* For whatever reason, the Republican Party decided not to field a candidate in Democrat Dan Lipinski’s 3rd District. And now, a white supremacist is the only GOP candidate on the ballot….
Arthur Jones — an outspoken Holocaust denier, activist anti-Semite and white supremacist — is poised to become the Republican nominee for an Illinois congressional seat representing parts of Chicago and nearby suburbs.
“Well first of all, I’m running for Congress not the chancellor of Germany. All right. To me the Holocaust is what I said it is: It’s an international extortion racket,” Jones told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Indeed, Jones’ website for his latest congressional run includes a section titled “The ‘Holocaust Racket’” where he calls the genocide carried out by the German Nazi regime and collaborators in other nations “the biggest blackest lie in history.”
Jones, 70, a retired insurance agent who lives in suburban Lyons, has unsuccessfully run for elected offices in the Chicago area and Milwaukee since the 1970s. […]
Tim Schneider, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, said in a statement to the Sun-Times, “The Illinois Republican Party and our country have no place for Nazis like Arthur Jones. We strongly oppose his racist views and his candidacy for any public office, including the 3rd Congressional District.”
* Tribune…
Most recently, in 2016, Jones ran unopposed on the Republican ballot but was removed for flagrant disregard of the election code. Jones said his candidacy was challenged by members of the Illinois Republican Party, who questioned the legitimacy of his signatures.
In 2017, Jones said he went door-to-door stumping for signatures, and after his paperwork was reviewed, Republicans did not attempt to remove him from the ballot.
“Well, it’s absolutely the best opportunity in my entire political career,” Jones said. “Every time I’ve run it’s been against a Republican who follows this politically correct nonsense. This time they screwed up.” […]
The lack of a GOP challenger means Jones will likely face off against Democratic incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski or challenger Marie Newman on Nov. 6 in the 3rd District, a traditionally Democratic district.
“I’ll have nine months to campaign for the general election,” Jones said. “I think I have a good chance.”
* Haaretz…
He will not, however, be reaching out to the Republican president for support. Newsweek quotes Jones as saying he regretted voting for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, because Trump has “surrounded himself with hordes of Jews.”
The guy is so horrible even Breitbart News refused to link to his website.
* The first outlet to report on Jones’ candidacy was Riverside-Brookfield Landmark back in December…
“If you want to describe my philosophy it’s populist-slash-National Socialist,” Jones said.
Jones said he was a registered Republican, even though he doesn’t consider himself a dedicated follower of any specific political party.
According to Jones, “Donald Trump has come closest to my beliefs, except for his position on the Middle East. I think he made a tragic error in recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. It’s going to cause more doggone trouble than he can possibly imagine.”
Jones also criticized incumbent Congressman Danial Lipinski (D-3rd Congressional District) for being too supportive of Israel.
* From a 2012 interview…
A member of the Nationalist Socialist Party in his younger days, Jones took part in the Nazis’ march on Chicago’s Marquette Park in 1978. While he doesn’t deny nor repudiate his “past affiliations,” he says he votes Republican “90 percent of the time.”
“Philosophically, I’m a National Socialist,” Jones said. “Officially, I don’t belong to any party except my own, the America First Committee.”
Jones hopes three’s a charm after blowing his retirement savings on two prior congressional runs. He hopes to win the Republican primary and go on to challenge Lipinski this November. The 3rd District covers portions of Chicago’s South Side and a large swath of the south suburbs.
Part of the reason he’s jumping in again is what he describes as Lipinski’s strange affiliation with the American Israel Pro Israel Affairs Committee.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Governor Rauner released the following statement regarding Arthur Jones’ candidacy in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District:
“There is no room for Neo Nazis in American politics. I condemn this man in the strongest possible terms.”
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:31 am:
–For whatever reason, the Republican Party decided not to field a candidate in Democrat Dan Lipinski’s 3rd District.–
Not exactly party-building with all that Rauner/Griff money.
Still, with all the money they have put into the state GOP, this should not have happened.
Can’t really say “there’s no room in the GOP for Nazis” when you give one a pass and he becomes the official nominee.
