SANDACK ENDS BID FOR ILGOP CHAIRMANSHIP, BLAMES CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS
Illinois Review – State Rep. Ron Sandack (R) announced on public radio today that he is “bowing out” of his bid to be picked as the next Illinois Republican Party chairman.
Sandack, who was recently overheard by an IR reporter viciously berating conservative Republicans for their positions on gay marriage, gun control, abortion, and their fealty to the Party’s platform, cited his support for the controversial attempt to redefine marriage as the reason for his withdrawal.
Sandack’s withdrawal means party bosses now have only eight candidates to choose from, including Cook County Commissioner Tim Schneider; former Congressman Joe Walsh; former congressional candidate Jim Nalepa; former Illinois lieutenant governor candidate Don Tracy; former Cook County State’s Attorney candidate Lori Yokoyama; and current Republican State Central Committee members Jack Dorgan, Angel Garcia and Mark Shaw.
Reporter Claims IRS Harassment After Tough Obama Interview
Dana Loesch/Red State -
St. Louis Reporter Larry Conners revealed via Facebook yesterday that he has been “hammered” by the IRS since his much-discussed interview with President Obama. Conners, a veteran reporter, asked tough, but fair question during the interview which was slammed by progressives in media. Conners says:
Shortly after I did my April 2012 interview with President Obama, my wife, friends and some viewers suggested that I might need to watch out for the IRS.
I don’t accept “conspiracy theories”, but I do know that almost immediately after the interview, the IRS started hammering me.
At the time, I dismissed the “co-incidence”, but now, I have concerns … after revelations about the IRS targeting various groups and their members.
Originally, the IRS apologized for red-flagging conservative groups and their members if they had “Tea Party” or “patriot” in their name.
Today, there are allegations that the IRS focused on various groups and/or individuals questioning or criticizing government spending, taxes, debt or how the government is run … any involved in limiting/expanding government, educating on the constitution and bill of rights, or social economic reform/movement.
In that April 2012 interview, I questioned President Obama on several topics: the Buffet Rule, his public remarks about the Supreme Court before the ruling on the Affordable Care Act. I also asked why he wasn’t doing more to help Sen. Claire McCaskill who at that time was expected to lose. The Obama interview caught fire and got wide-spread attention because I questioned his spending.
I said some viewers expressed concern, saying they think he’s “out of touch” because of his personal and family trips in the midst of our economic crisis.
The President’s face clearly showed his anger; afterwards, his staff which had been so polite … suddenly went cold.
That’s to be expected, and I can deal with that just as I did with President George H. Bush’s staff when he didn’t like my questions.
Journalistic integrity is of the utmost importance to me. My job is to ask the hard questions, because I believe viewers have a right to be well-informed. I cannot and will not promote anyone’s agenda – political or otherwise – at the expense of the reporting the truth.
What I don’t like to even consider … is that because of the Obama interview … the IRS put a target on me.
Can I prove it? At this time, no.
But it is a fact that since that April 2012 interview … the IRS has been pressuring me.
Illinois tea party groups call for investigation of President Obama’s role in IRS scandal
May 13, 2013 (SPRINGFIELD, Ill.) (WLS) – Tea party units around the state want a major investigation to find out if the President or his White House staff had anything to do with the Internal Revenue Service’s scrutiny of tea party not-for-profit applications.
After the tea party’s success in 2010, the grassroots members had no idea whose cage they had rattled.
The IRS admits its computers searched its not-for-profit applications for the words “tea party” and “patriot” among others, then singled out those groups for added scrutiny:
“There were many people who just said ‘I’m not going to do this’. It definitely was abusive by the IRS,” said Denise Cattoni, Illinois Tea Party spokeswoman.
The IRS mailed those applicants lengthy questionnaires asking about membership, events held and which candidates the groups supported.
“This is unequal treatment before the law. It’s discriminatory. It’s tyrannous, really, when you’re talking about suppressing political discourse,” said Dan Proft, WLS-AM talk show host.
Last week, an IRS official called the investigations “absolutely inappropriate”. President Obama today said he wants those responsible held accountable.
“That is outrageous. It is contrary to our traditions and people have got to be held accountable and it’s got to be fixed,” said President Obama.
