Quote Of The Day

From Betsy Newmark blogging about Rich Lowry’s column concerning Bill Clinton’s role in his wife’s campaign and how it applies to  last night’s Democrat debate:

And then just last night Hillary hit Obama with his Rezko connection. With all the scandals dirtying up the Clinton record including cattle future purchases, mysterious bill records, and Chinese-tainted fundraising, Obama is a mere piker with possible corrupt connections. But Lowry is probably right that the Clinton camp decided that her negatives are a given and that most people have already factored those in to their decisions on these two candidates and so it is more worthwhile to dirty up Obama’s saintly image. Her negatives are already plenty high; what she needs to do is raise his. It’s a tough job, but the Clintons are up to it.

So true, and don’t ya love it? The Clinton’s win because they have MORE scandal and higher negatives than Obama. What a hoot! 

Unfortunately for the Clintons, a Democrat cannot win unless blacks vote for them in a block (usually around 90%). Blacks may not vote for a Republican, but they probably won’t vote for a Democrat who trashes the first viable black candidate for POTUS either.

October Surprise In January

In an interview with the editorial board of The Dispatch/Rock Island Argus State Sen. Mike Jacobs said he was not gonna wait around forever for state money to fund the new Western Illinois University campus in Moline. Instead he would be meeting with “a conglomerate of people in Chicago” to see about funding the campus. I can only imagine who these “people in Chicago” are.

Jacobs also touts himself as a “young, independent voice” in Springfield. Hmmmm. Isn’t Jacobs in his late 40s? Maybe around 47? I’m older than that, but even I don’t think 47 is “young”. As for the “independent” part, he says he takes very little campaign money from legislative leaders—-take THAT Mike Boland!

Further, Jacobs claims he is “uniquely positioned” to be in leadership if Emil Jones steps down. I’d love to see some proof, or his thinking for this comment.

One statement that cannot be disputed is when Jacobs says he’s “very pro-business. If you don’t have business, you can’t have labor.” I’ve said the same thing myself, from time to time.

So there you have it. As a third generation legacy candidate, Jacobs can’t very well play the “change” card. Unfortunately, real change is exactly what is needed to combat the gridlock, incompetence and dysfunction of the Democrat controlled legislature.

All Jacobs can offer is being on “Mike Madigan’s Rolodex”. While I approve of Jacobs’ pro-business policies, I just don’t think that’s enough. 

Nothin’ From Nothin’ Leaves Nothin’, You Gotta Have Somethin’ If You Wanna Be With Me

In what is either a press release or a news story in The Dispatch, Jerry Lack labors mightily to convince us that he is the agent of change in the 71st IL District. Democrat Mike Boland is the incumbent.

Some observations:

**Lack denounces Boland for being in the pocket of Michael Madigan, yet doesn’t denounce his former co-worker, Phil Hare for being in the pocket of Big Labor. Lack seems to think it is OK to be bought and paid for by Big Labor, but not Michael Madigan. My question is: who has bought Jerry Lack?

**Lack’s only claim to fame is Lane Evans as his employer for 23 years. Is that enough? Does Evans still have the political power to make that relevant?

**Lack blames the gridlock in Springfield on Blago, Jones, Madigan and REPUBLICANS! If there was ever an oppressed minority, it is the GOP in IL. Lack is blaming the slaves for slavery. What a hoot!

**Although he does not explain how, Lack thinks he can break through the gridlock in Springfield to bring love, happiness, opening the Thomson prison, our WIU campus, sewer systems for our small cities, and world peace to the land, if only we elect him. His is a faith-based, fundamentalist candidacy.

**In the ultimate  hoke-o-rama, Lack says he will be bold and brave by asking for a TAX INCREASE! Holy cats! who thought a Democrat would be for MORE taxes? The mind boggles!

So Jerry Lack goes where no Democrat has gone before by blaming Republicans for every problem in the universe and calling for the usual  Democrat cure for every ill as more, bigger, and better taxes.

This from a guy whose only claim to fame, and whose only credentials are his  23 years in the employ of  a popular Democrat, no longer in power.

More taxes, blaming the GOP for all problems, Evans crony—hey, who wouldn’t vote for this paragon of “change”?

