Eileen's Blog

Fight Club

So many fights, so little time to analyze them all. First, we had the White Sox vs. The Astros....that worked out pretty well! Of course, if you ask trueblue Cubs fans, they admit being a little jealous. I don't think they would take away the Sox victory...but they certainly feel that they are way overdue and that it should have been them back in 2003. There are other Cubby supporters very hopeful that the Sox win will lead to another fight...the fight to get the Tribune company out of baseball and let owners with the goal of a winning team take over instead of just filling the seats with winsome bleacher babes. So, I have a challenge that I know will go over really well!! (Insert sarcasm here) If you want to send a message to the Trib, trade in your Cubs season tickets for Sox tix. Any takers? Them's fighting words. Which brings me to bout #2.

"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." Those were the sixteen words spoken by President Bush in his 2003 State of the Union Address. Those sixteen words were the start of the Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame/Karl Rove/Judith Miller/Matt Cooper/Scooter Libby/Patrick Fitzgerald nightmare that we are now living. All the talking heads on the cable news shows....he's a liar, Karl Rove should resign, The Vice President needs to come clean....and the American people are answering with their remotes: CLICK. Or as Homer Simpson once said...BOOORRRING! To tell you the truth, I actually find the debate quite interesting. I'll try to put it one sentence. Joe Wilson, with no WMD experience was sent by the CIA, recommended by his non-covert agent wife, Valerie Plame, to check out whether or not Saddam Hussein really did attempt to procure uranium in Niger. Joe Wilson came back, didn't reveal that, according to the Senate Intelligence and Britain's Lord Butler report, Saddam really did and wrote about his non-findings in an op-ed in The New York Times. Reporters, confused that this guy was sent by Vice President Cheney, said what's this guy all about? Then you have Karl Rove and Libby saying, we didn't send this crackpot...it was his wife. The reporters dig and question and discover...Plame is CIA. That's pretty much it. (Obviously failed at the one sentence but I tried!) Scooter Libby is now charged, not with outing Plame, but with alleged false statements and perjury after the fact. Worth the seventy million dollar investigation? I didn't think so either. But it makes for a great fight. Leftys were drooling at the opportunity to nail Rove and they'll try to make it about Scooter Libby...but he isn't nearly as sexy as

SCALITO! The third and final battle. Harriet Miers, OUT! Samuel Alito, IN and let the filibustering begin! I gave a speech a week ago to the Illinois Federation of Republican Women and said the whole Miers controversy started because conservatives like Krauthammer, Kristol, Limbaugh, Coulter all wanted a knock-down drag out ideological fight. Ann Coulter said it herself on June 5, 2000: "Politics has gotten rather boring of late...what with the president not being a felon. So I thought I'd cheer you up by telling you we can look forwrad to World War III when Bush announces his first Supreme Court nominee." With John Roberts, it didn't happen. With Miers, it wasn't going to happen and when you have something called a GANG of fourteen, what's a gang without a little bloodshed?! Come on! Wield some knives or something. Well, we'll get it now. With Alito's dissent on Planned Parenthood vs. casey, the leftists and righties are amassing their cash to start the ad campaigns. With the holidays on the way, I wonder again if the American public will respond and CLICK.

I hope not. To me, there are few things more important than a discussion about whether or not a wife should inform her husband of her intention on having an abortion, or whether or not it's leading for a teacher to recite the Pledge of Allegiance or is it an endorsement of religion to display the Ten Commandments. But just because we might discuss those issues between 9-11am, do we always have to fight it out like a World Series? I sure hope we do....but maybe that's just the Cubby in me.

Posting this again...because nothing is more important. Please show every community and town in Illinois how much Elk Grove Village does care. If you're not from EGV, show that you care about our soldiers and their families. It would mean a lot to me and the families of the 4 soldiers in Elk Grove Village who gave their lives for the safety and protection of our country, if you could make this event:

On Sunday, October 30, there will be a family Halloween costume party at the Elk Grove Park District Pavilion (1000 Wellington Ave., Elk Grove Village - corner of Wellington and Biesterfield) from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. As part of the Halloween Party, there will be pumpkin carving, story telling, music, and various other activities for the kids. Food and refreshments, which have been donated by Tasty Catering and Vienna Beef, will be available for purchase. All proceeds raised in the sale of food will be contributed to the Soldier Memorial Fund. In addition to prizes given out for the best costumes, several large raffle prizes and various silent auction items will also be available. This is a great way to get a head start on your holiday shopping...and support a great cause. I've secured gift certificates from Beni Hana, Harry Caray's, Lobstergram...a $100 gift certificate to a spa in Naperville (that one is a gift from me!) , a Sunday brunch for four at the Four Seasons, 4 signed SEAN HANNITY BOOKS!, pizza for a year from Home Run Inn, a catered dinner for 20 people courtesy of Pete's a Pie, two night stay at the Hotel Allegro, tickets to the opening night of CHICAGO, a beautiful framed portrait of Chicago and many more items. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS WORTHY CAUSE! The statue will be unveiled November 11th, Veteran's Day, in the town square.


