Tag: political

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— WILL THE GOV SUCCEED IN PULLING THE ILGOP FURTHER LEFT? STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE ELECTIONS NEXT TEST
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/04/will-the-gov-succeed-in-pulling-the-ilgop-further-left-state-central-committee-elections-next-test.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Illinois Republican voters split 51 to 49 percent between a liberal Republican incumbent governor and a conservative state representative in the March 20th primary. The vote revealed a dramatic contrast between the party’s wings. In the wake of a party-dividing primary that is still a sore spot among those voters committed to the conservative party platform, another test of the party’s future will be April 18th. That’s when county precinct committeemen gather to pick who will represent them on the State Central Committee, party activists and officials are saying. Demetra Demonte, Illinois’ Republican National Committeewoman and co-chair of the Trump Illinois campaign, told Illinois Review Saturday that the vote will be very important. She did not personally endorse in the 2018 IL GOP gubernatorial primary. “These last few months have been a time of bitter primary battles. The primary is over and we have selected our candidates. This should be a time for reconciliation – bringing together all sides so we can be victorious in November,” Demonte said. “Sadly, it is my understanding there is an effort to thwart conservatives who are running for re-election on the State Central Committee. This effort is counterproductive and will most assuredly backfire in November. If we are to be victorious in November we will need our army of conservative activists…and most of all our conservative voters. How else can we defeat the juggernaut of the Democrat machine?” But the wounds are deep – and for many, irreparable. Governor Rauner won by running ad after ad focused on what amounted to lies about his challenger, Jeanne Ives. Rauner misled uninformed voters to believe Ives was a Madigan co-hort, when Ives has been one of the House’s most vocal opponents to the Speaker. That type of win should never be rewarded, Republicans are saying. Many are discouraged, insulted and wounded. They’re planning to stay at home in November – something that could be devastating for down-ticket Republicans. Illinois Tea Party leader Denise Cattoni told Illinois Review that she’s concerned about the state and its future if conservatives disengage from voting in the fall. But, as a vocal supporter of Jeanne Ives in the gubernatorial primary, she understands the discouragement many conservatives are expressing. She publicly shared her concerns on her Facebook page Friday in a post addressing precinct committeemen. “The ILGOP is trying to purge all conservatives from the State Central Committee. When you attend the April 18th meeting, all of the conservative SCC Chairmen will have a RHINO opponent (after the primary). Stand for your principles! Stand for the ILGOP Platform, Cattoni wrote. “Gov. Rauner has now made it perfectly clear that Conservatives are NOT invited into the IL Republican party, guaranteeing that he will lose to Pritzker.” Cattoni said that of the 90 Tea Party groups around the state going back to 2008, over half of the leadership has moved out of state, having read the political handwriting on the wall. As a movement leader focused on fiscal issues, she supported Bruce Rauner in his 2014 bid. Since then, she’s gotten more involved in Republican Party circles, which has led her to be especially concerned about the two congressional districts where conservative state central committeemen are currently serving, but who backed Jeanne Ives in this year’s gubernatorial primary. State Central Committeeman John McGlasson in the 16th CD and Bob Winchester in the 15th CD are both being challenged by elected state lawmakers – likely put up by Rauner’s people, she says. “Why would State Rep Tom Demmer and Senator Chapin Rose be given MORE power by the ILGOP??” Cattoni wrote. “Rauner’s PAYBACK to conservatives. You are not welcome in the party.” Illinois Review asked McGlasson his thoughts about the challenge he’s facing. He not only backed Jeanne Ives in the gubernatorial primary, he backed challenger James Marter over incumbent Congressman Adam Kinzinger in the 16th CD. The Rauner camp is reaching out to precinct committeemen, urging them to support State Rep. Tom Demmer over McGlasson. State Representative David Weller is circulating a letter among other members, opposing McGlasson. Four that McGlasson knows of did not sign Welter’s letter. McGlasson says he’s committed to the Illinois Republican Party platform as his principle base. He recalls vividly the battle waged at the 2016 IL GOP State Convention over the platform changes Rauner people – including former Party Chairman Pat Brady and SCC member Ryan Higgins – tried to make on family issues. “I worked very hard, along with many others, to bring the platform to the floor at the last convention,” McGlasson told Illinois Review. “And I will continue to fight for conservative values in future platforms. One of the most important duties of state central committee members is the appointment of committee members for the convention. I am very proud of those I appointed last time and the battles they waged.” Stan Bond, SCC member from the 14th CD, although conservative as well, is running unopposed in the SCC race. “You may recall I was one of the committed group who worked through the night to ensure the party platform wasn’t revised per Pat Brady and the chosen platform committee,” Bond told IR. “It was an historic effort that dramatized for all the importance our base places on family values. “I would like to strengthen and clarify our platform on some issues but remain proud of it as written. I strongly believe party support should be focused on candidates who support the platform. That’s why we have a platform,” he said. The platform is key to the conservative majority in the Illinois Republican Party. The vote at that convention on maintaining traditional family values in the party platform was supported in a stand seven-to-one vote – a fact Rauner and his staff either purposely overlook or can’t believe is that important to Republican voters. Demonte, who represents the state to the RNC, stands with the party’s conservatives. While the nation pulls to the right with President Donald Trump at the helm, the Illinois Republican Party is being dragged to the left at the insistence of Governor Rauner and his well-paid campaign staff. “As your Illinois’ Republican National Committeewoman, and as a loyal Republican, I plan to vote for our entire Republican slate in November,” Demonte said. “But I want to assure the party faithful that I remain committed to the conservative principles lined out in the Illinois Republican Party platform, as well as continue to actively engage and push policy at the national level on the Republican National Committee that represents the values of our grassroots.”)

