June 10 Morning Edition

QUAD CITIES ONLINE
— Rauner trails Pritzker in latest poll – SARAH HAYDEN (DIERSEN: What has Rauner done so far to encourage those who voted for Trump and/or for Ives to help reelect him on November 6, 2018? For example, has he offered to sign a pledge that he will not take any action against Illinois Republican Party (IRP) platform? For example, has he offered to attend a summit meeting with those who endorsed Trump, those who endorsed Ives, and the conservative leaders in Illinois? What does Rauner say to those who increasingly conclude that he does NOT want those who voted for Trump and/or for Ives to help reelect him on November 6, 2018? Increasingly, it looks like Rauner is running against those who support Trump and against those who support the traditional family, right to life, immigration, and other planks in the IRP platform, that is, it increasing looks like he is running as an anti-conservative, that is, it increasing looks like he is running as anti-Republican.)
https://qconline.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/rauner-trails-pritzker-in-latest-poll/article_56b6e274-50c5-50bb-913f-c2b8b775c864.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Gov. Bruce Rauner is trailing Democratic gubernatorial rival J.B. Pritzker by at least 15 points, according to the May edition of The Illinois Poll. The telephone survey contacted 1,208 voters May 22-24. While Rauner holds narrow leads in northern and central Illinois, he has surged in the southern part of the state, with a 46-to-30 percent lead over Pritzker. Predictably, Pritzker is leading Rauner 76 to 11 percent in Democratic Chicago and suburban Cook County. The poll also asked residents whether they believe Rauner deserves to be re-elected to a second term in office. Thirty four percent of respondents said yes, while 53 percent said no.)
— Madigan must lead to change locker room culture – Editorial
https://qconline.com/opinion/columnists/editorial-madigan-must-lead-to-change-locker-room-culture/article_39a9674e-5bcb-50a1-a8ba-2c923307f191.html
— Time to end state pension COLAs – Jim Turner, Fenton (DIERSEN: In my defense, federal COLAs average much less than 3% a year.)
https://qconline.com/opinion/letters/letter-time-to-end-state-pension-colas/article_4a7c17cd-9703-575b-b105-a441fbe25cea.html

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— More than 600 bills will land on Rauner’s desk as he seeks re-election – Bill Lukitsch
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-bruce-rauner-illinois-legislature-20180607-story.html
— Under attack, billionaire George Soros plans to redouble his efforts – Michael Kranish
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-george-soros-interview-20180609-story.html
— How many millions do you need to run for governor? – Alene L. Fishbein, Glencoe
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/ct-letters-illinois-governor-race-rich-20180608-story.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— 3 people dead, 7 wounded Saturday in Chicago shootings
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/3-people-dead-7-wounded-saturday-in-chicago-shootings/

 

DAILY HERALD
— Let’s build on bipartisan momentum for change in budget – Gov. Bruce Rauner (DIERSEN: Historically and ever-increasingly, “bipartisan” is code for anti-conservative.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20180610/rauner-lets-build-on-bipartisan-momentum-for-change-in-budget

 

BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— Imbalance deciding policies – Editorial
https://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-imbalance-deciding-policies/article_e0c176a7-ec5a-5027-a08f-a3a5effa887d.html
— AS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY’S STRANGLEHOLD ON ILLINOIS TIGHTENS: Food pantries, co-op experiencing increase in need – PAUL SWIECH (DIERSEN: Soon, under the Democrats, everyone in Illinois will be either a) getting welfare or b) giving out welfare.)
https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/food-pantries-co-op-experiencing-increase-in-need/article_ebed5c09-c4d4-5609-9ffe-d254da9d0dca.html

 

NORTHWEST HERALD
— Cheering that new Illinois budget? Not so fast – Editorial
http://www.nwherald.com/2018/06/07/our-view-cheering-that-new-illinois-budget-not-so-fast/amign4e/

