IL-6: Republican Peter Roskam latest Distortions

The Republican can not tell the truth about Democrat Tammy Duckworth and Social Security.

Despite Roskam's dodgy past support of phase-out schemes, the ad claims Roskam is the candidate who would "protect" Social Security. The ad continues: "Tammy Duckworth supports cuts in Social Security benefits. She’d even raise the retirement age and Social Security taxes. But she would give our Social Security to illegal aliens." All three assertions are false.

Illinois Republican Peter Roskam is shameless.

Vote for Democrat Tammy Duckworth for Congress.

Disgusting Rhetoric...

Via Think Progress

Dornan: ‘Loyal’ Christians Should Not ‘Jump Into The Hell Fire Of A Nancy Pelosi Catholic’

Former Rep. Bob Dornan (R-CA) launched a vicious attack on Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), claiming that “loyal catholics” and others who “believe in Christianity” should make sure she stays out of power. The failure to do so would mean jumping “into the hell fire of a Nancy Pelosi Catholic who votes for abortion and rights for perverts.”

I think the big unknown in this election is what are Christian — traditional loyal Catholics, traditional loyal Protestants — who believe in Christianity — they must not stay home — they’ll jump from the frying pan of some frustration over Republican hypocrisy into the hell fire of a Nancy Pelosi Catholic who votes for abortion and rights for pervert.

Actually, it’s Dornan who’s out of touch with Catholics. According to Gallup, 58 percent of American Catholics believe that one can be a good Catholic without obeying the church hierarchy’s teaching regarding abortion — up from 39 percent in 1987. This translates into roughly 38 million out of an estimated 65 million Catholics in America.

Click on the link to watch the video.

As a person of faith, I find Republican Bob Dornan rherotic disgusting. Christianity does not belong to one political party no matter how much extremist, conservatives try to claim otherwise.

Corruption is Wrong

Let me repeat this simple statement again. Corruption is wrong. I will take a stand, I'm against political corruption. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain is improper, unacceptable and it's contrary to liberal principles. Bribery, extortion, robbery, patronage, nepotism, cronyism, embezzlement and kickbacks all forms of corruption. It cripples democracies. It undermines the common good.

In Mexico there is an old saying about politicians, Show me a politician who is poor and I will show you a poor politician. A political position in Mexico is seen as way to get yourself and your people rich. The wealth of oil, natural gas, gold, beaches, fish, water, historic treasures, museums, industrial centers is not used for the common good of the people rather it is used to line the pockets of the well connected. An example, a small school needs new books. The teacher asks the school principal for 15 books. The school principal ask school board for money for 30 books. The School board asks the state for money for 60 books. The state gives the school board the money for 60 books. The school board then gives the principal money for 30 books and keeps the rest. The principal gives the teacher money to buy 15 books and keeps the rest. The teacher then goes to buy 8 old school books and keep the rest. Everyone get a share of the pie but at the end of the day money for 60 new school books was only use to buy 8 old school books. Inefficiency at it's best. Exchange the principal, teacher, school board for corrupt Mexican politicians and the well connected and you get failed government at all levels. Political corruption is allowed to strive in government that lacks accountability, transparency, freedom of speech and a freedom of the press.

One more example, a politician uses his/her position of trust to only hire city workers who support his/her political machine. City officials fixed the results of job tests, manipulated the interview and selection process for certain city jobs by conducting bogus interviews, falsely increase interview scores, and otherwise guaranteeing that certain pre-selected candidates who were favored by the politician gets to work for the city. The city tax payers spend over 40 million for inefficient city works program.

Final example, a politician daughter receives a gift of check worth $1,500 from a long life friend of the politician. Then soon after, long life friend gets a job working in the government. Or, staff members working under the politician demands consulting fees from investment firms wanting to do business with a government pension fund. Or, the politician wife earning more than $113,000 in real estate commissions thru a family friend with no-bid government contracts.

The examples I state above are all wrong, it is pure political corruption. What if I say the politicians might be Democrats and that I’m a loyal Democrat. I will be willing to give the Democratic politicians the benefits of the doubt and I will be the first one to support them if corruption charges are proven to be untrue. But, what happens if the charges are true? Are you willing to give corruption a free pass if it has a ‘D’ in front of there name? I’m not, I will vote against them in Democratic primaries and if they win I might not vote in that race at all.

Yesterday I posted a diary on Daily Kos. I committed a Meta sin, I wrote that I might vote for a Green candidate. I never advocated for anyone else to vote for a Green candidate. I clearly state, I have no alternatives in the race for governor and I understand why some people do not vote.

I was attacked. A few diarists called me a troll, that I put my own principles and purity above Democratic Party, that I’m self-centered, and that I should not consider myself a liberal, progressive or sane anymore. Worst of it all, that I should help to get out for vote for Lyndon LaRouche.

It was an over-reaction by my fellow diarist. It should not be a Meta sin to be still undecided on voting for deeply flawed Democratic politicians. I will not make up my mind in till I enter the voting booth on who I’m voting for Illinois Governor. But, I will not rail against Republicans deep-seated corruption without booting out our politicians and I won’t apologized for taking a liberal position.

Corruption is wrong.

IL-Gov: I might vote Green

Or, I might not.

Rockford Register Star:

Rich Whitney for governor

Only in the surreal realm of Illinois politics could red and blue combine to produce green.

The blue party candidate, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has danced as fast as he can on the campaign trail in a vain attempt to stay ahead of allegations of personal corruption and fiscal irresponsibility.

