Green Party candidate costing Giannoulias in Illinois.

I despise the Senatorial election in Illinois. Like the voters in the "Land of Lincoln", I just cannot stand Democrat Alexi Giannoulias or Republican Mark Kirk, though for obvious reasons (control of US Senate), I want Kirk elected. And according to a new Rasmussen poll, the Green Party could be Kirk's salvation in Illinois.

2010 Illinois Senate Race (with leaners):

Rep. Mark Kirk (R) - 41%.

Alexi Giannoulias (D) - 37%.

LeAlan Jones (Green) - 9%.

Don't dismiss the Green Party in Illinois, they have a large following in the Windy City, and they have a very strong record of producing high level's of voter turnout for their candidates. Just look at the 2006 Gubernatorial race when Rich Whitney received 10.4% of the vote (or 361,000+ votes).

It's quite possible the eventual winner of the Kirk vs. Giannoulias vs. Jones senatorial race will not win a majority of votes, and that the Green Party candidate will cost Giannoulias, a leftwing crook, victory. While securing Barack Obama's former Senate seat for a Republican. I think, I might love the Green Party after all.

Thoughts?





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Jesse Jackson, Jr. to Back Kirk in IL Senate Race?

Alexi Giannoulias's road to replace Barack Obama in the Senate from Illinois has just gotten even rockier. Not only is popular GOP Congressman Mark Kirk running against him, but his family's bank was seized by the government on suspicions of corruption. And now Democratic Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. may actually back Kirk.

Yes, the son of Jesse Jackson might back a Republican.

Politico is reporting this as it becomes obvious that Giannoulias may actually lose in this very blue state.

“I like Alexi Giannoulias, but I have great respect for Mark Kirk and his service to the people of Illinois,” Jackson told POLITICO.

Jackson and Kirk work together on the House Appropriations Committee, on which both are senior members of the subcommittee that provides foreign aid.

Let the games begin.

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Kirk Up 8% in Illinois

Rasmussen polling conducted after Democratic candidate Alexi Giannoulias's family's bank was seized on corruption suspicions sees Republican Mark Kirk in the lead. Kirk was in the lead in the last poll, but now sees his support jump a net four percent. Kirk is approaching 50%, which could potentially sink Giannoulias in the bid to retain the former seat of President Obama.

Kirk 46 (+5 vs. last poll, April 9)
Giannoulias 38 (+1)
Und 11

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Isaac Hayes on National Guard: No Thanks.

It is being proposed by two Illinois' State Representatives that the Governor of Illinois should call on the National Guard to impose order in the City of Chicago. Well Isaac Hayes, a Republican candidate for Congress, announced his opposition to such a plan this morning on his campaign blog.

Citing the Fourth Amendment protection against "unreasonable search and seizure" and how the National Guard would be unfamiliar with the layout of Chicago, unlike local cops who have strong relations with local leaders, Isaac Hayes has instead called for a "police surge" of 100 county and state law enforcement to secure a perimeter "and provide a safe zone for job creation and small business investment".

I agree with the Reverend on his proposed "police surge", especially since his plan is based on the successful Iraqi and Afghanistan "troop surges" over the past few years, adapted for law enforcement reasons of course. However, it wouldn't matter if we declare martial law and only the gangsters and thugs were left in Chicago: The problem is deeper.

None of these gangsters are attracted to crime for social-economic factors, or because there is not enough job creation, but for the lack of father figures in the black home. The solution is the black family reorganizing into a whole once again. I know the word "organizing" was used in relation to Chicago, but it's true - If the biological fathers don't step up to the plate within the next few years, than nothing will ever change in Chicago.

As for Isaac Hayes: Despite running in one of the most Democratic districts in America, this man is one hell of a fighter for our common Conservative causes, and against a common political foe: Jesse Jackson Jr, a radical in his own right. It's true that Hayes' has a relative small chance of winning, unless a massive scandal erupts between now and November, but he's a candidate who deserves some help from regular Conservatives across America, whether that help be five bucks or five hundred bucks.

http://www.isaac4honesty.com/

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GOP Takes Lead in IL Senate Race

Yes-- stop the presses. According to a new poll the GOP candidate for Senate Mark Kirk has taken a small lead over the Democratic candidate Alexi Giannoulias. Giannoulias is under ethics concerns for his and his families connections with the mafia. Oh, Illinois politics!

