Katy K's blog

If you watched the President's Oval Office address last night (some of us saw it while phone banking at the Lincoln Park office), you'll of course have noticed it was redecorated. Okay, maybe you missed it. NPR did not.

Just a couple short months ago, we talked of nothing but Obamacare. Would it REALLY be enacted? Would Blue Dog Democrats be obedient to the dictates of their party leadership, or the dictates of their conscience? And then we found out who was really in charge.

After healthcare "reform" passed, there were calls -- pleading calls from constitutents -- to repeal. REPEAL. Some Democrats (like Bart Stupak) decided they were tired of politics after all and maybe wanted to write that book.

Many CYR members and local candidates attended CPAC this weekend. And no, those of us left behind are NOT BITTER at ALL. :)

But among the many cool, energized, and smart people they met were some folks behind a new site, WeCantPayThatTab whose goal is "creating dialogue between young Americans and policymakers" about our ever-increasing national debt and how it will impact this generation.

That's how I would characterize the President's first State of the Union tonight. From  the remark that Republicans don't have suggestions for healthcare reform (which Gov. Bob McDonnell expertly skewered) , to his contempt for our intelligence as he continuously changed his stance -- even within the same breath. ("Let's change the tone in politics" and 2 seconds later "Democrats, you have the largest majority in decades..."), Obama displayed his stubbornness and desire to "keep fighting" .

...anything is possible.

The special election for the US Senate seat (most recently held by the late Ted Kennedy) is scheduled for this Tuesday. Things aren't looking so good for Democrat candidate Martha Coakley, despite millions being poured into her campaign from SEIU, etc. See this InTrade prediction market ... http://www.intrade.com/?request_operation=main&request_type=action&checkHomePage=true

Recently, the Wall Street Journal posted a video addressing the different approaches to "fixing" the economy and creating more jobs.  CYR member and Loyola University Chicago student Elizabeth Davidson gave us her take on the video, which she finds informative and unbiased: 

Well they've done it again. We will be treated to what AP Correspondent David Espo  calls a "bruising debate" on Saturday night about healthcare. Southerners have not been helpful. Or rather, they've been very very helpful to Democrats.  Mary Landrieu from Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln from Arkansas have helped Democrats reach their magical number 60 to advance legislation to full debate on the Senate floor. Here's the AP report -- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_care_overhaul

After a few months of rumors, Andy McKenna, the former head of the Illinois GOP and one-time candidate for U.S. Senate, has made it official. He is running for governor.  State Senator Matt Murphy has dropped his gubernatorial race to run for lieutenant governor.

See the Candidates page for an updated roster of candidates. Illinois politics is nothing if not ever-changing!

This video has been making the rounds -- you might even find yourself humming it for the rest of the day. (h/t to Grand Rants)

ObamaCare: The Musical

Don't forget to buy your DOTS, your toothpaste, and your Hennessey's (and pinot noir)  tonight! Because September 1, taxes are going up on all these items, and more. They will be taxed at the state rate of 6.25% (plus the lovely local sales tax -- Cook County has the highest, don't forget)

See here for a breakdown of the taxes from our friends at the Illinois Policy Insitute.

Are there candy makers and shampoo manufacturers in Illinois? Not for long, I bet.