Chicago Daily Observer

Paul Jacob Indicted in Outrageous Political Ploy to Quell Citizen Initiative Rights

Paul Jacob, the Sam Adams Foundation’s Senior Advisor, has worked tirelessly for years to promote and protect the citizen initiative process. Today he was rewarded for his efforts, however, with an outrageous and baseless indictment from Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, who is abusing the law to suppress the initiative process-and slander Paul’s name in the process.

This is an outrage, not only for Paul Jacob, but for citizens across the country who have dared to assert their right to have a say in their government.

“This indictment unsealed today is not about the law, but rather 100 percent politically motivated. This is politics-very ugly politics,” Paul said in a statement . “The highest legal office in
the state of Oklahoma seems bent on silencing citizens through harassment and intimidation, threats and coercion. The goal is ... Read More...

The Republican Party, known since the late 19th century as the party of business, is losing its lock on that title.

New evidence suggests a potentially historic shift in the Republican Party’s identity—what strategists call its “brand.” The votes of many disgruntled fiscal conservatives and other lapsed Republicans are now up for grabs, which could alter U.S. politics in the 2008 elections and beyond.

Some business leaders are drifting away from the party because of the war in Iraq, the growing federal debt and a conservative social agenda they don’t share. In manufacturing sectors such as the auto industry, some Republicans want direct government help with soaring health-care costs, which Republicans in Washington have been reluctant to provide. And some business people want more government action on global warming, arguing that a bolder plan is not only inevitable, but could spur new industries.

When does a dream become a nightmare? Possibly when the Congress repeatedly attempts to defy the wishes of the majority of the American people to pass a massive amnesty program that benefits millions of illegal aliens residing in the country.

Once again, large numbers of Americans jammed the Senate telephone switchboard and unloaded a blizzard of letters and faxes to remind their elected representatives that they oppose any legislation that offers amnesty to illegal aliens. Their efforts succeeded at derailing the Dream Act for the time being. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has vowed to try to revisit the issue in six weeks.

The Dream Act has been sponsored by our own Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL). It was defeated prior to this week, but Durbin reintroduced the measure. He was confident that the bill would pass on this turn at bat. It was hoped that the Senate could pass ... Read More...