“Did anybody in the West Wing know about this? Did anybody on the political branch of the Obama Administration know that this was occurring?” asked Proft.
Fourteen months ago, 12 republican senators mailed this letter to the IRS expressing their concern about the agency’s contacts with conservative groups. Denise Cattoni says said the IRS pressure had actually forced some tea party units to drop their requests for non-profit status.
“Anytime you’re intimidated by the government, that’s not American. It’s really that simple,” said Cattoni.
Joe Walsh files for his own Super PAC
Salon -
The Grow Up & Be Free PAC would help back conservative candidates in the elections
Former Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., has filed papers with the FEC to form his own Super PAC, called the The Grow Up & Be Free PAC, which is aimed at boosting conservative candidates in the elections.
“What I’m doing is I’ve been traveling the state for the last four months. We are trying to grow a movement of people in Illinois to tell their politicians – they want to grow up, keep more of what we’ve make… We already have 2,000 members,” Walsh told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Walsh, who lost his race to Democrat Tammy Duckworth in 2012, said that he’s mostly focused on candidates in Illinois, though would like to expand so that the Super PAC can support national candidates as well.
Chuck Sweeny: Pat Brady’s exit shows state GOP’s longtime split
The Journal Standard -
The recent resignation of Pat Brady as chairman of the Illinois Republican Party wasn’t a surprise to many party members. Brady went off the party reservation when he announced his support for gay marriage, something that doesn’t jibe with the party’s platform or the socially conservative GOP base.
“I can’t say he was forced out. He saw the handwriting on the wall. He had lost his base of support,” said Rep. Jim Sacia, R-Pecatonica.
“When he came out and supported gay marriage, I took that as a personal slap in face, and I think many in our party did. It was wrong, wrong, wrong.”
Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, who is a member of the state central committee, will help choose the next chairman. He, like Sacia, is socially conservative, but Syverson says the party has a greater chance of winning elections in 2014 and beyond if it unites around fiscal and economic issues, tolerating some dissent on the controversial social issues.
“When (Brady) first came out and talked about (gay marriage,) everyone called for his resignation because he was coming out for something that’s against the platform,” Syverson said. “While he said that was his personal belief, there was no vote to remove him at the last central committee meeting a month ago. There were discussions, but no vote.
“So, in the end, the decision was his. It made sense. There was a growing frustration with his time commitments. He’s got his law practice, his wife has had health issues, and he has children. He didn’t have the ability to spend the time the job entailed, and so I think he came to that decision himself and resigned.”
The Republican Party in Illinois is split in two and has been for decades.
BRADY RESIGNATION A GEORGE RYAN REDUX
Illinois Review -
Like former Governor George Ryan in 2001, outgoing Illinois GOP chairman Pat Brady today used his resignation as a platform to launch an angry attack on fellow Republicans.
In an interview with Crain’s Greg Hinz, Brady blamed his Party’s problems on conservatives who he calls “a sliver of people who just care about things that aren’t very important” – particularly the redefinition of marriage, the breakdown of the family, freedom of conscience, private property, infanticide and euthanasia, taxes, debt, education, regulation, terrorism, corruption, privacy, right-to-work, etc. …established conservative issues that “aren’t very important“…”things“.
So it begs the question: How narrow a public policy platform does the Illinois Republican Party require before it feels safe from the threat of this “sliver of individuals“?
Brady ally and state representative Jim Durkin weighed in, telling Hinz “We(Illinois Republicans) should be winning on the fiscal argument. But it’s being drowned out by the hard right.”
This seems an almost self-loathing analysis and purposeful misreading of reality since it’s the Democrats – not the Republicans – with super majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, and total control over the legislative calendar and agenda. If any group is to blame for drowning out Illinois’ fiscal crisis with “social” issues, it would be the left…not the right.
After all, it is the Democrats (not conservatives) who are pushing to redefine marriage in Illinois. It is the Democrats (not “the sliver of people”) who refuse to require minimal health standards in the state’s abortion clinics. It is the Democrats (not “the hard right”) who insist on exposing five-year-olds to graphic sex education materials. It is the Democrats (not the base of the Republican Party) who seem hell-bent on social engineering rather than fixing the state’s financial problems.
