January 29 Morning Edition

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Rauner, Ives to spar live online at 11 a.m. (DIERSEN: One would expect that far more Republican incumbents, rather than their Republican primary challengers, wanted to get rid of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois. If I was still the TAPROOT chairman, the organization would be hosting debates for a) Rauner v. Ives, b) Sanguinetti v. Morthland, c) Illinois Republican Party (IRP) State Central Committee candidates, and d) many other races. Those who wanted to get rid of TAPROOT were furious when I asked candidates if they would defend and advance all the planks in the IRP platform if they were elected. From what I see, protecting Republican incumbents is a top priority for the IRP, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Milton Township Republican Central Committee, etc. Of course, there are exceptions. The IRP succeeded in getting Peter Fitzgerald to not seek a second term. That brought us Jack Ryan, Alan Keyes, and Obama.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-jeanne-ives-editorial-board-20180129-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and primary challenger state Rep. Jeanne Ives will appear before the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board at 11 a.m. Monday for an endorsement session that will be streamed online at chicagotribune.com. It’s the first time since Ives announced her campaign that voters will have a chance to see the two candidates together. And it might be the last. No televised debates between the two are scheduled, and Rauner has been careful not to talk about Ives much, once suggesting she is a “fringe” candidate. Rauner’s position is a common one for well-heeled incumbents: If your opponent isn’t well-known and doesn’t have a lot of money to remedy that, don’t raise his or her profile. (A Republican-aligned pollster this month suggested the governor has a big early lead.) Ives, though, has criticized Rauner at every turn. She hit him when he said “I am not in charge” late last year. A West Point graduate, Ives has slammed Rauner over veterans’ deaths in Quincy. And as recently as last week, she continued to criticize the governor’s signature of a law to expand the availability of taxpayer-funded abortions. That last issue, of course, is the one that sparked Ives’ candidacy in the first place. Ives is a third-term lawmaker from Wheaton, and Rauner is seeking a second term as governor. The Tribune Editorial Board, which operates separately from the newsroom, will use the session to help decide on its endorsement.)
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps use Duckworth’s pregnancy to promote Duckworth.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-jeanne-ives-editorial-board-20180129-story.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG COLOR PICTURE: Arrest linked to Chief Illiniwek dispute leads to renewed calls for new U. of I. mascot – John Keilman
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-chief-illiniwek-controversy-continues-20180126-story.html

 

ABC7
— 1967 blizzard: Nearly 2 ft. of snow falls on Chicago – John Garcia (DIERSEN: I worked part-time for the Park Forest Post Office in 1967. I drove the first mail truck from Park Forest that got through to Monee and to Peotone after the blizzard.)
http://abc7chicago.com/weather/1967-blizzard-nearly-2-ft-of-snow-falls-on-chicago/2992203/

 

NBC5
— Candidates Call on Rep. Roskam to Return Reported Campaign Donations From Steve Wynn   Wynn stepped down as RNC Finance Chair this weekend over allegations of sexual misconduct
https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/democratic-candidates-call-on-peter-roskam-to-return-donations-from-steve-wynn-471576083.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Wynn contributed to a host of Republican campaigns in 2016, including Senator Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign and Political Action Committee, but did not appear to make any individual contributions to Roskam, according to a Federal Election Commission database. Kenneth Vogel of the New York Times did include Roskam on his list of politicians, committees, and 527 groups that received contributions from Wynn, saying that the “Roskam for Congress Committee” received $1465, according to FEC and IRS data.)

