Not Poison Ivy, But Poison Nonetheless

Just when we lost Congressman Joe Walsh, the biggest fool to stumble into office in some time, along comes Jeanne Ives (Republican, IL House) to take his place in the Pantheon of foolish politicians who apparently do not engage their brains before speaking. In case you missed it here are her very words spoken on the Catholic Conference of Illinois radio show last month: 

"Same sex marriages are completely disordered". "They're trying to redefine society."  "They're trying to weasel their way into acceptability so that they can then start to push their agenda down into the schools, because this gives them some sort of legitimacy... And we can't allow that to happen."

 Facing a firestorm of criticism, Ives posted this disclaimer at Glen Ellyn Patch:

 "I have no comment on a person's sexual orientation or personal relationships. That is their private business and I have no interest in meddling in a person's private affairs."

Excuse me madam representative, but you most certainly do comment on persons' sexual orientation and you most certainly do meddle in private persons' affairs. Keeping loving couples from marrying is meddling pure and simple. Don't try to weasel out of what you said. Woman up to it and apologize to every one of your constituents, straight or gay, who are mortified and deeply offended by your hurtful, gratuitous and unacceptable comments. To make amends for your transgressions, you may want to join the inevitable majority in the Illinois House, who believe every Illinoisan deserves full civil rights regarding marriage equality, and vote to pass it.

Corporate Sponsors of Tony Blair Event Disgrace Themselves

I requested Judson University, an evangelical Christian university in Elgin, IL, rescind its invitation to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to be keynote speaker at their April 12 World Leader Forum event, "Faith, Power and the Post Modern World". The request was based on Blair's standing as a war criminal for conspiring with President George W. Bush to launch an unprovoked, unnecessary, illegal and therefore criminal war against Iraq ten years ago next week. Neither Blair nor Bush have been convicted much less indicted, nor even investigated by their home countries for war crimes because neither England nor the United States applies international law prohibiting criminal wars against its own leaders. But both Blair and Bush must be careful regarding what countries they visit since many countries would arrest them in a Baghdad minute if they touch down on their soil because they take the directives of the Nuremburg War Crimes Commission seriously.

 

But its not only evangelical Christian school Judson University that needs a morality check. The 14 corporate and foundation sponsors paying the probable huge speaking fee of a man who bears much responsibility for the millions of dead, injured and homeless in his mindless and senseless war, also need to recalibrate their moral compass.  For the record, here is the dis-honor roll of war criminal enablers who shamefully boast of being PLATINUM, GOLD or measly old SILVER status supporters of a man who should be in a criminal dock, not a university podium preaching about faith and power before an adoring audience.  

 

PLATINUM

 

 

• Kent Corporation
• Spectrum Technologies, Inc.
• W. R. Meadows, Inc.
• 89 WLS Radio 

GOLD

• Packaging By Design
• FONA International
• Zimmerman Ford
• EFS Foundation

SILVER

• Edward Jones
• SAGE Products, Inc.
• Hilton Chicago Hotel
• BMO Harris Bank
• Maudlin and Associates
• The Francis J. & Patricia Ann Houlihan Foundation
   

Illinois GOP Saws Off The Limb It Clings To

The Illinois GOP reminds me of the mafia...but instead of being the gang that couldn't shoot straight, they are the party that couldn't think straight. Case in point is their hilarious and failed effort to oust state GOP chairman Pat Brady because of his apostasy in breaking with GOP red meat culture war issues by daring to come out for gay marriage in Illinois. Brady told the Neanderthals controlling his party that they're "on the wrong side of history". What he really meant was, "We've lost every minority and marginalized voting segment in the state and together they represent the great majority of the electorate".   

Oblivious to Brady's spot on reasoning and desperation to salvage his party, the "just say never" claque actually scheduled a GOP Central Committee meeting for March 9 vote to oust Brady as state chairman, on the preposterous grounds his gay marriage position was not in line with he party's platform. If every officeholder was held to that standard the legislative chambers would be empty.
It took calls from top state GOP powerhouses US Senator Mark Kirk and Illinois House Leader Tom Cross to get the party dinosaurs to cancel the "Get Brady" confab. The cancellation was so last minute that one committeeperson drove all the way to Tinley Park convention center to find herself an "ouster committee of one".

Only one Illinois state senator voted with the overwhelming Democratic majority to pass gay marriage in Illinois. My own senator Kirk Dillard probably voted no because he's running for governor next year and a vote to give full civil rights to Illinois gays also gives him zero chance of getting past a far right GOP primary challenger. My state rep Sandy Pihos votes next and is now officially on record as a no vote due to her assessment that a majority of her constituents are against granting full civil rights to their gay brothers and sisters.  She also indicates she is willing to continue dialoging with her constituents on this issue. Rather than dialoguing, I suggest that Rep. Pihos study the Constitution and American history. Civil rights is simply not subject to majority rule. If that were the case, blacks in the South would still be bending over "colored only" drinking fountains.