The Rockford Peace & Justice Action Committee will be hosting Joe Iosbaker talking about the G-8 Summit, Chicago and FBI harassment of demonstrators this Monday, April 2, 7pm at JustGoods Listening Room, 201 Seventh St., Rockford IL

Be there or be square.

Enough is Enough

No one was out there speaking about the radical right-wing elements that threaten our civil society until Janet Napolitano issued in 2009 a DHS report commissioned by the Bush administration warning about extremists that might resort to violence - a report which conservatives across the country demanded to be immediately rescinded.

Now that we have seen a series of right-wing assassinations take place, the original DHS report looks, in hindsight, to have been very timely and prescient.

Since the report was issued, we have seen Jim David Adkisson open fire upon the congregation of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church with a sawed-off shotgun, killing two, simply because he opposed the all-inclusive nature of the church, and of the church's liberal teachings. Adkisson wrote in a letter which he assumed would be his last, "I thought I’d do something good for this country — kill Democrats ‘til (sic) the cops kill me.” His hatred for his fellow Americans could not be contained: “Liberals are a pest like termites, millions of them … the only way we can rid ourselves of this evil is kill them in the streets, kill them where they gather.”

James von Brunn, a radical right-winger from Maryland sought to turn the nation's Holocaust Museum into a symbol for his particular brand of racism, when he went there with the intent to kill blacks and Jews, as an example for the rest of white America to emulate. Luckily for those visitors inside of the museum, the first man von Brunn decided to open fire upon was a black man who had the ability to return the favor, and so no one besides than the very heroic Stephen T. Johns died that day.

Shawna Forde, and two other members of the anti-immigrant Minutman group which she founded, the ''Minutemen American Defense,'' decided that one way to finance her burgeoning organization was to dress up as law enforcement agents, and to rob Mexican immigrants. When Shawna and her compatriots illegally entered the home of Raul Flores, and demanded money, the head of the family ordered the trio to leave, prompting the radical right-wingers to put a bullet into the head of little 9 year old Brisenia Flores, and into the head of her father. Unluckily for the conservative killers, Brisenia's mother was able to barricade herself in her bedroom, where she kept a handgun, and she was able to keep at bay her would be assassins until the real police arrived.

Richard Poplawski opened fire on police officers during a domestic disturbance call, in April of 2009, killing three of them. Why? The 23 year-old right-winger feared that the President was poised to take away his hand guns.

Just a few days after that shoot-out, two sheriff’s deputies in northern Florida were shot and killed by Joshua Cartwright who later was fatally shot by other deputies. The reason, according to Cartright's wife, was because Joshua "believed that the US Government was conspiring against him," and, according to her, he had been severely disturbed that Barack Obama had been elected President.

Passing the hate down from one generation to the next, the father and son team of Bruce and Joshua Turnidge blew up a homemade bomb in December of 2008 which killed state police bomb technician William Hakim, who was trying to dismantle it, and Woodburn Police Capt. Tom Tennant, who was helping, during bank robbery in Woodburn, Oregon. The completely unrepentent Turnidges' plan was to rob banks to finance an anti-government militia group, and killing two police officers was small beans compared to what they really wanted to do to the Democratic majority in Washington DC.

The list of victims from right-wing terror does not stop there.

It goes on, and on.

Doctor George Tiller.

Arkansas Democratic Chairman Bill Gwatney.

Congresswoman Giffords and the other victims of the Tucson shooting.

Trayvon Martin and Shaima Alawadi are but the latest victims of this madness.

We know who the REAL enemies of America's civil society are.

For moderate republicans to hide these blood-thirsty radicals within their ranks behind the legitimate dissent of the anti-abortion lobby, or of that of any other conservative movement, be it anti-immigration, or advocates for 2d Amendment Rights, and to deny any responsibility for help in fostering these lunatic's bizarre views, doesn't help the moderate republican lobbies achieve their aims and goals...

