64 Comments - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:00 pm: Rep. Ives, I would like to help, but if you can’t help yourself, what would be the point? My Party for Leader Durkin needs members who are open to Conservatives and Moderates, not members with veiled distain. - Rahm's Middle Finger - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:03 pm: Why does she feel the need to speak? Chicago State is almost entirely African American. The thrust of her comments were not lost on other members. Honoring confederate soldiers, complaining about voting at an African-American university… She’s compiling a pretty impressive record as a Representative. Too bad she lives in Illinois in 2014 and not Alabama in the 1950s. She could have been going places! - 47th Ward - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:05 pm: Did she miss Freshman Orientation last year? Is there a reason she didn’t offer an amendment to extend this to, say, Wheaton College? Oh, that would require some work on her part. It’s so much easier to blow the dog whistle to the other true believers out there (you know who you are). - steve schnorf - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:08 pm: If she lived in Alabama in the 50s, wouldn’t she have probably been a D? - Average Joey - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:13 pm: Once again we have a representative distracting from a serious issue with over-the-top rhetoric. Of course it’s a ploy by democrats to drive turn-out and possibly create an environment in which voter fraud, something obviously more common in Chicago than elsewhere in the country, can occur. It is a serious topic that deserves a serious discussion, not harmful rhetoric that appears, whether intended or not, to be aimed at a specific population. For my part, I happen to think she meant to refer to democrats, but it certainly did not come across that way. She has yet to learn that perceptions create realities. - John A Logan - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:14 pm: Rahm’s Middle…. We hear outrageous comments from the left all the time that make Rep. Ives look like the picture of civility. Ricky “Bill Brady is a racist” Hendon comes to mind. No surprise to see you pulls the race card on her comments, and throw the discussion to the lowest level possible right form the start. She is pointing to statistics on graduation rates, and immediately she is labeled a racist. No wonder a real debate on setting standard for success and failure cannot be had in Illinois. The election reform bill was exactly what she said it is, a charade, and so are the comments that try to paint Rep. Ives as a bigot. It’s wrong, and should be called as such. - Seriously?!? - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:20 pm: Racist. That about sums it up. - Precinct Captain - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:23 pm: Mistruths and BS from Ives? Anyway, since she seemingly supports unconstitutional poll tests, I suppose she wouldn’t mind the entire GOP caucus being subject to one. I’ll even volunteer to create and personally administer it. ==If she lived in Alabama in the 50s, wouldn’t she have probably been a D?== Probably, but either way she’d have been a conservative dolt. ==something obviously more common in Chicago than elsewhere in the country== Evidence? - horse w/ no name - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:34 pm: Logan - you can play innocent all you want but Ives comment sounded pretty racially motivated. First off, she was quoting a misleading statistic about grad rates at Chicago State. Second, what does graduation rates at a mostly black college have to do with the election bill? She was openly lamenting about more black people voting. - ChrisB - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:36 pm: From the earlier post: “* University of Illinois at Chicago, U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, U of Ilinois at Springfield, U of I Carbondale, U of I Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois State University, Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University, Western Illinois University at Macomb and Western Illinois at Moline will allow students who are registered, but haven’t switched their registration location to vote on Election Day.” Chicago State isn’t on that list. Maybe she was upset that those voters were being disenfranchised. Also, just noticed the above quoted text misspelled Illinois. I hope that was changed on their press release. /snark - MrJM (@MisterJayEm) - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:45 pm: Two sentences in a row without her using the words “West Point”? Who are you and what have you done with Jeanne Ives?!? – MrJM - Anonymous - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:47 pm: John A. Logan, People used to have a field day with Hendon comments on this blog. I seem to recall some recent comments by Monique causing quite a stir on this blog as well. - Jim'e' - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:48 pm: @average Joe; my readings on voter Id laws is that they are meant to stop voter fraud, but as seen in the PA case, the proponents of the id law could not prove there to have been any voter fraud. The bottom line - voter suppression id laws simply stop certain us citizens from voting. - Precinct Captain - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:49 pm: ==She is pointing to statistics on graduation