BTIA(TM) strikes again.
- striketoo - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:34 am:
His candidacy is getting the Republicans a lot of national publicity I am sure they appreciate. He makes Trump look like a moderate.
- Arsenal - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:35 am:
ILGOP just had a dynamite weekend.
- Henry Francis - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:40 am:
Jake Blues hates this guy.
- Chicagoski - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:40 am:
It’s been quite an election in the 3rd: two Dems, a Neo-Nazi and an Independent.
- slow down - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:41 am:
Sadly, he’s not that far off from today’s mainstream Republican party. He’s more overt in his bigotry but the dog whistles from the right have become louder and louder under Trump and more and more commonplace.
A small example: Republican rep Matt Gaetz just hosted holocaust denier Chuck Johnson at the state of the union and refuses to apologize for it. Will there be repercussions for Gaetz? Not from today’s republican party I don’t think.
- Just Observing - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:44 am:
This guy has been a well-know anti-semite and racist for years, and he’s total goof candidate… it’s kinda surprising his candidacy is getting so much attention out of nowhere.
- Dan K. - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:44 am:
Bizarre that they would let this slip through the cracks given that there’s a contested primary on the Dem side. If the more liberal Marie Newman were to win, a sane, pro-life Republican would still lose, but would at least have a chance at a respectable showing in the general election. Besides, with an incumbent governor on the ballot you’d think they’d want to avoid having nutcases on the ballot to depress turnout.
- downstate commissioner - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:45 am:
For god’s sake, can’t the GOP do anything right? Might as well vote in the Dem primary and be done with it….
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:46 am:
It sounds like Jones doesn’t support Bruce Rauner, so it looks like an up day for Bruce.
- Nick Name - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:47 am:
Glorious. So now the Illinois GOP will be flailing about from now until November, looking for whatever lame excuse for why it didn’t a candidate in the 3rd. Meanwhile, Gov. Gaslight will do his best to ignore it, answering every question about it by dishing up his usual word salad of “But Madigan! Afscammy! Term Limits!”
Way to go, Illinois GOP! You rock!
- Actual Red - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:52 am:
It’s absolutely stomach churning that the ILGOP couldn’t be bothered to do the bare minimum to keep their party from being represented by an avowed Nazi. I get that its a solid blue district and they don’t want to waste resources, but you’d think that keeping this disgrace out of the general election would be worth the effort.
Seriously? You couldn’t find anyone to run against this guy?
- dbk - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:55 am:
I assume readers/commenters have duly noted that Jeanne Ives and this individual have managed to garner Illinois plenty of coverage in the national political press twice in the course of three days.
And not in a good way.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 11:57 am:
== can’t the GOP do anything right?==
ILGOP needed to borrow Mike Kasper for this one methinks.
- ItsMillerTime - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:00 pm:
Ives commercial, this guy running against Lipinski, that chairman of Illinois’s Lottery Control Board insulting East St. Louis. Something is wrong with the Illinois Republican Party. They had the lid on this insanity but now it’s bubbling over.
- m - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:06 pm:
” a retired insurance agent”
Who bought insurance from this guy? Makes me wonder why there isn’t more work to expose people like this in the private sector. Out them and take away their money so they go away.
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:15 pm:
Best Team In America
- ChrisB - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:16 pm:
So is this how it feels when you accidentally get a LaRoushie candidate on the ballot?
- Rogue Roni - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
Yeah guys. Nothing wrong with the Republican Party.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:35 pm:
–So is this how it feels when you accidentally get a LaRoushie candidate on the ballot?–
Like 32 years ago. And they weren’t unopposed on the ballot.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:35 pm:
Raunerites may not want to hear this…
Bruce and Diana bought the ILGOP as a brand to be a vessel to Bruce’s destruction and Diana’s uber-left, costal limousine liberal Democratic social agenda.
The Rauner’s were never stewards or caretakers for the ILGOP to stand up to things that seem this obvious.
“Meh, these things happen”
Bruce has used that type of line somewhere…
- Aldyth - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:37 pm:
The Republican Party just keeps giving more reasons for Illinois to be a beautiful shade of blue.
