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12/2/2005
Rauschenberger challenges business leaders at Illinois Coalition for Jobs Luncheon Excerpts from Rauschenberger's speech before the Illinois Coalition for Jobs luncheon at the Palmer House in Chicago this afternoon:
...The Republican Party is headed toward another embarrassing defeat in 2006 unless we stand up to them and chart a new course for our party. No more insiders at the helm.
The race for Governor next year will not be about name recognition---it will be about what people think of the names they know.
It will be first and foremost about ethical leadership.
Everyday, including today, public corruption is in the headlines. No amount of misinformation, self-serving polls, or political endorsements will change that truth.
Five months of claims that only their vision and their candidate can win do not change the truth. The Republican Party in Illinois cannot win next year’s general election without reclaiming the ethical high ground with the voters. And frankly, you do not do that with candidate tied to the legacy of George Ryan and the current Republican National Committeeman. And you do not do that with pretenders to the reform mantle who parrot the right lines but don’t have the record to back it up.
What does it mean to be a Republican in Illinois? I know what it’s supposed to mean and I know the Illinois families that we are supposed to represent. I’ve been fighting for middle class families in Illinois for 13 years and I’ve spent the last 8 months as the only candidate talking about the importance of reconnecting our party to those families and their interests.
Middle class families in Illinois are entitled to a Republican Party they can trust to fight for their interests and represent their values.
And you are entitled to a Republican Candidate who can win. Not just a manipulated primary, but next November’s General election.
You are entitled to a candidate who you believe is qualified to lead in these difficult times.
You are entitled to a candidate that is respected by editorial boards and the political press because their record matches their rhetoric.
You are entitled to a candidate who has won contested elections, both primary and generals; who has been tested in the public arena.
You are entitled to a candidate who understands the hard truth that ethical reform is the only road to reclaiming Illinois as a Red state.
I am State Senator Steve Rauschenberger.
Two years ago I proved that I could unite the party. I was supported by 25 Senator, and more than 30 State Representatives.
I proved that I had the respect of the press by wining 27 out of 30 editorial endorsements statewide.
I proved that I could effectively campaign with far less resources against million dollar campaigns.
My message didn’t carry the day in that election but, in retrospect, I was right about the dangers of hitching our collective wagon to untested candidates.
And yet, here we are again, with the same discredited insiders attempting the same old discredited schemes in attempting to coronate a candidate who will represent their interests at the expense of everyone else’s.
I urge you, as leaders, to endorse the future, to choose competence, to support a Republican for the Nomination who has the record, the experience, the credibility, and the courage to win next November’s election.
I am Steve Rauschenberger, I am that candidate, and I need your help and your leadership to win.
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11/30/2005
Table Set for White Sox Repeat: Konerko resigns From Associated Press report,
Paul Konerko decided to stay with the World Series champion Chicago White Sox, agreeing Wednesday to a $60 million, five-year contract.
The first baseman led the White Sox with 40 homers and 100 RBIs last season, hitting .283. He was MVP of the AL championship series win over the Los Angeles Angels after hitting two homers and seven RBIs. He had a go-ahead grand slam in Game 2 of the World Series sweep over Houston, the first Series title for the White Sox since 1917.
"Paul in the last 24 to 48 hours really came to terms with the fact that he wanted to be a Chicago White Sox," said his agent, Craig Landis. "He had a hard time turning down the chance to go back and try to win another championship in Chicago. He has loyalty to his teammates and to the fans there and feels very wanted, not just by the White Sox organization but by the whole city of Chicago. He felt that that could not be matched in other cities."
A two-time All-Star, Konerko had an $8.75 million base salary last season, then became a free agent after the Series. Last offseason, Chicago decided not to discuss an extension.
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11/23/2005
Happy Thanksgiving On behalf of the entire Rauschenberger family and the Rauschenberger campaign team, I would like to extend wishes to you and yours for a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
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11/15/2005
Chicago Tribune catches up to Rauschenberger in defining Gov’s race Editorial from today's Chicago Tribune:<
“There will be plenty of issues in this campaign, from schools to taxes. But we want to make sure that two issues rise to the top: management and ethics…
“…Let's have a campaign in which the candidates acknowledge that both major parties have contributed to a cynical, dispiriting political culture in Illinois.
“Mr. or Ms. Candidate, your party has profited from that corrosive culture. You owe us voters an explanation of how you'll eradicate the business-as-usual that helped put you where you are.”
From Steve’s announcement speech, August 2nd, 2005:
…Governor Blagojevich has declared war on middle class families-and it is a moral imperative that we fight back!