The red party’s pick, Republican state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, has conducted a negative and unfocused campaign that doesn’t inspire confidence she could lead the state. Her main qualification is having a lower indictment potential than the incumbent.

There is a choice, and this Editorial Board is making it by endorsing Rich Whitney, the Green Party candidate, for Illinois governor.

The Rockford Register Star endorsement of the Green Party candidate Rich Whitney for governor of Illinois is not a call for the politics of Ralph Nader rather it's a call for better options.

Some readers will perceive this endorsement as quixotic. We view it as pragmatic rather than foolishly idealistic. This endorsement is our battle cry: Illinois voters deserve better options.

Whitney is a serious candidate who could do the job. He might not win, but we hope he gets enough votes so Illinoisans have more of a choice when they go to the polls in the future.

When he wrapped things up in his visit to the Editorial Board last month, he said he hoped people would learn more about him so that they could “vote their convictions, instead of their fears.” We would consider that a victory.

I agree, as voters we need better options. I'm as liberal and as loyal to the Democratic Party as the next person, but I can not over look Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich ethical troubles. I'm not willing to give corruption a free pass even if it has a "D" front of its name. The culture of corruption must come to an end in both parties.

Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich along with Democratic controlled Congress in Illinois has pass progressive legislations to better improved people lives. Reelecting Rod Blagojevich might lead to more of our progressive principles becoming state policy but at what cost? An ethical troubled Governor who might turn a soild blue state to a red one if he can not right this ship. We can not rail against Republicans deep-seated corruption without booting out our politicians. I voted against the Rod Blogojevich in the primary, most Democratic voters did not. Now I face a choice stay with blue, turn to red or vote green. Vote my convictions, insteard of my fears. I fear a Judy Baar Topinka lead Illinois. I dislike and do not trust the Green Party. I have no alternatives in the race for governor.

I might vote Green.

Now, I understand why some people do not vote at all.

Da Bears: 41-10

Adewale Ogunleye

"It was kind of funny, honestly. What do you do? You say there's two halves, but 41-0 at halftime, you just have to work on fundamentals again or something, I don't know. That's pretty amazing."

Indeed.

Ten-Sen: Ideological Acrobatics & Boundless Charm

A New-Model Ford

While militant God-talk has long been a staple of Republican campaigns, shooting ads inside the "Lord's house" has been considered off-limits. But that wasn't the biggest source of surprise when Tennesseans started seeing the now-famous "church ad" in September. The candidate exploiting his faith was a Democrat--Harold Ford Jr., the 36-year-old Congressman from Memphis. Once considered a quixotic long shot to fill the US Senate seat left vacant by Republican majority leader Bill Frist, Ford has risen from a double-digit deficit in the polls to draw even with former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, a moderately conservative multimillionaire with all the charisma of a tree stump. Ford could deliver the Democrats a majority in the Senate by becoming just the fourth African-American ever elected to that chamber by popular vote, and the first from the South. [..]

Rocketing back and forth across the green hills of Tennessee with unflagging energy, Ford has wooed white conservatives with an exuberant mash-up of high-voltage star power, earthy eloquence and a contrarian right-wingery that never fails to surprise and delight. "I get in trouble with Democrats," he confessed not long ago to the Rotary Club in the town of Cleveland, "because I like President Bush." In a year when most Republican candidates won't touch their Commander in Chief with a ten-foot pole, Ford hugs him tight. "They say I don't look like you," he recently assured a crowd of Caucasians at the Catfish Place in Camden, "but I share your values." [..]

It is anything but clear what kind of senator Ford will make if he can break that old curse. Some Democrats hope he'll edge back toward his original centrism; many expect him to join the small band of Congressional DINOs (Democrats in Name Only) led by Senator Joe Lieberman, whom Ford recently endorsed over Democrat Ned Lamont. But there is no question that Tennessee voters' verdict on November 7 will send a loud and lasting message about the viability of black Democrats in statewide (not to mention national) races. If Ford's ideological acrobatics and boundless charm can't make white voters look past the color of his skin, what will?

Nothing will.

In a year in when rubber stamp Republicans are running away from President Bush and Democratic Senate candidates are running winning populist campaigns, Harold Ford Jr. is running as a better kind of ‘Conservative’. Even with all this political acrobatics and this charm Harold Ford Jr. at the end of the day is still a Black Democrat running in the Old South. The GOP is using their standard playbook appealing to racist voters. The Southern Strategy is out in full force for Republican Bob Corker, which might give him boost he needs to become the next Senator of Tennessee. Hopefully one day the Republican Southern Strategy will die, but that day might not come soon enough for Democrat Harold Ford Jr.

Yelling Nancy Pelosi Name …

… over and over won’t work.

Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, warned Republicans that scare tactics against Democrats will not succeed in increasing social or economic conservative voters on Election Day.

“The big-spending, high-deficit, morally-deficient Republican Party hasn’t anything to offer conservatives except Halloween scare tactics about the Democrats. But since the GOP majority in Congress has engaged in an unprecedented spending spree, conservatives know that Democrats cannot be any worse and that divided government may lead to less spending,” Viguerie said.

“And conservatives have learned that, while Republicans sometimes provide significant symbolism on social issues, in truth, many of them have a disdain for values voters,” he added.

“Trying to frighten conservatives by yelling ‘Nancy Pelosi’ and ‘Harry Reid’ won’t work this time."

But, Republicans like Peter Roskam running in 6th Congressional District of Illinois is still going to try to scare voters by yelling Nacy Pelois name rather than offer anything positive. Fear and lies is all Republicans have left to run on.