Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » A trans conspiracy theory, broken windows, false claims, big money and Tulsi Gabbard - Just another day in Illinois politics
Mailers like this perpetuate dangerous stereotypes and put the lives of our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors at risk. These unhinged conspiracies have led to legitimate threats on doctors, nurses, and hospitals and fuel the acts of violence that have become all too common in our political discourse.
When a federal court threw out two Illinois laws that barred both out-of-state contributions to judicial races, and donations from groups that don’t disclose their donors, the chief legislative sponsor of the laws wasn’t particularly surprised. […]
In his decision, U.S. District Court Judge John Tharp Jr. ruled in favor of Chicago-based Liberty Justice Center saying the state “does not and cannot explain why money is more corrupting simply because its source is from outside the state.”
The campaign finance laws were pushed by Democrats as part of an effort to preserve their 4 to 3 majority on the state high court. The Illinois Supreme Court has had a Democratic majority since the state adopted a new constitution in 1970. But the 2020 defeat of Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride, the first member to the high court to lose a retention bid, sent shockwaves through the Democrats political establishment and set up the possibility that Democrats might lose control of the high court in the 2022 elections.
* Pritzker campaign…
In a final move of desperation, Darren Bailey announced he will campaign with noted Russia sympathizer and conspiracy theorist, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard, who is most famous for polling at only 1% in the early days of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, has a long history of apologizing for Vladimir Putin’s brutal regime and spreading conspiracy theories.
In the early days of the Ukraine war, Gabbard spread decidedly pro-Russia propaganda, saying, “This war and suffering could have easily been avoided if Biden Admin/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns regarding Ukraine’s becoming a member of NATO.” Gabbard has made repeated appearances on Fox News to parrot false Russian propaganda.
Gabbard has been widely criticized for pushing a Russian-backed conspiracy about U.S.-backed biological labs in Ukraine. Experts have warned that the baseless conspiracy theory “could serve as justification for Russia to use biological and chemical weapons against Ukraine.”
“It is no surprise Darren Bailey has to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find campaign surrogates in the final days of this election,” said JB for Governor spokeswoman Eliza Glezer. “Disliked by Republicans and Democrats alike, Tulsi Gabbard has repeatedly shown that her loyalties lie with foreign adversaries. Darren Bailey should answer for why he is so proud to campaign with a Trump-aligned, Russian apologist.”
I feel physically ill reading those anti-LGBTQ+ mailers. They are so, so awful.
- The Velvet Frog - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:03 am:
I don’t get how this country is OK with candidates making flat out lies in their advertising. It’s not allowed when someone is selling a product so why are we constantly bombarded with false advertising about politics?
Lets simplify the JB message and say something like:
“Bringing in a dictator loving loser like Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii wont rescue Darren Bailey’s failing campaign”.
Something along those lines would help focus the message.
- The Velvet Frog - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:15 am:
So it’s not JB but his family, wait not his family but “connected” whatever that means? And what does “sex changes in public schools” even mean? I can’t think of any major medical things going on in schools much less “sex changes”.
I guess the other one tries to give examples backing up the “sex changes on kids” claim but none of the five have anything to do with the claim.
But worst of all, putting his sisters name in scare quotes is just flat out reprehensible. Shame on these scumbags.
=I feel physically ill reading those anti-LGBTQ+ mailers.=
I’m with you. Trans people are seen as such a low hanging fruit and the silence from most people on the issue is deafening. As someone who is queer and regularly works and interacts with LGBTQ+ youth, I know that this is the type of content which leads kids to be kicked out of their home, queer persons to be assaulted, and are often directly cited by those who have attempted suicide.
Trans people, including youth, deserve affirming care and public support. Not to have them and those helping them painted as villains.
These messages don’t move the needle, they merely encourage anger, grievance, and in the worst instance violence to those that feel threatened and/or see it as a call to action.
Having said all that, I won’t hold my breath waiting for party leaders to condemn it.