- Mr. Know-It-All - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:40 pm:
Henry Francis, you win the Internet today. That’s hilarious.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:41 pm:
–“There is no room for Neo Nazis in American politics. –
There is if you pour millions into a state party solely for your own personal use, rather than fielding candidates across the board.
- Bobby T - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:43 pm:
Wait, you mean Rauner didn’t notice this when it was in process?
Whatevs, baby. Rauner impotent as always. Rock on, Bruce.
- Lucky Charms - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:44 pm:
Rham was also at that protest. https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/emanuel-reminisces-about-his-role-in-protesting-nazis-at-1978-rally-in-marquette-park/
- Bobby T - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:46 pm:
BTW, at least in terms of Rauner (and Trump, too) this kind of thing — abhorrent as it is — just proves the old saw that “money doesn’t buy you brains.”
Rauner, take note on the list. “More brains needs.”
You got a list, right? This is a teaching moment, Bruce.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:46 pm:
==Sadly, he’s not that far off from today’s mainstream Republican party== Come on…this guy is fringe. I guess Republicans can call Dems commies..
There is zero chance this guy will have any traction, even if he wasn’t a loon. It’s a solid district for Dems. Republicans are right to condemn this guy in strongest terms possible.
- Bobby T - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:46 pm:
“More brains NEEDED,” I mean.
LOL. I’ll add “check spelling” to my own list.
- Southsider - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:47 pm:
So the people of the IL 3rd knocked that gay Polish kid off the ballot, while selecting a NeoNazi? The south side is terrible.
- TKMH - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:50 pm:
==Bruce and Diana bought the ILGOP as a brand to be a vessel to Bruce’s destruction and Diana’s uber-left, costal limousine liberal Democratic social agenda.==
Oh, for the love of Pete…
You do not facilitate the shutdown of important social services for two years in order to further a “coastal limousine liberal” social agenda. Ditto for vetoing equal pay/salary history legislation. Or saying you would have vetoed gay marriage in IL. That’s the Rauner’s social policy legacy. HB40 is purely incidental. And remember, Rauner wasn’t keen on signing it in the first place…
Rauner is a business Republican on social issues. Like the Koch Brothers, who are pro-criminal justice reform. Or the Chamber of Commerce, which is pro-immigration reform.
Mark Kirk was farther to the left, for goodness’ sake…
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 12:51 pm:
Best Team In… Obersalzberg?
- Albany Park Patriot - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 1:05 pm:
I don’t get why it took the governor that long to condemn this guy. Aren’t actual Nazis a kind of a no-brainer? Like you don’t need half a day to cook up something?
- Ahoy! - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 1:09 pm:
This is probably a good lesson for parties to always run someone. This is just a mega disaster for the Illinois Republicans, but unfortunately not surprising. Those people are a mess.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 1:16 pm:
In somewhat fairness, I presume they tried and found it difficult to find anyone not completely loony who was willing to put in the effort to get 35% at best against an incumbent (likely, he’s got a tough primary this time) who checks a lot of conservative boxes on social issues. Total suicide mission. Still they could probably find some staffer who meets the minimal requirements to do it.
- Rabid - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 1:18 pm:
Didn’t the govenor say he would be supporting candidates up and down the ticket
- Robert the 1st - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 1:23 pm:
Why do Nazis deny the Holocaust? Didn’t that provide the results they still call for? Are they saying Hitler and the Nazis of the 30s and 40s failed? Why do they love him/them so much?
- Henry Francis - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 1:28 pm:
Anyone else notice that whenever something abhorrent or despicable happens lately (yet the Guv still wants the support of that abhorrence) BTIA press folks use the wimpy passive “There is no place for . . .”
- Juvenal - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 1:32 pm:
The GOP keeps claiming it is not the party of bigots.
A whole lot of bigots seem to think otherwise.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:03 pm:
===Oh, for the love of Pete…===
This is going to get real good, real fast…
Let’s start where you “see” it…
===You do not facilitate the shutdown of important social services for two years in order to further a “coastal limousine liberal” social agenda.===
Learn to read, or learn better comprehension…
===Bruce and Diana bought the ILGOP as a brand to be a vessel to Bruce’s destruction and Diana’s ..,===
Let’s start “right here”… k?
