Blago to name former attorney general to Senate seat

What in the world is Gov. Rod Blagojevich trying to accomplish?

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Blago is planning on naming former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate - the same seat that Blago has been accused of attempting to sell to the highest bidder. A press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. today.

This will accomplish very little. The Democratic led Senate has already refused to seat anyone named by Blagojevich to that seat.

The new Congress will be sworn in in early January and Illinois will only field one senator until the seat held by President-elect Barack Obama is filled. Blago currently is the only one in the state who has the authority to fill that seat.

With all the legal trouble surrounding Blago currently, any candidate he puts forth for that seat will bear the taint of Blago's corruption.

Burris, who was the first black man to win statewide office in Illinois in 1978, would be wise to reject the governor's nomination.

And the state legislature would be wise to speed up their investigation into Blago and any impeachment hearings before Blago further drives the state into ruin.

Watchdog groups keep eye on Illinois State Police violations

What do citizens do when the man really does keep them down?

According to an article in the Chicago Sun Times, that's precisely what's happening in Illinois. Once again state officials are taking the law into their own hands and doing what they think is best. Over the past few years the Illinois State Police are ignoring orders from a sitting judge to expunge convictions because they "don't agree with the judge's interpretation of the law." According to the Sun Times report the police refused to expunge 281 records over the past eight years.

No one always agrees with a legal interpretation of the law - certainly the people of California disagreed with a court's ruling on homosexual marriage and in turn overturned that ruling at the ballot box. (Of course that political football will continue to be challenged)

The United States is a nation of laws. And it is important for the citizenry to follow the rule of law even if it's a law one may not agree with. Laws can be changed, but picking and choosing the laws we want to follow while ignoring others leads to a breakdown of society. Fortunately watchdog organizations like the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago are keeping an eye on the State Police and fighting for the people when the powers that be ignore the rule of law or judicial commands.

The legal assistance organization filed a lawsuit against the State Police and have succeeded in having 137 of those 281 cases expunged. However the State Police refuse to comply with the rest despite the contempt of court charges. The contempt-of-court petition was dropped on Friday when the state agreed to negotiate the remaining cases.

Hopefully the State Police will file future objections to expungements in a court of law rather than taking the law into their own hands. Until then it is important watchdog groups remain vigilant.

Despite protestation of innocence, Blagojevich should step aside for the good of Illinois

Is Gov. Rod Blagojevich channeling Richard Nixon's I am not a crook address?

His comments this afternoon that he has done nothing wrong are astounding. Now I know that in this nation a man is innocent until proven guilty, but I think there's enough evidence that's been released by the U.S. Attorney's office for the citizenry to make a fair judgement about the man.

At a press conference this afternoon Blago said:

I'm here to tell you right off the bat that I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing, that I intend to stay on the job and I will fight this thing every step of the way. I will fight, I will fight, I will fight. Until I take my last breath. I have done nothing wrong. "And I'm not going to quit a job the people hired me to do, because of false accusations and a political lynch mob. Now that's what I'm going to do. Let me tell you what I'm not going to do. I'm not going to do what my accusers and political enemies have been doing. And that is talk about this case in 30 second sound bites on 'Meet the Press' or on the TV news. Now I'm dying to answer these charges, I am dying to show you how innocent I am. And I want to assure everyone who is here and everyone who's listening that I intend to answer every allegation that comes my way. However, I intend to answer them in the appropriate forum, in a court of law, and when I do, I am absolutely certain that I will be vindicated.

Again, the man is innocent until proven guilty. But until he has his day in court, Blago should step aside from his now severely hamstrung position, and allow the Lt. Governor to step into temporary leadership. The people of the state of Illinois deserve no less than exceptional leadership during these difficult economic times. With Blago's strained relationships with House Speaker Michael Madigan, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, running the state will be next to impossible for the governor. The legislature will fight any initiative by the governor, and it's possible the governor will veto legislation that comes across his desk out of spite.

Misguided judge upholds Chicago's gun ban

So much for the Constitution.

Today a federal judge upheld the city of Chicago's firearms ban. Citizens of Chicago continue to be denied a basic right defended in the Constitution - the right to bear arms.