Good on the Pritzker camp for calling out Gabbard for who she is, not the anodyne Democrat she claims to be when it suits her needs and pocketbook.
The Libs of TikTok-grade stuff is sickening lies, it’s going to hurt kids and get people killed, and there is a very low likelihood anyone encouraging it will be held accountable for doing so. It is worrisome that it’s gone this mainstream this fast.
I remember someone telling me how Jim Ryan would challenge is staff on the truthfulness of a piece they were going to air about Blago. He didn’t want to put something out that pushed facts too much to make the claim untrue.
We need to find a way to get back to that level of discourse.
We are not safe as a country and as individuals so long as this level continues.
Candidates need to take back their name on everything that goes out and explain why it represents them.
Thanksgiving is going to be so fun at the in-laws. I’ll have to tell them that litter boxes really aren’t in any schools in Illinois, that we aren’t promoting sex changes to 4th graders, that my kid didn’t get fentanyl in his candy bag this year.
If you don’t deal with people who take all that stuff in chapter and verse you have no idea how destructive it is. My MIL-FIL are lost, succumb to fear, hate and rage and they are never going to be the people who raised my wife or who I got to know 20 years ago. Its really, really sad.
I’m old, white and angry … at the sickness that has infected the Republican party. Democrats want to defeat their opponents. Republicans want to destroy their opponents.
- northsider (the original) - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 12:20 pm:
NYT article yesterday on Pennsylvania Senate race this morning quotes a long-time Carpenter’s Union organizer, and I think he sums it up better than anything I’ve read about this year:
“People don’t even care about their economics. They want to hate”
“These messages don’t move the needle, they merely encourage anger, grievance, and in the worst instance violence”
1) They don’t change anyone’s mind about *who* someone would vote for, but these highly emotional appeals can change *whether* someone bothers to vote or not, and
2) the deep pockets behind these ads are looking beyond the upcoming election and are inflaming the electorate with an eye towards 2024 and beyond.
Sickening but true.
– MrJM
- btowntruthfromforgottonia - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 12:58 pm:
“I’ll have to tell them that litter boxes really aren’t in any schools in Illinois.”
This is what I had happen here in my part of Forgottonia.
Had a friend tell me they were told that it was happeniing in the district she lived in.
I showed her THREE different debunkings of that claim.
Was the reaction “Thank you for letting me know that was not true?”
No.
I got “I got it from a very relaible source.”
==I have yet to meet a Vietnam era veteran who does not respect fellow Veteran Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.==
That’s nice. I give veterans respect for their service. That respect, though, doesn’t extend to them in general. I have zero respect for Tulsi Gabbard on the political side.
==I have yet to meet a Vietnam era veteran who does not respect fellow Veteran Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.==
I’d introduce you to my father, but let’s not pretend like either one of us wants to go through the effort of setting that up.
==I have yet to meet a Vietnam era veteran who does not respect fellow Veteran Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.==
How do they feel about war vet Tammy Duckworth or Adam Kinzginer?
I know a Vietnam vet who dragged John Kerry every chance he got and at one point held a deep respect for John McCain.
And then Trump showed up and called McCain a loser, and how he liked people who didn’t get captured and how he wasn’t a war hero and disrespected Gold Star Families.
And yet that Vet kept standing right by Trump. So I guess I figured out I don’t care much what some vets think of people.
The ads make me sick. The are shades of Pizzagate and the assault on Paul Pelosi. It will be a very long time before I vote for any Republican.
My husband is a Vet who has heard of Tulsi G. He has no respect for her.
I posted this in another column, but it also seems to fit here:
I received my third issue of the “Peoria Standard” in the mail today. This week is the “Special Sex Education Edition” with headlines like: “No more boys and girls? Pritzker family leads push to replace `myth’ of biology.” And “Naperville 3rd grade teacher instructs boys how to act as girls”.
- Montrose - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:02 am:
I feel physically ill reading those anti-LGBTQ+ mailers. They are so, so awful.