Lack fails to explain how replacing one Democrat for another will “change” anything. Democrats control all levers of power in Illinois—who in their right mind would think “more, but different  Democrats” would be the answer to our problems?

Jerry Lack, it seems.

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

The Washington Post had a story about how, out of concerns for safety, the U.S. Naval Academy is considering putting the kabosh on a long standing tradition, known as The Herndon Climb.

The Herndon Climb requires all the freshmen class (plebes) to climb up a 21 foot granite oblisk coated with 200 pounds of lard. Gross, sure, but what freshman class at any college/university hasn’t been required to participate in some event to build team spirit, unity and camaradie?

Quoth the public affairs official at the Naval Academy: “Similar to how our Navy looks at all traditions in the Fleet, we are evaluating the Herndon Monument Climb to ensure the event remains a valid part of our heritage but it is conducted with professionalism, repect, and most important, safety in mind.” No serious injuries have ever resulted from the climb.

A graduate of the class of ‘80 has the last word: “We’re going to send these guys to war but they can’t climb a monument because they might get hurt? Come on, it just seems like a solution in search of a problem.”

So true.

In The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time

A moving article in the Korean press describes a small ceremony held recently in a Rock Island County nursing home honoring Lane Evans for his work fighting for justice for “comfort women”, which is a euphemism for women from Korea, China and other countries, who were forced to provide sex to Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Some observations about this article:

** It mentions the fact that it took 13 months for Evans to receive this “Order of Diplomatic Service Merit Gwanghwa Medal for his promotion of human rights for racial and ethnic minorities, including Korean Americans” because Evans’ brother did not allow Lane to have contact with outsiders during the time he was guardian, fearing his condition would worsen. Evans’ new legal guardian accepted requests from the Korean government to allow them to give Evans this medal.

**Even in his poor state of health, Evans “made an effort to express his anguish and regret for not providing much assistance to resolve the nuclear crises of North Korea.”

**With the comfort women issue, the North Korean nuclear bomb problem, and what Evans described as the most important accomplishment of his many years as congressman, which was 300 spina bifada sufferers, I can’t help but think that Evans was in the wrong place to fulfill his passions. The U.S. House of Representatives isn’t the most effective platform for addressing the comfort women injustice, a nuclear North Korea and spina bifida. He did not serve his district’s needs , and his district didn’t really serve his needs. Evans should have been in a NGO, or some other advocacy/activist organization. We were both poorly served by his 24 years in Congress.

**Who knew Evans was so committed to comfort women, North Korea, etc? Just as the local press failed to disclose his worsening illness, they failed to disclose that Evans’ interests, while noble, were beyond the interests of the 17th.

**I’m not a big Evans fan, but I urge you to read the article at the link—it is truly moving. At the very end of the article, the president of the Washington Coalition for Comfort Women said, “All of those who worked with (Evans) believe he will overcome his illness with his iron will.”

I gotta say, even I misted up at that.

He Didn’t Get The Memo

In Tuesday’s rant I mocked our specially selected congressman for saying he would not vote for any more funding of the Iraq war until President Bush gave him a date for a reasonable and timely withdrawal.

What caused my snickering, snorting and guffawing is the fact that this is not some brave new stance on war funding by Hare—he has NEVER voted funds for troops in the field.

So you can imagine my surprise  when I read that now even anti-war groups have retreated from the funding fight in congress.

It seems that after sinking over 12 million dollars last year in opposing the war, MoveOn.org and others have decided that yoking war funding with withdrawal timetables was a loser, since there are MORE troops in Iraq now than last year. 

In what might be the understatment of the year, a spokesman for an anti-war group said: “There was a consensus that last year was not productive…(o)ur expectations were dashed.  The consensus was not to keep beating our heads against the wall trying to block every funding bill—not that we don’t agree with it, but because we don’t have the votes.”

That sound you hear is Phil Hare beating his head against the wall.

But they haven’t given up. Rather than focus time and money on funding fights they cannot win, the anti-war groups are now focusing on blocking a bi-lateral agreement Bush is negotiating between the US and Iraq concerning defense and security issues. This agreement is nothing novel or new, we have over 100 such agreements with other nations. If this agreement is signed before Bush leaves office, the next POTUS would be bound by it.

