"Wonderful Country" Rally -- Back by Popular Demand

On Saturday evening (January 30, 2010) from 5-7 PM, we are hosting a non-partisan, get-out-the-vote Appreciation Rally at West Aurora High School on Galena Blvd in Aurora, Illinois.

Fay's Pork Chops and BBQ Chicken will be served and admission is $10 per meal, just to cover our costs . . . You can't beat Fay's in the middle of winter with no "kitchen clean-up" for $10!

We are calling the event our "This Is A Wonderful Country" Rally, so everyone is invited. We'd love to have you come. The only thing we ask is that you let us know if you're coming, so we can order enough food.

Please R.S.V.P. at 630-264-2419 or at campaign@lauzen.com. Hope to see you there!

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As we head into the last days of our campaign for re-election to the Illinois State Senate, I want to thank the hundreds of volunteers who have enthusiastically worked on this campaign. Thank you to the 2300-plus supporters who are displaying a Lauzen yardsign. And special thanks to the dedicated volunteers who put up all those yardsigns in cold winter weather, wrote compelling Letters to the Editors, walked their neighborhoods with Lauzen literature (again in frigid temps), or simply asked a friend to vote for Chris Lauzen.

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Please Vote for Randy Hultgren (14th U.S. Congress)

Merit vs. Privilege

The essential difference between candidates in the 14th Congressional District Republican Primary is Randy Hultgren's "merit" versus Ethan Hastert's "privilege".

Voters have a clear choice between "experience" or "entitlement". We can nominate either someone who has proven that he walks the conservative talk or someone who has been given the money and power of being fortunately born.

Randy Hultgren has demonstrated his devotion to the common good and the traditional values that we share. He has demonstrated his effectiveness as a legislator, including significant healthcare reform, even as a member of the minority party. He has a servant leader's heart.

On the other hand, do you know any 31-year-old person with Ethan Hastert's life experiences and achievements who would be credibly running for Congress? If not, then it is apparent that he is running upon Denny Hastert's power and money base.

It is neither good for the country nor good for our Congressional District to reward a family that went to Washington 20 years ago financially worth $350,000, but came home in the end worth $14-20 million, with $2M coming from a land speculation profit on an earmark pork-barrel project that Hastert championed. It is not prudent to reward a family that benefitted by quitting early in order to lobby for foreign governments and private interests, handing the citizens of the 14th Congressional District a $1.4M invoice for a Special Election. We cannot reward a family that continues to collect, according to "Politico News", $40,000 per month, that's nearly $500,000 a year (!), for staff-rent-SUV perks of being former Speaker of the U.S. Congress . . . while he lobbies.

This all may be legal -- but it's certainly not right. Voters have no other way to express their disapproval, than by voting against a continuation. It is up to us to discipline our elected officials.

Please vote for the honest, competent alternative -- Randy Hultgren for Congress -- on February 2, 2010.