- The Velvet Frog - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:03 am:
I don’t get how this country is OK with candidates making flat out lies in their advertising. It’s not allowed when someone is selling a product so why are we constantly bombarded with false advertising about politics?
- low level - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:06 am:
Lets simplify the JB message and say something like:
“Bringing in a dictator loving loser like Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii wont rescue Darren Bailey’s failing campaign”.
Something along those lines would help focus the message.
- The Velvet Frog - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:15 am:
So it’s not JB but his family, wait not his family but “connected” whatever that means? And what does “sex changes in public schools” even mean? I can’t think of any major medical things going on in schools much less “sex changes”.
I guess the other one tries to give examples backing up the “sex changes on kids” claim but none of the five have anything to do with the claim.
But worst of all, putting his sisters name in scare quotes is just flat out reprehensible. Shame on these scumbags.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:17 am:
Sweet jeebus, it’s not even JB, it’s his cousin Jennifer. Some people have no principles at all.
- Shibboleth - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:20 am:
=I feel physically ill reading those anti-LGBTQ+ mailers.=
I’m with you. Trans people are seen as such a low hanging fruit and the silence from most people on the issue is deafening. As someone who is queer and regularly works and interacts with LGBTQ+ youth, I know that this is the type of content which leads kids to be kicked out of their home, queer persons to be assaulted, and are often directly cited by those who have attempted suicide.
Trans people, including youth, deserve affirming care and public support. Not to have them and those helping them painted as villains.
- Amalia - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:22 am:
the LGBTQ hate is disgusting. could not make me happier to vote Blue. and more needed.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:22 am:
Hatred and lacking tolerance is how the old, angry, white voters want to feel and get justified in feeling it.
These pieces are despicable.
The worst elements are those in the GOP orbit wanting this bile circulating, they like it. It’s that sickening
- Friendly Bob Adams - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:26 am:
Stay classy, Bailey campaign (technically independent on paper, yes, but….)
- Pundent - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:35 am:
These messages don’t move the needle, they merely encourage anger, grievance, and in the worst instance violence to those that feel threatened and/or see it as a call to action.
Having said all that, I won’t hold my breath waiting for party leaders to condemn it.
- Roadrager - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:40 am:
Good on the Pritzker camp for calling out Gabbard for who she is, not the anodyne Democrat she claims to be when it suits her needs and pocketbook.
The Libs of TikTok-grade stuff is sickening lies, it’s going to hurt kids and get people killed, and there is a very low likelihood anyone encouraging it will be held accountable for doing so. It is worrisome that it’s gone this mainstream this fast.
- frustrated GOP - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:41 am:
I remember someone telling me how Jim Ryan would challenge is staff on the truthfulness of a piece they were going to air about Blago. He didn’t want to put something out that pushed facts too much to make the claim untrue.
We need to find a way to get back to that level of discourse.
We are not safe as a country and as individuals so long as this level continues.
Candidates need to take back their name on everything that goes out and explain why it represents them.
- DeeLay - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:44 am:
That has Pizza-gate vibes written all over it. How much longer until folks start physically attacking Lurie’s?
- Cool Papa Bell - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 11:50 am:
Thanksgiving is going to be so fun at the in-laws. I’ll have to tell them that litter boxes really aren’t in any schools in Illinois, that we aren’t promoting sex changes to 4th graders, that my kid didn’t get fentanyl in his candy bag this year.
If you don’t deal with people who take all that stuff in chapter and verse you have no idea how destructive it is. My MIL-FIL are lost, succumb to fear, hate and rage and they are never going to be the people who raised my wife or who I got to know 20 years ago. Its really, really sad.
- Sir Reel - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 12:06 pm:
I’m old, white and angry … at the sickness that has infected the Republican party. Democrats want to defeat their opponents. Republicans want to destroy their opponents.
- northsider (the original) - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 12:20 pm:
NYT article yesterday on Pennsylvania Senate race this morning quotes a long-time Carpenter’s Union organizer, and I think he sums it up better than anything I’ve read about this year:
“People don’t even care about their economics. They want to hate”
Sadly true.