So while MoveOn.org is moving on and has learned from past defeat, hapless and clueless Phil Hare is still playing by the ‘06 Playbook.

Poor Phil! He didn’t get the memo!

He probably has a heckuva headache, too.

Imagine

An article in today’s Dispatch called Gas-Tax Proposal Arrives Out Of Gas concerns a doomed effort by a federal commission to add an excise tax of up to 40 cents on each gallon of gasoline in order to provide funds to fix crumbling infrastructure. With gasoline already over $3.00 a gallon, this recommedation is DOA.

The Dispatch reporter asked our specially selected congressman about other ways the government could generate money to fix roads and bridges, and Hare’s brilliant idea was to suggest that ending the war would flood road and bridge coffers with the needed funds.

Quoth Hare:

Imagine what two weeks of that war would mean for roads and bridges and infrastructure in this country.

Yes, imagine.

Imagine our roads and bridges were in pristine condition until Bush, together with Congress, including 210 Democrats began that immoral and illegal war in ‘03.

Imagine the government works in such a way that money allocated for war and defense could be magically kazaamed over to infrastructure.

Imagine that the end of the war would have absolutely NO effect on the QCs largest employer—the Rock Island Arsenal.

Imagine a congressman who had some intelligent answers to our problems and didn’t blame war for everything.

Imagine we had a congessman who didn’t pit one constituency against the other like the anti-war faction vs. Arsenal jobs; Big Labor vs. agriculture exports, etc.

Imagine having a congressman who wasn’t an incompetent demagogue.

Imagine.

Honor Among Thieves

Just as Republican Denny Hastert protected Democrat William “I’ve Got 90 Grand In My Freezer” Jefferson when Hastert was majority leader of the House, now Nancy Pelosi is refusing to help investigators who are probing Republican Mark Foley’s sexually explicit messages sent to underage pages.

But Nancy, you said you would do everything for the children!(tm)

It seems political privilege trumps “the children”.

Whodathunkit?

You Spin Me Right Round, Baby Right Round

Phil Hare conducted his latest shuckin’ and jivin’ session at a Moline restaurant recently, and QCOnline has the report. (Hey! If Andrew Cuomo can say “shuckin’ and jivin’, so can I.)

Since even people like Ed Felker have noticed Hare is lying about not cutting off money for troops in the field, Hare does a 180 and says he will not vote for more fundng for the Iraq was until Bush gives him a date for withdrawal. Yeah, I’m just so sure George Bush is in hysterics trying to please the specially selected congressman from Illinois.

Of course the truth is that Hare has never voted for funding the troops in Iraq, even though he piously said he would never do such a thing.

Hare goes on to tell some whoppers such as the war is bankrupting the country. If only that was true. The defense budget is a drop in the bucket compared to entitlements, and the war will be over at some point—-entitlements never will.  Unfortunately Prevaricator Phil is lying once again—-what is bankrupting our country is entitlements like Social Security and Medicaid—-things the Democrats refuse to even address, even after Bush tried to get a dialog going about it. The Democrat’s response to the crisis in entitlements: Crisis? What crisis? I’ve said it many times—-Democrats could not lead water downhill.

Hare also expresses “outrage” about the bureaucracy concerning veterans receiving benefits. Normally, I would agree with him, but unfortunately, the Democrats and Hare are in the majority and have leadership positions in Congress, so it is beyond stupid for Hare to stand on the sideline and scream “outrage”! It’s time for the Democrats to walk the walk, not just shriek “outrage”. Hey Phil, when will YOU do something about this problem?

Hare tells another whopper when he says “I want to vote for every trade deal”, but that is a lie. His paymasters demand protectionism not open trade, and Hare has never concerned himself with either the local agriculture or manufacturing interests in the 17th—-Hare has been a union man all the way, even though trade agreements HELP both agriculture and manufacturing.

Hare does some dirty dancing about the Arsenal—-he was for it before he was against it, or something like that. While he wants to stop the war NOW, this would hurt the Arsenal. Hey Phil, you can’t have it both ways—-are you anti-war or pro-Arsenal?

