Illinois Folks - Early Voting Begins Today

Chicago Folks....Suburban Cook County.....Illinois Folks...

EARLY VOTING BEGINS TODAY!!

Now, if you missed the deadline for registering to vote, you can go GRACE PERIOD VOTING- which mean you register to vote and vote at the same time. Grace Period is now possible THRU ELECTION DAY!

Here are the Hours for Voting from now until Election Day:

• Mon., Oct. 20 through Sat., Oct. 25: 9 am-5 pm

• Sun., Oct. 26: 10 am-4 pm

• Mon., Oct. 27 through Fri., Oct. 31: 9 am-7 pm

• Sat., Nov. 1: 9 am-5 pm

• Sun., Nov. 2: 10 am-4 pm

• Mon., Nov. 3: 9 am-5 pm • Election Day, Tues., Nov. 4: 6 am-7 pm

City of Chicago Folks, here's your information:

ALL 51 City of Chicago Early Voting Sites are now open for Grace Period Voting.

LIST OF ALL 51 CITY OF CHICAGO EARLY VOTING SITES

Suburban Cook County, here's your information:

ALL Suburban Cook County Early Voting Sites are now open for Grace Period Voting.

LIST OF ALL SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY EARLY VOTING SITES

Now, remember, when you go to Early Vote or Grace Period Voter,you will need ID. Grace Period voters need two pieces of ID. Here is the list of acceptable ID.

Neither needs to be a photo ID, but one must include your current address. Acceptable forms of ID include:

Illinois driver's license

Illinois state ID

Employee or student ID

Credit card

Social security card

Birth certificate

Utility bill in applicant's name

Mail postmarked to the applicant

Valid U.S. passport

Public aid ID card

Lease or rental contract

Here is the WILL COUNTY information.

Here is the DUPAGE COUNTY information.

If you have kids or family that might need Mail (Absentee) Ballots, and the person has an Illinois Drivers License/State ID, you can order a mail ballot ONLINE.

COOK COUNTY

DUPAGE COUNTY

WILL COUNTY

............................................

The big election in Illinois is for Governor. You don't have to like Governor Pat Quinn, but just remember this, almost 700 thousand in Illinois have been helped because of the full implementation of Obamacare in this state. Of that, over 460,000 were helped because of the Medicaid Expansion. Rauner has already said that he would NOT have done that..because THAT is who he is. So, think on THAT. If Rauner had been Governor, nearly a HALF MILLION PEOPLE in this state - the WORKING POOR - would be without access to BASIC healthcare. Rauner also doesn't believe in the minimum wage. Just thought you should know.

Illinois becomes 16th State to Ban the Death Penalty

From BBC News

Illinois abolishes the death penalty
Illinois has become the 16th US state to abolish the death penalty, after the governor signed a bill making permanent a 10-year-old moratorium on executions.

Governor Pat Quinn signed the bill after spending two months consulting with victims' families, prosecutors, religious leaders and others.

Former Governor George Ryan ordered a moratorium in 2000 amid concerns innocent people could be executed.

Thirty-four states still have the death penalty.
'Right thing'

In the state capital Springfield, Mr Quinn, a Democrat, said he had followed his conscience, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history," he told reporters. "I think it's the right, just thing to abolish the death penalty."

In a statement accompanying the bill signing, he wrote the Illinois death penalty system was flawed and could lead to wrongful convictions.

Mr Quinn also commuted to life in prison the sentences of 15 death row inmates.

Mr Ryan's move in 2000 came after more than a dozen condemned inmates were freed from Illinois death row, some when journalists showed they had been wrongly convicted.

His successors, former Governor Rod Blagojevich and Mr Quinn, kept the moratorium in place.

The Illinois legislature approved the ban two months ago, and it takes effect on 1 July.

As a citizen of the state, I must reiterate that the moratorium came to be because it was found that 13 men on Death Row were freed, not because of any technicality, but BECAUSE THEY WERE INNOCENT OF THE CRIMES.

13 men.

That's not a 'glitch' in the system.

That means the whole damn system was corrupt, and that's why George Ryan instituted the moratorium.

I'm glad the Death Penalty is gone from my state.

Bravo, to Gov. Quinn for doing the right thing.