It, instead, helps the radical conservative terrorists attain theirs.

SPEAK UP FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

Everyone, by now, is familiar with the name of the teenager gunned down in Sanford, Florida on February 26th: Trayvon Martin.  They know the name of his killer, too.

Shaima Alawadi’s name is one most people have not heard of, however. Nor does anyone, yet, know who killed her, either.

Hopefully, that will change over the next few days.



Trayvon Martin



Shaima was a 32-year-old mother of five who was found brutally beaten with a tire iron in her own home,Wednesday, next to a note saying “go back to your country.”



She was taken off life support three days later, and died, Saturday.

What Trayvon and Shaima have in common wasn’t their religious faith. It wasn’t their political convictions, if any, either.

Their bond was that they were both murdered - in 21st century America - in the name of right-wing, conservative, racist hate.

Michael Savage, Mark Levine, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, Don Imus, Sean Hannity, and all of the other talking heads on right-wing radio… they all played their part as accomplices to these two vicious crimes just as surely as did the real perpetrators behind the heinous murders of Trayvon and Shaima.

Oh... to be sure, no one from Fox News passed around a tire iron to bash Shaima over the head with, nor did anyone from the EIB Radio Network buy the two bullets George Zimmerman used to irrigate Trayvon Martin: but they're accomplices, nonetheless.

Conservative “entertainers” have made it their mission to pit one group of American citizens against another, and only the most naive of political observers could fail to see the obvious consequence of proclaiming that any group of Americans was a "threat" to the existence of any other, or to the existence of the nation, and not realize that different people would deal with that "threat" in different ways.


George Zimmerman dealt with the threat posed by Trayvon Martin, a black kid with the audacity to walk around in 'his' neighborhood without Mr. Zimmerman's permission.

Trayvon, after all, was - to Zimmerman - just another “f***ing coon” whom George feared would, “get away,” like "they always" do, with whatever imaginary crimes George Zimmerman presumed Trayvon was somehow guilty of.


Shaima Alawadi

Shaima’s still-at-large killer(s) dealt with her, too.


She was, after all, just another hijab-wearing Muslim "terrorist" living amongst us, praying to the 'wrong' God, and justly deserving to be beat down and snuffed out.

But, then, Shaima wasn't a Muslim "terrorist" and Trayvon wasn't a neighborhood threat.

Shaima's conservative 'crime' was to wear her hijab, as a practising Muslim, in public; Trayvon's 'crime' was to wear a hoodie while being black.

Conservatives will - one and all - blame the lone, solitary, lunatic for these race-based homicides...

They will even blame liberal society and liberal social mores... right-wing talking heads are already attempting to assassinate the character of Trayvon.

Michele Malkin's conservative website, Twitchy, ran a picture of George Zimmerman in a suit and tie next to what they claimed was a picture of a rather thuggish Trayvon Martin with no shirt and sagging pants.

One problem: The kid in the picture wasn't Trayvon.

Glen Beck's website, The Blaze, suggested - without anything to support their allegation - that Trayvon may have been guilty of “armed robbery,” “arson,” or even “kidnapping.”

Since none of America's conservatives will speak out, the duty falls, by default, to the rest of us.

We need not mince words - it is vital that we speak clearly and succinctly but most importantly, firmly - and at every opportunity: Conservatism must change.

It must evolve. It should no longer be socially (or morally) acceptable for any one group of Americans to preach existential extinction for any other group of law-abiding citizens with impunity.

Conservative hate is a self-fulfilling prophesy that is destroying the very fabric of our society.

To believe otherwise is to help pass around the nails for the next coffin in which the next Shaima Alawadi or Trayvon Martin will be buried in.

GOP Shenanigans...

Four days before the Supreme Court hears oral arguments for and against the Affordable Healthcare Act (AHA), House Republicans decided to waste both the American people's time and money to repeal that part of the AHA that would implement automatic cost-savings measures unless Congress intervened.

