Check out this GOP television spot for an upcoming special congressional election in Mississippi.
When did Obama become the GOP's new boogie man? This didn't work in Louisiana during the weekend. The GOP lost a blood-red district playing a similar TV spot.
I am posting my official press release that I sent out earlier this week. If you have any suggestions or comments for me, please email me at Frank.Calabrese1@gmail.com. I want to thank the many members of the community who have been very supportive of me this week.
Sincerely,
Frank Calabrese
FRANK CALABRESE For State Representative
April 8, 2008
University of Illinois Faculty-Student Senator Frank Calabrese today announced his candidacy for the Illinois House of Representatives in the 103rd District. "The University of Illinois is not receiving the respect it deserves by the powers at be in Springfield. With the lack of funding that is leading to record tuition costs, the raiding of the pension system of the faculty and staff of our university, and a distant Board of Trustees who do not share the concerns of the Champaign-Urbana community, the 103rd District is sorely in need of a Representative who will be a strong advocate for the U of I," said Calabrese. "Governor Blagojevich has been an overwhelmingly destructive force for higher education; I pledge to take a stand for the University. I feel someone needs to be a strong advocate for the Champaign-Urbana community and the University, and that is why I am a candidate for state representative."
"I may be a student, but I am willing to sit down and listen to the concerns of the people of Champaign-Urbana." Calabrese added.
Calabrese pledged that if elected, he would:
· Advocate for higher education concerns, especially state funding for the University of Illinois
· Never raid the state pension systems
· Support the return of Chief Illiniwek
· Sponsor a bill to take away the Governor's ability to control appointments to the University Of Illinois Board Of Trustees, and instead let the Trustees be elected by districts, ensuring downstate Illinois has a voice with the Board of Trustees
· Fund the Illinois veteran's grants, to help alleviate budget crunches at Parkland College and the University of Illinois
· Support sustainable construction and building renovation at the University of Illinois
During his time at the University of Illinois, Calabrese has been a strong advocate for student and community interests. He has:
· Stood up for the Homecoming Parade when it was in jeopardy. (Senate tables homecoming resolution, The News-Gazette, Dec. 4, 2007).
· Authored a campus study abroad referendum, which students overwhelming passed, to create a scholarship program for students wishing to study abroad (Chief referendum draws large number of support, The Daily Illini, Feb. 29, 2008)
· Defended the Chief Illiniwek Referendum, in which almost 8,000 voted in favor of Chief Illiniwek, from the University Administration. (Some students upset words added to Chief proposal, The News-Gazette, Feb. 28, 2008)
Calabrese is a third generation Illini and a junior at the University of Illinois studying history. This is his third year as an elected member of the University's Faculty-Student Senate, receiving more than 1,500 votes this past election. Calabrese has been active in the local community; he was the Champaign County Co-Chair of the Topinka for Governor Campaign, and he also recently attended the Prairie Center's 40th anniversary dinner. He was the chair of public universities in the Illinois Board of Higher Education Student Advisory Committee. Calabrese is a Dean's List student as well as a Campus Merit Scholar. Calabrese is also a dedicated Illini fan and member of the Orange Krush.
State senator considers cap on int'l students at U of I
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/state&id=6064616&pt=print
URBANA, Ill. -- A state senator from Chicago says the University of Illinois might consider placing caps on numbers of international students it accepts.
Ed Maloney broached the possibility after one institute found Illinois' 41,000-student Urbana-Champaign campus has more than 5,000 foreign students.
That's more than any other public U.S. university.
The Democrat -- who chairs the Senate's Higher Education Committee -- cites projections that Illinois high schools will graduate more students in coming years.
He says that means many qualified Illinoisans may not have a shot at getting into U of I.
But an associate provost at the Urbana-Champaign campus cites the welcomed diversity foreign students bring to U of I and says it'd be wrong to impose caps.
The News-Gazette: UI's Global Campus starting small
URBANA – Global Campus isn't exactly spanning the globe – yet.
