In Aurora, Republicans are urging Hispanic people to join and support the Illinois Republican Party. The Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Joe Birkett spoke at the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Illinois. Birkett said, " What we have to stop doing as officeholders, whether Republican or Democrat, is taking people of color for granted. " Birkett also said, "Hispanics are the largest energizing force not just here but across the nation." According to Birkett Minorities, especially Hispanics are being taken for granted by the government. He also believes that this is the Hispanic populations chance to make a change, and pay attention to which candidates will cut taxes on small businesses, and make it easier for minorities to afford and buy homes. Joe Birkett and the Republican Party of Illinois was also making sure that minorities understand that they are the working force that keeps our industry’s economy running so well.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/city/2_1_AU23_HISPGOP_S1.htm

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-gov21.html

Rod Blagojevich is already releasing campaign commercials that are slamming Judy Baar Topinka and Joe Birkett. Blagojevich keeps talking about how Topinka and Birkett oppose a minimum wage raise, and an assault rifle ban. Topinka and Birkett believe that Blagojevich’s campaign is already in a lot of trouble. Because commercials that slam their opponents usually do not come out this early in the election race. Even though Blagojevich has struck first publically, it seems that Topinka and Birkett will still have a lead in the polls. These commercials started airing last week Thursday. Each commercial ad that Blagojevich has released ends with, "What’s she thinking." Topinka and Birkett are not worried at all about the commercial ads that Blagojevich has released, because it just shows how much trouble his campaign is in already.

http://www.tomroeser.com/blogview.asp?blogID=21941

Thomas Roeser is the president of his own corporate relations firm, and the Co Ed contributor to the Chicago Tribune. Tom Roeser wrote this blog about how great Joe Birkett is, and why he supports Birkett all the way. Roeser even talks about how Birkett calls his home to talk to him on a regular basis. "Whenever he calls my house for me and gets my wife on the phone, Joe Birkett says "The West Side’s the best side." That’s because he knows she was reared in Austin, his neighborhood. That’s not why I’m picking him-but it doesn’t hurt, his being from the West Side where she’s from(Roeser)." Birkett is from a family of ten children, which means he has good family values. Roeser also goes on about how Birkett is a huge asset to Judy Baar Topinka, and how Birkett was one of the greatest decisions Topinka made in her campaign. Birkett also has great communication skills, which helps him connect with his supporters. This is why Joe Birkett won the primary elections on March 21st by such a healthy margin.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-ltgov22.html

The votes are in for the March 21st Lieutenant Governor primary election, and Joe Birkett won by a large gap. Joe Birkett won the election with 51 percent of the votes. In a distant second, Steve Rauschenberger had 30 percent over the votes, Sandy Wegman got thirteen percent of the votes, and finally Lawrence Bruckner obtained six percent of the votes in the Lieutenant Governor primary. Birkett’s running mate Judy Baar Topinka also won the Republican primary for Illinois Governor. Now that Birkett and Topinka have both won their primary elections, these running mates will face Democrats Pat Quinn for Lieutenant Governor, and Rod Blagojevich for Governor of Illinois. Birkett is very excited now for the upcoming Lieutenant Governor election. If Birkett gets elected Lieutenant Governor, Birkett would focus more on homeland security and rooting out public corruption.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sunpub/naper/news/n14drugs.htm

State's attorney grants go to fight drugs

Lieutenant Governor hopeful Joe Birkett has recently given thirty new grants to help pay for new drug prevention programs in the Dupage County area. State’s attorney Joe Birkett has collected 9,973 dollars this yearfor these drug prevention programs. This money was obtained from Dupage County drug dealers who lost their cash and property through cases over the past year. Dupage County has offered over 130,000 dollars worth of grants towards financially helping programs, that offer scholarships to children with a low income, and drug-addicted students who need rehabilitation. These drug prevention programs have recently helped students in the schools of St. Raphael School in Naperville, Kennedy Junior High School and St. Joan of Arc Schoo both which are in Lisle.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=154262

"Pay to Lay"

Joe Birkett is criticizing the job that Rod Blagojevich is doing in Illinois. Birkett especially criticized Blagojevich on the way he is fixing up Illinois toll ways. Birkett believes that the Governor is giving the job to bricklayers, because they contributed to his campaign. The more popular way of fixing toll ways and wall barriers is by using cement. Blagojevich is giving contracts and jobs away to contributors of his campaign, and also paying more to fix the sound walls by using bricks, instead of cement. "It’s favors for insiders and this time it’s the bricklayers. And I have nothing against bricklayers … but we shouldn’t be handing out contracts simply to appease contributors," said Birkett. A spokeswoman for Blagojevich called Birkett’s words a "cheap shot" and also said, "If Birkett has a problem he should take it up with them". Birkett also added that it is actually true that the bricklayer’s union contributed 20,000 dollars to Blagojevich’s campaign

http://www.tomroeser.com/blogs/blogview.asp?blogID=21615

Joe Birkett and Mike Noonan appeared on Sunday’s Political Shootout, on AM890. The host of the radio show said, " It was one of the best debates held in the current season and shows graphically how Joe Birkett is, as a running mate, developing into a first-tier help for Judy Baar Topinka. Probably Birkett is helping her more than any other lieutenant governor candidate-because he is supplying the authentic conservative edge to a governor candidate who is far beyond the social policy mainstream." It seems that Birkett is definitely the favorite republican running for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. He could even be the favorite to win the election for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, in the upcoming elections. The radio host on the political radio program, and most political analysts in Illinois also think that Birkett joining with Judy Barr Topinka as running mates is helping her more, than it is helping him. Which usually is not the case in most situations, just because she is running for more of a "larger title", position. A listener also called into the radio station and asked Birkett, about the scandal he was involved in with Rolando Cruz last year. Birkett handled the question smoothly, in the most professional way it could have been handled.