truthful. James H. Taylor, Sr. is the chairman of The Kankakee County Black Republican Association (KCBRA), an African-American voters group in Kankakee County (Source: Daily Journal, Kankakee ~ subscription). Taylor used to support Barack Obama, but has had a change of heart. He posted this on Organizing For America website on January 24, 2010: To be sure I was a supporter and very proud of him when he ran for and won the office of President of the United States. One of my prized possessions has been a photo he took holdidng my news paper, the Kankakee City News, but today I am ashamed of Barack Obama. More here... The Hayes press release today says that the City News poll "was conducted over a period of six weeks and included 389 individuals either over the telephone or via responses to questions in person and an insert in the newspaper. The towns that were covered for this poll included: Ford Heights, Hazel Crest, Harvey, Park Forest, University Park, Chicago Heights, Homewood, Matteson, Dolton, South Holland, Country Club Hills, Frankfort, Richton Park, Olympia Hills, Phoenix, Markham, East Hazel Crest, Flossmoor and part of Woodlawn." The Hayes press release also notes that the poll "was taken prior to the start of the Blagojevich trial and release of wire tape recordings of conversations between Blagojevich and chief-of-staff Alonzo Monk, where Blagojevich is recorded saying Jackson will 'offer you fundraising and all kinds of stuff' in exchange for the Senate seat." Hayes says that the "lack of confidence in Jackson’s character" indicates an erosion of support for Jackson. “The second District needs a Representative with character and leadership to change the lackluster performance of Mr. Jackson," says Hayes. "We have suffered through sixteen years of failed leadership and we need a new direction that will bring honesty and integrity to our government." You can view the entire Hayes press statement on the Citizens for Isaac Hayes website at: http://www.isaac4honesty.com/. The Kankakee City News, oddly, has no website. It has was founded in 1972 and "covers information for Illinois and the greater area." It is a member of the Illinois African American News Service (IAANS). Published weekly, it claims a circulation of 37,000 and is owned by Taylor Publications. (Source)

Chicago Rally Against ShoreBank Bailout on June 9

There will be a rally against the ShoreBank bailout on Wednesday, June 9 at 12:00 Noon at the downtown location of ShoreBank. That's 134 N. LaSalle Street, across the street from City Hall. Scheduled speakers include Joel Pollak, candidate for U.S. Congress (IL-9) and Isaac Hayes, candidate for U.S. Congress (IL-2). The event is organized by Tea Party Patriots Chicago (TPPC). They will be handing out fliers to educate the public on the corrupt, politically connected bailout of ShoreBank. "ShoreBank has received $35 million in stimulus funds, $75 million from companies that have received bailout money (Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, GE)," writes TPPC's Coordinator Steve Stevlic, "and now they're hoping to receive another $75 million in taxpayer money. ShoreBank provided Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Trinity United Church with a $10 million line of credit - now they need a bailout. We hope this rally can bring attention to this issue and help prevent this looting of our treasury." Stevlic says that ShoreBank hopes to cash-in on their high-level political connections with Barack Obama, Jan Schakowsky and her convicted felon husban Robert Creamer, Senator Dick Durbin, Van Jones and others. "At the very least," he says, "no taxpayer money should go to ShoreBank until there is a forensic audit of their finances." TPPC has more information at their website. Glenn Beck recently gave ShoreBank the blackboard treatment here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. RELATED: ShoreBank Gets Help But Is Still Begging Failing ShoreBank, Cap-And-Trade and Jan Schakowsky

Joel Pollak On The Blago Trial And Jan Schakowsky

Joel Pollak wrote yet another great piece for BigGovernment.com., this one is about the trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and how U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky is tip toeing around it. It's fascinating, well-written stuff, and Pollak details how The Schak and her criminal husband Bob Creamer are up to their necks in the Blago Stink. Pollak is running against Schakowsky for Congress in the 9th District of Illinois, but that doesn't change the fact that what he wrote is worthy of the front page of any major newspaper today. Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich starts his federal trial today. And the Illinois Democrats who clung to his coattails for years are desperate to pretend they don’t know him. Back in 2003, Rep. Jan Schakowsky proclaimed of Blago: “He really is very smart. I don’t laugh at the idea [of his running for President] at all.” She added that when he walked into a room, “there was this crackle of electricity. Everyone wanted to touch him.” That electricity prompted Rep. Schakowsky to donate $28,000 to Blago’s campaigns for governor. Her husband, convicted felon and political strategist Robert Creamer, made $541,000 helping Blago get elected in 2002. She lobbied him heavily in November 2008 in the hope that he would appoint her to fill the Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama, and is thought to be “Senate Candidate 3” in the original criminal complaint. Read the Full Article at BigGovernment.com...

