SB600

We strongly urge all Republican State Legislators to support SB600 - legislation that would return direct democracy to the Illinois Republican Party and provide greater accountability and openness.

SB600 would return our State Party to a direct system of election for its 19 member State Central Committee. We would just return to basically the same system we used until the 1980's - when Illinois was still a RED state. But then power was taken away from rank-and-file Republicans and consolidated with the Governor. The Democrats however stayed with direct democracy. SB600 would therefore give you as a Republican the same level of participatory democracy Illinois Democrats have always enjoyed.

Voters in Iraq found the spine to not only demand democracy and real elections, but they were even willing to mark themselves as easy targets for terrorist retaliation by dipping their fingers in purple paint as proof of participation. They weren’t only willing – they were proud to do it.

So why can’t we Illinois Republicans stand-up and simply fix our State GOP? Why do a few want to make it so difficult? And why do good people continue to allow the divisive, selfish action from a handful of their "leader". Who's Party is this anyway?

- If you have a REPUBLICAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE, contact him or her about becoming a SB600 co-sponsor. If not already onboard, ask her or him to sign on.

It’s going to be up to County Chairmen, elected officials, and rank-and-file Republicans to fix the State GOP. Entrenched organizations just don’t fix themselves. It’s just not what they do. It either takes new management, or pressure from outside and below.

Tom Cross wants to blame the Democrats for stalling this bill that would restore direct elections for the State Central Committee. However, the truth is the delay rests on his shoulders. After SB600’s unanimous passage by the State Senate, Cross deliberately assigned a sponsor from his House caucus who actually opposes the bill, Representative Skip Saviano. Our intelligence is simply being insulted when Mr. Cross tries to blame the Democrats. Cross and Saviano are simply going against the vast majority of Republicans who want this obvious reform. The two are just doing what the entrenched interests want – that’s who they listen to, not the Republican rank-and-file. They are also going against President Bush and his pro-democracy reform agenda.

Instead of proud purple fingers – all we have to show the world for our spineless inaction is a shameful “blue” peninsula in the center of a sea of “red” states.

It’s unlikely that any of us not in the military will ever have to demonstrate the kind of courage Iraqi citizens demonstrated in January, and are still called upon to exhibit over there every day. We are lucky to live in a Country where political demands are miniscule compared to what people face in too many nations.

Seeing Illinois "red". That will be OUR badge of honor.