 

WGN RADIO
— Rick Pearson talks with Republican State Rep. David McSweeney about the debt that IL is in and the pressure that he is applying on the Governor in order to have a more detailed budget moving forward.
http://wgnradio.com/2018/01/28/the-sunday-spin-politics-with-rick-pearson-full-show-1-28-18/

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, anti-Trumps promote foreign countries, their citizens, and Islam.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/travel-ban-immigration-protests-chaos/
— Chicago’s former top fed Patrick Fitzgerald swept up in Michigan State’s Larry Nassar fallout – Jon Seidel
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/chicagos-former-top-fed-swept-up-in-michigan-states-larry-nassar-fallout/

 

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Tollway denies patronage in hiring state lawmaker’s relative, but won’t release resume – Marni Pyke (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always promoted patronage. Because I have always been a Republican, were it not for federal civil service protections, a) the Post Office would NOT have hired me in 1966 or let me work there for almost 3 years, b) IRS would NOT have hired me in 1971 or let me work there for almost 9 years, c) IRS would NOT have promoted me in 1972, 1973, or 1974, d) GAO would NOT have hired me in 1980 or let me work there for almost 18 years, and e) GAO would NOT have promoted me in 1986.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180129/tollway-denies-patronage-in-hiring-state-lawmakers-relative-but-wont-release-resume
— FRONT PAGE WITH COLOR PICTURE: OUTRAGEOUS: After a naloxone revival, hospital protocol is to just let opioid addicts go – Marie Wilson
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180129/after-a-naloxone-revival-hospital-protocol-is-to-just-let-opioid-addicts-go
— Stigma still stopping opioid users from seeking naloxone – Marie Wilson
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180129/stigma-still-stopping-opioid-users-from-seeking-naloxone

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Ives is a real Republican – Jim Young, Mount Sterling
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20180128/letter-ives-is-real-republican

 

JOURNAL GAZETTE TIMES COURIER
— Rauner set to give State of the State – DEREK BEIGH
http://jg-tc.com/news/local/state-and-regional/rauner-set-to-give-state-of-the-state/article_846bfe8b-368d-5ce3-b795-77c591d26e64.html

 

NPR ILLINOIS
— Lawmakers Consider More Property Tax Breaks For Seniors – SAM DUNKLAU (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those in my precinct, in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois who want my wife and I to pay more real estate tax. They stress that my wife and I gave up trying to have children, that we did not adopt, and that we did not become foster parents. They stress that I avoided the draft, that I am not a member of a church, that I do not attend church services, and that I do not give money to a church. They hint/imply/argue/shout that the federal government grossly overpaid me and that my federal pension and my federal health, dental, and vision insurance subsidies are much too generous. They side with the developer of our subdivision, the City of Wheaton, Milton Township, and DuPage County that argue that our home and the subdivision it was built in never had any defects.)
http://nprillinois.org/post/lawmakers-consider-more-property-tax-breaks-seniors#stream/0
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Democratic state Senator Laura Murphy of Des Plaines said the cost of owning a home in her suburban district is getting too pricey for older people. “It’s a very common concern of seniors anxious about how they’re gonna remain in their homes,” she said. She wants more seniors to be able to claim a homestead exemption on their property taxes — raising the maximum annual income from $65,000 to $75,000. Another proposal would allow seniors in downstate communities to cut their tax by $7,000, up from the current $5,000. But Carol Portman, president of the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois, calls that problematic. “By reducing the taxes of those folks a little bit, then you’re raising it for the next door neighbors and the people across the street. Where you draw the line of who gets the benefit and who has to pay the taxes for them, it gets really tough to draw.” Property taxes have become a top political issue in the 2018 elections, from the race for governor on down the ballot.)

 

WIRE POINTS
— Snake oil, the budget impasse and Illinois’ $1 billion in late payment penalties – Mark Glennon
http://www.wirepoints.com/snake-oil-the-budget-impasse-and-illinois-1-billion-in-late-payment-penalties-wirepoints-original/

 

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— ONLY A FEW MORE HOURS ON IR POLL: DO YOU SUPPORT LEGALIZING MARIJUANA IN ILLINOIS? (DIERSEN: If you support legalizing marijuana in Illinois, you support the destruction of Illinois.)
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/01/only-a-few-more-hours-on-ir-poll-do-you-support-legalizing-marijuana-in-illinois.html

 

CAPITOL FAX
— Rauner, Ives meet today at 11
https://capitolfax.com/2018/01/29/rauner-ives-meet-today-at-11/
— Rauner ends crisis he created by cutting a deal with people he appointed
https://capitolfax.com/2018/01/29/rauner-ends-crisis-he-created-by-cutting-a-deal-with-people-he-appointed/

