Northern Illinois Campaign for Liberty

By Chuck Baldwin

Anger and opposition to Washington’s policies and edicts–no matter now egregious–hardly ever translate into anything beyond words of frustration. And Washington politicians don’t pay much attention to rhetoric–not even their own.

You see, the wizards in Washington and on Wall Street have us figured out. Along with their compatriots in the propaganda press corps, they know that no matter how loudly we scream, how much we protest, or how angry we become, the system is rigged to protect them. The best we the people can seem to come up with is “throwing the bums out” every two or four years. BUT NOTHING CHANGES–at least, not in terms of restoring the fundamental principles of freedom and constitutional government…

Click here to read the complete article.

By Anthony Gregory

December 15 is neglected by most Americans for its historical significance as the anniversary of the Bill of Rights. Even worse, American politicians neglect the actual Bill of Rights on a day-to-day basis.

Whether or not the Bill of Rights can ever be an effective means of limiting the government is open to debate. However, the Bill of Rights does offer a fairly good outline of a free society, and it shows how far our country has strayed.

In an America with a full respect for the Bill of Rights, there would be no Federal Communications Commission regulating the airwaves and forbidding certain speech, no Federal Election Commission limiting how much Americans can donate to political candidates or what they can say in independent political ads, no Food and Drug Administration harassment of pharmaceutical and wine producers regarding their commercial speech, no federal laws that have anything to do with religion whatsoever, and no federally established “free-speech zones.”

Click here to read the complete article.

By David McKalip, M.D.

This blatant redefinition of common vocabulary, ending of the truth and bureaucratic takeover of medicine to benefit the state at the expense of patients can stopped. But only if Floridians open their phone book and call their Senators and tell them: “Vote No” on government run medicine. Because the only perennial truth is that politician’s highest goal is to be re-elected and they will vote “no” if they know you are going to hold them accountable for their actions. Then we can have an honest debate about how to lower costs and cover those in need of medical care in rational ways that don’t violate our individual liberties.

Read the complete article here.

By Jane Orient

The problem is the forest. Cutting down a tree here and there isn’t enough. The question is whether we want to put the federal government in control of American medicine. And about the related question of what medicine should be.

Read the complete article here.

By Adam Murdock, M.D.

[Note: I think this is an article that will resonate with many of us.  I was one of the "right-wing extremists" who stayed up late Saturday night for the sole purpose of knowing the outcome of the House vote. And it shocked me too, it hurt. It was something like hearing the results of the presidential election last year.  We keep thinking that "no, that couldn't possibly happen here, in America!" and yet we creep--or leap--ever closer to the precipice.]

While normal everyday oblivious Americans were preparing their beds to sleep Saturday night their elected officials quietly passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Indeed, the passage of this act deals one of the final death blows to the Constitution and with it our liberties.

As I ponder upon this momentously horrid occurrence it is as if I have just woken up from a nightmare and been thrown directly into the plot of George Orwell’s 1984, with no hope of escape. As this thought grabs hold I am lead to ponder more and more about America and I ask myself a few questions.

Click here to read the complete article.

By Tom Mullen

George W. Bush redistributed more wealth during his presidency than any president had since Lyndon Johnson. Republicans really have never had any problem with redistributing wealth as long as the proceeds go to the right people. Since Medicare benefits senior citizens, a constituency that no election can be won without in the baby boomer retirement era, Republicans had no problem using the force of government to take money from one individual and use it to buy “healthcare” for another — as they did with their Medicare prescription drug benefit. Neither do they hesitate to redistribute to bankers, under the cover of “saving the financial system.”

Click here to read the rest of the article.

In this MegaVote for Illinois’ 16th Congressional District:

Recent Congressional Votes

• Senate: Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010
• House: Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010
• House: Small Business Financing and Investment Act of 2009

Upcoming Congressional Bills

• Senate: Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009
• Senate: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010
• Senate: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2010
• House: Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act of 2009
• House: Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009
• House: Affordable Health Care for America Act

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Recent Senate Votes

Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 – Vote Agreed to (72-28) The Senate gave final approval to this $32.3 billion bill funding the Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency and related agencies for the 2010 fiscal year. The bill also includes a continuing resolution funding government operations through December 18, 2010 as 7 of the 12 annual spending bills remain to be completed. Sen. Richard Durbin voted YES……send e-mail or see bio Sen. Roland Burris voted YES……send e-mail or see bio