Now for the juicy stuff. Hare wades into the fetid waters of the immigration issue, and no surprise here, he is totally incoherent.

Hare says:

1. America has to give people a path to citizenship because “(t)here’s no way we’re going to round up 15 to 18 million people. This is just so bogus. Deny free schools, welfare benefits, free health care, jobs etc. to the illegals and see how long they stay—-they will deport themselves, and are already doing so in Arizona and other places. Make it tough for them to stay and they will leave.

2. Hare thinks a border fence is a “silly idea”, but he offers no solution to our open border problem.

3. Hare turns himself inside out when he says he doesn’t believe in the “English only” philosophy because “(h)ow are parents going to help kids with homework when they don’t speak English?” Huh? What? English shouldn’t be required, but do it for the children!(tm) I’m sure this will inspire all non-English speaking parents to run to the local “English As A Second Language” class. Sheesh! Hare just wants it both ways—as usual.

Hare also has some drivel about even though he is a good union man he doesn’t agree with the major league baseball player’s union about steroid use. Yeah, inquiring minds wanna know!

I do hope the GOP fields a candidate with some intellectual heft, because Hare is ripe for the picking. As usual, check out the comments at the link, there may be a full-blown revolt, at least if people with internet access are any indication.

ADDED: I don’t know if it is the photographer, the lighting or the angle, but Phil looks like he has packed on a few pounds since he left for DC.

Well, I’ve Got Two Lovers, And I Ain’t Ashamed, Two Lovers, And I Love Them Both The Same

Within days of each other, I received love letters from my “two lovers.” These “lovers” would be Jerry Lack and Mike Boland, both asking for my “love” in the voting booth on February 5, to represent the IL 71st District.

Boland’s “love letter” was by far more professional—-his photo was studio quality.

His “love letter” touted his “fighting for working men and women” (wouldn’t you love to see an ad that says “screw working men and women”?), improving education, where he claims he “worked” to require sex offenders be required to submit to criminal background checks, (didn’t Scott Reeder just do a series on how school boards hire sex offenders anyway?) increasing health care coverage for children and women (isn’t that what they’re fighting about in Springfield now?) and keeping senior citizens independent by backing new laws to protect senior citizens from identity theft and sexual predators (shouldn’t we ALL have that protection?).

On the other hand, my “lover” Jerry Lack’s love letter looks like the photos were taken on a cell phone camera. Just like our specially selected Big Labor spokesman, Lack touts his connection to Lane Evans. The front photo is incredibly hokey with Lack in a “Congressman Lane Evans” tee-shirt, and Lane Evans in a “State Representative Jerry Lack” tee-shirt. Lane Evans does not look like he could tell the difference. Just sayin’.

As an inducement to choose Lack as my “lover”, he touts his years as Evans’ minion saying he “helped bring new community health centers, after-school programs, and jobs to the area”. I would truly love to know what “jobs” Lack brought to the area, wouldn’t you? Will he take responsiblility for RICO being on the Illinois Poverty Watch List for two years in a row? Snort! Snicker! Guffaw! Hey, don’t ask, don’t tell!

My “lover’s” websites are a different story. Boland’s is garish in yellow and red colors, and on the front page, he touts the fact that he has donated part of his legislative pay raise to the Korean War Museum. It’s possible that my opinions don’t reflect the entire 71st, which contains all or part of Carroll, Whiteside, Rock Island and Henry counties, but the most pressing issue for this area requiring funding, at least in my view, is not the Korean War Museum. On the other hand, I may just be out of touch.

Lack’s website is in the more traditional red-white-blue mode, but by his endorsement page, it is obvious he is the choice of the RICO Politburo, which is not my favorite entity.

For those interested in such minutia, both flyers have the “union bug”. Sheesh!

I still don’t know which “lover” I’ll choose three weeks from now +/-. I’m sort of blah about Boland, but on the other hand, it really frosts my ballot that Evans’ minions can’t hack it in the private sector and are demanding to be feed off the milk of the taxpayers.

I’ll vote for the “lover” who is the least repulsive on February 5.

Can’t wait to get love letters from my other lovers—-Mike Jacobs and Paul Rumler!  Ooooh baby, baby!