Bruce wants his destruction. Bruce wants social services crippled, higher education institutions closed, labor destroyed. Now Diana, she’s the President of The Ounce and when asked about all this destruction, if you were paying attention, her own support was that social services are suing as a “business decision”
Diana loves her brand, she’s said so, and if cocktail party pressures happen, it’s about “selling” the destruction better, like getting rid of Goldberg for IPI “as a white male” message gurus.
Diana on HB40, that speaks for itself in the questionnaire and Ads Diana herself vouched for Bruce.
It’s warped, I know, I’ve said it myself. But if Diana can keep her brand untarnished by Bruce signing bills that are pained as “Uber-left, costal limousine Democratically liberal”, as long as Diana can seem as she wants her brand, and Nruce can destroy he wants to destroy, while the Winnneka parties let them attend. Keep up.
===HB40 is purely incidental.===
Nope.
A governor’s signature to make a bill law is NEVER incidental.
Good try.
===And remember, Rauner wasn’t keen on signing it in the first place…===
Doesn’t make the signature… any less valid.
===Rauner is a business Republican on social issues.===
Let’s revist this again, so you clearly understand.
The warped part of Raunerism is the anti-labor agenda, destroying social services, higher education, but Diana needs the social agenda items with a signature, even when you scratch your head how that duality works.
It’s not Koch, it’s Raunerism looking for Koch money to implement it.
===Like the Koch Brothers, who are pro-criminal justice reform. Or the Chamber of Commerce, which is pro-immigration reform.===
Which, of you are paying attention, isn’t what “conservatives” are liking.
===Mark Kirk was farther to the left, for goodness’ sake…
===
Mark Kirk was never a governor, with the power or decisions a governor makes with a signature on bills to craft policy.
“For the love of Pete… “ lol
- Rabid - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:22 pm:
at the end of the day your both on the same ticket, hotsy-totsy
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:29 pm:
Another shining star for the ILGOP to pretend to distance itself from while doing everything in their power to not alienate his more enthusiastic like-minded individuals.
Maybe Jeanne Ives can endorse him? Do I smell a Lt. Gov. nod?
- Sir Reel - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 2:29 pm:
The good news is that he blew his retirement savings.
- Question - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 3:25 pm:
Can the Republican party strip this guy of his membership? I don’t know the mechanics of all this, but needs to be done if possible.
- Anonymous - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 5:28 pm:
“The guy is so horrible even Breitbart News refused to link to his website.”
That statement is inappropriate. Breitbart is more pro-Israel then most left of center news agencies
Breitbart is very pro-Israel
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 5:41 pm:
–Breitbart is very pro-Israel–
Anti-Muslim does not equal pro-Israel.
- haha - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:10 pm:
Funny how Bruce Rauner strongly condemns this guy because of his view on the Holocaust, but when it involves racism against blacks Rauner has nothing to say. He didn’t condemn David Duke or anything related to that racist cartoon drawing yet when it comes to the Jews we see Rauner is up in arms.
- wordslinger - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:18 pm:
–He didn’t condemn David Duke or anything related to that racist cartoon drawing yet when it comes to the Jews we see Rauner is up in arms.–
Just as in this case, Rauner got around to condemning David Duke when the national press picked up on it. I don’t think the national press ever got on the “as a white male” FUBAR.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 6:24 pm:
Rauner’s ridiculous passiveness makes ya miss Diana Rickert, amirite?
- G'Kar - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 8:10 pm:
Come on, guys, why are you giving the governor such a hard time over this? Afterall, he already said he is not in charge. /s
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 6:27 am:
wordslinger - Monday, Feb 5, 18 @ 5:41 pm:
You are wrong
They are pro-Israel
Also, they are not anti-Muslim
You should do some real research before just throwing something so misleading out there
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 6, 18 @ 7:12 am:
–You should do some real research before just throwing something so misleading out there–
Yeah, Breitbart is so complex and nuanced.