Pres. Clinton Was Go-Between For Obama - Sestak Job Offer

Will this be Comrade Obama's Watergate? This story is developing. It is really developing... FoxNews, May 28: The White House asked former President Bill Clinton to talk to Rep. Joe Sestak about the possibility of obtaining a senior position in the Obama administration if he would drop out of the Democratic primary race against establishment-backed Sen. Arlen Specter, the Obama administration will say in a report to be released Friday morning, Fox News has confirmed. More... Senate Republicans Thursday [May 27] called on the Justice Department to investigate whether the Obama White House offered Rep. Joe Sestak (D) of Pennsylvania a high-ranking job in the administration if he would drop out of the 2010 Democratic Senate primary race – if true, a felony. CSMonitor.com... RELATED: Source: Bill Clinton asked Sestak not to run ‎FOX2now.com White House Used Bill Clinton to Ask Sestak to Drop Out of Race‎ New York Times (blog) Clinton was the one who spoke to Sestak‎ MSNBC.com White House Used Clinton to Nudge Sestak From Senate Bid‎ Wall Street Journal Obama dodges, but Sestak questions won't go away Washington Examiner Source: White House Used Clinton In Sestak Offer‎ CBS 3 Disorganized White House Can't Even Get The Friday News Dump Right Business Insider Karl Rove: Joe Sestak's lying or he's protecting a felon in Barack ... LA Times blogs Bill Clinton spoke with Sestak to drop primary challenge against ...‎Thaindian.com

Why Is Roland Burris Running For US Senate?

Kirk and Giannoulias are competing to replace Sen. Roland Burris, who was appointed by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill the seat once held by Comrade Barack Obama. Roland Burris promised to not run for that seat, didn't he? Yes, he did, back in July, 2009. So, then why does Burris have a 2010 Senate campaign website? 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? Just asking.

Glenn Beck Dissects The ShoreBank Matrix

Glenn Beck (and his chalkboard) explain the twisted world of ShoreBank.

ShoreBank Gets Help But Is Still Begging

MAY 18, 2010: GE joins effort to save Chicago community bank‎ (Reuters) Privately owned ShoreBank, a community development lender on Chicago's South Side near the home base of President Barack Obama and some of his top aides, is getting assistance from a consortium of Wall Street banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N), Citigroup (C.N), JPMorgan (JPM.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N), sources have said. Spokesmen for Citigroup and General Electric Co (GE.N) each confirmed $20 million investments on Tuesday, and JP Morgan previously said it was ready to inject $15 million. Another source said Goldman injected $20 million. However... The Financial Times reported (on May 19, GMT) that "Two people familiar with the deal said the next test for the bank was whether or not it could raise an additional $70m from the federal government." That would be in addition to the money from Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and GE Capital. The American Spectator is almost as suspicious about the bailout of ShoreBank as we are here at Chicago News Bench. On May 17, they wrote that "Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee want to find out if anyone in the Obama White House attempted to influence the financial bailout of a well-known Chicago-based 'community bank,' which faced FDIC closure last week, and which, going back to the Clinton Administration, has had close ties to ACORN and the leftist community-organizing world of Chicago. The story about the bailout attempt of ShoreBank first began breaking last Thursday night. The FDIC was demanding that the bank have $125 million in investments by Friday, but discussions to bail out the bank, which has close ties to both senior members of the Obama Administration, as well as the Clinton family, went deep into the weekend as Chicago politicians scrambled to save the bank." What? Last Thursday? Where the hell has American Spectator been? It was two weeks ago, on May 5, that we posted "Failing ShoreBank, Cap-And-Trade and Jan Schakowsky." In that post, I wrote that "This story is about much, much more than just ShoreBank. It's about corruption, the $10 Trillion cap-and-trade scam, the continuing attempt by Schakowsky and the Democrats to seize control of America's energy policies, and more. It's about the Joyce Foundation, which is a major shareholder of ShoreBank and also a major player in the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). CCX trades in 'greenhouse gases.' Franklin Raines, George Soros, Al Gore, Goldman Sachs, Barack Obama and others are big players in this story. (At this point, I strongly suggest that you watch Glenn Beck explain the twisted story of the Chicago Climate Exchange and the Joyce Foundation.)Over the past decade, 'green' ShoreBank has become a shill and a front for the cap-and-trade crowd and those with a radical environmentalist agenda." Fourteen days ago, we called out the corruption of the ShoreBank situation. We were certainly not the first ones to do so, by any means, but American Spectator makes it sound as though the connection was only realized when the FDIC was trying to rush through a bailout for ShoreBank. The stench surrounding ShoreBank, Schakowsky, the Clintons, the Obamas and many others wafts back years. The odiferous mess is only now getting the attention that it should have gotten long ago.

