Chicago Politics
Who Still Uses Fax Machines Today? The Idiocy of State Government Here in Illinois
I’m helping a friend with a problem she’s having dealing with the State of Illinois and it made me want to ask if you ever encounter anyone in the year 2012 who insists on using fax machines.
I remember when I was in eighth grade one of my classmates forgot to bring in her permission slip to go on a field trip to an amusement park — and the cruel and myopic nun who served as principal claimed she couldn’t do anything about it and was forced to make Tanesha stay at school while the rest of us went together as class to Geauga Lake for the day. Tanesha was bawling, and all Sister Roberta would do was stand there with her arms folded, lecturing the girl about how irresponsible her mother was for not making sure the permission slip was submitted before the day of the field trip.
This petty drama broiled until the bus arrived and we loaded up for the field trip, with Tanesha still crying and the nun not budging. It then occurred to me to ask Sister Roberta if either the school or the rectory next door had a fax machine — because then they could just fax a permission slip to Tanesha’s mom and then she could sign it and fax it back and then no one had to cry anymore that day and no one had to be a villain. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy until they processed that this would meet all of their rules and requirements and would be easy to pull off.
That happened in 1989, in the years before email, and I can’t think of another worthwhile encounter I’ve had with a fax machine (or fax-a-machine, as my friend Panda — and apparently others — calls it) since.
URGENT WARNING: Do Not Under Any Circumstances Early Vote In Illinois — Electronic Voting Not Secure In This State
If you live in the state of Illinois, do not ever early vote — the electronic voting machines in this state are not secure and entities are manipulating computers to rig elections through complex slights of hand (or keyboard and lever, as the case may be).
I’m sure you’re shocked, right? Voter fraud in Illinois, of all places? Next thing you know, somebody will tell you John F. Kennedy owed his presidency to this kind of smoke-filled-room and cemetery-friendly sort of thing.
There’s a woman here in Chicagoland who I — honest to goodness — believe will one day be written about in history books alongside Mercy Otis Warren, Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, Jane Adams, and Susan B. Anthony; this woman is fearless and one of the few people I’ve ever met who made me stand back and think, “Wow…I just met somebody who they’re going to make a movie about someday…and whoever gets to play her in it is going to walk home with the Academy Award, hands-down”.
She’s a dynamo named Sharon Meroni who began a one-woman crusade against Voter Fraud in Illinois — which is clearly one of — if not the — most corrupt states in the union, where every trick imaginable is employed to tilt elections to the permanent political class’ pre-determined results.
This fraud is bipartisan, folks, as the permanent political class envelopes both sides of the political aisle and corrupt Republicans turn blind eyes to the election-rigging committed by Democrats while the Democrats are busy doing the same thing for Republicans in races the two parties agreed ahead of time they’d each win…so entrenched political power players are forever guaranteed re-election so they can maintain their aristocratic stranglehold on this state.
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Rats Jumping Ship? Daley resigns as Obama’s Chief of Staff
This couldn’t be good news for Obama and his team. The LA Times is reporting that William Daley gave Obama his letter of resignation last week and will be replaced by Budget Director Jack Lew. Daley has only been Chief of Staff for one year. The change will take place by the end of this month and according to White House staffers….Daley’s resignation took Obama completely by surprise. Daley has stated publicly that he wanted to return to Chicago but would stay by Obama’s side until after his re-election.
So…why the sudden change of heart? Daley is a very smart man and a very seasoned politician so it stands to reason that he wants to jump ship before it sinks. I wouldn’t want my name associated with a losing team. I’m not buying the “I’ve just got to get back to Chicago… the city that I love.” If things were all hunky-dory in Washington then Daley would be all over Obama’s re-election campaign.
So why the extremely sudden departure?
In the middle of a very tough election year?
What do you guys think?
Fast and Furious: White House still behind Eric Holder
I feel like these Fast and Furious posts are beginning to be weekly (sometimes daily) briefings….things are happening so quickly. Yesterday at a press briefing, Jay Carney made it perfectly clear that the White House continues to support Eric Holder and maintains that the AG isn’t hiding anything…that he didn’t (nor did the White House) know about the details of Fast and Furious.
(The Hill)“The president believes he’s an excellent attorney general and has great confidence in him, and we absolutely know that the testimony he gave was consistent and truthful,” Carney told reporters at a press briefing.
