Marathon Pundit: Report from the Joel Pollak fundraiser

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Report from the Joel Pollak fundraiser

Four hundred people were in attendance at a Joel Pollak fundraiser at the Four Seasons Hotel yesterday in Chicago where Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), the author of the Roadmap for America's future, not only "brought greetings from Packerland" but endorsed the Skokie resident's challenge to Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston).

"We need doers," Ryan exclaimed, "we need more people like Joel Pollak in Congress."

Pollak brings Ryan to Chicago for his big event, whereas Schakowsky brought that noted anti-Semite, Helen Thomas to hers. "She is so awesome." Schakowsky said at that event. After Thomas unleashed her infamous anti-Israel rant, Pollak called on his opponent to denounce her, something Schakowsky has yet to do.

Ryan has a patriotic view of America. "In this nation, we were founded on the idea that our rights come from nature and from God," he reminded us, "not from government."

Like all conservatives, Ryan believes in government by the consent of the governed. "The government we've got right now," Ryan pointed out, "it's not doing it with the consent of the governed. This is a government gone off its hinges."

I'm looking back at the last 18 months, and I see a government run by liberals like Schakowsky who don't care what the governed think, which is why they rammed ObamaCare through Congress.

Ryan says voters are offered two choices this fall. Using the principles that founded this nation, or transforming ourselves into a European-style cradle-to-grave social welfare state. As for the latter, Ryan warns it will lull "able-bodied people into lives of complacency that drains them of the incentive and will to make the most of their lives."

And with that style of government, Ryan warned, "Eventually you run out of other people's money to spend."

What about high unemployment? Ryan declared, "You can't love jobs while hating the people who create them."

And Ryan says he is looking for people who share traditional American values like Pollak.

Because the Gerrymanderers in Springfield created the 9th District for Schakowky, it's been assumed that she is unbeatable. "Ladies and gentlemen," Pollak greeted us, "there is no such thing as a safe seat."

Why is that? "Not when thousands of [Schakowsky's] constituents have lost their jobs," Pollak explained, "and you tell them that the stimulus worked. Not when the national debt is spiraling out of control, you say the answer is more federal spending."

Here's a bizarre twist: Ryan and Schakowsky serve on the president's debt commission. Yet Schakowsky wants to spend more money.

As for Israel, Pollak said that another reason the 9th isn't a safe seat is because that nation "is in danger and [Schakowsky] align[s] with those who rush to criticize it--and to appease Iran."

Like myself, Pollak attended Schakowsky's August 31, 2009 town hall at Niles West High School. I rushed home and fired off some blog posts, Pollak decided to challenge her in 2010.

He did so because he believes "that a member of Congress should represent the people to Washington, not Washington to the people."

The time for Pollak is now: "We have a unique window of opportunity," he declared. "We can make the reforms we need while our government can still borrow at low interest rates. That won't last forever." Pollak continued, "If we wait another two years, if we continue to tolerate high unemployment, high deficits, and high taxes, we may not be able to undo the damage. Our security will decay as our economy declines. Our political freedoms as well as our economic freedoms are at risk."

The choice is clear.

Back to that 2009 Schakowsky town hall. When asked if she polls her constituents on every issue she votes on, she replied, "No," because every two years she faces the voters.

The ultimate poll on Schakowsky is in two months.

Also at the luncheon was the Reverend Isaac Hayes, who gave the invocation. The Chicago Republican is challenging Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. in Illinois' 2nd District.

UPDATE 10:45pm CDT:

Here is Warner Todd Huston's analysis at Publius Forum:

Report: Pollak for Congress Luncheon raises $150,000 for Campaign (Ill, 9th District)

From Tom Mannis at Chicago News Bench:

(Videos) Joel Pollak's Sept. 1 Speech and Paul Ryan's Endorsement
(Video Mashup) Joel Pollak Taunts Schakowsky's Campaign Manager at Big Fundraiser
Best Stupid Protest Sign at Pollak-Ryan Luncheon Today

Related posts:

Pollak raises $150K at luncheon, calls opponent's campaign manager out during speech
Chicago SEIU protest report
SEIU goons fail to disrupt Joel Pollak fundraiser
Paul Ryan on representing a Democratic leaning district
New book: Young Guns

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