The House measure isn't expected to survive either the Senate or the President's veto pen.

The House Republicans claimed they were acting on behalf of the country's seniors, but buried in the repeal bill was a provision to impose a $250,000 cap on non economic damages and to limit the contingency fees lawyers can charge in medical malpractice cases.

Capping damages on non-frivolous lawsuits is no way to get a handle on the costs insurance companies incur from frivolous lawsuits - but it is a helluva good way to stick it to someone who has been legitimately done wrong by a doctor... twice.  First, the actual medical malpractice the patient was subjected to, and secondly, capping just how much the malpractice victim can receive in compensation.

That's just dirty.

Obviously House Republicans were much more interested in coddling and protecting their Big Insurance industry buddies than helping out either Grandpa and Grandma.

On some days, the President just can't get any respect. While speaking to a crowd of students at Ohio State University, a heckler repeatedly interupted President Obama. "I'm hear to speak to these folks, you can hold your own rally, you're being rude," the President told the man.

The crowd erupted in cheers supporting the president but the man kept shouting. He wanted to give Mr. Obama a book.

With a grin on his face, Mr. Obama said he would be happy to read the book and added, "show me some courtesy."

Elsewhere, the bigots over at North Carolina right-wing think-tank, The John Locke Society, thought it was better to let blogger and radio talk show host Tara Servatius resign then give in to pressure from liberal democrats and fire her.

Servatius had posted a story stating that President Obama stood against North Carolina's anti-Gay marriage amendment in order to boost his chances of winning North Carolina in November, which may or may not be true.

What is certain, however, is that John Locke was the brains behind the antebellum pro-slavery philosophy adopted by the Confederacy, and that along with the story posted by Servatius was an image of the president’s face Photoshopped onto a black man wearing high heels and chains.

Between the man's legs is a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

And the racists over on the right wonder why they keep on getting painted as bigots by everybody else.

Go figure.

While some Republicans are out there telling anyone interested that the GOP's "War on Women" is nothing more than political theatre, courtesy of election-year Democrats, some other Republicans are out there telling anyone interested that it is very, very real - and that the best thing women could do would be to contribute their money to democrats.

"I think these are very precarious times for women, it seems," said New York Congressman Richard Hanna, the only Republican to speak at a rally for the Equal Rights Amendment.

Huffington Post reports the man then said, "Contribute your money to people who speak out on your behalf, because the other side -- my side -- has a lot of it. And you need to send your own message. You need to remind people that you vote, you matter, and that they can't succeed without your help."

Hanna is either attempting to steer the GOP back to the middle on women's issues as he suggests, or he's prematurely ending his career as a Republican.

We should all expect the GOP's purists to demand Hanna's head on a platter any day now.

The Smokes Clears...



Cheri Bustos

The Freeport Journal Standard is reporting that Cheri Bustos beat out both of her democratic rivals by a commanding margin of 40 percentage points. She moves on to tackle incumbant Representative Bobby Schilling in the November General Election for Illinois' 17th Congressional District House seat.

"I’ve got plenty of energy for the road ahead,” said the East Moline resident, who won endorsements from both the Rockford Register Star's, as well as Emily's List.

Bustos, a Springfield native who has the strong support of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, said the Nov. 6 election will give voters a clear-cut decision between candidates with fundamentally different views.

Of that, there can be no doubt. Schilling's voting record "shows that his priorities are out of whack when he protects subsidies for big oil companies and corporations that ship jobs overseas, and turns around and votes against Medicare as we know it," Bustos said in a statement to the Quad City Times.

Following Tuesday's Primary Elections, the HuffPost is reporting that longtime U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo was the biggest-name casualty of Tuesday's primary races.

10-term Don's crushing defeat in Illinois' 16th Congressional District must have bruised his ego. Before throwing in the towel and making his concession speech, Manzullo demanded that fellow Republican Eric Cantor step down as the House Majority leader, as reported by The Hill.