DEMONTE REPORTS ON WHAT’S AHEAD IN THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE
By Demetra DeMonte -
The week of April 9th was a busy and exciting week for me. I was in Los Angeles representing Illinois at the 2013 Spring Meeting of the Republican National Committee.
Three things in particular I took away from our meeting if we are to win: 1. Our plan must be big and bold; 2. We must be a unified party; 3. We must be true to our principals. The RNC Battle Plan – Simply put – get boots on the ground – hundreds of them – all over the country – with a 50 state strategy which will include our own state of Illinois! We will also put a huge effort into technology – an area where we were absolutely annihilated by Obama! And we are starting all of this right now and not waiting until five months before our election.
Specifically, things that Chairman Priebus will move ahead on are:
1. Expand Republican Demographics: Reach Asian, African Americans, and Hispanics across America with paid personnel on the ground in these communities;
2. Branding and Marketing: Explain, “Why I am a Republican!” with marketing and education;
3. Digital and Data: Build a serious digital and data program for the 21st Century. (Open API platform that people can plug into);
4. Calendar Improvements: Debates (fewer), Convention (earlier), and a Caucus and Primary System Calendar that will make us more competitive.
Resolutions - At our meeting, the RNC voted on timely resolutions affirming our Republican Platform. I am honored to have co-sponsored these resolutions – but I am even more proud of my fellow RNC members who passed these resolutions at our General Session. Some have suggested that we should “moderate” our position on some issues in order to attract more voters. The RNC has firmly rejected that idea and has reaffirmed its commitment to the principles that were adopted at our Republican National Convention last August in Tampa. Repeatedly, Chairman Priebus stressed that Republican core principles are not a problem. He stated that conservative principles are sound and we will not abandon them.
Specifically:
The Resolution Supporting the Core Values of the 2012 Republican Platform listed a series of key statements from the Platform. These included life, marriage, second amendment, and immigration policy.
The Resolution for Marriage and Children states, “the institution of marriage is the solid foundation upon which our society is built and in which children thrive,” and the RNC “implores the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the sanctity of marriage in its rulings on California’s Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act.”
The Resolution Concerning Common Core State Standards for Education addresses the overreach of the federal government in dictating our school curriculum. This RNC Resolution “rejects this Common Core State Standards which creates and fits the country with a nationwide straitjacket on academic freedom and achievement.” The Resolution further reinforces the Party’s opposition to the federal government’s overreach in education, as outlined in the Republican Platform, stating that there is a “need to repeal the numerous federal regulations which interfere with State and local control of public schools.”
Texts of the Resolutions passed this spring and all RNC Resolutions since 2009 are posted on the RNC website at http://www.gop.com/index.php/rnccounsel, as are the Rules of the Republican Party and the Republican Party Platform.
Rules Committee - The RNC Rules issues from the National Convention in Tampa last summer were front and center of our discussions. At that time, Gov. Romney’s lead lawyer, Ben Ginsberg from Washington, D.C., had authored several controversial Rules that passed the Convention Rules Committee. Republican Party “Permanent” Rules are in effect for four years normally, from National Convention to National Convention. Amendments are passed by the RNC Rules Committee and historically are not in effect until passed by the next National Convention. During this cycle with the new Rule #12, the RNC can amend Rules 1-11 and 13-25 with a majority vote of the Rules Committee followed by a ¾ vote of the full RNC, (126 out of 168.) The time limit on this Rule #12 is through September 30, 2014.
As you might remember, the Rule # 15/16 problem about a presidential candidate “disavowing” delegates and picking a state’s delegates to a National Convention was fixed on the floor of the Convention, but was widely misunderstood. In order to make that Rule clearer, an amendment to Rule 16 (a) (2), was presented to completely replace the wording of the Rule, and it passed by a voice vote.
The new wording clearly states that the Convention Secretary announces all legal votes, and that no presidential candidate can choose Delegates. Also there is no longer any penalty to a Delegate for voting improperly, but the vote will be recorded as pledged.