In order to fight back, we must have the courage to challenge the imaginations of Illinoisans.
Ideas matter and policy choices have consequences. Nowhere is this truth more evident that in the aftermath of Blagojevich’s war on middle class families. Consider the following:
…Illinois has an unemployment rate 20% higher than the national average. While Wisconsin has enjoyed the creation of 140,000 new jobs, Illinois has lost 40,000 jobs and 25,000 truck registrations under this Governor.
…Illinois ranks 45th in the nation in re-employing people who have lost their job
…Illinois is ranked 47th in the nation by Forbes magazine as a place where businesses desire to locate or expand. Illinois is not only losing jobs to foreign outsourcing, we are losing jobs to Iowa and Wisconsin and Indiana because of our anticompetitive tax policies, our jackpot justice system, and our political protection rackets;
…Illinois is one of only three states in the nation that is adding individuals to its welfare rolls; and
…Chicago is the political corruption capital of America. According to Robert Grant, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s office in Chicago, his office has more agents devoted to corruption than any other field office in the country.
Governor Blagojevich recently lamented in the Chicago Tribune that we are “forced to live in a democracy.”
An incredible statement from a Governor of Illinois but not when you consider the source. This Governor comes out of a system of one-party rule and in his three years in office he has attempted to Chicago-ize state government. If he wants your opinion, he’ll give it to you.
That may be the Chicago Machine way but that is not Illinois’ heritage.
These are frustrating times. Nothing is more frustrating than unrealized potential and Illinois’ potential is being squandered by this Governor.
I understand why people are disenfranchised from the process in Illinois. I have spent 13-years in the Illinois Senate fighting what one newspaper columnist has termed the “bi-partisan combine.”
It is frustrating.
It was frustrating when I got thrown out of the mansion by George Ryan when he was Governor for refusing to sign on to his Illinois FIRST tax and spend program.
It was frustrating when I had to deal with George Ryan’s thugs like Roger Stanley and Don Udsteun who ran primary campaigns against me, both of whom later went on to become convicted felons.
And it has been frustrating to watch this Governor treat the General Assembly like the Chicago City Council, governing by poll, press release and executive order.
So I understand why Illinois citizens look at our state’s political culture and they are tempted to throw up their hands.
But I am encouraged because that is not what is happening. Illinoisans are not letting the frustrations consume them.
Instead, there is a tangible rising to the challenge. People are channeling their frustration into a positive search for change.
Thanks to our current Governor, we have regular Illinois citizens who have reached their breaking point and are stepping forward to get involved because they, like me, agree that, frankly, “Enough is enough.”
I believe that the frustration with the recent past is going to blossom into opportunity.
However, like all opportunities, this one is fragile.
We need to focus on the restoration of the American dream for the middle class and not because it is good politics but because it is the right thing to do.
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11/13/2005
Chicago Tribune on Blagojevich administration: Deja vu in Springfield The Chicago Tribune editorializes today,
Day after day in a Loop courtroom, federal prosecutors set out the details of jobs, contracts, leases and favors doled to political insiders when former Gov. George Ryan was secretary of state, a pattern of corruption that has produced 73 criminal convictions. Ryan and his friend, lobbyist Lawrence Warner, are on trial on charges that range from racketeering to tax fraud to lying to the FBI.
Meanwhile, Ryan's successor as governor has become mired in charges that jobs and contracts have been handed out as political goodies, en route to the governor amassing a $14 million campaign fund. Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office and agencies under his control have been hit with a barrage of federal subpoenas in recent weeks.
Subpoenas for hiring records have been delivered to the Departments of Corrections, Children and Family Services, Transportation and the governor's office...
...There's a distinct sense of deja vu in all this: An election looms and a big gray cloud hovers over the race.
You can read the entire editorial at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0511130341nov13,1,5770440.story<.
Our party must come together and collectively turn the page to a new generation of leadership rooted in a commitment to a different style of governance.
To the extent we cannot differentiate our gubernatorial nominee and party from our recent past and from Blagojevich in the present, we will not be successful in 2006--and Illinois will continue to suffer economically and morally as a result.
The Rauschenberger campaign is a call to the frustrated and disaffected who want to be a part of restoring Illinois' vitality, particularly for the middle class families who have been forgotten, and restoring the IL GOP's honor.
Your help is welcome here...
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11/12/2005
Daily Herald Columnist Krol on Topinka Eric Krol, political reporter/columnist for the Daily Herald offered this in his analysis of a possible Topinka candidacy for Governor,
Given that Topinka didn’t exactly display the kind of strong, decisive leadership needed to be governor of such a large state in the run-up to making her decision, it’s little surprise some Republicans are questioning whether she’ll be able to do it in a campaign...
