Today’s overreaction
Monday, Jan 26, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Review comments on Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Friday afternoon appointments…
Rauner retained Rocco Claps, an openly gay Democrat operative, to lead the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR). Claps has overseen the department for the past 12 years and currently manages nearly 150 employees and an annual budget of more than $14 million.
While serving under Democrat governors Blagojevich and Quinn, Claps greatly expanded the Illinois Human Rights Act and human and civil rights laws in Illinois. The expansion included extra-legal protections for citizens categorized as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
Prior to his work at the IDHR, Claps was a Deputy Assessor in the Cook County Assessor’s Office. He also worked on two Democratic National Conventions, and in the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Democrat President Clinton.
* From the Illinois Family Institute…
LGBTyranny? Really?
- The Captain - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:18 am:
How do protections codified in a law qualify as “extra-legal protections”?
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:20 am:
LGBTyranny…said the “oppressed” white male.
- anon - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:20 am:
Sounds like the conservatives at IR aren’t too thrilled by some of what the new GOP governor is doing.
- Demoralized - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:23 am:
Why anybody would care what David Smith says is beyond me. The guy is an avowed gay hater.
- 75th district - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:23 am:
Rep.John Anthony donates to this group. In my opinion Rauner did a decent job reappointing Claps.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:26 am:
He’s a Democratic operative. Dopes.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:28 am:
“Democratic” operative?
After that, I just ignore all the noise.
Dope, indeed.
- In the Middle - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:30 am:
Tyranny? I understand how IFI disagrees… but tyranny?
Read of Pol Pot, Kim Jong II, or Stalin for some context on that term. Travel the world a bit, brush up on your history, and then tell me this is anything like tyranny.
I’m offended by the utter absurdity.
- LizPhairTax - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:34 am:
NOT what the T stands for, but what a fun play on words haters.
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:40 am:
It comes as a great shock that the IL Fam Institute would have complete weirdos in-charge of their Twitter account…! Not!
- Team Sleep - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:40 am:
On a personal level, I agree with some of IFI’s policy stances. I am pro-life and I welcome others who share my views. But while walking through the Capitol a couple of weeks ago and listening in on an IFI “prayer event”, I was reminded why no one serious takes them seriously.
- Wordslinger - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:44 am:
Smith might want to stop thumping that Bible and give it a read.
He seems to be missing the overall point of the book.
- Amalia - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:45 am:
The Same is the New Right Wing Republicans.
- OneMan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:52 am:
I bet his nightmares are interesting…
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 9:55 am:
@OneMan
Yeah, like walking down Halstead Street. Scary!!!
- VanillaMan - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:22 am:
The Department of Human Rights is ripe for cuts. It is better to have a guy like this as head of it, while those cuts go into effect.
- Confused - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 10:48 am:
The best touchstone in Illinois politics is to do whatever gets David Smith upset.
- MrJM (@MisterJayEm) - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:05 am:
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
- JS Mill - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:28 am:
WWJD? I am pretty sure not what these clowns did.
- Qui Tam - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 11:34 am:
Ideology aside, IDHR has had a lot of problems with deficient investigations and misreading of the law. Examples include its attempts to dismiss cases based on miscounting of days and excluding complainants from investigations, partnering with violators to reach its conclusions.
IDHR has been routinely called out by the Human Rights Commission and the Inspector General. Clapps has actually defended his dysfunctional investigative area. If any state agency needed “shaking up” it would be the IDHR.
- Ahoy! - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 12:02 pm:
I really wish they would stop calling themselves a family institute and just go with the Illinois Bigot Institute instead.
They are all for families, as long as it’s the 1950’s leave to beaver family and no one else. .
- econ prof - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 12:07 pm:
I’m a social conservative, but David Smith and the IFI have become a complete joke and have lost all credibility with me.
- Wensicia - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 12:33 pm:
I don’t understand Smith’s outrage. Claps was retained as head of the Illinois Dept of Human Rights, not the Dept of Inhuman Rights (also known as the Illinois Family Institute).
- Walter Mitty - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:08 pm:
Dope… I like that both sides are unhappy at times with the hires… We know it’s working…
- Federalist - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 1:34 pm:
Most of the readers at IR have never been fond of Rauner. So don’t assume that because he labels himself a Republican the more conservative readers at IR have ever liked him.
- A guy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:02 pm:
Can he do the job? If the answer is yes, as it most certainly appears to be, then just let him go about his business doing a good job. That’s the litmus test.
Kinda tired of both ends moaning. They’ll never find happiness or contentment. Because they don’t want to.
- Qui Tam - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 2:27 pm:
A guy said: = “Can he do the job? If the answer is yes, as it most certainly appears to be, then just let him go about his business doing a good job. That’s the litmus test.” =
The problem is all evidence indicates that Clapps hasn’t done the job. (See IG reports, and HRC analyses, or better yet, ask someone who has bee subject to Clapps’ “investigative processes”.)
- A guy - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 3:52 pm:
QT, All evidence indicates….? A high profile guy gets a high profile appointment, surely to pique the interest of a swath of the electorate that’s always watching…..and they just thought they’d sneak him through?? Not believable for me.
I’ve heard the LGBT complaints about Meeks and others too. The activists could stand to be a little bit less active for a while and just ask if the person is capable. That goes for all sides.
- Midwest Mom - Monday, Jan 26, 15 @ 4:34 pm:
@In The Middle, I agree wholeheartedly. The hate speech is so much more than just offensive. I wish more folks would call the IFI out on their BS.