- Big Dipper - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 12:31 pm:
The only thing missing in these GOP rants is their fear of 5G.
- don the legend - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 12:33 pm:
Maybe Bailey and his supporters use these mailers as bookmarks in their Bibles.
- MisterJayEm - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 12:44 pm:
“These messages don’t move the needle, they merely encourage anger, grievance, and in the worst instance violence”
1) They don’t change anyone’s mind about *who* someone would vote for, but these highly emotional appeals can change *whether* someone bothers to vote or not, and
2) the deep pockets behind these ads are looking beyond the upcoming election and are inflaming the electorate with an eye towards 2024 and beyond.
Sickening but true.
– MrJM
- btowntruthfromforgottonia - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 12:58 pm:
“I’ll have to tell them that litter boxes really aren’t in any schools in Illinois.”
This is what I had happen here in my part of Forgottonia.
Had a friend tell me they were told that it was happeniing in the district she lived in.
I showed her THREE different debunkings of that claim.
Was the reaction “Thank you for letting me know that was not true?”
No.
I got “I got it from a very relaible source.”
- Joshua P. - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 1:02 pm:
I have yet to meet a Vietnam era veteran who does not respect fellow Veteran Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
- Demoralized - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 1:17 pm:
==I have yet to meet a Vietnam era veteran who does not respect fellow Veteran Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.==
That’s nice. I give veterans respect for their service. That respect, though, doesn’t extend to them in general. I have zero respect for Tulsi Gabbard on the political side.
- Annon3 - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 1:18 pm:
How does Gabbard help with suburban undecided voters? Especially with early voting underway.
She and her ilk are just hate spewing …
- Arsenal - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 1:31 pm:
==I have yet to meet a Vietnam era veteran who does not respect fellow Veteran Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.==
Fun with sample sizes. She’s a former Congresswoman from Hawaii. Most people have never even heard of her.
- Nuke The Whales - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 1:48 pm:
==I have yet to meet a Vietnam era veteran who does not respect fellow Veteran Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.==
I’d introduce you to my father, but let’s not pretend like either one of us wants to go through the effort of setting that up.
- JS Mill - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 1:51 pm:
=I have yet to meet a Vietnam era veteran who does not respect fellow Veteran Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.=
I have yet to meet one who does. Including my father. A vet and a republican.
I believe we cancel each other out, which means Tulsi is just about unknown around here.
- Cool Papa Bell - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 1:54 pm:
==I have yet to meet a Vietnam era veteran who does not respect fellow Veteran Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.==
How do they feel about war vet Tammy Duckworth or Adam Kinzginer?
I know a Vietnam vet who dragged John Kerry every chance he got and at one point held a deep respect for John McCain.
And then Trump showed up and called McCain a loser, and how he liked people who didn’t get captured and how he wasn’t a war hero and disrespected Gold Star Families.
And yet that Vet kept standing right by Trump. So I guess I figured out I don’t care much what some vets think of people.
- froganon - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 1:59 pm:
The ads make me sick. The are shades of Pizzagate and the assault on Paul Pelosi. It will be a very long time before I vote for any Republican.
My husband is a Vet who has heard of Tulsi G. He has no respect for her.
- Big Dipper - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 2:05 pm:
Some criminals are vets, it doesn’t excuse their later behavior. Not sure what the point is.
- low level - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 2:06 pm:
==I have yet to meet a Vietnam era veteran who does not respect fellow Veteran Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.==
You also respected John McCain, right? Something the other guy hever did
- G'Kar - Monday, Oct 31, 22 @ 2:39 pm:
I posted this in another column, but it also seems to fit here:
I received my third issue of the “Peoria Standard” in the mail today. This week is the “Special Sex Education Edition” with headlines like: “No more boys and girls? Pritzker family leads push to replace `myth’ of biology.” And “Naperville 3rd grade teacher instructs boys how to act as girls”.