Right now, 10 students are taking classes through the University of Illinois' new virtual campus – three in a bachelor's-completion program in nursing and seven in electronic-learning programs – and the majority are from Illinois.
Given the $3 million spent on Global Campus this year, that's not an ideal student-cost ratio, as one trustee dryly noted last week.
...
While the nursing program has had difficulties, the E-learning programs have been unexpectedly popular, attracting teachers, college administrators and corporate employees hoping to manage or teach online learning, he said. Twenty new students signed up for the eight-week term that starts in May and another 25 are expected in September, well ahead of original goals, he said.
The nursing program is a bit of a puzzle. Market research showed "very high demand" for the program nationally, and initial recruiting drew 3,000 inquiries, he said. But only three people ended up enrolling.
Many of those interested were hoping to finish their bachelor's degrees quickly and inexpensively, Gardner said, and they were intimidated by the prerequisites required.
"We have high standards," Gardner said, noting the College of Nursing is ranked in the top five nationwide. "It is a demanding program."
To qualify, students must be registered nurses who have completed a number of tough prerequisite courses. Most applicants needed to take four to six courses before they could enroll, Gardner said.
To create a "pipeline," the UI made arrangements for students to take the prerequisites online through Parkland College, and 15 to 20 should be ready to enroll in Global Campus by September, he said.
...
Global Campus will always attract a strong contingent of Illinois residents, who are famliar with the UI name, he said. But it's stirring more interest from across the country and even overseas, said Becky Vinzant, director of student services.
History may be on his side. Now 40,000 students strong, the Urbana campus opened 140 years ago with 44 students.
(UPDATE: edited by IP to shorten the excerpt.)
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
STUDENT ELECTION RESULTS
"Do you support the reinstatement of Chief Illiniwek as the symbol of the University of Illinois?"
Yes: 7,718 79%
No: 2,052 21%
Student Trustee:
Paul Schmitt 4,242
Robert Main 3,554
Some students upset words were added to Chief proposal
By Julie Wurth
Thursday February 28, 2008
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/print/2008/02/28/resolution_raises_new_ruckus
URBANA – A year after his demise, Chief Illiniwek is stirring controversy – this time in a University of Illinois student election.
Some UI students cried foul this week over last-minute changes in the wording of a ballot question asking if voters want the Chief reinstated as the UI symbol.
The measure is nonbinding, and administrators added language to that effect, much to the consternation of its author and some student election commissioners.
"It's telling students, 'You might as well not vote on this,'" said UI law student Dan Bolin, a member of the Student Election Commission.
The resolution's author, UI junior Paul Schmitt, president of Students for Chief Illiniwek and a candidate for student trustee, said the initial language proposed by administrators was worse.
His original question asked, "Do you support the reinstatement of Chief Illiniwek as the symbol of the University of Illinois?"
On Monday – hours before online voting started at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday – Renee Romano, vice chancellor for student affairs, worked with the chairman of the Student Election Commission to add the following language: "The result of this referenda question is not binding on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, the University of Illinois Administration, or any other body associated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This referenda question is an opinion poll, and the results of this question will in no way cause the University of Illinois to reinstate Chief Illiniwek as the symbol of the University of Illinois."
That essentially said "this is meaningless, why even bother?" said UI junior Frank Calabrese, a student senator.
After he and Schmitt objected, the wording was changed to this: "The result of this referendum question is not binding on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, the body legislatively charged with oversight of the symbol."
"It's 100 percent better," Calabrese said, conceding that voters do need to know the question is nonbinding.
"People who vote for this should understand that even if it passes, the Chief won't be dancing at the next basketball game," he said.
Romano said that was her sole intent, not to derail the resolution or influence voting.
All three ballot questions this year – the other two involved fees supporting cultural houses and study-abroad programs – had information added to explain what they mean, she said.
"My feeling was that the voting students need to be fully informed about what they were voting on," she said. "It wasn't my intention to change the meaning of the referendum."
The problem, Calabrese said, is that she added language to the Chief resolution without consulting the author, and "she changed the whole integrity of the question."