In a 5-to-4 decision in June, the Supreme Court overturned the D.C. handgun ban on grounds that the Second Amendment establishes the right to own a handgun for personal self-defense. Within hours, Second Amendment supporters filed lawsuits challenging a similar ban in Chicago.

Why do (typically liberal) lawmakers believe that responsible citizens should not be allowed to own a firearm? Is it a lack of trust in people?In his typical style, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley uses straw man arguments to bolster his disdain for firearms. Claiming that his support for a firearms ban would protect police officers, Daley said:

“What does a policeman do when there’s a domestic battery [call] and they’re both armed? Do they enter the home or apartment or do they wait outside?” Daley asked reporters earlier this year.

Fortunately the District Court's ruling will be appealed and chances are the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the lower court's ruling. Even the judge who made the ruling suggested as much. According to the Chicago Sun Times, Judge Milton Shadur said:

"This court should not be misunderstood as either rejecting or endorsing the logic of plaintiff's argument. It may well carry the day before a court that is unconstrained by the obligation to follow the unreversed precedent of a court that occupies a higher position in the judicial firmament," the decision stated.

Obama Senate seat belongs to everyone, not just black politicians from Illinois

A black Senate seat?

That's what Laura Washington of the Chicago Sun Times calls the seat vacated by President elect Barack Obama. Well if that's not a fine reversal of racism. And here I thought the Senate seat was open to anyone seeking that office. Silly me. So much for the bridging of a racial divide with the election of Obama.

Like a politic Black Panther, Washington laments that the criminal troubles Gov. Rod Blagojevich is finding himself in will likely end the chances of a black holding that seat.

Washington says Illinois deserves a black senator. Really? I think we deserve an honest senator in office regardless of his or her race.

Washington's rhetoric is eerily similar to the calls from racists who wanted to prevent blacks from voting. But this time it's the reverse.

What it gets down to is Washington doesn't trust in the people to decide for themselves who they want to be senator. She states that white voters can't be trusted to support a black candidate. But Washington is forgetting the overwhelming support white voters showed to Obama - in electing him to the U.S. Senate and to the office of President of the United States.

The seat should be opened up to the voters and remove the taint of Blagojevich and the lawmakers indebted to the Chicago Machine. That's what the people of Illinois, of all races, deserve.

Illinois Democrats play politics with U.S. Senate seat

It's not surprising that the Democrats in the Illinois House have held off on stripping disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich of his power to appoint a replacement to the United States Senate.

The Chicago Tribune reports the House Democrats did not move for a special election because they were fearful of losing the seat to a Republican candidate. While the Democrats' argument that a special election would cost the state money it does not have, Illinois citizens should be distrustful of any appointee out of the Democrat controlled Springfield. How far does Blagojevich's corruption go? How many members of the legislature (or possibly the transition team of President Elect Barack Obama) are guilty of corroboration with the corrupt Chicago Machine that gave Illinois Blago?

There is only one viable solution to Illinois' lack of a second senator, and that is give the people the right to select Obama's replacement. Costs can be minimized during municipal elections in 2009. The people have the right and the responsibility to select a Senator that can begin to restore trust in elected officials. The Chicago Machine which runs Illinois can only give the people corruption.

Pay to Play may mean Blago's silence has a price

The Illinois General Assembly will meet Monday to discuss a possible impeachment against Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan appeared before the Illinois Supreme Court at week's end to argue that Blagojevich, who is in federal cross hairs on corruption charges, is unfit to hold his office.

There are lots of political ramifications from Blagojevich's arrogant criminality that has this state in a legislative and legal upheaval. But the primary ramification is the immediate fallout of a possible impeachment.

If Blagojevich is impeached, it's likely that he's not going to go down alone. A product of the corrupt Chicago Political Machine, Blagojevich might try to cut a deal with the feds and name names. This could have a lot of legislators with Chicago ties examine the skeletons in their own closets before agreeing to oust the governor. It's reasonable to assume that these lawmakers are urging Blago to step down before they have to make that decision.