Apparently Don has a problem with government officials picking winners and losers.

Especially if you're the loser picked.

Bill Foster

The Daily Herald is reporting that as a result of Tuesday's election, former democratic congressman Bill Foster will duke it out with incumbant Judy Biggert in the November General Election, for Illinois' 11th congressional district. The 11th CD encompasses Aurora and Joliet, as well as parts of Naperville.

Describing the upcoming fight, the veteran democrat said,

"People have had time to examine the ideas of the Republican Party and see they are a combination of the same bad policies that got us into these problems in the first place and disturbing new policies like changes to Medicare. And they don't like them."

Foster's confidence is high, in regards to a November victory over Biggert.

Iraq War vet, Tammy Duckworth, who lost both legs in service to her country overseas, won her primary race for the democratic nomination for Illinois' 8th Congressional District, which represents the northwest Chicago suburbs.

The Sun-Times is reporting that the former Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and President Obama's Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, said, following her victory,

"We are on our way to take on Joe Walsh," said Duckworth, in a skirt that revealed her two prosthetic legs, one decorated in red, white and blue, the other wrapped in camouflage.

Dead-beat Dad, Congressman Joe Walsh, Duckworth's GOP rival, seemed more concerned about the black man living in the White House than he did about his democratic challenger:

“You have a district where people are out of work and she is partners with a president who just proposed a budget that never balances.”

Joe's own federal jobs plan is to require a Federal ID card for all voters, according to the HuffPost. No word from his campaign, though, on just how Walsh's plan will effect employment or balance the budget. Stay tuned for updates.

I Voted! Did You?

Fla. challenges 'Obama-Care' by going after... Medicaid?

When the Supreme Court hears arguments over President Obama's health care law this week, according to NPR, one item on the table will be a gov't program that has been in place for nearly 50 years: Medicaid.

Because the Affordable Healthcare Act expands on Medicaid, "opponents say the expansion is unconstitutional because it challenges states' authority and forces them to spend more."

‎NOTE TO FLORIDA STATE LEGISLATORS: First, "It costs too much," isn't a constitutional argument.

With 306 million Americans, there isn't a single government expenditure in the federal budget that is supported by a full 100% of the population, and spending a single dime of the taxpayers' money on a government program they oppose is going to be, obviously, "too much," for someone.

Secondly, the constitutional question the Supreme Court will have to address is whether or not individual states can be compelled to pay for the costs of a law passed in Washington, D.C., without the state's "permission".

I refer Florida state legislators wasting the taxpayers' money pursuing this Supreme Court case to read both the Constitutional authority for Congress to both pass laws and levy taxes, found in Article I, Sec. 8, and the Constitution's Supremacy Clause (Article VI, Sec. 2), which clearly says that federal law will be the "supreme law of the land."

Even if some red states - like Florida - don't like it.

Republicans in Florida are today making the same legal argument to stop Medicaid and the Affordable Health Care Act, fighting for the right to keep their residents sick, that the southern Confederate states made on behalf of slavery, 150 years ago. It's called 'nullification' and is a discredited legal argument that says if a state doesn't like a particular federal law, they presume to have the authority to simply ignore it.

The argument didn't go over so well in the 1860's, either.

It was hot back in 1998 - but 2010 holds record...

Across the pond, the BBC is reporting that climatologists at England's Climatic Research Unit (Cru) at the University of East Anglia have updated their record of global temperatures by including additional data from the arctic which was previously excluded.

"The amendments do not change the long-term trend, but the data now lists 2010, rather than 1998, as the warmest year on record."

It shouldn't take long for the 5 or 6 conservative flat-earth weather 'specialists' on Big Oil's payroll to dismiss the new data, however. It simply doesn't jive with their "Drill, baby, drill" political agenda, and therefore has to be discredited.

My guess is they'll come up with something that sounds a lot like, "If they were wrong in 1998, what makes you think they're right, now?"