rates== What do those have to do with an election reform bill? Oh that’s right, nothing! Racist dog whistle politics should not be tolerated. Of course, I’m sure it’s generally anti-racists who believe that and not Confederate sympathizers and romantics. - A guy... - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:51 pm: For her, it’s somewhat tame. If you can’t suggest that Chicago State has severe management issues without being called racist, that University with an absolutely corrupt and abhorrent record will never be saved. No one would take a degree from there seriously. Sometimes Rep. Ives makes me cringe when she says something. This time she didn’t. She’s absolutely on target. It is a shameless charade. You can use a super majority to get this piece of garbage passed, but not your budget. Brilliant. What a disturbing legacy this will be when it’s looked back on. There was nothing racist about what she said at all. You only read that into it if you want to. Shameless! - wordslinger - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:52 pm: –If she lived in Alabama in the 50s, wouldn’t she have probably been a D?– Indeed. And if she had been an Illinois R in the 1950s she’d probably have been at the forefront of the the civil rights movement. - CollegeStudent - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:52 pm: @ChrisB Also according to the press release, the University of Illinois system annexed the Southern Illinois University system, which then re-formed in some other community (Marion I guess…) It’s also WIU-Quad Cities, not WIU-Moline. - CollegeStudent - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:54 pm: ===For her, it’s somewhat tame. If you can’t suggest that Chicago State has severe management issues without being called racist, that University with an absolutely corrupt and abhorrent record will never be saved. No one would take a degree from there seriously. Sometimes Rep. Ives makes me cringe when she says something. This time she didn’t. She’s absolutely on target. It is a shameless charade. You can use a super majority to get this piece of garbage passed, but not your budget. Brilliant. What a disturbing legacy this will be when it’s looked back on. There was nothing racist about what she said at all. You only read that into it if you want to. Shameless! === As far as the law of the land is concerned, your level of education is irrelevant to whether or not you can vote. - DuPage Rep - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 1:59 pm: Glad the real Jeanne is back in all her disordered glory! - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 2:09 pm: ===There was nothing racist about what she said at all. You only read that into it if you want to. Shameless!=== Wow. What is the racial makeup of Chicago State University? As you use the search key for that, add this to the mix; ===“Let’s set it up at Chicago State University with a less than 20 percent graduation rate. I’m sure those guys know exactly what they’re doing.”=== How there is not a racial undercurrent, and how you can’t see that, and those who see what she said and meant are “shameless “… Not a good comment for you. You own it now. I know more now too. Just. Wow . - A guy... - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 2:37 pm: BTW Willie, why don’t you just come out and identify her as a “racist”. As much as she gets criticized for bringing up West Point, I can promise you that the armed services are among the few places where you’re not allowed to discriminate on race. She isn’t racist, and she’s right about what she said in this recording. It’s not suppression when you insist on “one person, one vote” or “you must register to vote and be the person you represent yourself to be”. It’s sham legislation and every honest person knows it. - Anonymous - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 2:39 pm: Jeanne Ives makes former rep Terry Parke look lovable. - Jim'e' - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 2:42 pm: @ a guy; What is the harm with letting whomever wants to vote vote? Hey, I’m a US citizen and I have absolutely no problem with anyone age 18 and over voting. If he/she/it can carry an M16 and defend me there had not be any type law what so ever that suppresses their ability to vote. i.e. college students!!!!!!! - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 2:44 pm: - A Guy… -, The remarks have racial underpinnings. Just like I said when Chapa La Via made remarks about a “half”. The remarks have underpinnings. Funny thing, you attack me for pointing out the remarks, but you don’t condone them. Interesting. ===I can promise you that the armed services are among the few places where you’re not allowed to discriminate on race.=== So, no racism in the military? Sexism? Nothing? No one suing the Army, the Navy has no fear of discrimination? Rep. Ives said it, you agree. All I really need to know when a quote of; ===“Let’s set it up at Chicago State University with a less than 20 percent graduation rate…”=== Yep, you own it too. - wordslinger - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 2:49 pm: –It’s not suppression when you insist on “one person, one vote” or “you must register to vote and be the person you represent yourself to be”. – You’re right, it’s not. What are you talking about? ==It’s sham legislation and every honest person knows it.