CAPITOL FAX
— No, Rauner never said he spoke to Ives (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Rauner talks and acts like his advisors tell him that for every Republican that he dumps, two, three, four, or more Democrats will vote for him.)
https://capitolfax.com/2018/04/07/no-rauner-never-said-he-spoke-to-ives/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Hi Rich, As usual, Governor Rauner is not telling the truth. What he is saying happened did not happen. But that’s fine. Rauner’s surrogates have made and continue to make it clear that they want Ives and other conservatives out of the party so there’s no need for perfunctory and disingenuous outreach. He and his surrogates are who Republicans chose to lead them. He is the nominee. And Ives wishes him good luck in the general.)

CBS
— President Trump’s Weekly Address; Democrats’ Weekly Address
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/04/07/president-trumps-weekly-address-democrats-weekly-address-10/

WGN RADIO
— Illinois Attorney General candidates Erika Harold and Kwame Raoul – CRAIG COLLINS
http://wgnradio.com/2018/04/07/illinois-attorney-general-candidates-erika-harold-and-kwame-raoul-former-national-census-bureau-director-kenneth-prewitt-on-the-trump-census-lawyersmack-and-much-more/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Responding to Trump’s call, Mattis authorizes 4,000 National Guard troops for U.S.-Mexico border – David S. Cloud and Joseph Tanfani
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-mattis-authorizes-national-guard-mexico-border-20180407-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: In an editorial unethically made to look like a news article, Democrats argue against America’s immigration laws.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-american-teen-parents-deported-mexico-20180406-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Community organizers want Confederate monument removed from Oak Woods Cemetery – Rachel Hinton (DIERSEN: While all my ancestors immigrated to America during the 1840s and 1850s, they always lived in northeast Illinois.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/community-organizers-want-confederate-monument-removed-from-oak-woods-cemetery/
— Any senator offended by Muslim-bashing will vote down Pompeo for secretary of state – Tasmiha Khan (DIERSEN: What about those who bash those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/any-senator-offended-by-muslim-bashing-will-vote-down-pompeo-for-secretary-of-state/

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Illinois lawmakers return for last half of spring session – Doug Finke
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180407/illinois-lawmakers-return-for-last-half-of-spring-session

BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
— Illinois needs to fix state pensions, tax retirees to avoid the abyss – Editorial (DIERSEN: Of course, ever since I started collecting a Civil Service Retirement System pension in 1997 and Social Security in 2010, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have wanted Illinois to tax retirement income.)
http://www.bnd.com/opinion/editorials/article207928839.html

HERALD & REVIEW
— AS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY’S STRANGLEHOLD ON ILLINOIS TIGHTENS: Illinois’ population loss may take out 2 congressional seats – RYAN VOYLES (DIERSEN: Democrats drive out of Illinois individuals, organizations, and companies that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German American, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://herald-review.com/news/state-and-regional/illinois-population-loss-may-take-out-congressional-seats/article_6fa7dadb-8a77-5ff7-8788-92ab000c5b2d.html

ALTON TELEGRAPH
— SIUE’s sustained dialogue creates safe places (DIERSEN: To create safe places for Democrats, liberals, women, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc. demonizes, denigrates, and condemns Republicans, conservatives, men, Whites, etc.)
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/SIUE-8217-s-sustained-dialogue-creates-safe-12814492.php

WJBD RADIO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats promote Democrats.
http://www.wjbdradio.com/politics/2018/04/07/march-for-our-lives-organizers-plan-weekend-town-halls-with-lawmakers

BREITBART
— Rep. Steve King: GOP Leadership Blocked My E-Verify Improvement Proposal – ROBERT KRAYCHIK
http://www.breitbart.com/radio/2018/04/07/exclusive-king-gop-leadership-blocked-e-verify-improvement-proposal/