There was a also movement among conservative RNC members led by Morton Blackwell, NCM for Virginia, to vote to return the Party Rules to the form in which they were unanimously passed by the RNC Rules Committee and the RNC Summer Meeting 2012 General Session prior to the 2012 Convention Rules Committee. After lively debate, Morton’s motion failed 28 to 25. Next was an Amendment by Jeff Johnson, NCM for Minnesota to eliminate Rule 16 (a) (1). His argument was that the RNC should not tell states how they can run their delegate selection process. Others argued that some states (like Iowa) have straw polls and caucuses that do not choose any delegates, but are merely very expensive “beauty contests.” Candidates use lots of campaign funds but do not gain any delegates, and have to return to those states again later in the season. Jeff’s Amendment passed the Rules Committee 31 to 20.
On Friday at the General Session, the amendment to Rule 16 (a) (2) passed; the amendment to Rule 16 (a) (1) did not pass.
Executive and Budget Committee - The RNC has raised 3.5 million dollars above the first quarter of 2011, the last off-election year. RNC has ten million dollars in cash on hand and has no debt. The Budget will be increasing by eight million dollars to expand infrastructure improvements to support some of the recommendations from the Growth and Opportunity Project. Most of those dollars will be put into the Political Budget to put more boots on the ground than ever before, and earlier than ever before. Technology will also receive substantially increased funding.
State Party Workshops – State Party Workshops were conducted that covered State Party Fundraising, State Convention Planning, and Legal Compliance Briefing.
Conclusion
We all know that we must grow our party if we are to win. We also know we must stand by our principles which are timeless. Our challenge is to articulate them in ways that are modern, relevant to our time and relatable to the majority of voters.
The good news: our principles are sound! We stand for opportunity…we stand for liberty. We are the party of main-street, we are the party that cares about the individual, and our principals are the foundation for restoring the American Dream!
And as far as our own state of Illinois…our sad status as a blue state is not permanent. But if we want to turn Illinois Republican Red we Republicans must have the courage and willingness to work through our differences. We the leaders of Illinois must be unifiers and happy warriors!! We must work together with our base, our grassroots, and our tea parties. We need their votes, we need their passion, and we need their energy!
In less than two years we will go before the American people again. If we work hard, if we work smart and if we come together, we Republicans will be the party people will want to join…a party that offers a better way…and that is a party that can win!
Demetra DeMonte is Illinois’ Republican National Committeewoman and Secretary of the Republican National Committee’s Executive Board.
ILLINOIS LAWMAKER EXPLODES OVER DEMS’ ATTEMPT TO SNEAK SIGNIFICANT AMENDMENT INTO CONCEALED CARRY BILL: ‘KEEP PLAYING GAMES!’
Illinois state Rep. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) launched into a fiery tirade on the Illinois House floor after Democratic lawmakers attempted to sneak in what he considered to be a significant floor amendment to a proposed concealed carry bill. Bost’s outburst actually occurred on April 17, but was only lightly covered.
The House was debating the “may issue” proposal in regards to the state’s forthcoming concealed carry law when Bost lost his cool. The proposal would allow sheriffs to decide whether a citizen has a legitimate reason to carry a gun.
“Floor amendments should be some technical small change that we shouldn’t have to worry about like this. But yet you bring a whole bill that has questions whether it is even constitutional,” Bost said. “Folks, the process is really messed up. Quit! This is not the bill that everyone has debated…it is a ploy and once again your side of the aisle keeps trying to make ploys instead of dealing with the real issue. Keep playing games!”
“Do you know that one of the associations actually has a click-down of when we have constitutional carry in the state of Illinois? And you want to endanger your citizens and keep playing games like this? Vote no!,” he scolded, nearly ripping the microphone from his desk.
The “shall issue” concealed carry measure failed in the House later that day, getting 64 of the 71 needed votes.
9-11 CALLS REVEAL “TEA PARTY” PEOPLE BLAMED FOR IL GOP MEETING DISTURBANCE
Illinois Review – TINLEY PARK – The “Tea Party” was blamed for causing disturbance at the Illinois Republican Party’s April meeting, recordings of the Tinley Park Police’s 9-11 calls show.
The emergency calls were made by Tinley Park Convention Center personnel on April 9 when the Illinois Republican State Central Committee held their quarterly meeting, with the future of Chairman Pat Brady as a hot topic. Shortly after Chairman Brady and a few others made preliminary public comments at the beginning of the meeting, the SCC adjourned into Executive Session, requiring the 100 or so audience members to leave the meeting room.