Kirk 37 (+3 vs. last poll, 1/22-25)
Giannoulias 33 (-9)
Und 30 (+6)

Both candidates are under 40% so it's looking like there's a lot of campaign left to go-- I think that the fact that Chicago is in the state will probably lean Giannoulias's way.

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Can Republicans hold on to Kirk's seat?

Representative Kirk (R- Illinois 10th congressional district) was nominated to be the Republican candidate in the upcoming Illinois Senate election, fueling Republican hopes of taking over the seat Barack Obama held for four years. With Representative Kirk leaving his long held seat, most political wizkids have predicted a Democratic takeover in the D + 6 congressional district he has represented for a decade, however, I would beg to differ.

10th Congressional district Primaries - Republicans vs. Democrats.

• 5 candidates were in the running for the Republican nomination, while 3 candidates were in the running for the Democratic nomination, including the 2006 & 2008 Democratic nominee who received the nomination again last night.
• Over 100,000 citizens (or 35% of voters compared to 2008 election results) inside of the 10th congressional district took part in Republican and Democratic Primaries yesterday morning and afternoon.
• 52,378 citizens (or 50.6% of voters) participated in the Democratic nomination last night, while 51,254 citizens (or 49.4% of voters) participated in the Republican nomination last night, interesting results for a district that should shift "blue" without question..

What does this tell us?

1. Republicans are prepared to fight for this seat, "political wizkids" (or knuckleheads) are not going to tell them who is going to win in November. Plus, Republican voters are just as fired up as Democrats in this district.

2. 35% of voters in this district (compared to 2008 election results) have participated in the upcoming November election as of last night, leaving 65% of voters open to political persuasion over the next nine months. Not to mention, the Democratic candidate has ran and lost twice in this district, I doubt the third time will be a charm.

3. Republican candidates perform quite well in this district and with Representative Kirk running for United States Senate, his involvement on the behalf of the Republican nominee will be crucial to retaining this seat.

In short, we can keep this seat......regardless of what the "political wizkids" tell us, because Republicans aren't going down without a million dollar fight. I just hope the political climate is kind to the Republican nominee, because we must remember what state we are dealing with; the land of 10,000 corrupt Democrats.

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Obama Was an Incompetent State Senator-- His Transcripts on the Floor

I was digging around the President's Illinois State Senate Record and found an interesting exchange from 1997, when he proposed a bill to help community college students. All of this can be found here, the official record of the Illinois State Senate. This is undoctored and direct from the record:

UPDATE: Senator Caroll is a Democrat!

...

...

These are all from the March 13th, 1997 session. His further records can be looked up on the state database. See what you can find!

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Burris Needs to Quit

We here at Jumping in Pools had a firm stand that Roland Burris should not have gotten the Illinois Senate seat given to him by corrupt and shamed former Governor Rod Blagojevich. Despite the fact that Burris was named in corrupt circumstances, he was still allowed in the Senate.

President Obama made a public stand against seating Burris. Then when it appeared that such a stand could be unpopular, he backed down quickly. Other Democrats, fearing the loss of votes (and not credibility) soon dropped their opposition to Burris.

Now it turns out that Senator Burris may have been as corrupt as Blagojevich himself. He has admitted to lying and is now just another crooked politician.

Senator Burris must resign within two weeks. There is no excuse for his lies and corruption. He has shown the United States the worst of our politicians. He has shown us the results of putting popularity in front of integrity. He is a shame to our country and needs to do the honorable thing and resign.

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DNC Owes Chicago Over $1 M

Chicago was chosen as the site of the big bash coinciding with President Obama's election in November. While it is unusual to have such a large and self-absorbed celebration for the election of a President, it was assured as a celebration of America.

Instead, the party reeked of arrogance and self-importance. And the DNC still hasn't picked up the bill, despite the city being in a deficit. Mayor Daley was fit to cram in as many well-wishers as possible on that night, without making sure that the bill was paid.

Considering the Obama campaign labeled itself as super-clean and far from corrupt, you would figure that they would pay for the expenses or at least prod the DNC. Instead:

In late October, Mayor Daley assured that the cash-flush Obama campaign would reimburse the city for every penny spent on the rally. "We have a financial crisis," he said at the time. "The City of Chicago could not afford $2 million on this because we're gonna be laying off people, cutting back. That [cost] would really be unfortunate. . . . It's a huge cost to the City of Chicago.

"This is not a presidential visit. . . . This is a political event, and they've agreed to pay for all those services -- all the expenses of that. ... It's costly, but they raised quite a bit of money. There's no [shortage] of money in that campaign."

