March 24 Evening Edition

ABC7
— Here is the White House response to March for Our Lives – CNN
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/here-is-the-white-house-response-to-march-for-our-lives/3255739/
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats crow about their success in using students as their operatives and as their dupes.
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/students-gather-in-chicago-dc-for-march-for-our-lives-2018-rallies/3254915/

 

NBC5
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats crow about their success in using students as their operatives and as their dupes.
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/thousands-expected-saturday-at-chicagos-march-for-our-lives-477671253.html

 

CBS2
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats crow about their success in using students as their operatives and as their dupes.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/03/23/gun-control-march-for-our-lives-chicago-teen/
— Spending Spring Break Serving Others – Audrina Bigos (DIERSEN: What did you do during your spring breaks? To demonize, denigrate, and condemn me as being an undeservedly filthy rich draft dodger while I attended NIU, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes would stress that I drove my 1969 Dodge Charger SE to Florida for spring break in 1969 and 1970.)
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/03/24/spending-spring-break-serving-others/

 

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats crow about their success in using students as their operatives and as their dupes.
http://www.fox32chicago.com/news/national/after-parkland-shooting-worldwide-march-for-our-lives-1
— Synthetic pot linked to several cases of severe bleeding in NE Illinois
http://www.fox32chicago.com/news/local/synthetic-pot-linked-to-several-cases-of-severe-bleeding-in-ne-illinois

 

WGN TV
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats crow about their success in using students as their operatives and as their dupes.
http://wgntv.com/2018/03/24/organizers-hope-to-draw-half-a-million-to-march-for-our-lives-in-washington/

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats crow about their success in using students as their operatives and as their dupes.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/chicagos-march-for-our-lives-thoughts-and-prayers-wont-do-much-anymore/
https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/photos-chicagos-march-for-our-lives/
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/thousands-gather-march-for-our-lives-washington/
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Democrat says “Ninety-nine percent of the Catholic faithful are open to the message of welcoming LGBT people.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/controversial-priest-homophobia-in-church-always-going-to-be-there/
— In victory for Dart, time’s up for prostitution ads on Craigslist, other sites – Mary Mitchell
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/in-victory-for-dart-times-up-for-prostitution-ads-on-craigslist-other-sites/
— Dedicated teachers — not gun-toting teachers — key to safety in Chicago schools – Mark Hamstra (DIERSEN: What shows that you are/were a dedicated employee? While I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969, I took job-related courses and earned a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970. While I was an IRS employee 1971-1980, a) I took job-related graduate business courses 1972-1976 and earned a job-related master’s degree when I was 27; b) I took job-related graduate accounting courses 1976-1980 and earned a job-related master’s degree when I was 31; and c) I earned a job-related professional certification when I was 30. While I was a GAO employee 1980-1997, a) I earned a job-related professional license when I was 32; b) I earned job-related professional certifications when I was 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48; and c) I earned a job-related master’s degree when I was 48.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/dedicated-teachers-not-gun-toting-teachers-key-to-safety-in-chicago-schools/

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats crow about their success in using students as their operatives and as their dupes.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-march-for-our-lives-20180324-story.html
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-education-guns-march-for-lives-st-0325-2-20180324-story.html
— Rauner as broken record: Madigan isn’t the only issue in this campaign – Editorial
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-rauner-madigan-pritzker-election-20180322-story.html

 

DAILY HERALD
— Primary surprise: Democrats pull more ballots than Republicans in 3 traditional GOP counties – Robert Sanchez (DIERSEN: When Democrats take over, a) prosperity and safety decrease and b) poverty and crime increase.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180324/primary-surprise-dems-pull-more-ballots-than-republicans-in-3-traditional-gop-counties
(FROM THE ARTICLE: More Democrats voted in DuPage than Republicans. There were 82,943 Democratic ballots cast countywide during the primary, according to unofficial results, compared to 72,843 by Republicans. DuPage wasn’t the only place to experience the shift: Democrats in Lake and Kane counties also pulled more ballots than Republicans. That turnout has the DuPage Democratic Party talking about a “Blue Wave” on its website and Chairman Robert Peickert saying the party may abandon the idea of focusing on only a few county board races. “Democrats are very energized,” Peickert said. “I think they are ready to make a big move in November nationally, statewide and here in DuPage.” . . . “We projected we were going to be way down,” said Brian Krajewski, chairman of the DuPage Republican Party. “We didn’t have many contested races.” Krajewski said there also are indications that many Republicans pulled Democratic ballots to vote against one of the governor candidates. “They were pulling Democratic ballots because they didn’t want J.B. Pritzker,” he said.)
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats crow about their success in using students as their operatives and as their dupes.
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180324/images-x201cmarch-for-our-livesx201d-in-the-suburbs
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180324/from-glen-ellyn-to-elgin-thousands-of-suburban-residents-march-to-protest-gun-violence

 