The audience members resisted leaving before public comments were allowed, concerned that the SCC would delay action until the crowd outside left the Center altogther. Three hours later, the SCC opened the doors and entertained public comments, which quickly eroded into frustrated shouting.
When the crowd was first told to leave for Executive Session, the crowd burst into protest calls and the disturbance caused the Tinley Park Convention Center management to authorize 9-11 calls to local law enforcement.
In the first set of 9-11 calls, “Tony” from the convention center reports a disturbance with the Republican Party event, where people were “yelling and screaming.”
In the second set of 9-11 calls at points 4:15 and 6:20, blame for the disturbance was placed on “Tea Party” people. The following YouTubes are anonymously posted on the Internet …
Action Alert: Benghazi Cover-up
Patriots: What is an American life worth? According to the House Democrats – NOTHING! Not even the truth! When you read the list of co-sponsors for H. Res. 36, there is not one Democrat co-sponsor listed! There are a few Republicans dragging their feet too. Why do the Democrats “hate” those citizens who defied direct orders to stand down and give up their lives defending the people at the Benghazi consulate? Maybe they can’t handle the truth, but the families and the people of this country not only deserve to know, we need to make sure it NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN!!!
Currently, Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam’s name does not appear as a co-sponsor on the H.Res 36 put forth by the Honorable Congressman Frank Wolf in January 2013 according to the latest information from The Library of Congress:http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ bdquery/z?d113:hres36. Speaker John Boehner is in opposition to 129 members (and growing) of the GOP Conference in the US House who call for immediate, decisive action on Benghazi.
Please contact the Chief Deputy Whip Roskam and implore him to become an immediate co-sponsor of H.Res. 36, publicly support Congressman Frank Wolf, and exercise his leadership to get John Boehner to UNEQUIVOCALLY back and support this Select Committee in the US House to FULLY investigate Benghazi.
This is crucial in order to obtain the truth regarding Benghazi, and lead the way to prosecute those individuals in the Obama administration responsible for this travesty committed by terrorists against United States citizens.
This prosecution is not limited to Obama’s circle, but extends to Obama himself for any potential criminal actions.
Congressman Peter Roskam’s District Office, 2700 International Drive,Suite 304,West Chicago, IL 60185
(630) 232-0006 and Fax (630) 232-7393
Congressman Peter Roskam’s Washington Office,227 Cannon House Office Building,Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4561 and Fax (202) 225-1166
Congressman Peter Roskam’s Satellite Office, 200 South Hough Street,Second Floor,Barrington, IL 60010
Center Urges Select Committee to Make Real Progress on Benghazigate ScandalPress Releases | April 23, 2013 |Waging WarRepublican leaders of five House committees with national security jurisdictions have issued today a “progress report” (PDF) on the fruits of their respective efforts to investigate the murderous jihadist attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012.The most important take-away is that, more than seven months after that outrage, these committees still do not know precisely what happened.More to the point, the report indicates that the five committees intend to continue their investigations. It seems predictable that months spent on more of the same, business-as-usual inquiries will produce more of the same stonewalling by the executive branch, a host of still-unanswered questions and a continuing lack of accountability for the policies that got us into this fiasco in Libya, for the conduct during the attack and for the cover-up that was perpetrated at the highest levels of the Obama administration.Frank J. Gaffney, Jr., President of the Center for Security Policy, responded to the issuing of this report by renewing the Center’s call for the establishment, instead, of a select committee to get to the bottom of the Benghazigate scandal.The American people are entitled to know the truth about what happened before, during and following the attack last year in Benghazi on 9/11. While the existing, standing committees have shed some light on pieces of this sordid affair, it is now evident that that truth simply is unlikely to be forthcoming in the absence of an aggressive investigative effort with real teeth.We believe this progress report reinforces the request recently made by 700-plus Special Forces veterans urging Congress to establish a select committee pursuant to House Resolution 36, sponsored by Rep. Frank Wolf and a majority of the House Republican caucus. It is time for realprogress and a select committee evidently is necessary to get it.Concerned citizens can help get this select committee established by urging their representatives to endorse H.Res.36 by going to www.EndtheCoverup.com.