Blago Compares His Problems with Mandela, MLK and Gandhi

Blago is at it again. First he invoked the attack on Pearl Harbor to describe the morning of his arrest by the FBI. Now, as part of his media tour, he has compared his problems with the struggles of Nelson Mandela, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi. Hear story from NPR.

Here is what he stated on NBC's Today Show Sunday, when reflecting on the December 9th, 2008 arrest at his home:

"I thought about Mandela, Dr. King and Gandhi and tried to put some perspective to all this and that is what I am doing now."

You almost have to see it to believe it.

Blago's narcissism, and insanity are finally overtaking him just as I suspected they would. It should be pretty clear to folks at this point that Blago's elevator does not go up to the top floor. He wants everyone to know that this whole ordeal is part of a conspiracy against him (by a Democratically controlled State). He has even taken the step of hiring a Public Relations firm as part of his effort to change public opinion. He won't attend his State Senate impeachment trial (because he knows he's guilty), but he'll go through all the trouble and expense of hiring a PR firm.

LOL


Almost as annoying as Blago is the willingness on the part of the mainstream media to help him with his tour of the TV networks. They want to give him a platform for his propaganda and fulfill his desire for constant attention. They will basically do anything for ratings.

Even attorney Ed Genson can't deal with Blago's nonsense. Genson announced over the weekend that he was resigning as Blago's attorney in the Federal criminal case because Blago wouldn't listen to counsel. Wow... that's a shocker. Apparently Genson was tired of Blago running his mouth and was against the idea of having a media tour. But Genson must not have understood...that this whole fiasco has nothing to do with Blago wanting to defend himself... it has always been about The Rod Blagojevich Show and this man's incessant need to be in the spotlight. Genson had already decided not to represent Blago in his impeachment case.

Genson's comments over the weekend:

"I have been practicing law for 44 years. I never require a client to do what I say, but I do require them to at least listen to what I say," Genson said. "I believe in this case it would be better off, and I intend to withdraw as counsel in this case. And I wish the governor good luck and Godspeed."

Additional Commentary from the Chicago Tribune Blog

About Jesse Jackson Jr's so-called ' Electability' Problem

We've been discussing over the past week, the appointment of Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate by Gov. Blago.

Friday, it was revealed that Senator Harry Reid had his nose all up in Illinois Politics, deeming 3 Black possible candidates - Danny Davis, Emil Jones and Jesse Jackson, Jr. - 'Unelectable'.

I have written in this post HERE, why I thought this wasn't about anyone BUT Jesse Jackson, Jr.

I have always thought the ' electability' argument was bogus from the get go.

Here is Harry Reid on MTP:



IF Jesse Jackson, Jr. wasn't strong enough to defend himself as a sitting United States Senator, in a Democratic Primary in 2010, then so be it.

I have always believed that there would be a Democratic Primary in 2010. And whatever candidate emerged as the victor would be in good shape for the General Election, because the GOP bench is still weak in Illinois, and I don't see it gaining that much strength by 2010.

Our poster NMP said:

This is real trouble for Democrats! True enough Bobby Rush's recent statements were over the top and too heavy handed, but he wasn't lying about the hypocrisy of white Democrats. This is some Dixicrat shit! It's one thing to oppose a racial appointment, but it's a whole different matter to block African Americans from appointment. This is a George Wallace move. Reid all but stood in the doorway of the Capital. I've said it a million times before, but it deserves to be said a million more times. The Democratic Party is a plantation party and Black folks have been far too willing to enslave themselves to it. Whether it's the Democratic political establishment or the so-called progressive arm of the Party, Black folks, whom they depend on, are not well represented in the leadership ranks. They talk at us, down to us or dismiss us and every four years come up with excuse-after-excuse as to why it's not political prudent to run African American candidates statewide.

I agree with this. This is the same old BS that Black folk hear all the time about WHY they can't be considered for statewide office. Instead of the STATE Democratic Party getting BEHIND Black candidates, they decide from ' on high' that 'these Blacks cannot be elected. '

Neither Carol Moseley Braun or Barack Obama was the 'Machine' candidate. They were 'unelectable' outsiders from CHICAGO no less, who won the nominations.