The same "not binding" provision could apply to any student ballot question, Bolin added, because trustees ultimately have final approval over all of them.
Romano said she talked to students who didn't understand that the Chief resolution would be advisory. Some even thought the administration had put the question on the ballot.
"It was not my intention to change the vote. I really did feel that around this particular issue it was important for the students to know what the referendum means," she said. "I didn't realize it was going to cause this much concern."
Schmitt and the others noted the county clerk didn't try to add wording to a resolution opposing U.S. military action in Iraq saying it would not be binding on the U.S. military.
"When Jesse White certifies a question as secretary of state, he doesn't add an amendment saying, 'By the way, Rod Blagojevich doesn't care what you think anyway,'" added state Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet. "To me the whole thing seems silly."
Bolin was incensed because he didn't learn of the change until Monday evening. The full commission eventually approved it that night, "probably because it was too late to do anything" else, he said.
Bolin, who was active in student government and pro-Chief groups as an undergraduate but not in law school, said he is just "trying to be fair. I would have the same position on this if it was attached to the cultural fee."
Student voting ended at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. The results were to be announced today.
Find this article at:
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/2008/02/28/resolution_raises_new_ruckus
Rasmussen Poll of Likely Republican Primary Voters in Flordia
Conducted on December 13th
Huckabee 27%
Romney 23%
Giuliani 19%
Fred Thompson 9%
McCain 6%
The latest Rasmussen polling in the state of Florida suggests that Giuliani might need to work on a Plan B. Mike Huckabee now leads in the Sunshine State Primary with 27% of the vote. He is trailed closely by Romney at 23% and Giuliani at 19%. Fred Thompson is at 9% in the poll, John McCain at 6%, and Ron Paul at 4%. Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter each attract 1% and 8% are undecided.
Those figures reflect a dramatic change in the race since November when Rasmussen Reports polling found Giuliani on top with 27% followed by Romney at 19% and Thompson at 16%. Since then, Huckabee has gained 18 percentage points and Romney picked up four points. Giuliani is down eight, Thompson is down seven, and McCain is down four.
I think this poll really changes the dynamics of the whole race. What if Rudy does not win until February 5th? And if Romney wins in Florida, is Rudy toast?
This is today's News-Gazette editorial.
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/opinions/editorials/2007/12/07/campus_free_speech_at_issue
THE NEWS-GAZETTE
Campus free speech at issue
Friday December 7, 2007
Cheers for the University of Illinois undergraduate students who took a stand for free speech at an Urbana campus Senate meeting earlier this week.
It's clear that some older people on campus could learn a thing or two from the youngsters. The Senate's equal opportunity committee attempted to pass a resolution that would have dissociated the university administration from future homecoming displays.
More significantly, it also would have put the Senate on record as saying that any effort to display Chief Illiniwek imagery at a campus event jeopardizes the authority of the administration to condemn free speech expressions that also "are legitimately read as negative stereotyping of members of underrepresented, historically disadvantaged or marginalized groups" on campus.
In other words, some sort of police officer should be able to single out examples of speech and expression that certain people don't agree with, and those "offenders" should be censured.
But two students correctly called the resolution what it is – an effort to squelch free speech, on a university campus of all places.
Paul Schmitt, president of the student group Students for Chief Illiniwek, said the resolution "adds nothing to the academic mission of the university." He added that a true marketplace of ideas – which a campus should strive to be – has different customers. Another student, Frank Calabrese, hit the nail squarely on the head: "The university should embrace free speech, not run away from it like a bunch of cowards."
Some say with age comes wisdom. But we'd suggest that's not the case all the time. Sometimes the younger people are wiser.
From the NEWS-GAZETTE:
Article: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2007/12/04/senate_tables_homecoming_resolution
Senate tables Homecoming resolution
URBANA – The University of Illinois Senate on Monday tabled a resolution that called for the university administration to sever its ties with homecoming
The resolution was brought before the legislative body of faculty and students a little more than a month after Chancellor Richard Herman announced he had overturned a campus policy that initially prohibited the use of Chief Illiniwek images on homecoming parade floats. Herman said floats, costumes and other decorations are representations of personal expression. Students who support the now-retired Chief Illiniwek ended up marching in the homecoming parade and wearing Chief apparel.