Saving Wrigleyville

See both "Save Wrigleyville" Videos Oh, that's Tara DeFrancisco in the photo here. She's one of the resistance leaders, and she's a powerhouse...

Meeting To Save Wrigleyville

Update - See: Video of Save Wrigleyville Meeting Why would Alderman Tom Tunney (44th) agree to the destruction of an entire block filled with viable, working businesses that employ hundreds of people? Darned if I know, but that's the situation in Wrigleyville. The block just south of Wrigley Field is in danger of being forever altered, and not in a good way, and for no good reason. There is a 6:00 PM meeting on Sunday, May 16 at iO Improv (formerly known as "Improv Olympic"). They are located at 3541 N. Clark Street, on the threatened block (see map). For more info call iO at 773-880-0199. Also see the "People Against the "Malling of Wrigleyville" Facebook page, and the related news stories below. You may have read about the impending destruction of Wrigleyville recently. Tunney, it seems, doesn't give a damn about the flavor or history of Wrigleyville, a neighborhood that's special by anyone's measure. Has he made a pact with Satan? I dunno, but it sure looks as though he's made a very friendly (ahem) deal with developers who want to tear down a number of functioning and popular businesses. Tunney has shown himself to be just another Democrat Machine hack who cares more about developers than he cares about his own constituents and neighborhood. Sometimes, an alderman is justified in doing what Tunney has done. Perhaps a block is blighted. Maybe a neighborhood is in desperate need of jobs, or there is a cluster of abandoned buildings. None of that exits on, or even near, the block that Tunney wants to see leveled and turned into, essentially, a big frikking mall. It will replace great eateries, a theater, successful retailers and more. We wonder why. As somebody said to me today, we'll find out when we see Tunney's next campaign contribution disclosures. (Know what I'm saying?) Alderman Tunney is, pardon my language, full of crap on this issue. As reported by Chicagoist.com, "Alderman Tom Tunney is still upset over one little sign at Wrigley, but has signed off on the razing and rebuilding of an huge portion of land across the street. Earlier this week, Tunney announced his support for a hotel/condo/shopping center across Addison from Wrigley built by M&R Development. The plan would take out numerous businesses, including bars, pizza places, and ImprovOlympic, despite Tunney's claim that the part of real estate in contention is an 'under-developed piece of real estate'." Wrigleyville Mall Plan Infuriates Neighbors, Business Owners CBS Chicago Wrigleyville, That Mall's the Future. Get Used To It. NBC Chicago Tunney Gives Thumbs Up to Wrigleyville Mall NBC Chicago iO Must Go? ChicagoNow Flashback: Anti-Eminent Domain Meeting Successful CNB