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— Winning back Ives supporters will take time – Doug Finke
http://www.pjstar.com/news/20180324/statehouse-insider-winning-back-ives-supporters-will-take-time
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The dust from the primary election has had a chance to settle a bit, but one thing seems clear: Gov. Bruce Rauner will have his hands full trying to win over supporters of Rep. Jeanne Ives. Rauner’s going to need her supporters in November if the predictions come true of a huge Democratic turnout. He may need to make a more public display of soliciting their support than he has so far. About the only positive thing Ives has said so far about Rauner since election night is that she would vote for him in November because he is a Republican. She said she would not endorse him or campaign for him. And then there was the post-election interview she did with WBEZ where she was asked if Rauner or Democratic challenger JB Pritzker would make a better governor. Forty seconds of silence followed before Ives uttered Rauner’s name. Was it a kiss of death? We’ve now gone through the first election since the General Assembly broke a two-year deadlock and passed a new state budget. One key to passing the budget was that a number of House Republicans ignored the wishes of Republican leadership and voted for both a budget and a tax increase to pay for it. Let’s look at the results, since the tax hike in particular infuriated many Republicans. There are two votes to keep in mind. First was the initial vote to pass the tax hike, and then a second vote to override Rauner’s veto. On the first go-around, 15 House Republicans voted for the tax hike. When it came time to vote for the override — the crucial vote to actually put the tax hike in place — only 10 of the original 15 voted “yes.” Of the other five, one was absent and the other four switched their votes on the override. Of the 10 who voted for the override, seven opted not to run for re-election. Two faced primary challenges and won. One has a general election opponent, but did not have a primary. Of the four who switched their votes, one opted not to run; two had primary opponents and won; and the fourth was defeated in the primary. The lawmaker who was absent chose not to seek reelection. The anti-tax crowd can claim victory if they want, contending the GOP lawmakers who voted for the tax hike merely fled before voters could oust them. But it also appears that a vote to raise taxes wasn’t an automatic kiss of death when voters had a chance to weigh in.)

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Downstate holds key to Pritzker blowout – Brenden Moore
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180324/downstate-holds-key-to-pritzker-blowout

 

KANKAKEE DAILY JOURNAL
— Here’s your chance to reshape Illinois politics – Jim Nowlan
http://www.daily-journal.com/opinion/columnists/local/jim-nowlan-here-s-your-chance-to-reshape-illinois-politics/article_bc8db6ef-e7c9-5c6b-8314-715ceefd3d28.html

 

SUBURBAN LIFE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats crow about their success in using students as their operatives and as their dupes.
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2018/03/24/hundreds-march-through-glen-ellyn-demanding-end-to-gun-violence/dz5wqgc/
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2018/03/24/scenes-from-suburban-march-for-our-lives-events/d2rnf92/

 

WJBD RADIO
— Trump wants big push for vocational schools (DIERSEN: Were you considered to be college material? While I attended Crete-Monee High School 1962-1966, I took college preparatory courses notwithstanding the fact that many, if not most, if not virtually everyone at the time viewed me as NOT being “college material.” Neither of my parents had attended college. My father was the first of his ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. I spent my junior and senior years and the summer in between washing dishes for the minimum wage in the basement of the S.S. Kresges in Chicago Heights. I just barely made into the top 20% of my class, my ACT score was only 24, I was draft bait, my eyesight could not be corrected to 20/20, I had partial red/green color blindness, and I had Osgood-Schlatter disease (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osgood%E2%80%93Schlatter_disease). Further, my father had fought type 1 diabetes from age 14. I am sure that many thought that I would soon come down with type 1 diabetes too.)
http://www.wjbdradio.com/politics/2018/03/24/trump-wants-big-push-for-vocational-schools

 

NPR ILLINOIS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats crow about their success in using students as their operatives and as their dupes.
http://nprillinois.org/post/hundreds-thousands-march-gun-control-across-us#stream/0

 

FOX ILLINOIS

— Illinois fails to recoup $76 million in Medicaid overpayments – AP
http://foxillinois.com/news/local/illinois-fails-to-recoup-76-million-in-medicaid-overpayments-03-24-2018

 

ILLINOIS OPPORTUNITY PROJECT
— The Most Conservative Caucus In A Generation
https://mailchi.mp/illinoisopportunity/the-most-conservative-caucus-in-a-generation

 

MILLENNIAL POLITICS
— Only 3% Millennial Turnout in Illinois Primary – Curt Cain (DIERSEN: What percent of the registered voters in your precinct are Millennials?)
https://millennialpolitics.co/millennial-turnout-illinois/

 

NEWSMAX
— Omnibus Spending Package Increases Congressional Budgets By Millions – Sandy Fitzgerald (DIERSEN: While worked for GAO’s Chicago office 1980-1997, Republicans, and especially Newt Gingrich, fought to cut GAO’s budget. Consequently, because I was one of the few Republicans in the office, my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates took their anger against Republicans; if not their hatred of Republicans, out on me.)
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/omnibus-spending-package-congressional-budgets/2018/03/24/id/850576/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Government Accountability Office (GAO) – $578.9 million, $34.4 million above the FY2017 enacted level and $11.7 million below the FY2018 budget request.)

 

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Activist reminds March for Our Lives crowd not to forget thousands of people shot in Chicago – Anna Giaritelli (DIERSEN: Democrats run Chicago. Chicago is a city where Democrat values flourish.)
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/activist-reminds-march-for-our-lives-crowd-not-to-forget-thousands-of-people-shot-in-chicago

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Democrats promote Democrat marchers
https://www.wsj.com/articles/thousands-of-marchers-set-to-take-a-stand-against-gun-violence-1521889200

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.