– Congratulations on your new contract as spokesman for “every honest person.” Speak for yourself, dude. If you have a beef, be a poll watcher, or call the U.S. Attorney. - DuPage Rep - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 2:52 pm: Peter Roskam is a special guest speaker at Jeanne’s June 12th fundraiser at the Chicago Golf Club. Hopefully Roskam has enough sence to back out after these racist comments. - Precinct Captain - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 2:53 pm: == I can promise you that the armed services are among the few places where you’re not allowed to discriminate on race== You must have missed the recent brouhaha over hair regulations. Or the fact that soldiers themselves report being the targets of racial discrimination. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2009/01/racial-relation/ So really, you can’t promise anything. - A guy... - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:00 pm: +++Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 2:44 pm: - A Guy… -, The remarks have racial underpinnings. Just like I said when Chapa La Via made remarks about a “half”. The remarks have underpinnings.++++ No they don’t, but you do. Chapa La Via referred to a person as a Halfie. Not even close. Not even a good try. +++So, no racism in the military? Sexism? Nothing? No one suing the Army, the Navy has no fear of discrimination?++++ No one even mentioned sexism, but it’s very Willie of you to. The military does not tolerate racism. period. Sure, someone might be suing. It’s not tolerated. Read Carl Rowan’s book. The military has been at the forefront of integration. Wrong argument for you to get into here Willy. She’s not racist, and had no underpinnings of such in her statement. Everyone knows Chicago State is a terrible example of administering higher education. If you knew much about me, you might feel a little stupid questioning my bona fides on race. But you’re Willie. Own that. - Rich Miller - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:02 pm: ===and had no underpinnings of such in her statement=== Just because you say it doesn’t make it true. Move along. - A guy... - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:04 pm: ++++ wordslinger - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 2:49 pm: –It’s not suppression when you insist on “one person, one vote” or “you must register to vote and be the person you represent yourself to be”. – You’re right, it’s not. What are you talking about?++++ Duh, her argument. But you knew that. You’re just being cute. +++ ==It’s sham legislation and every honest person knows it.– Congratulations on your new contract as spokesman for “every honest person.” +++ Thank you. It doesn’t pay well, but it’s got great curb appeal. +++ Speak for yourself, dude. If you have a beef, be a poll watcher, or call the U.S. Attorney.+++ I’ve done both in the past. Every honest person does know what this legislation is about. Even you. I speak (by contract) for all when I testify to your being an honest person. Too cute most days, but honest none the less. - DuPage Dave - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:06 pm: DuPage Rep- Roskam will not back out. He and the rest of the DuPage GOP are on board with voter suppression. The poll workers in my precinct only challenge non-white voters. I’ve witnessed them telling non-white people they have to show ID and when I reminded them that that the practice is illegal, they threaten to call the police. On me. Remember Roskam is the guy who accused double amputee and war veteran Tammy Duckworth of following a “cut and run” strategy in Iraq. Nothing is too low for that guy. - Rich Miller - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:06 pm: And, BTW, while I agree with you about no tolerance for racism in the military, she ain’t in the military today. - A guy... - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:15 pm: === Rich Miller - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:06 pm: And, BTW, while I agree with you about no tolerance for racism in the military, she ain’t in the military today.==== I don’t know what her status is in the military, maybe inactive reserve. I did see a story where she administered an oath to her son at West Point. I would assume that indicates some status. If you see racist underpinnings in what she said, I’d be surprised. - Curious - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:16 pm: Fascinating, gentlemen - just growing through, I’d say you all are much more sexist than Rep. Ives is racist. You just can’t stand opinionated and outspoken females, can you? Not unless they’re like the sweet and cooperative Rep. Currie … Calm down and stop the bigotry. - Curious - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:17 pm: should be “browsing” not “growing” above. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:21 pm: ===Fascinating, gentlemen - just growing through, I’d say you all are much more sexist than Rep. Ives is racist. You just can’t stand opinionated and outspoken females, can you?