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Proof Obama Took Blagojevich Down

WCHC Chicago
"Wake up, Windy City"

Just hours after the impeachment trial of Governor Rod Blagojevich finished with the Governor's removal, there is now word trickling back to WCHC that the Governor was, in fact, innocent of the charges against him.

"It was purely a witch hunt." said retired professor James Yeats of John Marshall Law School. "In fact, of all the 'evidence' arrayed against Governor Blagojevich, half of it was not deemed admissible by the judge."

When asked what this 'inadmissible' evidence was, Dr. Yeats cited recordings from McDonald's drive-throughs and photos of Pete Rose.

"It was a whitewash, pure and simple."

Sources at the State House believe that the real cause of the Governor's removal was simple politics.

"We know that he had a deal with the Senator [Obama] to become the next Secretary of Commerce." said a former aide to the Governor. "And now Obama got elected and neglected his friend. Rod was going to go public with the broken promise along with other things, and the next morning came the accusations."

Further complicating things was the swift call by Obama for Blagojevich, a long time friend, to step down.

"Obama played Rod the way he needed to, and now that he's reached the top he threw him under the bus." the aide continued. "And Rod was willing to do a lot of things for Barack, but the favors were never repayed."

When asked what things the Governor did for the former Illinois Senator, the aide backtracked.

"Governor Blagojevich wishes not to discuss this issue." the aide stated.

Independent research by WCHC found that up to $200,000 in unmarked funds may have been transferred from the Illinois State Treasury directly or indirectly into Obama's 2008 White House bid.

"This is beyond big." said Dr. Yeats. "The President took down a sitting governor of a state. That's the quickest way to tell your political rivals, including Hillary [Clinton], not to fool with you."

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Up next, Scott McClossum with the traffic.

Burris Wins Battle for Senate Seat

Roland Burris, who was appointed by disgraced (and now impeached) Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, has been cleared to serve in the United States Senate. This takes place after Democratic leaders refused to pave the way for him.

We've written a little about this ourselves and have a split opinion.
However, there is not a split opinion in the Senate.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, under investigation for allegations that include seeking to trade Obama's Senate seat for personal favors, surprised Senate Democrats over the holiday break when he appointed Burris to succeed Obama in the Senate.

Senate Democrats, who had worried that any appointee would be tainted by Blagojevich, have been grappling with how to proceed ever since. They rejected Burris last week only to reverse course a day later after Obama himself privately weighed in and senators fretted that the situation was diverting their focus.

Indeed.

As per the Constitution

all a man needs to be is 30 years old, a United States citizen, a citizen of the state and the country for a number of years, to be appointed be a legal Governor and he is a Senator. This is the case of Roland Burris, as Conservatives including myself at first felt - this man should not be allowed into the United States Senate, then it donned on me : according to a Supreme Court ruling & the United States Constitution - Roland Burris is a legal United States Senator.

I suspect corruption.

But I also suspect both Blago & Burris will get an un-welcomed 2010 election cycle.

We need to follow the Constitution, no matter how hard it might be some times.

This is what devines the right from the wrong. Supporting the Constitution even when the appointment smells of dead fish, instead of disgracing in based on ego.

Constitution - seat Roland Burris - that is good enough for me. Until 2010, then I hope the Illinois GOP destroys him.


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Dems Likely to Back Burris

One by one the top Democrats fell in line opposing Rod Blagojevich's appointee to the United States Senate. After mocking the Republicans for a 'culture of corruption,' the Democratic Party would take a stand.

Obama
Reid
Durbin

Then something happened.... Racial undertones were used comparing the Democratic leadership to segregationists.... then they started to back off. Rod Blagojevich may have been impeached, but his choice for Senate will live on, or so it would appear.

And that brings us to now, which Roland Burris poised to become the junior Senator from the state of Illinois.

Surprising? Talk about doubletalk:

"I started off obviously skeptical, as all of the Democratic members did," Durbin, D-Ill., said on "Face the Nation" on CBS. "But as time has gone on and we've looked closely, we want to be fair to Roland Burris. If he has the proper certification and papers, then we're going to take one look at the process and move forward from there."

Corruption rewarded, even before the next Congress opens.

Burris Aided Blago.... Suprising?

Illinois Senate Appointee Roland Burris apparently aided Governor Rod Blagojevich's election bid in 2006-- in sneaky circumstances.