 

GOPUSA
— DOJ: Crime rate higher among illegal aliens (DIERSEN: By definition, if you are in America illegally, you are a law breaker.)
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=38046
— Illiterates, no-shows, all seniors graduate at DC high
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=37402
— Military court throws out rape conviction because jury was packed with female activists
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=38054

 

DAILY CALLER
— President Trump Has NOT Stopped Federal Contractors From Offshoring American Jobs. Will He Start? – GEORGE FARADAY
http://dailycaller.com/2018/01/29/president-trump-has-not-stopped-federal-contractors-from-outsourcing-american-jobs-will-he-start/
— Trump: It Was ‘Getting Too Cold,’ So Now They Say Climate Change – Michael Bastasch
http://dailycaller.com/2018/01/28/donald-trump-piers-morgan/

 

AMERICAN THINKER
— DACA: What is Trump doing? – James Simpson
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/01/daca_what_is_trump_doing.html

 

CONSERVATIVE HQ
— Outsiders vs. Insiders: How Trump masterfully set the stage for a SOTU address for the ages – Jeffrey A. Rendall (DIERSEN: Most, if not virtually all of the operatives and the dupes who work for my critics/opponents paint themselves as being operatives or dupes for a) insiders and/or b) those who have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois.)
http://www.conservativehq.com/article/27286-outsiders-vs-insiders-how-trump-masterfully-set-stage-sotu-address-ages

 

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Sessions sanctuary city crackdown hits Calif., Ore., NYC, Chicago, LA hardest, lose $53 million – Paul Bedard
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sessions-sanctuary-city-crackdown-hits-calif-ore-nyc-chicago-la-hardest-lose-53-million/article/2647071
— Republican donors happy with Trump’s policy successes but worry his demeanor will cost GOP in the midterms – David M. Drucker (DIERSEN: Is your precinct “upscale,” that is, do many, most, or virtually all its residents pay more than $10,000 a year in real estate taxes and state income taxes? What percent of the voters in your precinct are “educated white women.” What do they think of Trump?)
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/republican-donors-happy-with-trumps-policy-successes-but-worry-his-demeanor-will-cost-gop-in-the-midterms/article/2647353
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Roskam holds a suburban Chicago district, the sort where educated white women are prevalent. Despite the booming economy, they don’t like Trump. Additionally, the Republican tax bill has been a hard sell in upscale suburban strongholds in blue states that usually vote for Republicans but believe the new law could raise their taxes. “Educated suburban white women have decided that they’re not interested,” DeBlasio said. “People tend to react in a sense they want to protect themselves…Trump doesn’t give people a sense of security, particularly that demographic.”)

 

POLITICO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Someone named “Marc Short” says “Conservatives support Trump’s immigration plan.” Who are these “conservatives?”)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/28/trump-immigration-plan-conservatives-373829
— Both parties face dissent over handling of #MeToo Some Democrats regret rush to judgment, while some in GOP say their party needs to take allegations more seriously. – MAGGIE SEVERNS and MARIANNE LEVINE (DIERSEN: Of course, those who are anti-men will use #MeToo to destroy men. The will hint/imply/argue/shout that all men are sexual harassers.)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/29/congress-sexual-harassment-metoo-372855

 

CNN
— Reality sets in that DACA deal might not get done – Tal Kopan
https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/29/politics/daca-deal-reality/index.html
— Bruno Mars and politics play big at Grammys – Lisa France
http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/28/entertainment/grammys-2018-recap/index.html

 

CBS NEWS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps use Duckworth’s pregnancy to promote Duckworth.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sen-tammy-duckworth-pregnant-face-the-nation/

 

WASHINGTON POST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Democrats promote Islam. How soon, if not already, will the Democrats try to make Islam the official religion of America? How open are you to becoming a Muslim?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/01/29/why-the-trump-administration-is-trying-to-make-muslim-immigrants-seem-dangerous/