Shorebank Failure Could Cause Obama To Go Ballistic on Wall Street

UPDATE, MAY 18, 2010: GE joins effort to save Chicago community bank‎ (Reuters) Privately owned ShoreBank, a community development lender on Chicago's South Side near the home base of President Barack Obama and some of his top aides, is getting assistance from a consortium of Wall Street banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N), Citigroup (C.N), JPMorgan (JPM.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N), sources have said. Spokesmen for Citigroup and General Electric Co (GE.N) each confirmed $20 million investments on Tuesday, and JP Morgan previously said it was ready to inject $15 million. Another source said Goldman injected $20 million. The Financial Times reported (on May 19, GMT) that "Two people familiar with the deal said the next test for the bank was whether or not it could raise an additional $70m from the federal government." That would be in addition to the money from Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and GE Capital. As noted earlier, on May 5, the Chicago-area financial institution ShoreBank is (was?) teetering on the edge of extinction. It's been begging for a bailout - of your money, taxpayers - and one of its biggest advocates is U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL, 9th). UPDATE, MAY 17, 2010: ShoreBank rescue talks continue, Crain's Chicago Business The Wall Street Journal reported late today that it looks grim for ShoreBank. They quoted Schakowsky as saying, "I'm in sort of hour-by-hour contact with them. It's still a bit of a nail-biter, but it's very, very active and they're getting closer to where they need to be." She has been busy for months lobbying for assistance for ShoreBank. WSJ also reported that "a person close to the situation said the outlook for the ShoreBank rescue effort looked 'pessimistic' on Friday evening." While the Obama Regime and others like Schakowsky love to bash Goldman Sachs publicly, they are also eager to take their money. Fox Business has this today: Wall Street firms looking to bail out the troubled community lender ShoreBank Corp. have yet to come up with the approximately $125 million needed to prevent a possible government takeover, FOX Business has learned. This is the most recent development stemming from an early afternoon meeting among executives at several big banks, including Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, JPMorgan, and Citigroup. According to one person with knowledge of the meeting, the banks have commitments for “a little more than $100 million,” thus raising the possibility that the deal to raise $125 million might not be reached by the end of the day, and that ShoreBank might be taken over by the FDIC Will these rescuers come through? There are some who think that the proposed consortium of Goldman Sachs and the rest may actually want ShoreBank to fail as a sort of sweet revenge on Obama's bashing of them. Obama's Gang has put enormous political pressure on those institutions to bail out ShoreBank. But the $100 Million "raised" so far is about $25 Million short of what's required. It's also chump change to those players, and that begs the question, "Are they deliberately letting ShoreBank fail as a big F--- You to Obama?" If so, theory has it that Obama might go ballistic, seeking his own revenge on the Wall Street Big Boys. That seems to be the plausible theory over at Zero Hedge, a commodities trading-oriented blog. Zero Hedge's Tyler Durden wrote today, "We have the feeling that if Shorebank does indeed fail, then the Obama-Wall Street war is about to go 'scorched earth'." There have plenty of other Illinois bank failures recently. Two in particular stand out, however, because of the involvement of high-level, high-profile elected officials. Joel Pollak wrote this at BigGovernment on May 14: "Today it was reported that 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." Pollak, a Republican who is running for Congress against incumbent Schakowsky in the 9th District, also noted the close connections between ShoreBank and the Obama Regime (he politely used the word "Administration"). He noted that Shorebanks execs "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." Sound familiar? Flash back not so long ago to the recently failed Broadway Bank in Chicago, which was owned by the family of Alexi Giannoulias. He's currently the Treasurer of the State of Illinois. Illinois is also bankrupt. Both Illinois and Broadway Bank owe their financial hard times in part to Alexi Giannoulias, who has the nerve to be running for the U.S. Senate (against Congressman Mark Kirk). Like Schakowsky, Giannoulias is a Democrat. Broadway Bank made huge loans to known criminals and other loans to a variety of skanky characters. (But this is about Shorebank, not Broadway Bank.) Chicago News Bench noted on May 5 that the probable failure of ShoreBank is "about much, much more than just ShoreBank. It's about corruption, the $10 Trillion cap-and-trade scam, the continuing attempt by Schakowsky and the Democrats to seize control of America's energy policies, and more. It's about the Joyce Foundation, which is a major shareholder of ShoreBank and also a major player in the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). CCX trades in 'greenhouse gases.' Franklin Raines, George Soros, Al Gore, Goldman Sachs, Barack Obama and others are big players in this story. (At this point, I strongly suggest that you watch Glenn Beck explain the twisted story of the Chicago Climate Exchange and the Joyce Foundation.)" Pollak noted the "green" connection, too, when he referred to the Obama "Administration" connections, "including controversial figures such as former 'green jobs czar' Van Jones." Fox Business points out that "ShoreBank has ties to the Obama administration; Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s senior adviser and a fixture in Chicago politics (as was the president), served on the board of Chicago Metropolis 2020, a civic organization which was run by Adele Simmons, a director at ShoreBank. A spokeswoman for Jarrett says she 'has not met with or made calls for ShoreBank regarding support measures'." RELATED: Racing To Save ShoreBank, Spawn Of CRA‎ Investor's Business Daily Obama using classic Chicago shakedown to rescue his south side buddies at Shorebank/Chicago by extorting Goldman Sachs WSJ MarketWatch Obama Darling Shorebank Likely Left To Fail By Goldman et al Over $25 Million In Pocket Change Zero Hedge Gore, Goldman, and Cap and Trade - Tangled Web of Corruption Investor Village The Star Players in the ShoreBank Story Central Illinois 9/12 Project