...The other problem for Topinka is that she doesn’t provide much of a contrast to Blagojevich. He favors limited gay rights. So does she. He favors abortion rights. So does she. He took a ton of money from companies that his administration awarded special state contracts to. She took money from banking interests, and her job as treasurer is to deposit state money into banks. Blagojevich has had federal subpoenas in his administration. Topinka had a former employee complain to the feds that treasurer’s staff members were doing political work on state time.
You can read his entire column at: http://www.dailyherald.com/opinion/krol.asp<.
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11/11/2005
Veterans Day While World War I officially ended on June 28th, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the fighting ceased on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The celebration of the ceasefire, Armistice Day, became a national holiday in 1938.
On June 1, 1954, the name of the holiday was chanced to Veterans Day, in honor of all the brave men and women who have served so bravely and valiantly for our nation. The words of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a celebrated war hero in his own right, in his Veterans Day proclamation remind us of the importance of remembering and honoring our fighting men and women:
Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954, as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.
In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose.
This Veterans Day, we salute all of the brave men and women of our armed forces. They serve us in the farthest reaches of the world, and they serve us with the highest standards of honor and integrity. Let's make sure we remember all that they have and currently do to keep us free and safe.
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11/8/2005
Rauschenberger provides GOP's best matchup against Blagojevich, Zogby/Wall Street Journal Poll According to a Zogby/Wall Street Journal Poll<, as of October 31, State Senator Steve Rauschenberger's clearly provides the GOP's best hope to unseat Blagojevich. Rauschenberger is the only GOP candidate in a statistical dead heat with Blagojevich. Topinka trails by seven points and all of the other announced GOP gubernatorial candidates trail by double digits.
The head to head match-ups (margin of error +/- 3.3%):
Blagojevich 43, Rauschenberger 42
Blagojevich 42, Topinka 35
Blagojevich 49, Oberweis 37
Blagojevich 48, Brady 35
Blagojevich 49, Gidwitz 33
Click here< to see all of the poll data.
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11/6/2005
Governor's office clams up on mounting subpoenas From Friday's Capitol Fax:
The governor's office has routinely confirmed that it or its state agencies have received subpoenas for the past several months, but that practice is history. From now on, however, questions about federal subpoenas will be referred to the U.S. Attorney's office...
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11/5/2005
Victory for Decency: Abercrombie & Fitch Pulls Offensive T-Shirts Amid Pressure from “Girlcott,” Rauschenberger Elgin, Illinois… Less than 48 hours after State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin), a leading Republican candidate for Governor, helped draw national attention to lines of offensive, degrading t-shirts being sold by retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, the company announced yesterday they are pulling the t-shirts from their stores.
Rauschenberger introduced a resolution in the Illinois State Senate on Thursday (SR 517), in support of the group of teenage girls in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, who had launched a “girlcott” earlier in the week, calling on Abercrombie & Fitch to withdraw the offensive t-shirts or face an organized boycott of their 14 store locations in Illinois.
Yesterday, in response to mounting pressure from families in Illinois and around the nation, Abercrombie & Fitch released the following statement, "A & F has reached an amicable agreement with the Women’s & Girls Foundation of the Southwest Pennsylvania under which we will stop selling several t-shirts in our stores."
“I’m happy Abercrombie & Fitch has done the responsible thing and removed the t-shirts,” said Rauschenberger. “Those girls in Pennsylvania deserve a lot of credit for standing up to irresponsible corporate behavior. I was glad to join them in this call to action. I hope this episode serves as an example to young people that their voices count.”
The t-shirts at issue contained a variety of highly explicit, sexualized messages that, among other things, promoted the objectification of women.
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11/2/2005
Illinois Pro-Family Leaders react to Rauschenberger's Resolve to Battle A & F's assault on IL children, values “From using nude models in its catalogues to putting crass phrases on its T-shirts, Abercrombie is the epitome of the postmodern, soulless corporation that celebrates decadence and puts making money above morality. We at Illinois Family Institute are saddened by Abercrombie’s contempt for decency, and we stand with Sen. Rauschenberger and anyone else seeking to make Abercrombie pay for its irresponsible corporate decisions. They are free to sell sleaze, but we are also free to mobilize consumers to stop buying Abercrombie products.”
