For more than a year the Illinois Republican Party has been advocating tougher ethical reforms for our government and if today’s published reports are true Illinois may be on the cusp of obtaining the first step in some much-needed reform.   

Of course, it’s guaranteed there will be a number of individuals who will line up to take credit for passing these reforms.  One such individual is State Senator and Congressional Candidate Debbie Halvorson.

 However, it’s important to understand that the Illinois legislature would not have to be debating new ethical rules today if Senator Halvorson had not bottled up the house ethics package that passed and landed in her committee more than a year ago.   

As Chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee Senator Halvorson held up the unanimously passed house ethics package in her committee for over a year!  She even went so far as to say last fall the house was just playing politics with the Governor by passing these reforms.

 Suddenly, after announcing her candidacy for Congress and prodding by the Illinois Republican Party, newspaper editorials, and voters Halvorson has had a change of heart.  She’s now working overtime in the face of a public spotlight on this issue to get an ethics plan through the legislature.  My, how time and a congressional candidacy changes things.    It’s laughable at best.   Halvorson protected Rod Blagojevich by sitting on ethics reform for more than a year but is now ready to claim credit.  That’s not leadership.  That’s opportunistic.  That’s being a politician.

Go ahead and try to take credit, Senator.  Try to tell the people of this state that you wanted ethics reform all along.  Try to convince the people of your district that you have not been Rod Blagojevich’s chief lieutenant in the state senate.  Keep trying. 

Just remember, Senator, the voters of this state are not dumb.  They are going to remember when you had a choice between them and Rod Blagojevich, for over a year you chose Rod Blagojevich. 

Apparently when it comes to Barack Obama and high gas prices hope has its limits.

At a time when gas prices have now reached $4.00 per gallon in the City of Chicago and American families are hoping for relief at the pump, Barack Obama is intent on opposing John McCain’s plan to place a moratorium on the federal gas tax.

In 2000 Obama thought putting a moratorium on the Illinois gas tax was a good idea, now he believes placing a moratorium on the federal tax is a “bad idea.”

The Illinois moratorium saved the people hundreds of millions of dollars at the pump - but McCain’s plan is a bad idea?

It appears Barack Obama’s idea of hope really does have its limits - especially when it comes to lower taxes and lower gas prices for the American people.

As John McCain tours the country talking about cutting taxes on the hardworking people of the United States including providing relief at gas pumps by asking Congress to suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax, Barack Obama is once again proving he truly is a product of the Chicago Machine way of doing business by voting for a temporary elimination of the Illinois state gas tax as a state senator but now believes it’s a “bad idea.”

A good sign that someone comes from the Chicago Machine way of doing business is: you oppose tax increases as a candidate (or at some other time prior to running for higher office) and then once you are elected refuse to enact tax reform (i.e. lower taxes) or (their favorite) increase taxes on your constituents sighting all the “vital services” that otherwise would need to be cut.

In many walks of life this is also called hypocrisy.

Now whether Barack comes by this hypocrisy naturally or not, I cannot say. However, when it comes to living up to his Chicago Machine upbringing Barack Obama has certainly had some good influences, most notably his Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Barack Obama’s Governor Rod Blagojevich ran on a promise to clean up Illinois state government and is now the most investigated administration in Illinois history.

Barack Obama’s Governor Rod Blagojevich ran on a promise to not raise taxes on Illinois families and then proposed the highest tax increase in Illinois history along with raising the state sales tax.

Barack Obama’s Governor Rod Blagojevich promised to get the states budget under control and we are now in more debt than ever.

Barack Obama’s Governor Rod Blagojevich promised to bring back respect and honesty to the Governor’s office and is now the most distrusted individual in Springfield.

So I guess considering his Chicago influences like Rod Blagojevich, we shouldn’t be too surprised to learn that Barack Obama once thought that ending the state sales tax on gas was a good idea when there was a “huge hike” in gas prices and now doesn’t support gas tax relief when there’s been a huge hike in gas prices.

Barack’s hypocrisy is what some would call the Chicago Way of doing business…maybe it’s time that statement becomes “The Blagojevich Way” of doing business.

Maybe it’s a good thing State Senator Debbie Halvorson is running for Congress?

If she were not running we may never have seen an ethics bill even get out of committee.  Of course, never mind the fact she only moved an ethics bill after being called out consistently for over two weeks by the ILGOP.  Never mind the fact that the bill is pretty much the same bill the House sent over to her last fall and is considered by many to merely be stalling tactic to tie up the process. 

She clearly wanted to show true leadership just in time for her congressional race to try and prove she’s not carried Rod Blagojevich’s water for 6 years in the state senate. 