BLAZE
— Department of Homeland Security to establish monitoring system that tracks journalists in live time – Teri Webster
https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/04/07/department-of-homeland-security-to-establish-monitoring-system-that-tracks-journalists-in-live-time
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Department of Homeland Security plans to create a “Media Monitoring” system to track the reports and “sentiments” of journalists, bloggers and social media stars. A computer dashboard for the database will allow the DHS to monitor journalists in “live time” by name, topics covered and their location, according to specifications for the project. A “request for information” on FedBizOpps.gov states that the intelligence agency wants to hire a contractor to identify any and all media coverage related to the Department of Homeland Security — or any particular event. Companies interested in the project are being asked to submit their qualifications and other information. The revelation comes amid a heated national debate about gun laws, concerns about “fake news,” and questions about how foreign interests used social media to manipulate U.S. elections and policy. Who will be monitored? Media to be monitored and tracked includes print, online, broadcast, cable, radio, local sources, national/international outlets, traditional news sources, trade and industry publications, and social media “influencers,” according to the project specifications. The scope of sources to be tracked spans 290,000 global news sources in more than 100 languages. Information gathered will include contact details and “any other information that could be relevant, including publications this influencer writes for, and an overview of the previous coverage published by the influencer.” Specifications indicate the contractor must have the ability to analyze media coverage in terms of “content, volume, sentiment, geographical spread, top publications, media channels, reach, top posters, momentum and circulation.” Further, the database will be searchable by location, beat and media type, as well as keywords and concepts. What have free press advocates said? Forbes contributor Michelle Fabio called the move “today’s installment of ‘I’m Not Terrified, You Are.’” The agency’s request for information is “enough to cause nightmares of constitutional proportions, particularly as the freedom of the press is under attack worldwide,” she wrote. The column was tweeted by the Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent, non-profit group concerned with protecting freedom of the press worldwide. The DHS was quick to quash what it called conspiracy theories about the database. DHS’s press secretary wrote on Twitter that concerns about the database are coming from “tin foil hat wearing, black helicopter conspiracy theorists.” “This is nothing more than the standard practice of monitoring current events in the media,” Tyler Q. Houlton wrote. . .The Media Monitoring program falls under the DHS’s National Protection and Programs Directorate. Included in the division is the Office of Biometric Identity Management, Office of Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis, Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, Office of Infrastructure Protection, and The Federal Protective Service, which protects federal facilities. DHS has set an April 13, 2018 deadline for companies to submit their information.)

ABC NEWS
— Pruitt’s survival strategy: Emphasize his rollback of environmental rules – STEPHANIE EBBS and MATTHEW MOSK (DIERSEN: If you asked my Democrat superiors in the federal government what their survival strategy was, they would say getting rid of their employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who had not made GS-13 (currently $96,403) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $113,920) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $134,000) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $164,200) by age 40.)
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fire-pruitt-fights-survival-epa-stressing-rollback-environmental/story

NEW YORK TIMES
— College for the Disadvantaged – CATHY BERNARD (DIERSEN: Overwhelmingly, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes a) paint themselves as having been disadvantaged and b) paint me as having been advantaged.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/07/opinion/college-disadvantaged.html

SUNSHINE STATE NEWS
— Incoming Speaker Jose Oliva Takes on National Leadership Role for GOP (DIERSEN: What are your demographics? Ever-increasingly, the future looks bleaker for individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German American, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
http://sunshinestatenews.com/story/incoming-speaker-jose-oliva-takes-national-leadership-role-gop
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The next leader of the Florida House is taking a step up in national politics as incoming Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami, is taking a leadership role with the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC). Oliva was one of 22 officials from 18 states who will serve on the RSLC’s executive committee for its Future Majority Project initiative which is being chaired by Governors Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Brian Sandoval of Nevada and Lieutenant Governors Jenean Hampton of Kentucky and Evelyn Sanguinetti of Illinois. “We started the Future Majority Project in 2011 to support Republican candidates who better reflect the growing diversity of the American electorate. Since its founding we have helped elect over 100 diverse Republican state legislators and are continuing to expand this initiative into 2018,” RSLC President Matt Walter said on Thursday. “The RSLC’s Future Majority Project is critically important because our government functions best when its representatives reflect the growing diversity of the electorate. I am the daughter of teenage immigrant parents and I am proof that the American Dream is possible,” said Sanguinetti. “As our country’s first Latina lieutenant governor, I have a unique governing philosophy and policy perspective that benefits the residents I serve. I am proud to co-chair this effort to recruit diverse Republican candidates to our party.” “I’m personally aware of the unique challenges conservative minority candidates may encounter when running for office. Yet, I enjoy sharing GOP core principles of life, liberty and personal responsibility with anyone who’ll listen,”Hampton said. She is the first black person elected to statewide office in Kentucky’s history. “The Future Majority Project’s efforts to encourage, recruit, and support diverse Republican candidates for state offices are vital to the growth and success of the Republican Party.” The RSLC has spent almost $20 million with the Right Women, Right Now initiative and the Future Majority Project to “elect and support dynamic female and diverse candidates for state level offices.” Oliva is the only Florida Republican serving on the Future Majority Project’s executive committee. He will take the gavel from current House Speaker Richard Corcoran after the November elections.)

TIMES OF SAN DIEGO
— Fox News Suggests Rancho Santa Fe’s John Cox Could be Elected Governor
https://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2018/04/07/fox-news-suggests-randco-santa-fes-john-cox-could-be-elected-governor/

ZILLOW
— FOR SALE: 500 Arbor Avenue, Wheaton – $599,900
https://www.zillow.com/wheaton-il/1_fs/X1-SS1apc9gppw622z_3o1g1_sse/4447899_zpid/