And, about the ' unelectability' of Jesse Jackson, Jr.

I was reading on OpenLeft, and someone brought up a fabulous point about the ' electability' of Jesse Jackson, Jr. The likes of Harry Reid, et al, backed Harold Ford, Jr., and damn near everyone in his family had been arrested, indicted or convicted. But, they supported his DLC behind.

Jesse Jackson only has his father, who, by my account, had never been arrested (on anything other civil rights issues). His brothers are solid businessmen. His sisters have led quiet private lives.

Quiet as it's been kept, Jesse Jackson, Jr. has shown a strong independent streak beginning with his quest for his Congressional Seat. There have been some moves by him that I have questioned over the years, but he's been willing to take risks on candidates that were NOT machine-approved. Some won, some lost, but he still was willing to do it. And, he's been building bridges and reaching out to other communities from the moment he entered Congress. Jesse Jackson, Jr. wasn't the 'Machine' candidate when he ran for Congress. Neither was his wife the 'Machine' candidate when she ran for Alderman. They won IN SPITE OF the 'Machine', not because of it. And, there are those who haven't forgotten that either.

I'm not buying the 'electability' argument. In fact, I believe it's just the opposite. They were afraid of him WINNING the seat in 2010. And once he did that, it would be hard to get him out, unless HE wanted to leave it.

Just call me a tinfoil hat wearer.

Roland Martin on Valerie Jarrett and the Senate Seat

From From Roland Martin @ Essence.com

December 12, 2008
The back story of Valerie Jarrett, Illinois U.S. Senate Seat and the White House

No one with President-elect Barack Obama's transition team has identified his close friend and adviser Valerie Jarrett as Senate candidate #1, as mentioned in the criminal complaint against Gov. Rod Blagojevich, but it's clear that she is the person often mentioned.

There is a wide assumption by many that Jarrett "mysteriously" dropped out of the race for the U.S. Senate, and I've even heard some suggest that the Obama team got wind of Blagojevich's alleged scheme to broker a deal for the seat appointment.

But there is nothing mysterious about what happened.


One week before the Nov. 4 election, Jarrett had multiple conversations with Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, with regards to the Senate position. This was in response to a number of Chicago allies asking her to consider taking an appointment for the remaining two years of the seat.

That doesn't come as a surprise to those familiar with the city's politics. A former top official with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley who is now CEO of a real estate company, she has served in many civic positions, and has had her name mentioned for various posts, including even running for mayor one day.

At the same time, multiple sources have told me that supporters of Jarrett were sending out feelers to black ministers and community activists to gauge the level of interest in her going after the job as a way to solidify support before it coalesced around another candidate or candidates.

Then after Obama's victory, the speculation immediately turned to whether she would go after the job. It was well known that Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. wanted the post, and many were placing bets as to which way Obama would go, especially since the congressman was one of his national co-chairs. It was assumed that Obama would side with Jarrett, but he had not made a decision one way or another on who should take his place in the U.S. Senate.

One of the reasons Obama didn't declare her as his choice for the seat is because he was considering who would serve as his key advisers. Now that he was headed to the White House, his world is even smaller than it was when he was running for president, and he is further walled off from the rest of the world. He often said that Jarrett was one of his most trusted advisers, and having her at his side was important for a variety of reasons.

That's why on November 9, while she was in New York on business, he offered her the job as senior advisor to the president and assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and public liaison. This position has her reporting directly to him and places her in the inner sanctum of the president of the United States, and ensures that her voice will be heard on nearly every issue.

I know the date well because on November 10, she confided in me that she had been offered the job, but I couldn't report anything until the announcement was about to be made. I had been working the phones to ascertain what jobs were being offered to a litany of Obama campaign officials, and she was certainly high on the list because of her relationship with Obama.

On November 12, with speculation increasing that she was going after the job, she announced that she was not interested. And on November 14, I reported that she had been officially named to the post. And on November 16, Obama officially resigned his U.S. Senate seat, putting the choice for a replacement into overdrive.

No one still knows whether the Obama camp found out about Blagojevich's alleged wheeling and dealing for the seat. But the notion that Jarrett's decision to drop out of the running because of Pay Rod just doesn't jive with the facts.

Thanks to Roland for telling us this.