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— It’s going to be a long campaign season – Doug Finke
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20180609/statehouse-insider-its-going-to-be-long-campaign-season

 

BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
– Miss Illinois crowned; will be among first to forgo swimsuit contest at Miss America – MARY COOLEY
http://www.bnd.com/news/state/article212909354.html

 

HERALD NEWS
— AS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY’S STRANGLEHOLD ON ILLINOIS TIGHTENS: Roundup of food pantries in Will and Grundy counties (DIERSEN: Soon, under the Democrats, everyone in Illinois will be either a) getting welfare or b) giving out welfare.)
http://www.theherald-news.com/2018/04/11/roundup-of-food-pantries-in-will-and-grundy-counties/ae82fg9/

 

ALTON DAILY NEWS
— New Plan Would Add Administrative Spending to State Report Card – Benjamin Yount
http://altondailynews.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=17&id=266555#.Wx0eLopKiM8

 

NORTHWEST HERALD
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps get dozens to chant for immigration reform during Friday rally in DeKalb
http://www.nwherald.com/2018/06/09/dozens-chant-for-immigration-reform-during-friday-rally-in-dekalb/arfdlof/

 

  1. LOUIS TODAY
    — Smartphones are doing to websites what Amazon did to the mall – Kyle Stock
    https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/fashion-and-style/smartphones-are-doing-to-websites-what-amazon-did-to-the/article_70f30ba9-1b44-5591-84e2-bfe97ae89b25.html

 

FOX ILLINOIS
— Free concealed carry course offered to Illinois teachers – Nikki McGee
http://foxillinois.com/news/local/free-concealed-carry-course-offered-to-illinois-teachers

 

NPR ILLINOIS
— At G7 Summit, Trump Demands Changes To ‘Unfair’ Trade Policies – Bill Lukitsch
http://nprillinois.org/post/g7-summit-trump-demands-changes-unfair-trade-policies#stream/0
— California: High School Valedictorian’s Mic Cut When She Talks About Campus Sexual Assault
http://nprillinois.org/post/high-school-valedictorians-mic-cut-when-she-talks-about-campus-sexual-assault#stream/0
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps glorify and praise those who come to America illegally, those who stay in America illegally, and those who bring others to America illegally. Ever-increasingly, anti-Trumps make it clear that they are anti-American.
http://nprillinois.org/post/judge-halts-deportation-detained-new-york-pizza-delivery-man#stream/0

 

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Facebook, Twitter, Google, Amazon in Cahoots w/SPLC – Michael F. Haverluck (DIERSEN: If you are in cahoots with SPLC, you shout that you want to get rid of the traditional family plank in the Republican Party platform and all those individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that support that plank.)
https://illinoisfamily.org/media/facebook-twitter-google-amazon-in-cahoots-w-splc/

 

THE HILL
— Trump economic adviser: Trudeau ‘stabbed us in the back’ – BRETT SAMUELS
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/391535-kudlow-trudeau-stabbed-us-in-the-back

 

POLITICO
— Blue states find ways to undercut GOP tax law In states like New York, taxpayers would be better off than they were before Republicans changed the tax law. – BRIAN FALER (DIERSEN: Roskam should increase the $10,000 SALT cap to $20,000 for married filing jointly. Democrats can/will use the cap to shout that Republicans want to discourage marriage and homeownership.)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/10/blue-states-gop-tax-law-634991
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Residents of some blue states may get a surprisingly big tax cut thanks to workarounds state lawmakers are crafting to subvert a controversial new cap on deductions for state and local taxes. In places like New York, taxpayers will not only be able to claim the same break as before Republicans imposed a new $10,000 cap on the deduction, but they will also be able to sidestep longstanding federal rules on exactly when the deduction may be taken.)

