MY original diary is here:

http://www.redstate.com/barry915barry/2009/03/10/there-is-hope-for-the-illinois-gop-after-all/

Here is the committee vote on Illinois SB600:

The committee voting record on SB 600 was:

Voting “Yes”

David Luechtefeld (R)*

M. Maggie Crotty (D)

Terry Link (D)

Michael Bond (D)

James T. Meeks (D)

Voting “No”

Dale A. Righter (R)

Dan Rutherford (R)

Randall M. Hultgren (R)

Louis S. Viverito (D)

*Senator Luechtefeld (IL-58) was a co-sponsor of the bill.

Senator Rutherford (IL-53), whose office made it clear on  Monday 3/9 that he supported the bill apparently had a “change of heart“, due to an amendment that was filed on that same day.  The actual committe vote was Tuesday at 1pm (3/10).  I spoke to **** who was unable to point to what specifically was so objectionable.

How about the fact that after an unsuccessful run for IL-SOS in 2006, He is now poised to run for State Treasurer in 2010.  With obvious ambitions for higher office, see here:

http://www.pantagraph.com/blogs/main/?p=3681

With US Senator Burris (D) heading for a contested primary in 2010, This is an opening that Rutherford simply cant pass up.

It would appear that the good senator Rutherford simply doesn’t want to upset the “Combine” apple cart.  Nothing in Illinois is accomplished without the approval of the Combine.  The good senator is obviously willing to sell out the party and the people, for his own selfish ambitions.  We know what the good senator’s excuse is; What about the other 3 R’s on the committee?  What is THEIR  excuse for selling out the base?  For selling out the PEOPLE?  I have not been able to reach them for comment.  Stay tuned.

I just received a call from (state) Senator Chris Lauzen’s(IL-25) office moments ago.  SB600 has passed out of committee on a 5-4 vote.  While we don’t know yet how the actual roll call vote went, we do know that this is excellent news for the Republican party and more specifically the grass roots conservatives in Illinois.

Warner Todd Huston has written on this several times, including yesterday:

http://www.redstate.com/warner_todd_huston/2009/03/09/sb600-let-people-decide/

What this bill (amendment) essentially does is it gives the power back to the people.  The State Central Committee is currently made up of 19 members, who were essentially “put” on the committee via backroom deals and other nefarious means.  This amendment to the Illinois Election code changes that.

SB 600:  http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/96/SB/PDF/09600SB0600lv.pdf

Specifically,  There are two major changes.

1.  The Central Committee , to be equally divided between men and women, will consist of 1 each from the 19 congressional districts totaling 38.

2.  The Committee will then elect a party chair, either from within this group of 38, or from an outside pool of people as they see fit.

Even though these changes would not take effect until the 2010 primary, this is a good start.

This is good in that it will go a long way towards eliminating the back room deals and corruption that have for so long marred the once proud GOP in this great state.

Andy McKenna, the current party chair is pulling out all the stops to try to remain in power, including on-going e-mail blasts to the rank and file.  DO NOT BE DECEIVED!!!.  This is the same party establishment that gave us a pro-choice, anti-family candidate, who could not beat the now disgraced and previously under investigation (by the feds) “Blago” back in ‘06.

The battle is not over yet.  This moves to the floor where a vote is not yet scheduled.  We need to stay alert and keep calling our state senators, including the dems, who hold a 37-22 majority.

I will update as I receive more information.

As a side note, I had previously commented that John Milner (IL-28) was the state senator that voted against weakening the recently passed Ethics reform law.  I am happy to inform you that State Senator Lauzen, recognizing a missed opportunity, has had his vote officially changed for the record, to sho that like Milner, he opposed weakening the ethics reforms that had just been recently passed.  He has sent a letter to the entire caucus letting them know that we (the state senators) missed an opportunity here and that they all need to be more vigilant.

According to a report by Stewart Stogel of Newsmax.com, the US will pursue diplomatic talks directly with Iran.

“We remain deeply concerned about the threat Iran’s nuclear program poses to the region and indeed to the United States and the entire international community…We look forward towards engaging in vigorous diplomacy, that includes direct diplomacy with Iran as well as collaboration and partnership with the Permanent 5 plus 1,” U.S. ambassador Susan Rice told reporters Monday.”

I do recall that when now president Obama was still campaigning (prior to the election), he indicated his desire to pursue all sorts of diplomacy.  However, he certainly backtracked after a major backlash from media across the spectrum when he suggested that he would engage certain leaders and/or countries in direct talks.

While Ambassador Rice does suggest the U.S. will maintain a stiff upper lip:

“”Dialogue and diplomacy must go hand-in-hand with a very firm message from the United States and the international community that Iran needs to meet its obligations as defined by the (UN) Security Council and its continued refusal to do so will only cause pressure to increase,”

It strikes me as beyond foolish that the new administration would egage Iran in this manner, given their leaders’ pursuit of nuclear materials, and his desire to see Israel obliterated, et al.  Can our new president be this ignorant of the facts on the ground to think that there is even a remote possibility that these types of talks can succeed?  Even his own advisors stated that low level talks, through intermediaries were necessary first.  I only hope that Ms. Rice simply did not make clear her stated intent on this issue.