If Blago does step down, his finances need to be carefully scrutinized. Reports say that Blago owes nearly $2 million in legal fees stemming from three years of being under the scrutiny of federal agents. It would not be surprising if Blago twisted Illinois' history of pay to play to his own gains to cover legal expenses and his shattered future.

Blago has shown that everything in Illinois is for sale. Nothing is sacred, and that will include his silence. And it's not outside reason that there will be plenty of tainted lawmakers ponying up cash to make sure he stays silent.

Culture of Corruption and Stupidity Continues in Illinois

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that federal authorities arrested Gov. Rod Blagojevich today. Illinois has a long history of corrupt officials. When will this stop?

Like others who have fallen victim to power and money, Blago was using his position to influence state contractors to donating to his campaign fund. According to the US Attorney's press release, Blago was also conspiring to sell the Senate seat of President elect Barack Obama.

While it's widely known in Illinois that Blagojevich is incompetent and corrupt, the press release indicates that the Illinois governor is irretrievably stupid as well. He's known he was the target of a federal investigation for some time, yet he continued to conduct his crooked business as usual. He conducted business on the telephone!! Has he never heard of wiretaps?

The press release also indicates that Blago was interested in obtaining a "lucrative" position with a union after his tenure as governor ended. This may explain his call on Monday for the state to cease business with Bank of America - which would benefit members of United Electrical Workers

The people of Illinois will do well to end the cycle of corruption in state and local offices and elect men of integrity. Business as usual cannot continue in the land of Lincoln

Were Mumbai attacks an Al-Quaida attempt to remove Pakistani troops from Afghanistan border?

Last week's terrorist attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai bear all the hallmarks of a classic Al-Quaida attack. They were multiple attacks within a short window of time in a heavily populated area.

But was carnage the end goal of the attacks? Or was it something more sinister - or even more tactical for Al-Quaida?

McCaltchey newspapers are reporting that Pakistan is warning it will shift tens of thousands of troops away from the Afghanistan border - an area heavily populated by militant islamists - to the border with India. Since Pakistan's creation in 1947, it's had a shall we say, tenuous history with it's mother land of India, particularly over the province of Kashmir.

Since last week's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Indian officials, and a captured terrorist, have pointed fingers at Pakistan as the culprit behind the attacks. India has blamed Lashkar-e-Toiba, a terrorist group based in Pakistan, and with past links to Pakistan's intelligence service, for the Mumbai atrocities.

"They can say what they want, but we have no doubt that the terrorists had come from Pakistan,” said Sriprakash Jaiswal, India's deputy home affairs minister, on Sunday. “Our intelligence will be increased to a war level, we are asking the state governments to increase security to a war level.”

War tensions between these two nuclear powered foes is at a new level following the attacks and accusations. But the removal of troops from the Afghani border certainly benefits Al-Quaida. It means that less troops will be looking for Islamic militants in the Pakistani wild-lands and gives the terrorist organization responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States some breathing room in that area - especially since Pakistan will not allow US troops within its borders to hunt for Osama bin-Laden.

While the world watches the tension mount between Pakistan and India, Al-Quaida is breathing a bit easier.

Dupage Veterans Memorial Group Drops Ball

Dupage Veterans Memorial Inc. dropped the ball when they removed steel crosses honoring fallen Dupage County soldiers without notifying the families of those soldiers.

At the Dupage memorial for the dead, there were 22 steel crosses lining the path. Each cross bore the name of a fallen soldier or marine. The Daily Herald reports that a father of one of the soldiers who died in Iraq arrived at the memorial and found the crosses had been removed.

The board of directors of Dupage Veterans Memorial Inc. voted several weeks ago to remove the crosses, as they were deemed a safety concern - people apparently were tripping over the 2x3 crosses.

Safety on public grounds is very important, and removing the crosses is understandable. But the parents of the fallen should have been notified prior to the removal of the crosses. These parents lost their most precious children to the war on terror and the board should have done everything in its power to notify them. It does not do to heap more anxiety on people who have made huge sacrifices for this nation. This weekend as we observe Thanksgiving, we should all be thankful to the soldiers who have sacrificed so much for this nation. And their parents deserve thanks as well.