Obama's BP Cash Windfall

Which politician has raked in more cash than any other from British Petroleum? Comrade Barack Hussein Obama, that's who. It started years ago, as reported by The New York Post today. Don't just take their word for it. There are plenty of others reporting this story too.

Failing ShoreBank, Cap-And-Trade and Jan Schakowsky (Updated)

UPDATE, MAY 17, 2010: ShoreBank rescue talks continue, Crain's Chicago Business UPDATE, MAY 14, 2010 - Sachs + Schakowsky + ShoreBank = Shakedown by Joel Pollak at BigGovernment.com: "Today it was reported that 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." ALSO SEE: Shorebank Failure Could Cause Obama To Go Ballistic on Wall Street - May 14, 2010 May 5, 2010 - Chicago - What is it with Illinois Democrats and failing banks? Recently, the bank owned by the family of Illinois State Treasurer Alex Giannoulias failed. Broadway Bank was shut down by the feds and was absorbed by MB Financial on April 23. Giannoulias is running for U.S. Senate against Republican Mark Kirk.

This week, we get word of another pending failure of a Chicago area bank - this one favored and coddled by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

On May 4, Crain's Chicago Business reported that "Federal banking regulators have begun the process of accepting bids for ShoreBank Corp. in the event the community lender can’t raise the $200 million it needs to avoid failing." (The failed Broadway Bank needed something like $90 million to avoid failing.) Crain's also reported that "Under an amended regulatory order with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Illinois Division of Banking, ShoreBank has until May 21 to raise the needed equity. But regulators have been known to seize banks before their capital-raising deadlines." This story is about much, much more than just ShoreBank. It's about corruption, the $10 Trillion cap-and-trade scam, the continuing attempt by Schakowsky and the Democrats to seize control of America's energy policies, and more. It's about the Joyce Foundation, which is a major shareholder of ShoreBank and also a major player in the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). CCX trades in "greenhouse gases." Franklin Raines, George Soros, Al Gore, Goldman Sachs, Barack Obama and others are big players in this story. (At this point, I strongly suggest that you watch Glenn Beck explain the twisted story of the Chicago Climate Exchange and the Joyce Foundation.) Over the past decade, "green" ShoreBank has become a shill and a front for the cap-and-trade crowd and those with a radical environmentalist agenda. "In 2000," says the bank's website, "ShoreBank expanded its focus to include environmental issues, believing that communities cannot achieve true prosperity without also attaining environmental well-being." The Joyce Foundation, says SourceWatch, "is a key progenitor of carbon dioxide cap and trade. In 2000 the Foundation issued a $347,600 grant to Richard Sandor for a study on the feasibility of a cap and trade mechanism. In 2001 the Foundation issued a $760,100 grant to the J. L. Kellog School of Management at Northwestern University, working with Sandor, to fund the design of the Carbon Climate Exchange, otherwise known as the CCX. The CCX mechanism has been adopted by European carbon credit exchanges." How does Jan Schakowsky fit into all of this? She has been trying for some time to get a federal bailout for ShoreBank. An excellent report by The Central Illinois 9/12 Project, posted at BigGovernment, tells us the following (emphasis added):

In 2009, Shorebank received more than $35 million in federal funds for grants and new market tax credits. Despite this new flow of funds to extend to their customers and loan recipients, Shorebank reported a loss of $50 million in 2009 alone and was issued a “cease and desist” order by the FDIC and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. In addition, ShoreBank was receiving strong warnings from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Their dire financial state had lead them to initially seek a “bailout” from the State of Illinois, promoted by Chicago Congresswoman Jan Shakowsky and Senator Dick Durbin. However, they have since decided that they can find capital without seeking state help.