--Peter LaBarbera, Executive Director, Illinois Family Institute
"Sen. Steve Rauschenberger's call for Abercrombie & Fitch to pull their latest line of offensive, degrading merchandise is right on the mark. As with previous marketing and merchandise from the retailer, the t-shirts in question are exploitive of children and serve to advance horrible notions of girls and womens as little more than sex objects. I hope the Senate will take up Rauschenberger's resolution and send a strong message to Abercrombie & Fitch that Illinois families are going to fight back, as needed, to protect our children and our values."
--Kathy Valente
What are your thoughts?
(To view Rauschenberger's statement, please visit the "News" section on the home page of our website).
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10/30/2005
Reformer image? Today's Chicago Tribune< figures that so many scandals are "blunt(ing)" Blagojevich's "reformer image."
Reformer image? Say what?
Like the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot, "reform" during Blagojevich's reign is chimeric-- a fantasy. So is the concept that our governor was elected as a "reformer," despite his paradoxical if not determined campaign slogans.
Let's be clear. Blagojevich won statewide in 2002 in Illinois, a blue-leaning state, because our Republican party had lost its way.
He won because Jim Ryan couldn't shake George Ryan, whose corruption and proclivity to ignore campaign promises knew no bounds.
He won because the GOP's core felt betrayed by its fence-sitting own, many of whom it couldn't depend upon to reject party blasphemy like tax hikes and big government.
Chalking up our governor's election to his promise as a "reformer" buys at face value Blagojevich's propaganda-- unbecoming for our state's largest daily newspaper.
And quite ironic, considering its most popular columnist routinely describes him as precisely the opposite.
Dick Mell, Tony Rezko, Dominic Longo, John "Quarters" Boyle, Joe Cari. Chris Kelly.. with friends like these, who needs reformers?
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10/29/2005
Illinois still with one of nation's highest unemployment rates State unemployment rates for September were released on October 21. No surprise that Illinois is still struggling to create jobs, saddled with the uncompetitive tax and regulatory atmosphere created by Governor Blagojevich.
Illinois was tied for 40th in the nation in employment with states like Kentucky and Arkansas with a unemployment rate of 5.7%. This comes as the nation's GDP grew at a relatively robust 3.8% in the second quarter.
This simply highlights the need to get Illinois growing again by smart, pro-growth tax and regulatory policies. It is one of the reasons that part of the Rauschenberger "Restoring Middle Class Illinois" Plan calls for the repeal of the Blagojevich tax and fee increases that have driven Illinois to the bottom quintile of states in terms of job creation.
We have to end the cycle in Illinois of reckless taxing-and-borrowing-and-spending to get Illinois growing again.
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10/27/2005
Top of the World: Congrats to 2005 Chicago White Sox--World Champions I've waited longer than some and not as long as others.
The Chicago White Sox provided some of the most dramatic, gritty baseball I've ever seen--Sox Pride.
The strategic architects took chances in putting this team together and those gambles paid off. This year's White Sox is everything that sports are supposed to be about and embody what makes sports so compelling--a diversity of cultures, races, personalities, abilities that work as a team to compliment one another and bring out the best in each other.
We Republicans in Illinois could learn a lot from that approach to winning.
Congratulations to Kenny Williams, Ozzie Guillen, and the entire White Sox ball club and organization.
John Kass had it right in this morning's Tribune---I just want to keep repeating to myself, "World Champion Chicago White Sox!"
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10/24/2005
Rauschenberger rolls out "Restoring Middle Class Illinois" plan Remarks delivered by Sen. Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin) in introducing his "Restoring Middle Class Illinois" plan during a 3-day, 7-city tour of Illinois last week.
For the past week Governor Blagojevich has been traversing the state building a Potemkin village of support around his Medicaid expansion plan.
After three years of declaring war on middle class families in Illinois, Governor Blagojevich is now in full pander mode. But pandering cannot undue the reality of what has been done.
I decided to run for Governor of Illinois because middle class families, like my family, have been under a relentless assault by the policies of a command-and-control Chicago political machine that is ambivalent to our interests.
Words are the currency of politics so it is necessary to talk about issues, but your words, as Governor, must mean something.
Governor Blagojevich is not one to shy away from expressing concern for middle class families and children when he is staring down a television camera.
But when faced with real world policy decisions, this Governor shrinks from leadership to do what is politically expedient.
That approach is decimating middle class families in Illinois.
Let me give you an example of what I mean.
Every parent hopes and dreams that their children will have more than they had-and most toil and scrimp and save to help effectuate that outcome.
They want their children to be able to open doors of opportunity that may have been locked for them. For most, if not all, part of that dream includes a college education.
While it is true that only about 1 in 3 Americans attends a post secondary school, the need for a degree is ever growing in our hyper-competitive global economy. Baby boomers like me and younger parents are particularly sensitive to this reality.
