Free Republic

For decades, Illinois House speaker Michael Madigan dominated the state’s political system, corrupting it to his own ends. What should we make of his ouster? The Chicago machine turned out some of the most notorious names in American public corruption, including Anton Cermak, Richard J. Daley, and Ed Kelly. The machine also turned out Mike Madigan, who ruled over Illinois politics for 50 years, 36 of which he spent calling the shots as House speaker. Most people thought Madigan would only leave office in handcuffs or a casket. Most people were wrong. For the first time since 1970, “the Velvet...

I knew nothing was ever going to change there,” (Kim) Foxx is quoted as saying. “It’s a fruitless effort when the boss knows the predator and says, ‘He’s a good dude.’ That was it for me, ..., I knew I couldn’t work... there, any longer.'” In her chapter of the book, (Lisa) Madigan speaks more generally about “inappropriate and uncomfortable comments” made to her at political events she attended with her parents. “When as a state senator, a man would come to my office or serial call my phone and leave 30, 40, 50 messages a day, I snuck around...

Chicago’s rampant crime rate left Rahm Emanuel with little choice but to withdraw from the city’s mayoral race. One recent poll showed that only 31% would vote for his re-election, and 62% wanted to vote for someone else.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday assured incoming high schoolers that they need not to worry about President Trump ending the “Dreamers” program, saying Chicago Public Schools are a “Trump-free” sanctuary for young illegal immigrants. “To all the Dreamers that are here in this room and in the city of Chicago: You are welcome in the city of Chicago. This is your home. And you have nothing to worry about,” Mr. Emanuel told a group of freshman on the first day of classes at Solorio Academy High School, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. “Chicago, our schools, our neighborhoods, our city, as...

In an astonishing act of hubris, abrogation of local control over education, and obsequiousness to Barack Obama, Obama-handmaiden Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a “friend of the court” brief” (i.e., an amicus curiae brief) begging for Illinois to be subject to Obama’s illegal command that public schools allow boys in girls’ restrooms and locker rooms and vice versa. Following the “guidance” from Obama’s Department of Education via the Office for Civil Rights to integrate sexually all restrooms and locker rooms in government schools, eleven states led by Texas filed a lawsuit in late May requesting that an injunction...

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday “welcomed” a U.S. Department of Justice investigation of “systemic issues embedded in” the Chicago Police Department and said, “I own the confusion” about his earlier opposition to the probe in the unrelenting uproar over the Laquan McDonald shooting video. Fran Earlier this week, Emanuel called the federal civil rights investigation requested by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan “misguided.” But that was before Hillary Clinton, Emanuel’s candidate for president, sided with Madigan. That’s apparently at least partially responsible for the mayor’s reversal. A conversation with Gov. Bruce Rauner, the mayor’s longtime friend, may also have played...

A former Chicago-area executive is blowing the whistle in the latest case to showcase what is derisively known as the "Illinois way" -- politicians' practice of doing business by dishing out favors to friends who contribute generously to their campaigns. This time, a top-ranking Democrat has been implicated. The case involves Illinois' most powerful Democratic leader -- state House Speaker Michael Madigan -- and the former head of the Chicago area's commuter rail service, Metra. In a rare move earlier this week, Metra's ex-CEO Alex Clifford came forward publicly to reveal specific details about how he says he was forced...

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has told Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan for the last time that she MUST honor the Constitution of the United States by doing away with her state’s ban on the concealed carry of firearms. It was back in December of last year that a 3 judge panel of the Court found the Illinois law banning concealed carry to be unconstitutional. “The Supreme Court has decided that the [2nd] amendment confers a right to bear arms for self-defense, which is as important outside the home as inside,” wrote 7th Circuit Judge Richard Posner, paraphrasing the...

In case anyone hasn't heard, the 7th circuit denied Lisa Madigans request to have the ban on concealed carry ruled unconstitutional. Thus they are now under the gun to pass a conceal carry law by June 9, 2013. The judge who wrote the dissenting opinion basically gave them a layout on how to pass a very bad bill in his opinion that would not infringe the second amendment. Hogwash, but now Michael Madigan is going to try to railroad a bill through ala NY style. Only difference is we have a few days to react where they had none. They'll...

(Reuters) - The state of Illinois is looking into allegations that several Catholic groups providing adoption services for the state illegally discriminate against unmarried and gay couples, a lawsuit filed on Tuesday showed. In a March 8 letter to the charitable arm of the Diocese of Springfield, the Illinois attorney general's office said it was investigating reports the group "discriminates against Illinois citizens based on race, marital status and sexual orientation in its provision of foster care services." The letter, which was included as an exhibit in a lawsuit filed by the charitable arms of the dioceses of Springfield, Peoria...

In a showdown over the privacy rights of gun owners, the Illinois State Police are refusing to release a list identifying all firearm permit holders in the state after Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan determined that the information "must" be made public. The dispute, which soon could come before a judge, has been building since last fall when a reporter for The Associated Press made a Freedom of Information Act request to the police for the names of cardholders as well as information about the weapons each permit holder is authorized to carry. But the state police, who safeguard that...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois attorney general says state police must release the name of everyone in the state who is authorized to own a gun. Illinois state police determine who gets a Firearm Owners Identification card, which allows people to own guns. The police have always kept the list private. But Attorney General Lisa Madigan's public access counselor released a letter Monday night saying the information should be public.

Court won't oust Blago Rick Pearson reports that the Illinois Supreme Court rejected Lisa Madigan's attempt to have Blagojevich declared unfit to hold office.

The Trib reports on a fundraiser Jesse Jackson Jr (or aka Candidate #5) held last Saturday to raise money for a possible Jackson US Senate bid. Jackson insisted Wednesday he did nothing wrong in suggestions deals were being made for him to obtain Obama's vacant US Senate seat. Blagojevich himself attended Jackson's fundraiser, the Tribune learned from two businessmen who stepped forward this week. The story's HERE... but here's a key paragraph:

GOP TAUGHT A LESSON THEY WILL NOT SOON FORGET - NOW DEMOCRATS WILL TEACH US A LESSONBy John Birch, President, Concealed Carry, Inc., PO BOX 4597, Oak Brook, IL 60523, Tel: 630 660-3935 Fax: 815 327-1152 Email: john@concealcarry.orgAfter years of taking everyone for granted, especially gun owners, the GOP finally had their head handed back to them on a platter. They are finished, washed up, forgotten at least until 2006.TO JIM RYAN: You betrayed us and deservedly lost. If you wish to atone you should render a favorable legal opinion on "fanny pack" carry before you are replaced by Lisa...

I just received this from the Joe Birkett Campaign and thought it important enough to pass along to you. I happen to personally support Joe, but the extent that Lisa Madigan is taking this campaign is unacceptable. DAN RUTHERFORD Joe Birkett Supporters: It is a lie. There's no other way to put it. Lisa Madigan's new television commercial -- about a domestic violence case -- is flat-out false. The ad refers to a violent domestic violence incident and says that Joe "agreed to a plea bargain of just 34 days in jail." The truth is that Joe's office asked the...

The scandal that cut short Gov. George Ryan's political career looms heavily over a wide-open race to succeed him, a new Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows. The survey shows Democrat Rod Blagojevich and Republican Jim Ryan locked in a neck-and-neck battle, with more than 9 in 10 voters saying the issue of government corruption will be an important factor to weigh in deciding between the two in the Nov. 5 general election. The poll results also indicated some confusion among voters between Jim Ryan and George Ryan, who share the same surname but are not related. In a close race, that means...