Recent House Votes

Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 – Vote Passed (247-178, 7 Not Voting) The House passed this $32.3 billion bill funding the Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency and related agencies for the 2010 fiscal year. The bill also includes a continuing resolution funding government operations through December 18, 2010 as 7 of the 12 annual spending bills remain to be completed. Rep. Donald Manzullo voted NO……send e-mail or see bio Small Business Financing and Investment Act of 2009 – Vote Passed (389-32, 11 Not Voting) This House bill would reauthorize several Small Business Administration loan programs. Rep. Donald Manzullo voted YES……send e-mail or see bio

Upcoming Votes

Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 – H.R.3548 The Senate is scheduled to work on this bill that would extend unemployment benefits in states with a jobless rate over 8.5%. Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 – H.R.2847 The Senate may return to this $64.9 billion legislation funding the Justice Department, Commerce Department, National Science Foundation and related agencies and programs. Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2010 – H.R.3082 The Senate may also take up this $133.9 billion bill funding military construction projects and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act of 2009 – H.R.3639 This House bill would move the date credit card companies would have to comply with new credit card regulations from February 22, 2010 to December 1, 2009. Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009 – H.R.2868 The House is scheduled to work on this bill intended to bolster security at chemical plants. Affordable Health Care for America Act – H.R.3962 The House is expected to begin debate on health care reform this week.

Northern Illinois Campaign for Liberty

Reclaim the Republic

Restore the Constitution

October 27, 2009

Wecome to the Northern Illinois Email Newsletter!

Upcoming Events:

Details for these events can be found under the “Calendar” at www.northernillinoisliberty.com

Gubernatorial Candidates Forum, November 14^th (see note below)
Join us for a discussion with some of the candidates running for the governor’s seat. If you want to make an educated decision at the polls in February, this is a great way to meet the candidates and ask questions about issues that are important to you. Very important: This event has been moved from November 7^th to November 14^th due to scheduling difficulties. And the location has now been determined. The Candidates Forum will be held at the North Suburban Library in Rockford, 6350 North Second, Loves Park.
The exact time has yet to be finalized, but will be in the early afternoon. Please check back for more details.

Local News:

We now have 60 members and 5 coordinators in Winnebago County. In Illinois there are 7,397 members, and 99 coordinators.  If you have not yet joined the Campaign for Liberty, you can do so at www.campaignforliberty.com. Please consider becoming a local coordinator in your area. The training that Campaign for Liberty provides for coordinators is some of the best of any similar grassroots organizations, and, the more coordinators we have, the easier it will be for each one. All it takes is a passion for liberty…will you do it?

We need volunteers to help promote our upcoming candidates forum. It can be as difficult as creating and sending out press releases to all local media…or as easy as putting a flier on a restaurant bulletin board. To make this event successful, we need to let everybody in the Rockford area know about it. Email me if you’d like to help out.

We are also interested in holding Constitutional Classes this winter, using Michael Badnarik’s 8-hour DVD lectures, meeting perhaps every other week for about an hour and a half. I recently went through this course, and it changed the way I look at government, history, and individual rights. If you are at all interested in this, please let me know because we need to know how many people would like to attend this in order to find a location and time that works for most people.

Featured News:

“H1N1 declared a ‘national emergency’ by the President”

On Saturday, October 24^th, President Obama declared H1N1, or “Swine Flu” to be a national emergency. This enables hospitals to override normal regulations in order to treat the massive waves of sick people rushing to the emergency room. However, the idea of a national emergency goes back to 1933 and FDR’s War and Emergency Act, which allows the government to nullify the Constitution during a time of national emergency. This obviously concerns Americans, and many people are wondering if H1N1 is so dangerous as to call for a radical declaration such as this. Click here for more info, and we also have some blog posts on our Northern Illinois website about H1N1.

Healthcare Updates

The Democrats are still struggling to pass a healthcare reform bill and will have to push hard if they want to get it through by the end of the year, as was President Obama’s goal. Click here to read the AP article. It is important that we continue to keep the pressure on our senators to vote against this bill.