Illinois happens to be home to one of the finest higher education systems in the world. But access to that system is increasingly moving out of the reach of middle class families here.
Over the last three fiscal years, this Governor has cut $323 million from higher education funding. Not surprisingly, our colleges and universities have reacted by passing the costs on to the students and their families in the form of unprecedented tuition increases.
Over that same three-year period, the average tuition increase for four-year colleges and universities in Illinois is nearly 30% in real terms.
Of course, middle class families have not seen a 30% reduction in their tax burdens to account for the increased tuition.
Instead, tax and debt burdens have gone up while middle class employment opportunities and pension have collapsed.
This Governor’s administration is rife with such examples of feigning concern for middle class families while pursuing policies that undermine the interests of those same families.
Governor Blagojevich’s double-edged sword is also slashing the dreams of those who choose a vocational or entrepreneurial path. This Governor has stalled job-creating infrastructure projects by raiding the state’s road fund to cover operating expenses. His taxing and borrowing and regulating have Illinois ranked 47th in the nation as a state to locate a business according to Forbes magazine.
This has to change.
Identifying the problems is the easy part. The devastating results of the Blagojevich administration are well documented. And their 24-hour spin machine isn’t fooling anyone, according to virtually every public opinion survey done in the last six months.
But the challenge for those who seek to replace the Governor is to raise Illinoisans vision to the horizon and talk about what we can become if we align our political rhetoric with our policy choices.
As I said from the outset of my campaign, the challenge for the Republican Party and for state government more generally is to reconnect ourselves with the hopes and dreams of middle class families in Illinois.
So, today I announce my ten-point plan for “Restoring Middle Class Illinois.”
Before tackling the individual planks of the plan, let me tell you what this is and what it is not.
What it is not is a series of check-boxes or “read my lips” clichés or ten pieces of narrowly tailored legislation that I am here to allege, if passed, would feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and guarantee that the White Sox win the pennant every year.
Illinois citizens have rightly grown weary of politicians that come around every cycle to take blood oaths for every group to curry favor, and of those politicians who similarly demagogue complicated issues to scapegoat one group of people or another.
What I promised to do in this campaign is speak about the things I know to be true-that’s what I have done for 13 years in the State Senate and that’s who I am.
We’re going to find out if Illinoisans are ready for a Governor that will level with them for perhaps the first time in 35 years.
What this ten-point plan displayed here is, is a construct for real-world governance and leadership.
It is intended to help the public understand the compass by which a Rauschenberger administration will be guided for the purposes of ensuring the interests of middle class families are represented and respected.
I’m not going to develop each one of the ten points today, though I will be introducing more detailed statements on each as the campaign progresses.
What I can tell you, for example, is that, as promised, I will be introducing legislation to prohibit eminent domain takings by local units of government in Illinois for economic development purposes. That’s my position on the sanctity of private property rights and it is from that position I will do intellectual battle to promote those rights.
I can tell you that, if elected Governor, what is listed number one on my plan will be number one in my heart and the first order of business in my administration-and that is to fundamentally overhaul our K-12 public school system in Illinois.
This does not mean studies. It doesn’t mean increasing funding by 3% and calling it reform. It means system change.
It means stakeholders coming together to vision for what our schools should look like in the next 5, 10, and 25 years for the purpose of preparing our children to compete in a global economy none of use could have envisioned when our current school system was organized more than half-a-century ago.
I can also tell you that I believe people should receive what they are promised.
Thus, state pension funds will be taken off the state’s balance sheet and funded the way the state’s bond repayments are paid to end the controversy about raiding those pension funds by eliminating the state’s ability to do so.
This plan is about system change in state government-tackling schools, health care, and welfare and changing the incentives that drive both the public and private sectors in this state.
There are moral issues in the political arena where people of conscience must choose sides. The life issue is perhaps the most profound example-and it is a profound issue on which I have taken a position of moral clarity.
But the issues of our education, health care, and livelihoods demand a similar moral clarity.
A family’s property is their property and that demands the state’s respect and protection.
A person’s pension represents a lifetime of their hard work. It is not money for cynical politicians to use for their political ends leaving a promissory note for someone else to honor.
Leadership is about drawing lines and establishing parameters of conduct. It is as much about defining that which you won’t do as it is about promoting a general vision of what you will do.
We are a society of laws. What the Law protects it by definition exalts.
It is time the laws and arbiters of those laws in Illinois restored the protections of middle class families and exalted the middle class values upon which both our party and our state were founded and built.
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