Gov. Ryan should stay in prison

President Bush should ignore calls to commute the sentence for former Republican Illinois Gov. George Ryan.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is "toying" with the idea of asking the president to commute the sentence of the former governor who is serving a 6 1/2 year sentence for racketerring. Ryan, a blight on the Republican Party in Illinois, was guilty of numerous illegal and unethical practices dating back to his time as Secretary of State. His crimes went beyond the lining of his pockets with illegal donations, they indirectly resulted in the death of six children in Wisconsin.

Ryan was convicted in 2006 after a decade of investigations and went to prison more than a year later. But after serving just over 12 months in prison, Durbin wants his sentence commuted.
In a Chicago Sun Times report Durbin said:

"Let's look at the price he's paid. His family name has been damaged. He is at an advanced moment in his life and been removed from his family. He has lost the economic security, which most people count on at his age. And he's separate from his wife at a time when she is in frail health. To say that he's paid a price for his wrongdoing, he certainly has. And the question is whether continued imprisonment is appropriate at this point."

Yet, Both the Sun Times and the Chicago Tribune report that Ryan has shown no remorse for his crimes. It can no longer be business as usual in Illinois. Corrupt officials must pay their dues and serve their sentences in prison.

One can argue that Ryan's corruption ended 25 years of Republican control of the governor's office and is the reason Illinois is now managed by the incompetent and equally corrupt Rod Blagojevich.

Illinois citizens would do well by shouting down Durbin's proposal and if they do not, hopefully Bush will show some sanity and keep a corrupt official behind bars.

Cook County president continues dangerous debt increases

It staggers the mind how government can mismanage so much and constantly need more money. No, I'm not talking about the huge debts the federal government is running up by the second. I'm talking about the horrible management of Cook County.

Earlier this year Todd Stroger, county board president, led the passage of a sales tax increase that was supposed to bring in $400 million annually - giving Cook County the highest sale tax in the nation. But that money isn't enough - it never is for big government types. In fact, Stroger said the $400 million boost would give the county a surplus. Now Stroger claims the county needs to borrow $700 million or there will be "draconian cuts" in county jobs. The county, like the federal government and the state government, doesn't have a budget problem - it has a spending problem, as John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation in North Carolina is fond of saying.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Stroger wants to borrow "$376 million for construction and technology upgrades, $260 million for court costs and insurance claims, and $104 million to pay the pension fund." What's grating and frustrating is the board has already given the nod for the bonds.

In an economy when people are being forced on the street and can barely pay for their mortgages - let alone a spike in property taxes - the government wants to heap more debt on the tax payers. When is it too much? Where are the foes of this kind of insanity? The Civic Federation has called out Stroger on his insanity, but that's not going to be enough and it's clearly too late if the board members are inclined to put the county further into debt. Commissioner Forrest Claypool, a likely primary opponent for Stroger's position, is also questioning the wisdom of borrowing this much money.

The big question in all this remains, however, where did all the money go?" he said to the Chicago Tribune. "Where did Stroger's massive sales-tax increase go and all those hundreds of millions of dollars?"

Claypool is at least asking questions, but again, too little too late. It's time for people to take their government back. Cook County may be a Democratic safe haven, but there are plenty of fiscally sound leaders from that side of the aisle. Take back the county and restore fiscal responsibility and sound leadership.

Stevens loss not tragic, but a super majority in the Senate it

There are mixed blessings in the news that Sen. Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, lost his race for a return to Washington, D.C. The longest serving Republican senator is gone. And that's not a bad thing considering his recent conviction. Party affiliation does not matter when it comes to corruption.

The most obvious blessing from the announcement that Stevens lost the race to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, is a corrupt lawmaker is not returning to Washington, a city rife with corruption.

But there is a downside to this - the Democrats are one step closer to having a super majority (60 seats) in the Senate. If the Democrats achieve that magic number, then that body will be filibuster proof - and that's not a good thing for this country.

On Wednesday Sen. Joe Lieberman, an Independent who was the Democrats pick for vice president in 2004, is returning to his Democratic roots (most likely to retain his committee positions) despite being seen with GOP presidential candidate John McCain throughout the campaign.