If this were any other Administration, the AG would have turned in his resignation by now…if for no other reason than to take responsibility for their team. If something bad happens in your department on your watch….it’s your responsibility. Eric Holder acts as if the Department of Justice has nothing to do with the ATF. Alberto Gonzales turned in his resignation to President Bush for something far less scandalous than Fast and Furious. So why does the White House continue to back Holder? Probably because they really need him to oversee the 2012 elections. How else are they going to get away with voter fraud (think Black Panther voter intimidation)? Voter fraud may be the only way that Barack Obama will remain in the White House. They know they have a very dear friend and partner in crime in Holder….one who can mysteriously make voter fraud complaints disappear (even with video tape evidence)….one who can mysteriously make military absentee ballots disappear. I have always thought that Holder is just holding his breath and stonewalling the investigation to get through the 2012 elections where he is praying for a congressional democratic takeover. Then he can throw the Fast and Furious investigation out the window because he will be able to control what gets investigated and what doesn’t. Hey…who knows…they may even be able to continue with Fast and Furious and get the gun control legislation that they want. The sky would be the limit… which scares the hell out of me.
This is all just my crazy theory.
What do you all think?
Outrageous: Rep.Mike Quigley (D-Il) apologizes to Muslims on behalf of America.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqk5b0HqIn0&feature=player_embedded
This past Saturday, Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley (D-5th District) addressed an audience of mostly Islamic students at the American Islamic College Conference in Chicago. At about the 2:15 point in the above video, Quigley apologizes “on behalf of the country” for the discrimination that Muslims have suffered here in America. I am so dumbfounded by his remarks that I am completely speechless. I don’t think I even need to analyze this moron’s speech or give possible reasons as to why he would say something so stupid and un-American (like he’s suffering from an incurable mental illness or he’s on medication that makes him say crazy things).
It’s obvious why he would feel the need to apologize to Muslims on behalf of the country….
He’s a Democrat.
FYI Mr. Quigley…You DO NOT speak for me because we owe NO ONE an apology…especially Muslims.
Mr. Quigley is up for re-election in 2012. Let’s plan to throw our support behind his opponent. This should be one of our priority campaigns.
The black cloud of the Obama 3
Big time Democratic donor Philip Falcone of Harbinger Hedge Fund
Obama’s troubles are beginning to pile up…and the timing couldn’t be more perfect for Republicans coming into the 2012 elections(and I’m not even talking about this miserable economy). 3 very shady newsworthy scandals involving the Obama White House are slowly creeping into the news. Of course, they aren’t in the news as much as they should be but people are beginning to know some of the criminal activity that makes up the day to day schedule of this White House. I thought I would do a brief summary of the 3 “biggies” and do follow up posts when new details are learned.
So…here goes
1. Fast and Furious: Most everyone is familiar with this one. It’s the ATF “sting” operation in which assault weapons were knowingly sold to violent Mexican drug cartel members with the intent of tracking these guns into Mexico to catch higher ups in the cartel world. The problem is that most of these assault weapons have disappeared into the underworld of Mexican crime and are showing up at violent crime scenes…including the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. This little scandal involves the ATF, FBI, DEA, Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security…..all under the watchful eye of the Department of Justice. I do not believe that Obama will be implicated in this one because Eric Holder is the front-man and Obama will be protected at all cost. Just my opinion.
2. Solyndra: This one has been getting a lot of press lately. Solyndra is a California based company that makes solar panels. Obama made it the poster-child for his green jobs initiative and publicly touted it’s huge potential to not only advance the movement towards solar power but also the benefit of creating more jobs. So..what’s the problem you ask? Solyndra was doomed from the beginning and was in serious financial trouble before the White House granted it a $535 million loan guarantee (through the Stimulus legislation). The problem with Solyndra is that it’s new solar panels (which are cylindrical and supposedly lighter and easier to install) are very expensive to make and thus are more expensive to buy so consumers are continuing to buy the cheaper flat panels….which work just as well. Solyndra was never ever ever going to be profitable and the White House was warned about this but still continued to push for stimulus money. Solyndra filed for bankruptcy on September 6th…leaving the American taxpayer with a $535 million dollar tab. Oh….and one more thing….the primary shareholder in Solyndra is The George Kaiser Family Foundation. George Kaiser is a rather large campaign fundraiser for Obama and has visited the White House 16 times since 2009. What a coincidence.
