David Ratowitz - 5th District Congressional Candidate's blog

Like many Americans, I enjoyed the introductory comments of President Obama’s first State of the Union address. The president is absolutely correct in his assertion that Americans working together have overcome our greatest challenges. However, that is about where our agreement ends.

“It is time – past time – for our state to pull its weight, and the lever, for liberty.”

Two months ago, the Democrat-controlled Congress told us that the recession was over. For 30 glorious days, the stimulated economy produced more than one new job for every 54,000 unemployed Americans. Then came December, when Americans, in a holiday spending frenzy fueled by low interest rates and a 48.6 percent surge in monthly Social Security and unemployment payments, created a better than expected shopping season. The result: 85,000 more jobs lost.

Rep. Mike Quigley’s December 19 Chicago Sun-Times op-ed piece in defense of Chicago’s unconstitutional ban on gun ownership for law-abiding citizens displays arrogance, disregard for the facts and extremist zeal.

Once again, the City of Chicago is reeling over the violent death of a child. The savage beating death of Fenger High School student

 This instruction from Daniel Burnham, Chicago’s famous architect and visionary, best sums up the recently concluded Cook County GOP Convention.  An excellent plan is in place, and there is nothing small about it.  Our party leadership is now more organized than at any time in perhaps a decade, and individual Republicans, activists and candidates alike have a party to rally around.  We Republicans are inherently independent thinkers, but in Cook County, our party has now provided us with a “big tent.” Now it is up to us to fill it with R

Health care is a deeply personal issue for me.  I have close family with expensive and pre-existing conditions.  As a small business owner, I have shopped for my own health insurance and health care.  Health care is expensive and financed through an insurance system that excludes many Americans.