Sen. Durbin, 202-224-2152

Sen. Burris, 202-224-2854

Audit the Fed

Neither of our senators, Sen. Durbin and Sen. Burris, have cosponsored S. 604, the Senate bill to audit the Federal Reserve. Please continue to call their offices and tell them how important transparency is to America.

H.R. 1207, the House bill to audit the Federal Reserve, now has 307 cosponsors, and S. 604 has 30 cosponsors.

Illinois Corruption and the “Put-Back Amendment”
As anyone who lives in Illinois knows, Springfield is corrupted by Chicago politics. Well, one man is trying to solve this problem and would like to propose the “Put-Back Amendment” that would do just that—put government back in its place and end the “back room dealings of the General Assembly.” The author of this bill, John Bambenek, needs help collecting the 500,000 signatures required to put this amendment on the ballot in 2010. Please visit www.putbackamendment.com to find out more about this amendment. Let me know if you are interested in helping with with this effort.

Featured Blog Posts:

Unalienable Rights

Northern IL Campaign for Liberty Newsletter, October 20

The Threat of Mandatory Vaccinations

Economics and Moral Courage

Up, Up Goes the National Debt

Go to www.northernillinoisliberty.com/blog to read these posts and more.

Featured Resources:

Freedom Under Siege, “Here is Ron Paul’s political manifesto, a courageous book on civil liberties and the rights of Americans that are relentlessly under assault from government. It was written in 1987, on the 200th anniversary of the Constitution, and is back in print for the first time.”

Liberty and Property, by Ludwig von Mises, a small book (53 pages) that is “one of the most dazzling presentations of the case for economic liberty ever written.” Available through the Mises Institute, $5.00.

Note: I figured I better say this so I don’t get in trouble with our ever-watchful government, but I am not getting anything from anyone for recommending these resources. There, I think that covers pretty much all  possibilities.

From the Grassroots

I’ve decided to do a short, maybe long, series of articles on simple ways to get involved and start making a difference. Maybe call them stepping stones, just one small step at a time, from simply calling your senator to protesting outside his office—yes, it can be done because that’s where I came from! So, I am going to start with phone calls.

Step #1, Calling your elected officials. Maybe you’re used to it now, and don’t have a problem with making phone calls and registering your complaints or suggestions. Or maybe you’ve never done it. Firstly, you have to find out who your elected officials are and get their phone numbers. Campaign for Liberty has a great tool for easily finding your representatives and senators, just enter your address and it will give you information about your elected officials in DC, from their party to phone number, to a short bio. So, after you find their number, decide what issue to call them about. And I had to say that because it can be hard to pick… “should I tell them I don’t want government healthcare, or government bailouts or…?” Anyways, decide on an issue, and then do the research if necessary to come up with a bill number. Instead of saying, “I support an audit of the Federal Reserve” it is more professional to say, “I support H.R. 1207, the bill to audit the Federal Reserve.” If you’re like me, you’ll want to write down the bill number so your mind doesn’t go blank once you get on the phone. And now you’re ready to call! When you call, be polite, but be brief. Simply state your opinion. “I’d just like to say I support H.R. 1207, the bill to audit the Federal Reserve, and ask that Sen. _______ or Rep. _____ cosponsor H.R. 1207.” They may ask for your zip code, but generally not any more information than that. And resist the temptation to explain everything to the person at the other end of the line. They have no influence over the elected officials, so don’t say, “I’d like Sen. ______ to cosponsor H.R. 1207, the bill to audit the Federal Reserve because the Federal Reserve is a private institution, and under the GAO laws currently is not required to open up their books to Congress and…” because you’ll just annoy the other person. All they can do is mark down that you are either for or against something, they’re not going to write down all the extra history and information. It is just important that they hear your opinion, but you don’t need to explain it to them. And that’s it…call, briefly state your opinion, give your zip code if asked, and hang up. So try it this week…previously in this email I listed some issues right now that we need to contact our elected officials about, so pick one, be it Audit the Fed, or healthcare, and make your first step. Remember, your representatives are in DC to represent you—but how will they know how to represent you if you don’t tell them what you stand for?

If you are not a member of the Campaign for Liberty, please consider joining. Click here to become part of this movement dedicated to prosperity, free markets, the Constitution, and liberty.

Savannah Liston, Winnebago County Coordinator

“There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword, the other is by debt.”

– John Adams

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