The answer, of course, is that we know more about climate science, now, than we did, then.

But, then, again, when did new information on a topic ever stop a right-wing tirade?

In a related story, as reported by Talking Points Memo, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on Monday afternoon sent a scathing public letter to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), blasting Issa for misusing his power as the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee in launching 11 investigations into Department of Energy, “many” of which “have been based on unsubstantiated allegations that proved inaccurate after further investigation.”
Apparently, Congressman Issa doesn't like anyone messing with Big Oil's stranglehold on our economy, and has used his office to go after alternate energy companies that might want to cut into Big Oil's share of the market.

Since we're still waiting for Rep. Issa to go after BP for poisoning the Gulf Coast, the only way to pull Congressman Issa's head from Big Oil's posterior will probably be to have the House flip party majorities.

One can always hope.

Fiscal Responsibility Begins at Home, Joe...

Tea Party darling and alleged dead-beat dad, Representative Joe Walsh (R-IL) just can't catch a break. Not only does he still owe his wife more than $100K in back child support, Politico is reporting that he's only managed to raise $38K for the first two months of 2012 in his bid to continue representing Illinois' 8th Congressional District. That barely covers the $24K he supposedly owes in legal fees.

Adding to his money woes, the HuffPost is saying that Walsh is trailing behind both of the democratic candidates vying for his House seat, Tammy Duckworth and  Raja Krishnamoorthi. Stir this up with Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics (CREW) naming Walsh as one of the most corrupt politicians in D.C., and you almost feel sorry for the guy.

Almost.

Things look very bleak, indeed, for Joe's political future. I'd suggest that we take up a collection for the man, but I doubt that we'd get enough donations to buy the fellow a box of tissues.

Stephenson Co. Democrats Reschedule Monthly Meeting

Due to Tuesday's Primary Election, the regularly scheduled meeting of the Stpehenson Co. Democrats has been moved to March 27th.

The meeting will still take place at the Freeport Public Library, @ 6:30 p.m.

You can visit the Stephenson Co. Democrats on facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/61921262225/

Be there or be square.

Occupy Protesters Plan Romney Event

An OccupyRockford welcoming committee plans to meet and greet GOP Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney as he swings through Rockford, this afternoon, from 3 to 6 p.m. at The Machine Shed Restaurant @ 7475 East State Street, Rockford.

Romney, a big fan of "corporate personhood", is planning a $3.4 trillion increase in the nation's deficit to pay for even more tax cuts for the wealthiest of Americans, but still presumes that his GOP nomination is in the bag. Good luck with all that, "Mittens".

The 2008 Illinois election results indicate that Williard just might be spinning his wheels looking for Republican voters in what looks like a safe Democratic stronghold. But then, despite his comments to the contrary, his nomination as the official GOP candidate isn't quite sewn up, yet, and any Republican vote is therefore worth chasing after.

Rick Santorum is also scheduled to attend a “Rally for Rick” beginning at 9 a.m. Monday at the Venetian Club, 2180 Elmwood Road, Rockford.

No word, as of yet, as to whether or not the occupiers plan to say "hello" to Ranger Rick when he breezes through town.

Stay tuned for more details.

The RRStar Endorses Bustos for Illinois' New 17th...

The RRStar has finally chimed in on the House race in Illinois' new 17th Congressional district, just two days before the Illinois primary election:

"...our recommendation is to vote for Cheri Bustos in the 17th Congressional District Democratic primary over George Gaulrapp, mayor of our neighbor to the west, Freeport."

As a Freeport resident, I'm not overjoyed to see George so quickly dismissed by the paper, but Cheri Bustos, unquestionably, has widespread democratic support.

Good luck to all of the candidates running in Tuesday's primary election.

DON'T TREAD ON ME

When they're not trying to compel women to undergo medically unnecessary ultrasounds in punishment for exercising their right to make their own medical decisions, force female employees to prove to their employers that they're not taking birth control to prevent pregnancies, or attempting to defund Planned Parenthood, some conservatives have decided to take their "War on Women" one step further.