Just days after Gov. Rod Blagojevich accepted his party's nod for re-election in 2006, a letter arrived at state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka's office seeking thousands of pages of documents Blagojevich could use as ammunition against her in their upcoming campaign.

The letter was signed by Roland Burris.

It was one of several requests Burris made to the treasurer's office in 2006, a campaign practice known as opposition research in which candidates use public documents to question their opponents' records.

This really can't be too surprising, but it still seems underhanded. Burris helps the Governor, then gets picked for Senate. And didn't just help the governor, but used a legal but dirty trick to gain favor (or just to help him).

Indeed.

Blagojevich Impeached

After a lot of waiting and speculation, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was finally impeached by the Illinois House. He still needs to be removed from office for the system to be complete.

The vote by the House was 114-1 and marks the first time in the state's 190-year history that a governor has been impeached, despite Illinois' longstanding reputation for political corruption.

Rep. Milt Patterson (D-Chicago) was the lone vote against impeaching the governor. Patterson, from Chicago's Southwest Side, said after the roll call that he didn't feel it was his job to vote to impeach the governor. He declined comment on whether he approved of the job Blagojevich is doing.

So far, so good.

But he won't give up:

A Blagojevich spokesman said the governor will not resign. A 2 p.m. news conference with the governor is scheduled for the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago.

Let's wait and see.

Burris Attempt Underhanded

With the resignation of President-Elect Obama from the Senate, we all know that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich attempted to sell his seat for favors. And after he was cornered by the Feds, he not only denied it, but also attempted to hold onto his fleeting power.

And now his Senate appointee, Roland Burris stained with the immense corruption of Chicago politics represented by the Governor, is attempting to enter the United States Senate. President-Elect Obama has already signalled that this should not occur. Good for him. The Senate Democrats appear to also be blocking his entry.

But, of course, things will probably get more messy. If the impeachment of Blagojevich is delayed, then Burris entering the Senate may also be. If Burris is not certified by the Illinois Secretary of State, then he will be unable to legally serve. If this happens, then one of 100 Senators will be missing. In cases of tight votes, this could serve to make things more contentious.

In addition, how much longer can this stalemate go on? If Blagojevich is not impeached, then will a Senator be seated? Will there be no junior Senator from Illinois until 2011? Also, will the race card be used as stating that the Democrats are attempting to block a black Senator from taking office-- especially when there are no black Senators.

Politics appears amess, even for Washington.

Obama Calls for Blagojevich's Head

Before even taking office, President-Elect Obama has made a good move, calling for a former colleague to step down. In the face of the scandal involving Obama's Senate seat, Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, is in the middle of another corruption scandal.

"The president-elect agrees with [Illinois] Lt. Governor Quinn and many others that under the current circumstances it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois," Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Good for the President-Elect. Unfortunately, he was part of the same Illinois cesspool as Blagojevich. Hopefully this means that Obama will put in double time to clean up Washington.

Further Illinois Corruption-- Jesse Jackson, Jr.

And even though it looked like it couldn't get any worse, it appears that another politician will be felled thanks to the immense swamp of corruption that is currently called Illinois. It appears that at least one of the parties looking to purchase President-Elect Barack Obama's Senate seat is not only of a famous lineage, but is a Congressman as well.

Jesse Jackson, Jr., represents one of Illinois' Congressional District, and according to reports, was willing to spend up to one million dollars to bribe Blagojevich into letting him have the Senate seat. Jackson must have felt that he couldn't have won the seat fair and square, and had to stoop to infernal corruption.

Not only that, but Jackson was willing to play ball in Chicago-style quid pro quo as well:

If Blagojevich ran for re-election, Senate Candidate 5 would "raise money" for the campaign, the affidavit alleges.
"Blagojevich said he might 'get some (money) up front, maybe' from Senate Candidate5 to insure Senate Candidate 5 kept his promise about raising money for Rod Blagojevich. (In a recorded conversation on October 31, 2008, Rod Blagojevich described an earlier approach by an associate of Senate Candidate Five as follows: 'We were approached "pay to play." That, you know, he'd raise me 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a senator.')," the affidavit reads.

Corruption in Illinois? Never.

Governor of Illinois Nailed

The Governor of the state of Illinois was indicted on corruption charges. This isn't the first time that Rod Blagojevich had his hand in the cookie jar. This time he was caught trying to sell President-Elect Obama's Senate seat.

So once again another corrupt politician goes down in flames from his own doing. First Spitzer, then Stevens, then Jefferson, now Blagojevich. Hopefully Charlie Rangel is next.