With two other Senate races in doubt, one in Minnesota and one in Georgia, it's possible the GOP will be left out of decision making in Washington, despite promises by the Obama transition team stating otherwise. But the Democrats could easily show pettiness. If that happens there's nothing Republicans can do about it.

A filibuster proof Senate renders the Republican Party to less than an effective political party on the national scene. The GOP will be reduced to an impotent opposition party.

Of course many of the things the Republicans will wail and gnash their teeth about under an Obama administration are precisely the things that were accomplished under the Bush presidency. The fear of the Democratic authorized path to socialism has already been laid by the Republican establishment. As the great George Will put it:

while Republicans -- whose prescription drug entitlement is the largest expansion of the welfare state since President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society gave birth to Medicare in 1965

Which again shows that the GOP needs to return to its roots. The party must reinvent itself to become viable in future national elections. That reinvention must begin at the grass roots level all across this nation.

Kicking out the corrupt, like Stevens, is a start.

Support Community Arts Programs

I am urging everyone to support the arts in their community. In Chicago land we're blessed with so many community theater productions and a plethora of community concert bands. Mrs. Sideline Pundit plays in one of those bands, so I'm certainly far more aware of the bands now than I was back in my single guy days.

Last night I went to one of Mrs. Sideline Pundit's concerts. She plays with the Palatine Concert Band. It was the band's fall concert and the highlight of the night was their performance of Johna de Meij's "The Lord of the Rings" symphony. The symphony, based on the novels by J.R.R. Tolkien (which happens to be my favorite story) is performed in five parts - Gandalf; Lothlorien; Gollum; Journey in the Dark and Hobbits.

What a wonderful performance it was. And for less than the cost of a movie ticket. I was happy to spend money to support the musical passions of friends and neighbors.

I encourage you all, whether here in Chicago land, or in another part of this great nation, to support these performances.

Two Republican leaders of the future

The old Republican guard is dead for all intensive purposes. They dropped the ball and Democrats gained tremendous power n the past two elections. While it's clear the Republican Party (or more to the point the party of President Bush, which does not resemble the true Republican Party in my opinion) was vehemently rejected in 2008.

But there are young leaders who need to take the lead in returning the party to its traditional tenets. Two men that will be a tremendous boon to the party over the next decade are Mn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Md. Lt. Gov. Michael Steele.

These are two men who understand what it's going to take to right the party.

Pawlenty won re-election in 2006 during the big Democratic sweep. He was able to balance the books of Minnesota without raising taxes, according to the Star-Tribune. He is also a big proponent of alternative energy and has pushed for new energy sources, including wind energy, in his home state. Pawlenty, who was rumored to be one of McCain's choice as running mate, has a big future with the party. He won great respect when he told his constituents that he was governor of the state and would remain governor until his term expired.

Steele, who was the highest elected African-American in the nation when he was lieutenant governor, is seeking the party's top spot.

In his blog at Townhall.com, Steele rightly demands that Republicans "stop looking for Reagan and start acting like Republicans." He's right. The GOP has rested on the laurels of Regan for too long.

In his press release announcing his candidacy for chairman of the Republican Party, he wrote:

"Most Americans today see a Republican Party that defines itself by what it is against rather than what it is for," Steele said in the release. "We can tell you why public schools aren’t working, but not articulate a compelling vision for how we’ll better educate children. We’re well equipped to rail against tax increases; but can’t begin to explain how we’ll help the poor. The success of our Party’s resurgence will come from the states -- from our local leaders and from our Governors."

Will Republican Governors take party in right direction?

As the Republican Governor's Association winds down its Florida meeting, party members wait to see which direction the party will take. Will the part take a more centrist stance, or will it veer sharply to the right to appease the religious base?

If the Republican Party wants to win back the White House within the next few elections, then party leaders need to follow the Charlie Crist model of Republicanism. Crist, the governor of Florida, takes a bi-partisan, which is code word for centrist, view of government. Looking at the election result from 11 days ago, the political winds are blowing in the centrist direction.

This does not mean the party's tenets of limited government and fiscal responsibility should be abandoned. Not at all. But it does mean that the more socially conservative views of the party need to take a back seat to the more traditional tenets. This is not a compromise of principle, but a look at political reality. If the elections of 2006 and 2008 teach us anything, it's that the country has rejected the current look of the GOP. The party needs to update its look and its message if it wants a chance to win national elections again.