Tickets for the Halloween Party are $1 per person if bought in advance at the Park District Pavilion. Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the event for $2.


For additional information regarding these events, please contact the Park District at (847) 437-9494.

It would mean a lot to me and the families of the 4 soldiers in Elk Grove Village who gave their lives for the safety and protection of our country, if you could make this event:

On Sunday, October 30, there will be a family Halloween costume party at the Elk Grove Park District Pavilion (1000 Wellington Ave., Elk Grove Village - corner of Wellington and Biesterfield) from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. As part of the Halloween Party, there will be pumpkin carving, story telling, music, and various other activities for the kids. Food and refreshments, which have been donated by Tasty Catering and Vienna Beef, will be available for purchase. All proceeds raised in the sale of food will be contributed to the Soldier Memorial Fund. In addition to prizes given out for the best costumes, several large raffle prizes and various silent auction items will also be available. This is a great way to get a head start on your holiday shopping...and support a great cause. I've secured gift certificates from Beni Hana, Harry Caray's, Lobstergram...a $100 gift certificate to a spa in Naperville (that one is a gift from me!) , a Sunday brunch for four at the Four Seasons, 4 signed SEAN HANNITY BOOKS!, pizza for a year from Home Run Inn, a catered dinner for 20 people courtesy of Pete's a Pie, two night stay at the Hotel Allegro, tickets to the opening night of CHICAGO, a beautiful framed portrait of Chicago and many more items. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS WORTHY CAUSE! The statue will be unveiled November 11th, Veteran's Day, in the town square.


Tickets for the Halloween Party are $1 per person if bought in advance at the Park District Pavilion. Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the event for $2.


For additional information regarding these events, please contact the Park District at (847) 437-9494.

Thank you and God Bless! Eileen Byrne

So, I told you on my last entry on Friday, October 14th, that Professor "Blame- America-First-and-Always", Professor Ward Churchill, was going to be speaking at DePaul University. I immediately contacted DePaul University's public affairs department to gain entry to tomorrow's address. They refused. I contacted the Alumni Relations Department...they had no comment. I also left a message to conduct a phone interview about this subject...to be fair to DePaul, and hear their side as to why this individual was invited. They didn't bother to return my call. So, we spoke to DePaul University student, Nick Hahn, who is also a Young Republican, who was disgusted that Churchill will speak, unopposed, at the university. Ward Churchill has compared 9-11 victims to little Eichmanns, a reference to Adolf Eichmann, and I suppose that would include Todd Beamer, who died saving Americans lives on Flight 93, the plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, enroute to Washington DC. DePaul graduate Todd Beamer will never have the opportunity to address Ward Churchill or anyone else because of what the terrorists have done to him and our country. Ward Churchill glorifies these inhuman killers and says more 9-11s may be necessary, advocating violence against our country and its citizens.

I laughed when I received the following email from DePaul...take a read:


Dear Eileen:

You interviewed a student who said DePaul students in
the College Republicans organization have been barred from attending
Ward Churchill's address on campus. (EILEEN: THAT IS NOT TRUE AND I DID ASK NICK IF HE COULD ATTEND JUST AS A STUDENT, HE SAID YES) While the event is closed to the
public and media, it is open to university faculty, staff and students
with DePaul identification, including DePaul College Republicans.

In fact, DePaul's vice president for student affairs has met previously
with the student you interviewed, listened to his viewpoint and
encouraged him and three others at the meeting to attend the event to
discuss their views with Churchill directly. (EILEEN: NICK SAID THIS IN INTERVIEW) Facilitated discussions
will follow the lecture, offering participants an opportunity to pose
questions and challenge the perspectives shared, within the framework of
a respectful dialogue.

