McHenry County Blog

So, what might explain the “Hat trick!” as Rick Santorum Illinois Chairman Al Salvi put it in an email last night at 12.11?

Catholic Pro-Lifers were the backbone of Santorum’s campaign from the beginning, but Newt Gingrich, now converted to Catholicism, was draining off some with his debate attacks on the Mainstream media.

Evangelical Protestant leaders coalized around Santorum just before the Georgia primary election.  Too soon to election day to have an impact.

Perhaps it took some time for the message to get out and with the massive loss of Newt Gingrich to Mitt Romney in Florida, people starting giving more of a look at the man from whom momentum was stolen when the election news from Iowa was incorrectly reported.

Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado were more fertile ground that Florida.  More evangelicals.

And as Shawn Carney, the Co-Founder of “40 Days for Life,” a prayer ministry that targets abortion clinics with 24 hours of prayer for forty days, pointed out at the Patriots United Pro-Life United Breakfast last Saturday, the Pro-Life movement is a truly ecumenical one.

So, with the Protestant Pro-Lifers on board, what could have motivated more Catholics to support Santorum.

Consider the letter below from the Most Reverend James V. Johnston, Jr., Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau.  I’m going to share the whole message to you that was read in Missouri churches last Sunday.  Similar letters were read through the United States of America.  (See Rockford Bishop Thomas Doran’s letter here.)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are facing a grave and unprecedented attack today on the religious freedom we enjoy in the United States. The Obama Administration, through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has recently imposed a nationwide mandate that health insurance plans cover contraceptives, abortion-inducing drugs, and sterilization procedures.

For over 2,000 years the Catholic Church has taught that abortion, sterilization, and contraception are wrong.

In fact, less than 90 years ago, all Christian congregations morally objected to these practices.

However, sadly today, and despite the fact that the Church’s position has never wavered on these issues, the views of many Catholics on them is no different than those of most non-believers.

Perhaps this is why the Obama Administration has chosen this moment in history to try to force the Catholic Church, as well as other communities of faith, to act against basic moral convictions.

Given the fact that many of our own people do not subscribe to what the Church teaches, does the Administration assume that most of our faithful will not care?

I hope you prove them wrong.

First, I invite you to examine whether you have fairly considered, and are living, the Church’s consistent teaching on the moral issues of abortion, contraception, and sterilization.

The Catholic Church will never yield in her defense of both the sacredness of human life and the inseparability of the unitive and procreative aspects of conjugal love.

This is a moment where each of us will be called to take a stand either for or against the Church.

My prayer is that this will be a moment of recommitment, deeper conversion, and reconfirmation of our faith by the Holy Spirit; a period of grace which always accompanies times of difficulty in the life of the Church.

Second, I ask you to take action to prevent the government from punishing us for living what we believe.

Many brothers and sisters of varying faiths join us in this important effort, as well as other persons of good will.

Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God-given rights.

In generations past, the Church has always been able to protect her sacred rights and duties.

I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same.

Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

By this rule, the Obama Administration intends to force the Catholic Church to act against its basic moral convictions.

his rule will force Christian employers to offer abortion-inducing drugs in their health plans.

By this rule, the Obama Administration casts aside the long-standing respect our government has shown in not forcing churches to act against their religious beliefs.

We cannot—and we will not—comply with this unjust law. I call on all Catholics in our diocese to act now to seek the immediate reversal of this rule. [Emphasis in the original.]

Contact President Barack Obama and express your profound disappointment in the new contraceptive and abortion mandate.

Senator Roy Blunt is the sponsor of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, which would reverse this mandate. Contact him and thank him for his sponsorship of this bill. Contact Senator Claire McCaskill and request that she co-sponsor this bill.
Contact your U.S. Representative and urge his or her support for the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act in the U.S. House.
If you would like more information on what you can do, visit the Web sites of the diocese and the Missouri Catholic Conference. Through our diocesan newspaper, The Mirror, and electronic media, I will keep you up-to-date on this important issue. I also ask that you pray and fast for a reversal of this bad decision.

Now look at these sentences:

• “I hope you prove them wrong.” [Emphasis added.]
• “This is a moment where each of us will be called to take a stand either for or against the Church.” [Emphasis added.]
• “Second, I ask you to take action to prevent the government from punishing us for living what we believe.” [Emphasis added.]
• “Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God-given rights.” [Emphasis added.]
• “In generations past, the Church has always been able to protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same.” [Emphasis added.]
• “We cannot—and we will not—comply with this unjust law. I call on all Catholics in our diocese to act now to seek the immediate reversal of this rule. “[Emphasis in the original.]
• “Contact President Barack Obama and express your profound disappointment in the new contraceptive and abortion mandate.”

Now, that’s leadership.

Look at all the action words.

Given the Sunday before the Missouri Presidential poll, do you think that a number of Catholics might have been moved to show President Obama what they thought of his “abortion mandate,” as the Bishop put it, by voting for the strongest Pro-Life candidate.

Credit the Huffinton Post for this graphic.

Can you think of any other reason Santorum carried EVERY Missouri county?

A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

FORMER FEDERAL PRISON CHAPLAIN INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY ILLEGALLY PASSING MESSAGES FOR CONVICTED KILLER FRANK CALABRESE, SR., AND ATTEMPTING TO TRANSFER CALABRESE’S HIDDEN PROPERTY

CHICAGO — A former federal prison chaplain who ministered to convicted killer Frank Calabrese, Sr., was indicted for allegedly illegally passing messages from Calabrese and plotting with him and others to recover a hidden violin from a residence Calabrese once owned in Williams Bay, Wis., federal law enforcement officials announced today.

Patrick Fitzgerald

The defendant, Eugene Klein, was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of attempting to transfer Calabrese’s personal property to prevent its seizure by the government in a two-count indictment returned late yesterday by a federal grand jury.

Klein allegedly obstructed enforcement of Special Administrative Measures (“SAMs”), first imposed on Calabrese in November 2008, to prevent him from further participating in illegal activities while incarcerated by restricting Calabrese’s contacts with others.

Klein also allegedly attempted to transfer property, which Calabrese told Klein was a valuable Stradivarius violin, from the Wisconsin residence in an effort to prevent the government from seizing the instrument and applying the proceeds toward a $4.4 million restitution judgment that Calabrese owes to his victims, including the families of those he killed.

Klein, 62, of Springfield, Mo., a Roman Catholic priest, was employed as a chaplain at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Mo., where Calabrese is serving a life sentence.

As chaplain, Klein was permitted to meet with Calabrese on a regular basis to provide religious ministry, such as the sacrament of Holy Communion.

Because of the position of trust he occupied, Klein was able to have close and frequent communication with Calabrese, the indictment alleges.

Klein will be ordered to appear for arraignment in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

The indictment was announced by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and John F. Oleskowicz, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General.

According to the indictment, Klein knew that prison rules prohibited him from taking letters and messages into and out of the prison.

He was also informed of the SAMs and understood they prohibited the passing of any information or messages to or from Calabrese.

The SAMs, which have been renewed annually and remain in effect, restrict Calabrese’s privileges in prison, including his access to the mail, media, telephone and visitors.

Under the SAMs, Calabrese is prohibited from having contact with anyone outside the prison, except his attorney and certain immediate family members.

Except for communications with his attorney, all oral and written communications with immediate family members, including mail and visits, are subject to review and/or observation to ensure that Calabrese does not pass any messages to anyone that could be used to further criminal activity.

In March of this year, Calabrese told Klein that he had hidden a Stradivarius violin, which Calabrese claimed was worth millions of dollars, within the Wisconsin residence, the indictment alleges.

However, paperwork found in March 2010 during a search of Calabrese’s residence in west suburban Oak Brook included a certificate for a violin made in 1764 by Giuseppe Antonio Artalli, not Antonius Stradivarius, the indictment further alleges.

On March 6, Klein allegedly spoke by phone with unnamed Individual A and asked about Calabrese’s Wisconsin residence, as well as three questions that Calabrese had given to Klein to ask Individual A.

The next day, Klein met with Calabrese and allegedly took possession of a handwritten note that Calabrese secretly passed to Klein through the food slot in his prison cell. The note contained additional questions Klein was to ask Individual A for Calabrese, and also disclosed the location of a violin hidden within the Wisconsin residence.

On March 26, Klein again met with Calabrese and allegedly took possession of a document that Calabrese secretly passed through the food slot of his cell.

As part of the conspiracy, the indictment alleges that Klein and Calabrese agreed that Klein would travel from Missouri to Illinois to

• meet with Individual A. Klein was to advise Individual A of certain questions Calabrese wished to ask Individual A;
• advise Individual A of the information Calabrese had told Klein about the violin; and
• formulate a plan with Individual A to remove the violin from the Wisconsin residence.

On April 3, Klein drove to Illinois and met with Individual A at a restaurant in Barrington, where Klein allegedly divulged the contents of a handwritten note that Calabrese had secretly passed to him.

During the meeting, Individual A told Klein that the government had seized the Wisconsin residence and was attempting to sell it through a realtor.

On April 5 and 6, Klein met with Individuals A and B and, together, they allegedly devised a plan to prevent the government from locating and seizing the violin by posing as potential buyers of the home.

On April 7, Klein called the realtor handling the Wisconsin home to arrange a time for the trio to enter the home and search for the violin.

Once inside, Klein and Individuals A and B agreed that Individual B would distract the realtor while Klein and Individual A searched for the violin using the directions that Calabrese had provided to Klein, according to the indictment.

The government conducted a subsequent search of the Wisconsin residence but the violin has not been recovered.

After Calabrese was held responsible for 13 murders by a judge and jury and sentenced on Jan. 28, 2009, to life imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution totaling $4,422,572, law enforcement authorities began efforts to locate and seize Calabrese’s assets to satisfy the judgment he owed to the families of his murder victims.

In March 2010, agents searched Calabrese’s Oak Brook residence, as well as his home in Williams Bay. At the Oak Brook home, agents seized cash, jewelry and other valuables hidden in a secret compartment in the basement. The total value of the seized items was estimated to exceed $1 million.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu.

Each count of the indictment carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted, the Court must determine a reasonable sentence to impose under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

It wasn’t exactly the Northwest Herald calling, but there were no newspaper-specific questions about the Daily Herald, the NW Herald’s closest competitor.

Sponsored by the Suburban Newspapers of America Foundation and taken by University of Missouri School of Journalism students, the questioning took about a half an hour.

Considering that the Daily Herald was not mentioned, I suspect that the Northwest Herald used the foundation to disguise its identity as the beneficiary of and recipient of the results of the survey document.

The early part of the questionnaire wanted to know where I went to find national and international news, and other types of news. The Northwest Herald was on the list. The Daily Herald was not, but the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times were options.

One of the most interesting, but most poorly worded questions was whether I would be happy or sad (I think other words were used) if all local newspapers stopped publishing.

I like newspapers. I’m a tactile kind of guy. I read four a day.

My wife can’t stand the black ink that sticks to light surfaces I touch, but that’s another matter and wasn’t in the questionnaire.

The question about newspapers going out of business could certainly have been more precise.

One newspaper could go out of business without them all going out of business. That’s the way free enterprise works.

One of the questions that amused me most was whether the Northwest Herald amused (maybe the word was “entertained”) me. There was a second element to the question. Pity the two elements were not separated. I could have given a more accurate answer.

Whether or not the questions were developed by the NW Herald, someone is interested in

what folks like me are going to buy in the next year,

what stores we have bought from in the last three and twelve months,

whether we would like internet want ads (sounds a bit like Craig’s List, which surely must have cut heavily into the newspaper busienss),

whether we would like to be able to access the contest of newspaper inserts,

stuff like that.

The student who called me is not planning on working on a newspaper, by the way.

If you get selected to answer the questions, think of it as a learning experience. You will get to find out what those who manage newspapers are thinking about doing to survive.

THEY WILL
FLY HIGH
ON WINGS
OF EAGLES

hardly fits on the back of this tee shirt.

It was found at Undercliff Grill & Bar located south of Joplin, Missouri.

It’s at Elder and Old Highway 71.

It looks like a shortened version of Isaiah 40:31:

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

“They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

THEY WILL
FLY HIGH
ON WINGS
OF EAGLES

hardly fits on the back of this tee shirt.

It was found at Undercliff Grill & Bar located south of Joplin, Missouri.

It’s at Elder and Old Highway 71.

It looks like a shortened version of Isaiah 40:31:

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

“They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

If you have noticed a dearth of local, breaking news since Independence Day, it was because our family was in Missouri on vacation.

No need to go anywhere to see fireworks. Neighbors on each side were setting them off.

I asked about local restrictions and got a very libertarian reply from the chairman of the village board (my brother-in-law). The big village news was that the cost of cleaning up after the ice storms was twice what the federal government thought it should be. FEMA thought it could be done for $3-4,000, but the lowest big was almost twice the estimate.

We stayed at Joplin’s Hotel Desmond, much more than a bread and breakfast, because my gracious little sister and my brother-in-law run it.

We were treated to a Grand Lake, Oklahoma, 4th of July Saturday. There were games for the kids. Lots of water on slides and in balloons…until they broke. Above you can see the free for all to get rid of the extra balloons.

The rest of the day was spent in an undeveloped cove of this 66 mile long man-made lake.

My son was enchanted by the Undercliff Bar and Grill south of Joplin. We went twice. It had a toy scoop money grabber that guaranteed a prize, even if it was a piece of penny candy. He eventually got the bracelet he wanted.

We went to the Dickerson Zoo in Springfield, up I-44 from Joplin. The highlight (pun intended) was seeing folks feed the giraffes from a raised platform.

The same day we visited the Fantastic Caverns. The latter were fantastic because one does not have to walk.

We guys–my son and I, plus Grampy Desmond and his three grandsons–went to see Big Brutus in southeast Kansas coal strip mine country. Big Brutus is the second largest drag line in the country. It has been preserved and folks can climb to the cab. My adventurous brother-in-law climbed all the way to the top last time. My son was about 5 and quite disappointed that one had to be 14 to climb that high.

Now it’s impossible. Insurance company restriction, don’t you know.

My Illinois in-laws joined us late in the week and we went together to the Precious Moments Chapel. I have to admit not wanting to go the first time around back in the early 1990′s. I thought the Precious Moments statuettes were “terminally cute.”

The figurines still are, but the Chapel is worth the trip. And, if you are ordering any of them, do so through the Chapel and they might be able to continue giving free tours. They are no longer subsidized by the parent company, but operate as an independent foundation.

Next, the two sisters decided it was time to visit Branson, which is about as far south in Missouri as Joplin, but without a direct west-east connection.

All I remembered about Branson was the truly horrible traffic and our Friday night arrival lived up to expectations.

The rainstorm after we arrived was one to remember. Over 2 inches of rain with winds of up to 60 MPH. (A hurricane starts at 70 MPH.)

I managed to avoid going shopping Saturday afternoon by going swimming with my son and playing miniature golf.

Sunday we ate at Andy Williams’ Moon River Cafe. He was out playing golf, the bartender told us as he was serving our meal at the almost empty restaurant.

That night, I enjoyed the joint show of Paul Revere and the Raiders, plus Bill Medley, the remaining and deep-voiced Righteous Brother. The one with the best voice was his 21-year old daughter McKenna.

And, who was in the audience?

Andy Williams, Ann Margaret and her husband Roger Smith. They were sitting way up top, but I didn’t bring my camera.

My son simultaneously enjoyed a magic show put on by Kirby and Bambi VanBurch with his mother and grandfather. A Bengal tiger, a jaguar, a panther and a leopard were on the stage, too. Naturally, we have another stuffed animal–a big white tiger.

On the way back to Crystal Lake, my son somehow managed to convince us to stop at his favorite museum, the Illinois State Museum. On the first floor are dioramas depicting how Illinois looked at various stages of earth’s history. In addition, there are videos about its various climates.

One of them said something about the only thing being constant about Illinois’ climate is that it changes.

I did get a lot of reading done. I

• finished Brad Thor’s “The Last Patriot,”
• Richard Harris’ “Imperium” (a fictional biography of Cicero by his slave scribe which has all sorts of political angles),
• James Rollins’ “The Judas Strain” and, unusual for me, his new hardback,
• “The Last Oracle,” which is splendid…better than “The Judas Strain,”
• Robert Ludlum’s “The Janson Directive” (it wasn’t until page 120 that I figured out I had already read it; what a terrible memory I have for content) and
• and half of Ted Bell’s “Assassin.”

If you have noticed a dearth of local, breaking news since Independence Day, it was because our family was in Missouri on vacation.

No need to go anywhere to see fireworks. Neighbors on each side were setting them off.

I asked about local restrictions and got a very libertarian reply from the chairman of the village board (my brother-in-law). The big village news was that the cost of cleaning up after the ice storms was twice what the federal government thought it should be. FEMA thought it could be done for $3-4,000, but the lowest big was almost twice the estimate.

We stayed at Joplin’s Hotel Desmond, much more than a bread and breakfast, because my gracious little sister and my brother-in-law run it.

We were treated to a Grand Lake, Oklahoma, 4th of July Saturday. There were games for the kids. Lots of water on slides and in balloons…until they broke. Above you can see the free for all to get rid of the extra balloons.

The rest of the day was spent in an undeveloped cove of this 66 mile long man-made lake.

My son was enchanted by the Undercliff Bar and Grill south of Joplin. We went twice. It had a toy scoop money grabber that guaranteed a prize, even if it was a piece of penny candy. He eventually got the bracelet he wanted.

We went to the Dickerson Zoo in Springfield, up I-44 from Joplin. The highlight (pun intended) was seeing folks feed the giraffes from a raised platform.

The same day we visited the Fantastic Caverns. The latter were fantastic because one does not have to walk.

We guys–my son and I, plus Grampy Desmond and his three grandsons–went to see Big Brutus in southeast Kansas coal strip mine country. Big Brutus is the second largest drag line in the country. It has been preserved and folks can climb to the cab. My adventurous brother-in-law climbed all the way to the top last time. My son was about 5 and quite disappointed that one had to be 14 to climb that high.

Now it’s impossible. Insurance company restriction, don’t you know.

My Illinois in-laws joined us late in the week and we went together to the Precious Moments Chapel. I have to admit not wanting to go the first time around back in the early 1990′s. I thought the Precious Moments statuettes were “terminally cute.”

The figurines still are, but the Chapel is worth the trip. And, if you are ordering any of them, do so through the Chapel and they might be able to continue giving free tours. They are no longer subsidized by the parent company, but operate as an independent foundation.

Next, the two sisters decided it was time to visit Branson, which is about as far south in Missouri as Joplin, but without a direct west-east connection.

All I remembered about Branson was the truly horrible traffic and our Friday night arrival lived up to expectations.

The rainstorm after we arrived was one to remember. Over 2 inches of rain with winds of up to 60 MPH. (A hurricane starts at 70 MPH.)

I managed to avoid going shopping Saturday afternoon by going swimming with my son and playing miniature golf.

Sunday we ate at Andy Williams’ Moon River Cafe. He was out playing golf, the bartender told us as he was serving our meal at the almost empty restaurant.

That night, I enjoyed the joint show of Paul Revere and the Raiders, plus Bill Medley, the remaining and deep-voiced Righteous Brother. The one with the best voice was his 21-year old daughter McKenna.

And, who was in the audience?

Andy Williams, Ann Margaret and her husband Roger Smith. They were sitting way up top, but I didn’t bring my camera.

My son simultaneously enjoyed a magic show put on by Kirby and Bambi VanBurch with his mother and grandfather. A Bengal tiger, a jaguar, a panther and a leopard were on the stage, too. Naturally, we have another stuffed animal–a big white tiger.

On the way back to Crystal Lake, my son somehow managed to convince us to stop at his favorite museum, the Illinois State Museum. On the first floor are dioramas depicting how Illinois looked at various stages of earth’s history. In addition, there are videos about its various climates.

One of them said something about the only thing being constant about Illinois’ climate is that it changes.

I did get a lot of reading done. I

• finished Brad Thor’s “The Last Patriot,”
• Richard Harris’ “Imperium” (a fictional biography of Cicero by his slave scribe which has all sorts of political angles),
• James Rollins’ “The Judas Strain” and, unusual for me, his new hardback,
• “The Last Oracle,” which is splendid…better than “The Judas Strain,”
• Robert Ludlum’s “The Janson Directive” (it wasn’t until page 120 that I figured out I had already read it; what a terrible memory I have for content) and
• and half of Ted Bell’s “Assassin.”