Illinois leadership no where to be seen with $5 billion debt looming

Illinois could be $5 billion in debt by early next year.
It's no secret the state is hurting financially, and it's no secret that state leaders have rarely seen a project they don't want to fund. While it's true lawmakers love to spend money like a sailor on shore leave, not all of the blame can be placed at the feet of Springfield - some of it is fallout from the global economic crisis.

That being said though, it appears Democrats in Springfield are beginning to call for tax increases when the new session begins in January, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. New taxes are not the answer. A tighter belt in Springfield is the answer. Slow down spending and while not probable, examine a budgeting system like zero-based budgeting. That will help the state right its course financially.

But in the meantime, the state is in a world of trouble.

State Comptroller Dan Hynes warned Gov. Rod Blagojevich that under this massive amount of debt burdening the people of Illinois many services the state provides, such as the highway patrol, food deliveries to prison or school funding.

But where's the governor's leadership on this issue? According to his spokesperson it's not the governor's to deal with. What?!?!? He's the chief executive of this state and he's not taking responsibility. Here's the spokesman's words to the Tribune:

"The reality is that this isn't just something the governor needs to deal with. It's something everyone will have to deal with," Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero said in an e-mail Thursday. "The national economy is in turmoil, and we have to make sure that everyone works together . . . to make sure we can get through these financially troubling times."

So Blagojevich is passing the buck. It's no surprise. He's no true leader and that's evident when his own party shunned him at the Democratic National Convention earlier this year. He was seen as a liability to Obama, and with a lack of leadership styles, he's a liability to the state of Illinois.

Change needs to come to Springfield and hopefully the likes of Blagojevich will be expelled in the next round of elections. The state Republican Party needs to carefully vet candidates who will promote true fiscal reform in the state and not mirror the "fiscal conservatives" who currently run Washington. Out of control spending needs to stop and the GOP should lead the way in not only reforming the state of Illinois, but the image of the party.

A thank you to all who have served this great nation

Today is Nov. 11, a day we honor the men and women who gave their time , energy and blood in service to this great nation.

Some people are off work today, but most in the private sector (like me) are working. But regardless if one is working, or enjoying a relaxing day off, take the time to let a veteran know you're thankful for their service to this nation.

In honor of these brave men and women, I will share a poem by Courtney Tanabe. The poem, and others honoring soldiers can be found at this Web site.

Because of You, Unknown Soldier
By Courtney Tanabe

Because of you, I am here
Because of you, I am able to live freely

Yet I do not know you
And I have not done anything for you

But there you stand, ready to fight
And there you are prepared to die
For me

You've fought before
And you'll fight again
For someone you don't know

So thank you Unknown Soldier
Fighting for me

I'm here because of you
And I owe my future to you

Illinois GOP on right track - change in Springfield

Under the ever floundering administration of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Homer Simpson's cry of "D'oh" would be just as home in Springfield, Illinois as it is in the fictional Springfield in which Homer and the rest of the Simpson's clan reside.

It's no secret that the state of Illinois, or heck, even Cook County if you're looking for something close to home, is in dire financial straights. Couple those budget woes with political infighting and ties to corruption, and it's evident that the mantra of President-Elect Barack Obama's call for change is needed in Springfield. But this time it's the Democrats who need to be targeted. And that's precisely the message the Illinois Republican Party is tapping into. A section on the party's web site is dedicated to a call for change in Illinois. The page lays out problems facing Illinois citizens, including the borrowing of millions of dollars to pay for Medicaid, and the corruption issues surrounding Gov. Blagojevich.

Some of the plans have merit and deserve implementation, particularly the calls for fiscal responsibility and the prevention of new taxation to pay for bloated state programs. These are the kinds of things Republicans and fiscally conservative Democrats need to work on together to implement within the next legislative cycle and hold the future gubernatorial candidates to in the 2010 elections.

But some of the calls for action, such as requiring voter referendum for state debt or $1 billion, or a referendum on binding state policy, are much trickier and could be seen as a circumvention of the electoral process.