Allow me to introduce to you to Michael John Kobulnicky, a man who supports Christian values, is a father of five sons, a co-founder and president of the National Council of Americans, Inc - a nonprofit that helps youths, and an elementary school teacher, as well as a spokesperson for the San Diego Tea Party.

Oh... and he's also accused of RAPE and KIDNAPPING, too.

Michael John Kobulnicky, 50, a leader in the San Diego Tea Party and former regional director of the Southern California Conservative Party, is under arrest for allegedly kidnapping and raping a local woman on Fiesta Island.

“He dragged her out of the car and sexually assaulted her pretty brutally,” San Diego Police Lt. Andra Brown told ECM news partner 10 News in late February, shortly after the February 25 assault occurred.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the unnamed victim of Kobulnicky's brutal sexual assault, and for all women, nationwide, who are now on the defense against the multiple intrusions of so many of the country's so-called "small government" Tea Party conservatives.

A BUNNY NAMED SHMOE...

Once there was a young rabbit named Shmoe. He was both lively and entertaining and spent his days frolicking in the meadows under the warm summer sun.

As the days began to cool and the nights grew chilly, Shmoe noticed that he saw less and less of his friends. Then he remembered that he, too, would soon need to find a warm and cozy home where he could spend the long winter months.

He poked and burrowed all day only to find that the other animals had already chosen the best places.

"What am I do to?" Shmoe whimpered. "I will surely freeze to death if I don't find shelter soon."

Unknown to Shmoe, a pair of yellow-green eyes had been watching him. Now, having observed his predicament, a voice hissed and slithered across the meadow on the wind.

"Come here, Shmoe, I have plenty of room for you," spoke the snake, "it is so c

old, and you are nearly frozen. If you come in, we can keep each other company, and you will be safe from the storm."

Still feeling chilled and warmed by the idea of having found a place to stay for the winter, Shmoe nestled into the snake's coiled body. Shmoe felt the snake's body tighten around him and thought, What a lovely hug between friends!

As the snake's grip grew stronger, Shmoe struggled and squeaked, "Snake, stop! You are squeezing the life out of me!"

The snake's tongue slid across Shmoe's head as he said, "I know, how else could I have you for dinner?"

The moral of the story?

Don't be a Shmoe.

As we approach the two year anniversary of the Affordable Healthcar Act, this coming Friday, we should remember why the Act was passed in the first place: American conservatives are putting far too much trust in the for-profit health care insurance industry which only continues to exist by denying health care coverage to the sick and to the infirm. To actually provide health care coverage to the sick and infirm would take away their profit motive.

And, obviously, their dinner.

Rush has to go...

Talk-show host Rush Limbaugh recently mocked Georgetown law student and women's rights advocate Sandra Fluke for her testimony before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee in support of mandated private health coverage for contraceptives, beginning in February and continuing into the first days of March.

What did Sandra Fluke do to deserve "The Great One's" wrath?

She testified that 'the pill' is, in fact, doctor prescribed medicine used for many reasons besides preventing a pregnancy.

For this horrible offence, Sandra Fluke was denounced by Limbaugh to his GLOBAL AUDIENCE as both a "slut" and a "prostitute."

They heard Limbaugh's tirade in Tajikistan, and Antarctica, as well as in Freeport, and Sandra Fluke's reputation is now shattered from one end of the planet to the other, as a consequence.

Limbaugh didn't make a "mistake" in his choice of words. Limbaugh intentionally maligned and sought to personally damage Sandra Fluke's reputation 50 times over the course of three days, and mischaracterized her testimony the entire time.

This irresponsible use of the airwaves reflects not only the continuing partisan divide, but also how far the radical right will go to smear their American neighbors and "muddy the waters" of what used to be called public discourse under the ruse of "free speech."

For this, Rush has finally worn out his welcome, and has to go.