3. Lightsquared: So far…there has been very little press about this one and details are still emerging. Lightsquared is a company that is involved in the broadband connectivity network. Their product would make it easier and faster for people to connect to wireless networks. The company is owned by the hedge fund Harbinger Capital. This hedge fund is headed by billionaire Philip Falcone who happens to be a huge donor to Democratic senatorial campaigns as well as to Obama’s campaign. Shortly after he made large donations to Democratic senatorial campaigns, the FCC granted the company a waiver to build their national 4g wireless network cheaply….which is a highly unusual move for the FCC. What a coincidence. Numerous people are crying foul but the bigger scandal here is something a little more criminal than big donor favoritism. The Pentagon is very concerned about Lightsquared’s new broadband network because the GPS system that it uses would interfere with the same system that the military uses to help it with missile tracking (among other things). The Pentagon sent Air Force General William Shelton to testify at a closed door meeting about their concerns. Just a few days ago, General Shelton revealed to House strategic forces subcommittee staffers that the White House tried to “encourage” him to say things in his testimony that would be beneficial to the Lightsquared project. The General was not too happy about being asked to change his testimony on the request of the White House. This one is much more than a “pay to play” scandal. This one is flat-out criminal and involves witness tampering. This has been getting some media coverage but not very much. It is my opinion that this one is the worst of the 3 scandals for Obama but time will tell whether he will suffer politically. I’m betting that there are many more “Solyndra’s” and “Lightsquared’s” out there but we’ll never know with our politically biased media.
There’s one thing that’s for sure with this crooked administration….
You can take Obama out of Chicago, but you can’t take Chicago out of Obama.
At last: Lee Roupas finally resigns as Cook County GOP Chair, after a disgraceful tenure in which the Cocktail Party refused to fire this longtime “Romney Guy”
There’s great news in Chicago today.
Republican News Watch is reporting that disgraced Cook County GOP Chair Lee Roupas has at last resigned, and has now been replaced by Sig Vaznelis, who appears to be someone more up to actually doing something worthwhile in his position.
The reason this is interesting for those of you far from Chicago is that it’s classic Cocktail Party GOP establishment nature to protect guys like Roupas no matter how badly they perform, because these guys are being groomed to replace Cocktail Party guys higher up the cucumber and mayonnaise chain, ensuring the status quo remains the same in Republican ranks indefinitely.
This is what America’s really up against, on a national scale, because every GOP entity at the state, county, and local level is more likely than not run by people who hold these positions for the sheer prestige and honor of holding the position. They are not interested, at all, in winning elections. They just want to look fancy in their sharp blue blazers and hand out the nicest, most expensive business cards at networking events.
When one of these guys screws things up royally — as Roupas did repeatedly — the Cocktail Party GOP establishment circles the wagons and protects him for as long as possible, instead of firing him straight away and finding someone more competent who could actually work towards winning elections. The reasoning in the Cocktail Party ranks is that if any one of them is ever dragged out of office, it could mean the rest of them would be vulnerable like that as well.
This makes the Republican Party’s organization — coast to coast — more like an exclusive fraternity than a political organization focused on winning elections. In many cases, like here in Chicago, the GOP doesn’t even want to TRY to win elections. Republicans didn’t even bother to field a candidate for Mayor in this spring’s election. Roupas and the rest of the Cocktail Party boys here were more focused on planning their next networking event, because they’re only involved with the GOP to see how this involvement can advance and enrich their own personal careers.
They have fun at events, they like posing for pictures, and they use the connections they make in the GOP to build lucrative careers for themselves…just like they’d do in a fraternity at an Ivy League school.
The older fraternity members protect and mentor the younger ones, and donors to the Republican Party at every level fund all of this, even though guys like Roupas have no real intention of ever doing anything to stop the Left or beat Democrats at the ballot box.
In case you haven’t figured it out, guys like Roupas are the biggest supporters of Mittens “Mood Ring” Romneycare because Romney would undoubtedly give them all well-paying, fancy-titled positions on his presidential campaign. No one really cares if Romney will win or not, because they’re just after new business cards that prove they were important to the campaign, so they can use all this on their resumes for better jobs the next year.
I know nothing about Sig Vaznelis, but there’s no way he can do a worse job as Cook County Chair than Roupas.
But, as bad as Roupas was, I’m sure you’ll see him pop up somewhere again, maybe in another state, since the Cocktail Party tends to recycle these guys and give them endless mulligans whenever and wherever they fail.