As a university community, DePaul has created an environment in which a
wide range of ideas are freely discussed and debated. This ensures
that a variety of perspectives can be fully explored, enabling students
and others to more fully understand a point of view, regardless of
whether they embrace it. (HOW COME YOU WON"T SAY HOW MUCH CHURCHILL IS GETTING PAID TO PREACH VIOLENCE?)

DePaul departments, colleges, student organizations, and other groups
within the university all invite guest speakers to share their views in
appropriate venues on campus. When invited, campus guests, like all
individuals, have a constitutional right to speak. It is important to
note that views espoused by individuals do not necessarily reflect the
views of the university community, and invitations to speak on campus do
not imply an endorsement of any particular point of view. (BLAH-BLIPPITY-BLAH, LET"S COVER OUR A** HERE)

We hope that you will include the above facts and information in future
coverage of this issue.

That was the part that cracked me up... I wrote back and said....that would have been helpful beforehand, but no one bothered to return my call!

I leave it up to you....Should Ward Churchill speak tomorrow? Emails always welcome, eileen.f.byrne@abc.com

*****Ward Churchill to Speak at DePaul University******

Attention all Little Eichmanns! I am working on getting in to an event where Ward Churchill is speaking. I called Deborah Rowe about this...told her about the fact that the USA Bashing Professor is going to be a speaker at DePaul on October 20th. Called the media relations office...they seem quite nervous that the media is calling them about this! Anyway, Deborah is helping me try to get credentials and make sure you tune in on Monday for the details! Have a good weekend. See you then! Tune in...9am sharp!

Here's an idea...Got this email from a listener on the SMOKING BAN: One law to cover all. If the name of your establishment begins with a letter of the first half of the alphabet(A-M) you are smoke free the first half of the month(1-15), otherwise you are smoke free the rest of the month. No loss in business as people will bounce back and forth for whatever reason.

Scroll down to find out how you can join me, Don & Roma to support the USO and our troops.

Two fantastic news about the ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan: A new Baghdad radio station for women. An actual radio station for women, hosted by women, in Baghdad...One woman calls in to say she's been beaten by her husband...so angry and frustrated and afraid, to the point where she wanted to kill him. Another woman calls in to say she now asserts herself. THe radio station is al-Mahaba, it is the first independent women's radio station in Iraq...with a format of news, music and talk. Thank you to our troops to make that freedom possible for women.

In Afghanistan, a woman who defies warlords wins in the elections held on September 18th. It was determined that she was the winner yesterday. Her name is Malalai Joya, she is 27 year old and is a defiant critic of Afghanistan's powerful warlords--well, she won one of the first seats in landmark parliamentary elections, a key step in the nation's transition to democracy. Thank you again to our troops to make this history possible.

Please support our troops and their families. Boost their morale, let them know they are needed and loved...give them the peace of mind that we take for granted every day. Scroll down to find out how. Thanks and God Bless! Go (white) Sox!

Back from London. One of the most memorable experiences of my life and I was so glad that my sister and I could share it together. I will never forget drawing my breath at the sight of Big Ben as I got off the tube at Westminster and hearing the booming, yet regal gong of the bell as the clock struck seven. Heading off to tour as it became dusk and then popping into a pub to relax with the locals and a pint at the Duke of York. It was a perfect blend of education and relaxation. To me, that's what a vacation should be all about. Something more lasting than a good tan.

I also felt completely safe...even as I hopped on the double-decker and made my way around London via the orange, blue and green underground train lines. The highlights....if you're ever in London...I got a real kick out of going over to Abbey Road studios, where the Beatles recorded their last album. They don't give tours...but my sister and I giggled as she took off her shoes, like Paul, to stroll across the pedestrian walkway and we took tons of photos and bought Beatles souvenirs. Visiting Kensington Palace to view the stunning gowns of Princess Diana...and Queen Elizabeth was another memorable visit. I wish my mother could have been there too. She would have enjoyed that immensely.

It was great to come home though. It's a good feeling, coming home to your country. One of the things I look forward to here..and I'd like to ask you to support, it's an event that supports the men and women serving our country. In uniform, over 1.4 active duty men and women...an additional 1.2 million serving in the National Guard and Reserves. And the USO serves them all...with ever 87 cents out of every dollar going directly to programs and services to support US service members and their families. If you can attend, you will not soon forget this night....the USO Star Spangled Salute Ball...with me, Don & Roma, all in support of the Armed Forces. It's black tie..and promises to be a beautiful night, October 22nd. For more info, call 312-923-7070. Hope to see you there...and it's nice to be home with you! Eileen