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, since the Civil War, Democrats have shouted at Blacks that Republicans have caused, are causing, and will cause all the problems that Blacks have had, are having, and will have.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/09/opinion/african-americans-national-anthem-protests.html
— Turning Affluent Suburbs Blue Isn’t Worth the Cost – Lily Geismer and Matthew D. Lassiter (DIERSEN: How affluent is your precinct, your municipality, your township/ward, your county, and Illinois? What percent have “money to burn” and want government a) to take more money away from those who have more money and b) give that money to those who have less money?)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/09/opinion/sunday/affluent-suburbs-democrats.html

 

LOS ANGELES TIMES
— Meet John Cox and Gavin Newsom, the candidates for California governor – PHIL WILLON
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-california-governor-candidates-john-cox-gavin-newsom-2018-htmlstory.html

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Pot pushers are overjoyed that “Jeff Sessions Struggles to Get Planned Marijuana Crackdown Going.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/jeff-sessions-struggles-to-get-planned-marijuana-crackdown-going-1528628400

 

THE DAY
— Too much news? Not for everyone – Jennifer Rubin (DIERSEN: Should I write a book about my critics/opponents who focus on discouraging everyone from reading GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails? They want you read only what they publish or they bless. More than just being overjoyed about, they played major roles in ending my TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairmanship, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee membership, Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster service, Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee membership, and American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board membership.)
https://www.theday.com/article/20180610/OP04/180619985

(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Pew Research Center is out with a fascinating poll on “news fatigue.” The poll finds: “Almost seven-in-ten Americans (68%) feel worn out by the amount of news there is these days, compared with only three-in-ten who say they like the amount of news they get,” according to the report. “The portion expressing feelings of information overload is in line with how Americans felt during the 2016 presidential election, when a majority expressed feelings of exhaustion from election coverage.” On one hand, this is understandable given the constant drumbeat of scandal and outrage. On the other hand, no one forces Americans to watch or read the news. It is a choice whether to consume it or not, and judging from those stunning poll results (e.g. only 43 percent polled last year could name a single Supreme Court justice), many people do a fine job of being uninformed. Nevertheless, to the degree one attempts to be a diligent citizen, it seems to many that they are drinking out of the proverbial firehose. Looking a little closer, we see an interesting phenomenon. Distaste for President Donald Trump — and perhaps glee at his failures — makes Democrats more eager to ingest as much news as they can. “While majorities of both Republicans and Democrats express news fatigue, Republicans are feeling it more,” according the Pew’s findings. “Roughly three-quarters (77%) of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents feel worn out over how much news there is, compared with about six-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (61%). This elevated fatigue among Republicans tracks with them having less enthusiasm than Democrats for the 2018 elections. The lack of interest in the news and in the election suggests that an outsize segment of Republicans don’t want to hear that much about, or take stock of, the president and Congress they elected. Yes, we can sympathize that it is stressful to see someone you were warned not to vote for display just about every rotten trait you chose to overlook during the campaign (e.g. dishonesty, vulgarity, racism). Ironically, the less-informed people feel the most overwhelmed, even if they don’t actually consume a whole lot of news. (“While a majority of those who follow the news most of the time (62%) are feeling worn out by the news, a substantially higher portion (78%) of those who less frequently get news say they are fatigued by the amount of it that they see.”) There may be a strong segment of the electorate that is trying to hide from the news — but just can’t. The demographic groups that most strongly supported Trump are now the most exhausted by the news. “Some demographic groups — most notably white Americans — are more likely than others to feel exhausted by the news,” the poll finds. “Nearly three-quarters (73%) of white Americans express fatigue with the amount of news, much higher than among both Hispanic (55%) and black Americans (55%). Women are also somewhat more likely than men to feel worn out (71% vs. 64%, respectively).” There is some good news in this for the anti-Trump forces. It seems they are more energized (perhaps by a sense of vindication or by a desire to stop the Trump madness) than Republicans, who, gosh, just don’t seem to want to be reminded of what and whom they voted for. They are not “tired of winning.”)

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.