The message may need to be honed, but the overall call for change is an excellent battle cry for Illinois Republicans.

Sen. Stevens deserves the boot

If men of good will are going to reform the Republican Party, then its elected and part officials need to be held to the highest of standards. The first step on the road to recovering the party's legitimacy with the people is to forcibly fire someone like Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska. In July Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury on seven counts of failing to properly report gifts valued at approximately $250,000. Stevens was, according to a Los Angeles Times report, using his political connections to invest his money with businesses that received government contracts, which is a conflict of interest for the senator.

On Tuesday, it's seems the voters in Alaska decided to return Stevens to office. There are about 40,000 absentee votes waiting to be counted, but Stevens holds a slim lead. If Stevens is returned to Washington, that will make him the first convicted felon to be re-elected to Congress. I don't know why the people of Alaska would choose to send a corrupt official back to Washington, but it is disconcerting to say the least. The Constitution does give the Senate the power to expel Stevens from that august body, but it should never come to that.

If Stevens truly believes in John McCain's philosophy of Country First, he should step down from both the U.S. Senate and from the Republican Party itself. Then it would appear that principle would triumph over party.

Yes, it is true that the Democrats may have returned a felon to office in Rep. William Jefferson who has been indicted on 15 counts of corruption, but Jefferson has not been convicted in a court of law. And even if Jefferson had been convicted, Republicans cannot afford to play the tit for tat game. If it's not good for the goose, then it's not good for the gander.

Let's take back the party and send it a message - hold elected officials to the highest standards and purge criminals from our ranks. Send an email to your state and national party leaders to call for Stevens' dismissal from office.

A note to my conservative friends - let's take the GOP back

Like me, many of you have been highly disappointed in the direction of the Republican Party over the past decade. It has abandoned its traditional tenets of limited government and individual liberty. Many of you, like me, walked away from the party that we rightly felt had abandoned us, the traditional conservatives.

But now is the time to return to the fold. Last night's election was in no small way a rejection of the current state of the Republican Party.

As my wife and I watched Obama give his victory speech, I noticed so many people in the crowd with tears in their eyes. My jaded heart couldn't really understand it, and my wife chided me saying I had no causes to be passionate about, like those people did. After sleeping on it, I realized she was correct. I'd lost my passion for politics because I was feeling like a jilted lover.

But today I am changing that. Since moving to Illinois, I am no longer restrained by journalistic ethics of becoming involved in party politics. As of this morning, I've contacted the county GOP to use my skills to rebuild the party and re-install the core values - limited government, fiscal responsibility and individual liberty - to the party. My backside is coming off the sidelines and I'm going to get back in the game. This blog is part of that effort. The Illinois GOP, like the GOP in my beloved North Carolina, is poorly organized and I believe I can make a difference and help restructure state and local politics. So my fellow disillusioned and jaded conservative friends, now is the time to act. I challenge each of you to get off the sidelines and work to make sure the values we hold aren't forgotten.

To steal the mantra of our president-elect, YES WE CAN

Why Obama won

President-elect Barack Obama won a solid victory on Tuesday night. He won states and counties that a Democrat has not carried in decades. For the last 21 months Obama crisscrossed the United States taking his message of change and inspiring millions of Americans, particularly young voters. Couple the swell of voters with a national dis-satisfaction with the Bush White House and it was a formula made for victory. While Sen. McCain repeatedly told people he is not President Bush, there was no difference in the minds of the voting public.

But there is another factor in McCain's loss - the shift in policy within the Republican Party itself. For years the Grand Old Party stood for ideals like fiscal responsibility, limited government and individual liberty. But over the past couple of decades, the party has morphed into something that conservative icons like Barry Goldwater and even Ronald Reagan would find alien. Now the Republican Party, at least nationally, mirrors every criticism hurled at the Democratic Party by conservative pundits. The size of the federal government has grown exponentially in the past eight years and the national debt has more than doubled to $10 trillion which has rocked the national economy.

President Bush is the current head of the Republican Party and like it or not, this election was as much about the failures of his administration as it was about the weakness of McCain's candidacy.