With businesses leaving the state in droves, it would now appear that the only growth industry presently underway in Illinois, is its growth in the number of fugitive Democrat state legislators wandering in from other states. So it is that Illinois now seems to have become the Switzerland on the Prairie, as Democrat lawmakers fleeing votes in Wisconsin and Indiana are now taking refuge within the confines of its borders. Ah yes, Illinois, a state well known for its wayward politicians and backdoor political dealings has now become the safe haven of choice for gutless Democrats eager to throw their home states under the proverbial bus. And some residents, tired of the state's own political problems are wondering why the Wisconsin Democrats had to come to Illinois. Others say it might do Illinois' political image a rare bit of good. "It makes us look, for once, a little less crazy than our neighbors politically," said Chris Mooney a political science professor with the University of Illinois-Springfield and the Institute for Government and Public Affairs. "We seem like more normal politics, and that's not always the case." The state Republican Party, for its part, is urging donors to send money, lest Illinois become a "Safe Haven for Tax & Spend Democrats." Democrats control the governor's office and both legislative houses there in Illinois. Therefore, Illinois is viewed as being that highly sought after safe haven by fellow Democrat miscreants on the lamb from their own states and looking for a safe place of refuge.
While Illinois may not have invented political dysfunction, it sure has made a history for itself of perfecting it, of successfully taking it to a whole new level. After all, it is the political cesspool from which our current president crawled out of. As we take a little trip down memory lane regarding Illinois politics, we very quickly come across that stellar individual, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who stands accused of trying to sell a vacant U.S. Senate seat; coming next is imprisoned former Gov. George Ryan who was convicted of turning his government offices into what was little more than a division of his fundraising machine; and then, of course, we have the patronage hiring and backroom dealings of the once-mighty, and some would argue still mighty, Chicago political machine. These are just a few entries that can be found on the state's rather impressive resume of political corruption. And now with marauding bands of Democratic legislators streaming over Illinois' borders seeking refuge in their attempt to avoid votes on anti-union bills and other measures supported by Republicans, some residents are wondering just why they had to bring their problems there. But Sue Wrede, a Tea Party member, worries that Illinois is being dragged into someone else's political mess. "I think our state is scandal-ridden enough," Wrede said Thursday as she demonstrated outside the hotel in the southern Illinois town of Urbana where Democrats are holed up. She says, "It's embarrassing." And I would tend to agree with that assessment.
The 14 wayward Wisconsin Democrat senators, who have been hiding out in Illinois for the sole purpose of denying their Republican governor a quorum for a vote on his plan to kill collective bargaining rights for government workers, need to realize something. In the words of Barry "Almighty" himself, it was the governor and his fellow Republicans who "won" the last election. And just as Barry is so fond of pointing out to Republicans, elections have consequences and that's something that I guess these cowardly Democrats haven't quite figured out yet. But then, none of these guys that I've seen appar to be all that bright to begin with anyway. If they are so confident in their argument why then are they hiding out in another state instead of standing on the floor of the state senate defending their position. And all that these 14 scumbag Democrats are really succeeding in doing, is to deny the voices of the majority of folks in Wisconsin, to rightfully be heard. And now apparently these Wisconsin crybabies have now been joined by 30 of their gutless brethren from Indiana's House in their self imposed exile this week in an effort to avoid votes on a raft of Republican-backed legislation. And with all of this ongoing nonsense, Illinois' reputation for political corruption hasn't been lost on other states, it's been enhanced. "When Illinois pols stay in Indiana, it's at the federal prison. When Indiana pols stay in Illinois, it's at Comfort Suites," Indianapolis Star political columnist Matthew Tulley wrote on Twitter as Indiana's Democrats moved into the budget hotel chain's Urbana location.
Not much is known about the day-to-day lives of these fugitive legislators, after all they are on the lamb, hiding out while being pursued by state troopers. But you might mistake the Comfort Suites lobby in Urbana and the adjacent conference room, where lawmakers meet and occasionally cheer mysteriously from behind closed doors, for an Indiana embassy. A blue and gold state flag hangs from a fireplace mantel. Legislators, some dressed in red Indiana University and Ball State sweatshirts, laugh about sewer districts and garbage dumps. These clowns must think they're back in Junior High or something. What is about Democrats exactly, that they insist upon acting more like spoiled children than they do acting like adults. Some of these loser lawmakers have found Illinois extremely accommodating. "We found that Illinois has excellent malls," Rep. Win Moses said, explaining that light packing didn't necessarily mean his stay would be short. "You have excellent dry cleaning, too. And there's a minimart right across the street." That kind of talk drew a wagging finger from Indiana Republican Party Chairman Eric Holcomb. "Taxpayers will not stand for Indiana House Democrats getting paid to shop in Illinois when they should be at work in Indiana," he said in an e-mail Thursday. Then I would say the only option left is to stop their pay for as long as they refuse to show up to work. Why shouldn't the people of both Wisconsin and Indiana be able to cease paying these boneheads if they're not willing to come to work? I'm pretty sure that if I chose not to come to work, the company for which I work would not be willing to pay me to stay home.
When speaking of Illinois, friendly isn't the word often used by many Wisconsin residents when describing their rather ill mannered and shabby neighbors to the south. Neenah, Wis., public relations man Tom Lyons used to market scenic and rugged Door County along northern Lake Michigan to Illinois tourists. They visit and "build condos and drive up real estate prices and have to be taught how to recycle; their whole idea of the outdoors is a great ashtray," says Mr. Lyons. And apparently that's not the only gripe. "They are notorious poor tippers," added Lyons, who grew up in Joliet, Ill. So I guess the caliber of individual who chooses to reside in Illinois has degenerated considerably since the days of Lincoln. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn being ever the good Democrat, for his part, has extended the welcome mat to any of his fellow Democrat lawmakers who wish to hide out in his state. "Illinois is always open," the Democrat told reporters in Chicago. "We believe in hospitality and tourism and being friendly." It has been noted by others that this moron Quinn has a reputation of being somewhat of a political "bomb thrower." But at least at this point time he doesn't' seem to want to wade into the political disputes his fellow Democrats from neighboring states are having with Republicans. "It's just a freak show, basically," he said of the political theater being staged in the state. "For once, Illinois is not in the center ring.”
Somehow I think that if I were living in Wisconsin or Indiana, and happened to reside in the district of one of these AWOL legislators, I would very quickly be following the advice that I heard from Newt Gingrich last night on Greta's show. What he recommended was, for those who reside in the districts of any of these scumbag Democrats, to start a recall petition and work toward getting these clowns replaced with individuals who actually want to spend their time working for the people and not playing idiotic and childish games. What gives these self-righteous, pompous gasbags, the right to throw what amounts to nothing more than temper tantrum for no other reason than because it appears that they'll not get their way? The fact that these representatives of the people are so indignant as well as being so determined in their effort to willfully subvert the will of the people, that alone should be sufficient cause for them to now be called upon to forfeit their lofty positions. These individuals seem at first glance to be a bit selective when it comes to whom it is that they wish to represent. It would also appear that their desire to serve is driven solely by their ability to be in a position to advance the very destructive and toxic agenda of not only their party but also one if its core constituencies, the unions. If that is in fact the case, then they are committing a grave disservice to the people of Wisconsin and Indiana and should now be asked to relinquish their positions. But what are the chances of that happening?
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