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Harassment Training for Lawmakers: Where’s the Line? As sexual-harassment accusations draw scrutiny, state officials are learning to adjust their behavior – Dan Frosch and Nour Malas
https://www.wsj.com/articles/harassment-training-for-lawmakers-wheres-the-line-1517221801
— Koch Groups Move On From Health-Care Fight Network of pro-GOP donors shifts focus to tax law, protecting Republicans in midterm elections – Julie Bykowicz (DIERSEN: What are your demographics? How does the tax law help those who share your demographics? Republicans should not expect those who are not helped by the tax law to promote the tax law and they certainly should not expect those who are harmed by the tax law to promote it. Those who pay more than $10,000 a year in real estate tax and state income tax are harmed the most.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/koch-groups-move-on-from-health-care-fight-1517172843
Steve Wynn Fallout Ripples as Republicans Seek Distance
— Casino mogul steps down as RNC finance chairman and some GOP officials redirect donations – Kristina Peterson, Chris Kirkham and Chris Gordon
https://www.wsj.com/articles/steve-wynn-fallout-ripples-as-republicans-seek-distance-1517188851

 

DALLAS NEWS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: An anti-Trump says “Immigrants aren’t ‘pouring’ across the border, as Trump says in pitching the wall.”
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2018/01/29/immigrants-pouring-across-border-trump-says-pitching-wall

 

AXIOS
— MAY 23, 2017 FLASHBACK: How Google and Facebook drive internet traffic by topic – Sara Fischer (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents are beyond furious that my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails drive far more internet traffic than their emails do.)
https://www.axios.com/how-google-and-facebook-drive-internet-traffic-by-topic-1513302486-57f12c0b-c248-4f2c-ac44-76e4d8b616ca.html

 

DAILY BEAST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Republican hating Democrat says “It’s Still 1965 in Donald Trump’s Mind on Immigration Until Trump, politicians who staked their careers on xenophobia and nativism were losers. Maybe even he is beginning to realize this.” Beyond overwhelmingly, immigrants vote for Democrats. Since 1965, ever-increasingly, Democrats make it clear that they want to use immigrants to get rid of Republicans once and for all.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/its-still-1965-in-donald-trumps-mind-on-immigration

(FROM THE ARTICLE: There are two Americas when it comes to attitudes toward immigration, and the numbers tell the story. In 1960, 5.4 percent were foreign born; in 1970, it was 4.7 percent. Today it’s 13.5 percent. And the newcomers are not spread evenly across the country. Trump lost 16 of the 20 states with the most immigrants, with California the most obvious, and he won 26 of the 30 states with the least number of immigrants. Thanks to incendiary comments by politicians with a vested interest in stoking fears, people in states with the fewest immigrants are the most frightened of what they believe is an “invasion.” Surveys find that people think there are far more immigrants than there actually are, mirroring their belief that government devotes a vast amount of money to foreign aid, when it’s less than 1 percent of the federal budget. The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, which Ted Kennedy shepherded through the Senate, opened the door to the modern wave of immigrants from around the world. Before that, they came mainly from Northern Europe. Family unification, which Trump derides as “chain migration,” was put in place as a way to insure the flow of largely white and European immigrants would continue. Now that immigrants from other places are the beneficiaries, Trump wants to end it.)

Author: David Diersen

The opinions that I express in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are based on experience that I have gained doing many things since 1948. I base my opinions on what I learned a) working for the federal government for almost 30 years -- Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, and being a union member while I worked for the Post Office and IRS; b) earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, a masters degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and a masters degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997; c) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981; c) serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Chairman 2005-2012, a member of the 2008 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) Platform and Resolutions Committee, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004; d) attending the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 IRP State Conventions as a delegate; e) being the subject of a nasty 4-page article in the February 1978 issue of Money Magazine; f) pursing litigation including Diersen v. GAO and Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange; g) being married since 1978; h) living in Crete 1948-1972, in University Park 1972-1976, in Chicago 1976-1978, and in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978; and i) being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran.