Roskam lands prime committee assignment

U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, just now entering his second two-year term, landed a plum spot on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee today.

The seat, coveted by many in Congress angling for clout, gives Roskam a chance at crafting the GOP’s input on the nation’s tax, Social Security and Medicare policy. . . (read full)

Note: Ways and Means has a lot of clout dating back to former Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Rostenkowski of Illinois’s 5th Congressional district in Chicago. Old school Chicago Democrat Congressman Rostenkowski lost re-election in 1994 amid scandle, and was subsequestly imprisoned in 1996.

We all know the Elgin area has been growing fast. But you probably don’t realize just how fast.

Would you believe the city of Elgin is the fastest-growing large city in the northern United States?

It all depends on how one defines “fastest-growing,” of course. But there it is in black and white on an official U.S. Census Bureau table released on July 10. Based on estimated growth for the last year for which statistics are available — July 1, 2006 to July 1, 2007 — the table lists the “25 Fastest Growing U.S. Cities With Populations Over 100,000 in 2007.” Measuring that growth as a percentage of its original population, Elgin, Ill. ranked 20th fastest in the U.S., with 3.3 percent growth during the year.

Impressive enough. But look at the other cities listed. From No. 1 — New Orleans, where Katrina victims are pouring back into a deserted city, through No. 2 Victorville, Calif. and No. 3 McKinney, Texas and No. 4 North Las Vegas, Nev. and No. 5 Cary, N.C., every one of the 19 cities that grew faster than Elgin is somewhere in the Sunbelt. The first time that list comes to a city above the Mason-Dixon Line, it is Elgin. And the next time the list comes to a city in the North, just two spots below Elgin at No. 22, that town is Joliet, Ill., which grew 3.1 percent.

Sure, many towns smaller than 100,000 grew by a bigger percentage during the year. In fact, we need only stroll across Elgin’s western border into Pingree Grove to find a village that grew from 1,943 to 3,507 — an astounding growth rate of 80.5 percent per year. But even that was nothing compared to Pingree Grove’s growth the year before, as people started pouring into Cambridge Lakes. The town shot from 192 people to 1,943 in a single year.

And, sure, there are much bigger cities that added more than the 3,298 Elgin added, but didn’t grow by as big a percentage because they started with a larger base. Houston added almost 40,000 people, but that only translated into a growth rate of 2 percent.

And yes, we’re only talking about one specific year… (read full)

The lights have been dimmed and Congress has gone home, but a couple dozen House Republicans continued their floor protest today of what they’re calling the “Pelosi shutdown” - the decision by Democrats last week to adjourn for the previously scheduled August recess without voting on opening new areas to drilling.

“What heartens me as I hear the speeches of the men and women gathered around me is that I know in my heart we are speaking and giving voice to the will of the overwhelming majority of the American people who want this Congress to return to Washington, D.C., and give the American people more access to American oil,” said Rep. Mike Pence, an Indiana Republican.

“I’m absolutely confident that, if this Congress were brought back to Washington, D.C., and given an opportunity to vote on giving more access to the American people of American oil, that there is a bipartisan majority in the Congress that would pass that measure.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has labeled calls to open more domestic areas for drilling “a hoax.”…

Rep. Peter Roskam, an Illinois Republican, said he was at home with his family on Sunday afternoon when his BlackBerry buzzed with word of the day’s session.

“I loaded up the minivan with our four children, just like the Griswolds, and we drove through the night,” he said. Covering the 725 miles from Wheaton, Ill., to Washington in 14 hours, he averaged an energy-efficient 52 miles per hour.

“You sense the change that is happening in the debate,” Roskam said. “You sense the change that the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, Senator Obama, is beginning to see the light on this and we welcome him to see the light on this. …

“I think if we can continue to push, continue to push, continue to push, then ultimately the American people are going to be winners.” (read full)

Freshman Rep. Peter Roskam (R) is in strong position for the fall, despite trying to win reelection in Sen. Barack Obama’s (D) back yard, according to a poll just released by his campaign.

According to a July 20-22 survey by Public Opinion Strategies for the congressman’s campaign, Roskam leads Democrat Jill Morgenthaler 59 percent to 29 percent in a general election match up. Roskam also appears to be well-liked, enjoying 59 percent favorable to 20 percent unfavorable personal ratings in the survey.

Obama is expected to do very well in the 6th District at the top of the ticket, and is winning it by 8 points, 49 percent to 41 percent, over Sen. John McCain (R). In 2004, President Bush won the district with 53 percent over Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

Last cycle, Roskam won the open seat 51 percent to 49 percent over Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth, in one of the most competitive and most expensive House races in the country. Roskam was an obvious target this cycle because of the closeness of his 2006 race. But Morgenthaler’s candidacy has disappointed. She finished June with $278,000 in the bank, compared to $1.2 million for Roskam. (source)