=== Let me get this straight; I can’t stand a woman who says… ===“Let’s set it up at Chicago State University with a less than 20 percent graduation rate…=== Actually, I can’t stand a man OR a woman who makes statements with racial underpinning. What, because Rep. Ives is a woman, she can make racial undertones under the guise of being a woman? Ask Rep, Chapa La Via how that worked out for her.. Yikes. - CollegeStudent - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:23 pm: ===Fascinating, gentlemen - just growing through, I’d say you all are much more sexist than Rep. Ives is racist. You just can’t stand opinionated and outspoken females, can you? Not unless they’re like the sweet and cooperative Rep. Currie … Calm down and stop the bigotry. === Rep. Ives also used “guys” to describe Chicago State’s student body…which is 70% female. Not sure if they’d appreciate that. Just for the record and all that. - Obama's Puppy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:24 pm: She is the angriest woman in show business, the woman can only spit out Fox News talking points and point fingers at unions, other than that she has nothing… - DuPage Rep - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:34 pm: ==I’d say you all are much more sexist than Rep. Ives is racist.== Please. I bet if Rich checked the IP address of this post it would either be in Wheaton or Ives’ field office. As a longtime Wheaton resident, I have had the displeasure of meeting Jeanne when she went door to door in 2009 against a Vietnam Vet in her failed council bid and I do not think she would hide behind the sexist excuse to escape criticism. With Jeanne, she says whatever is on her mind and believes it. If a West Point Grad speaks (assuming they got in to West Point on merit), they are smart enough to chose their words and the context. She picked an historic black college for a reason. Stop making excuses for her, and own up to it. - wordslinger - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:34 pm: A Guy, a lot of people went to West Point. Doesn’t make you George Marshall or bless you with all the virtues or demons of those that came before or after you. Rep. Ives does not speak for the military (in the GA?), you don’t speak for whomever you’re assuming you speak for today (”all honest people!). You speak for yourself. Is that hard to understand? Don’t you have any confidence, son? - Precinct Captain - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:38 pm: ==Fascinating, gentlemen - just growing through, I’d say you all are much more sexist than Rep. Ives is racist. You just can’t stand opinionated and outspoken females, can you? Not unless they’re like the sweet and cooperative Rep. Currie … Calm down and stop the bigotry.== Which comments are sexist? Or is the tone and context of the comments? If you’re arguing tone and context, then you’re also indicting her comments as racist, since tone and context are the evidence being used to call her out. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:41 pm: ===She picked an historic black college for a reason.=== Think how different the context would be if an example of Illinois State was used instead of Chicago State which was used, no matter the graduation rate, or how she characterized the student body. - Buzzie - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:48 pm: Rep. Ives—-One of Illinois Democrats’ best assets and Illinois Republicans’ worse deficits. - A guy... - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:48 pm: At that moment, I believe public universities of a certain ’size’ were being discussed for same day registration. - Demoralized - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:56 pm: ==It’s sham legislation and every honest person knows it.== I consider myself to be a pretty honest person and I don’t think the legislation is a sham. I think voting should be as easy as possible. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:58 pm: - A Guy… -, So Rich took this out of context? After all this discussion, it boils down to a misunderstanding via the size of a school as an example, and the 20% graduation rate and racial underpinnings boil down to a school size example? Your shovel for this hole is getting more use … - Precinct Captain - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 4:03 pm: ==I think voting should be as easy as possible.== That’s the heart of the matter. Do you believe in a widespread franchise with simple access that empowers citizens or do you believe in a limited franchise with a maze of calculus to compute and special barriers to meet before you can cast a vote? Clearly, many Republican Party members across the country believe the latter. - Formerpol - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 4:09 pm: Well, if Chicago State has a 20% graduation rate, the state government ought to be talking about it! The place is a joke and I would never hire one of its ‘graduates”! - DuPage Rep - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 4:10 pm: Mr. Willy, I hate agreeing with you on anything, but you are spot on with all your comments above. With Jeanne’s foot in mouth disease, I will be finding more commn ground with you. Even a Raunerite can find common turf with you when it comes to Jeanne. - DuPage Rep - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 4:14 pm: ==The place is a joke and I would never hire one of its ‘graduates”!== Jeanne’s way of expanding the party. Is there a way Durkin can kick this lady out of the caucus? The GOP is about to have a great year, and we have to contend with this garbage. YUK! - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 4:15 pm: - DuPage Rep -, You are my favorite Raunerite. While we may disagree on Rauner, you have been quite thoughtful whenever we disagree, or even agree, except about Cross! Rep. Ives could be someone with something to say about being a suburban conservative female, but she just can’t stop “teaching”, even when the lesson backfires on he impression she wants to leave. Much respect. - DuPage Rep - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 4:25 pm: Thanks Willy. Grogan would have been a better candidate on qualifications, but I support the party’s nominee. p.s. Thanks for taking a break from Payton Prep. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 4:32 pm: ===p.s. Thanks for taking a break from Payton Prep.=== All the kids are going to be out of school for the summer soon, even the worthy denied ones, so… The question is what kind of legislator Peter Breen will be, since Rep. Ives made a point to support him over a colleague. - Rahm'sMiddleFinger - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 4:33 pm: First, A Guy, please stop using ==== and ++++. Your posts are unreadable. To John Logan, what does graduation rates have to do with where people should vote??? One party would like to expand the franchise of voting and believes that our legislative bodies will better reflect the will of the people if more people vote. The Republican Party would limit to that franchise to only people who vote for them. Give me a break. - A guy... - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 5:13 pm: It’s never been hard to register to vote or vote. Red Herrings all around. It’s dishonest to say this legislation wasn’t done for one purpose and one purpose alone. Did they not care ever before? - A guy... - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 5:17 pm: === Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 3:58 pm: - A Guy… -, So Rich took this out of context?=== Nope. I made no such claim. Nor does Rich need you to defend, amend or clear up his remarks. He’s a big boy. He can respond if he wants or not if he prefers. I didn’t ask a question. I made a statement. Agree, fine. Disagree, that’s more like you. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 5:21 pm: I asked you, not Rich. ===After all this discussion, it boils down to a misunderstanding via the size of a school as an example, and the 20% graduation rate and racial underpinnings boil down to a school size example?=== So, is that what you believe Rep. Ives meant? ===At that moment, I believe public universities of a certain ’size’ were being discussed for same day registration.=== So… What are ya saying? - MrJM (@MisterJayEm) - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 5:28 pm: “The military does not tolerate racism. period.” Racism was rampant when I was in the Army. Period. – MrJM - anon - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 5:49 pm: There are no words for comments. has she ever said anything that wasnt rude? As a gallery viewer, it was obvious that the democratic members were furious with her comments. The black caucus was huddled ready to strike. It looked like staff was telling them to relax a bit, knowing that her comments only made their cause stronger. I’m wondering if that’s why the speaker moved the previous question to end debate. - Wensicia - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 5:55 pm: She’s not even trying to be subtle here. - Fed up - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 6:26 pm: No matter why she said it Chicago state has major major issues. Rich has even covered some huge amounts of wasted Money, threats of being decertified, extremely low graduation rates, president and board issues, and crime. Don’t go pretending that Chicago state isn’t a joke just to fit your political agenda. - John Galt - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 6:31 pm: FWIW, Breen strikes me as far more measured than Ives. He’s not really the “shoot from the lip” type of guy. Pretty darned conservative, but not a bomb-thrower when it comes to rhetoric. - Lurker - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 6:55 pm: In her non-defense, the vote for HB 105 was taken fairly soon after HB 6094, which had a pretty long debate on Chicago State if I recall. So the comments, while still completely racist and unrelated, didn’t come out of nowhere. On Chicago State - when you have a population of predominantly single mothers, around 28 years old, who are working full-time, you are not going to get people graduating in the same timeframe. Judging by the same standards we use for teenagers who are full-time students, many with their parents paying tuition, room & board, just isn’t right. The comment was racial, ignorant and mean-spirited. Period. - Precinct Captain - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 7:59 pm: ==It’s never been hard to register to vote or vote.== Someone failed American history class. ==- Fed up - Monday, Jun 2, 14 @ 6:26 pm:== There’s not a single comment here arguing Chicago State is grade A administered, but its administration, good or bad, is a red herring that is besides the point. The point is making the franchise more accessible to citizens who are residents of Illinois. Ives attempted to defeat making the franchise more accessible by waving a racist red herring. Now her racist sympathizers, including yourself, are attempting continued use of that red herring in order to deflect from the underlying point, making the franchise more accessible. Ives and her supporters are the only people attempting to “fit” things into their political agenda by attempting to fit the administration of Chicago State into an unrelated policy area, making the franchise more accessible. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.