The nonbinding resolution, brought forward from the senate's equal opportunity committee, outlines the UI Board of Trustees' decision in March to end the use of American Indian imagery and retire Chief Illiniwek. It urges UI administration to "dissociate itself from any and all future homecoming displays" and it also states that to claim the right to free speech in order to display Chief imagery at a campus event "jeopardizes the authority of the campus administration to condemn other 'representations of personal expression' that are legitimately read as negative stereotyping of members of underrepresented, historically disadvantaged or marginalized groups within the campus community."
Faculty and students raised a number of questions about the resolution, including what would it mean to dissociate? Could homecoming be canceled? Exactly how does campus administration sponsor homecoming? Who will run homecoming? Students? The UI Alumni Association?
UI junior Frank Calabrese called the resolution "unnecessarily divisive" and asked if the university was prepared to do away with homecoming because some people disagree with what some students say or wear during the parade.
"I think this is a terrible resolution. We have more important things to talk about. ... The university should embrace free speech, not run away from it like a bunch of cowards," Calabrese said.
The senate should seek more input on the resolution, particularly from students, said UI Professor Vernon Burton.
"It bothers me greatly no student spoke in favor of it," said Burton who supported postponing a vote on the resolution during Monday's senate meeting.
In a speech to his fellow senators, Senate Chair Nicholas Burbules said, "we need to draw a sharp line between trying to block or prevent expressions of thought or feeling that might be found objectionable or offensive, before they happen, versus exercising our right to criticize them after the fact. ... We need to defend the right of protest for others because we insist on it for ourselves.”
And that's what will happen over the next three months.
The Senate Executive Committee, headed by Burbules, is expected to discuss the resolution at its meeting in January, before the next full UI Senate meeting on Feb. 25.
The University Senate will vote on a resolution today condemning the Chancellor for allowing free speech at the Homecoming Parade. The resolution, authored by Professor Beldon Fields condemns the University for allowing Chief Illiniwek to be present at the Homecoming Parade, arguing this display prevents the University from regulating offensive speech.
Here is the resolution : http://www.senate.uiuc.edu/eq0801.asp
From the Politico's "State of the States: New Hampshire"
"McCain, once down to single digits, is now statistically tied with Rudy Giuliani for second place in New Hampshire. In November, only one poll has found McCain and Giuliani more than three points apart. In the CBS/New York Times poll released this week, the two were tied with 16 percent each.
By contrast, Fred Thompson, who has spent very little time in New Hampshire, has fallen to fourth place, behind Texas Rep. Ron Paul, in most polls. Only one poll in November has put Thompson ahead of Paul.
McCain can take comfort in his recent rise, but his 16 percent is still less than half of Mitt Romney’s expressed support. Romney, who has polled under 30 percent only once since mid-October, has solidified his lead in the past month. Some outside pundits say Romney’s lead reflects his heavy advertising, but that is not the whole story. He has by far the best Republican operation in New Hampshire. His ground game is superior to all other Republcan's candidates and might even rival Hillary Clinton’s.
In one sign that Romney is connecting with New Hampshire Republicans, his signs can be seen on private property, as opposed to roadside rights of way, probably more often than those of any other Republican candidate."
Here are the IntraTrade graphs. Intrade graphs show what people are "putting their money on." A "72" closing price translates into the market giving Romney a 72% chance of winning the Republican New Hampshire Primary.
Romney's Intrade Graph
Giuliani's Intrade Graph
Giuliani is taking a hard nose dive after the most respected Republican in New Hampshire, Senator Judd Gregg, endorsed Romney.
Also, here are the results from the CBS/New York Times Poll released earlier this week, which gives Mitt Romney an 18 point advantage over Giuliani and McCain
Mitt Romney 34 +18
Rudy Giuliani 16
John McCain 16
Ron Paul 8
Mike Huckabee 6
Fred Thompson 5
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