It only took her a year to let an ethics bill out of the Rules Committee - the committee she chairs.  Of course, not much has happened in the last year…just more allegations of pay-to-play, the Tony Rezko trial, and witnesses declaring our Governor personally offered up state contracts for contributions.  Nothing major. 

After all, according to Debbie, we passed comprehensive ethics reform nearly a decade ago.  Looks like that worked out really well for the people of Illinois…

Thanks for running, Debbie.  You’ve really shown the kind of leadership we are looking for in Washington.

Check out today’s Tribune Editorial: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0418edit1apr18,0,5041641.story

Winter and early spring are known for bringing allergies, colds, sore throats and even laryngitis.  Laryngitis, the extreme part of a cold, pretty much shuts down a persons voice for a period of time until their larynx is no longer inflamed. While he hasn’t admitted that it’s the cause, the only possible answer we can discern as to why Pat Quinn chose to remain silent for six years about the corruption of Rod Blagojevich must be laryngitis. 

Afterall, Quinn has been an outspoken critic of Republicans for more than 20 years advocating many of his “reforms” for Illinois.  However, around 2002 Quinn fell silent.  As 2002 turned into 2006 and allegations of endemic hiring fraud and pay-to-play seeped out of the Blagojevich administration Quinn remained curiously silent.  Laryngitis can be a booger. Some people can go weeks without a voice, but 4 years?  This could be one for the record books. 

Quinn did manage to regain that voice briefly in 2006 but when he was able to talk he defended Rod Blagojevich calling him an honest man.  Then suddenly the voice disappeared again all the way through his 2006 re-election with Rod.   Colds are the strangest things. 

Now it’s 2008 and **WHAM** Pat Quinn has found his voice again.  Not what we would call a speedy recovery, but better late than never, right?  Now that Quinn has regained his voice he is once again a big fan of “reform” for Illinois.  Galavanting across the state Quinn is speaking out about recall and ethics legislation all the while blasting Rod Blagojevich. 

Wow!  Who would’ve thought?  The last time he was able to speak up, he defended the Governor - now he’s slamming him. 

Losing one’s voice for six years probably gives one plenty of time to ponder their future and what exactly they want to say when they regain their voice. 

Either way here’s to wishing Pat Quinn the best on keeping his laryngitis from coming back again.

The Southern Illinoisan’s web site (www.southernillinoisan.com) has an interesting poll question: Do you expect Blagojevich to be indicted before the end of his term?

 Be sure to make your feelings known!

Yeah and we are not referring to the old R&B group, either. 

 Tony Rezko’s trial begins today and it’s sure to provide a wealth of insight into all the “reforms” Rod Blagojevich put into place upon becoming Governor of Illinois. 

Along with highlighting Blago’s “reforms” it’s also going to bring an unwanted spotlight to Barack (Yes We Can do land deals with Rezko) Obama. 

It’s a safe bet we will never get a full answer from Obama as to how many fundraisers Rezko held for him, how much money Rezko raised for him, or exactly how many visits (and what they discussed) in all of those visits to Rezko’s office. 

Oh well, he must be too busy running for President to answer such minutiae. 

It’s only a few short weeks until the trial of Rod’s good buddy Tony Rezko begins.  With the revelation that the FBI had a mole watching over much of the corruption taking place with Tony, et. al., it’s sure to be a trial we won’t want to miss.  So grab some popcorn and your drink of choice and watch as the Feds give new meaning to the term “March Madness.” 

 

Federal agents are investigating real estate deals involving Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s wife as part of a three-year corruption probe into allegations of favoritism and fraud within his administration.

One real estate agent told the Tribune that FBI agents contacted her in recent weeks with questions about her dealings with Patricia Blagojevich in a $3.2 million sale of a Gold Coast home in 2004. The seller was an investment banker and generous contributor to the governor’s campaign fund who hired the first lady as his second agent on the deal. Continue Reading

-Chicago Tribune

In light of yesterday’s news report that Rod Blagojevich launched into an “expletive filled tirade” against Mayor Daley and Speaker Madigan over the never-ending transit crisis, the Illinois Republican Party today is launching a statewide soap drive to help clean up the Governor’s language — and the mess in Springfield.

“The Governor is quick to criticize others for their lack of participation in a meaningful process. However, his abusive language will not encourage a constructive dialogue or bring people together to solve the transit crisis,” said ILGOP Spokesperson Lance Trover. “That’s why we are launching a statewide soap drive to clean up the Governor’s language — and the mess in Springfield.”

When the cameras went off Wednesday, Andy Shaw of ABC 7 reported that Blagojevich went on an “expletive filled tirade” against Mayor Daley and Speaker Madigan. Apparently the Governor was confused as to why taxpayers can’t quite understand his penchant for attending sporting events instead of doing his job.  Continue Reading
-Illinois Republican Party