Additionally (emphasis added):

In February [2010], Secretary Geithner proposed “enhancement” to TARP funds specifically aimed at community development banks that would allow them to receive capital investment funds at a 2% rate (compared to the standard 5% rate) and to receive federal TARP funds that would be matched to funding received from private institutions. Chicago Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky wants ShoreBank to be eligible for such funding and has even suggested that such funding would be equivalent to a jobs program for the area. “Plain and simple, this is a jobs program,” she says. “The funds from this program will go directly to the people and communities that need it most which will expedite hiring and rebuild a vibrant economy”.

The Central Illinois 9/12 Project piece asks a pointed question (emphasis added):

Will they do the unprecedented and become one of the first entities to be bailed out by a state that itself has a $13 billion deficit? With its promotion of green development and new carbon credit distribution, could Shorebank become one of the first banks to be deemed too “green” to fail?

Why is Rep. Schakowsky so eager to help ShoreBank? Follow the money. Anne Leary at Backyard Conservative posted this in January, 2010, written by Joel Pollak: Pollak is running against Schakowsky in the 9th Congressional District of Illinois.

After all, when the Bank of Lincolnwood failed last year, Rep. Schakowsky did not save it--and that bank, unlike ShoreBank, was in her own district. 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."

Money is not the only factor for Schakowsky's support of ShoreBank. Ideology and power lust figure into the equation, too, and if "Auntie Jan" Schakowsky asks for it, there's a good chance that "the unprecedented" bailout of a bank by a state could indeed happen, especially with the "green" aspect thrown in. Democrats seem to go into a trance when anything is described as "green." ShoreBank is "a key to green jobs," and that makes them the darling of Democrats and liberals. They drool over themselves, blind to any faults that the "green" institution may have, because the carbon credit distribution scheme holds such a huge potential for (a) massive profits for the insiders who participate, (b) systemic control by bureaucrats of (i) industry and (ii) social engineering, and (3) huge kickbacks in the form of money contributed by the insiders who participate. The story of Giannoulias' failed Broadway Bank pales in comparison to the story of ShoreBank. Broadway Bank earned notoriety for loans made to known criminals. ShoreBank, on the other hand, is part of a story so massive, so profoundly criminal at its roots, that it may take years to sort it all out. ShoreBank, unlike Broadway bank, has had protection from people at the highest levels of the federal government and from within the "green" non-profit cabals. What we are seeing currently is the tip of an iceberg so massive that we may never see the bottom of it. RELATED: ShoreBank sees another $101M loss just ahead Crain's Chicago Business ShoreBank seeks bailout from large banks Crain's Chicago Business Rep. Jan Schakowsky continues to back ShoreBank Joel Pollak ShoreBank: Too Green to Fail? BigGovernment The Star Players in the ShoreBank Story Central Illinois 9/12 Project Scandal: Obama, Gore, Goldman, Joyce Foundation CCX partners to fleece USA Examiner.com Who Will Profit From Cap-And-Trade? You May Be Surprised Neal Boortz The $10 Trillion Climate Fraud Investor's Business Daily Al Gore to Become World's First Global Warming Billionaire AtlanticRight.com Video: Cap and Trade Con Exposed (How Goldman Sachs Made Billions)... YouTube Glenn Beck Explains the Chicago Climate Exchange (Part 1) YouTube Glenn Beck Explains the Chicago Climate Exchange (Part 2) YouTube Gore, Goldman, and Cap and Trade - Tangled Web of Corruption Investor Village Questioning The Value Of The Chicago Climate Exchange Progress Illinois

Pass the Ball, Alexi

"Take One for the Team, Alexi" is a great post by friend Matt Farmer on HuffPo.

"Still don't believe your campaign is in trouble?," writes Farmer, "Ask yourself this question. If you gave Kirk the choice right now to run against you or Lisa Madigan in November, which of you would he choose? Truth be told, I think Kirk would rather see your name on the ballot than have to worry about a last-minute challenge from Madigan, Dan Hynes, David Hoffman, or even Ronnie 'Woo Woo' Wickers."

Great stuff. Read the whole post here...

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