* Oy…
Turns my stomach that anyone could think that was a good idea anywhere, not just at a campaign fundraiser.
* Gov. JB Pritzker…
As our nation grapples with the epidemic of gun violence, purposely pointing a fake gun at anyone is insensitive and wrong. I condemn actions like the ones displayed in the pictures because they lack the civility our politics demands.
* Democratic Party of Illinois…
The tragedies in El Paso and Gilroy have demonstrated how hate-filled political rhetoric can fuel violence. These images are unacceptable and dangerous. The place to make our voices heard against Trump is at the ballot box.
* Maxwell’s story…
Donors paid a minimum of $250 to attend Sandoval’s golf outing at the Klein Creek Golf Club in west suburban Winfield. A woman who attended the event posted the photos to her Facebook page on Saturday and tagged Sandoval in them. Sandoval is pictured separately posing with the man who held the fake weapon, but it remains unclear if the Senator knew about the incident when it occurred. […]
Sandoval, a powerful state lawmaker who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee and was a driving force behind the recent gas tax increase to fund the ‘Rebuild Illinois’ capital plan, issued an apology in an emailed statement.
“The incident that took place is unacceptable,” he said. “I don’t condone violence toward the President or anyone else. I apologize that something like this happened at my event.”
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider called on Sandoval to fire the person in the photo if they were a staffer or volunteer.
…Adding… Center Square…
State Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, said Sandoval should resign.
“I think the man should resign his position and I hope that the voters of his area will be just as disgusted as I believe the rest of the state will be and call for his resignation,” Bailey said.
Bailey noted this is another reason why southern Illinois is “disgusted” with some politicians in Chicago. He also said Sandoval bullied him when Bailey was critical a proposal to double the state’s gas tax. At the time, Sandoval suggested carving Bailey’s district, and any other district represented by lawmakers who didn’t support the tax increase, out of the capital plan.
“That’s the mindset, that’s the bullying mentality that’s taking place of the power that Chicago has and it’s got to change, it needs to change,” Bailey said. “That’s just the flat mobster bullying idea and that’s got to end and he needs to be called out for it.”
- Cheryl44 - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:24 am:
Well that was stupid.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:31 am:
Ay caramba.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:33 am:
Unacceptable behavior in any and all ways, and when more so that the person posed… for multiple pictures… and the person taking the pictures didn’t think twice about these pictures.
This is how you get visits from the FBI and Secret Service, and rightly so.
This is well beyond worrying about firing the picture taker or the person photographed. This is dangerous to any side, any political stripe, and dangerous to democracy.
It’s not a light-hearted…or something to be dismissed. Far from it. It’s wholly wrong.
- Donnie Elgin - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:39 am:
Dems will play with guns, even posing with fake “Kill shot” while proposing legislative limits to 2A. Folks that are thoughtful and legal firearm owners would never point a gun (even a toy gun) at another person.
- thunderspirit - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:41 am:
This calls for someone — or someones — to lose their job.
- JoanP - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:42 am:
I cannot think of anything stupider. I won’t ask what they were thinking, because they obviously weren’t.
- Iggy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:43 am:
The hate in these peoples hearts is so strong, I weep for them.
- Steve - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:44 am:
Senator Sandoval embarrasses Cicero.
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/511772956-chicago-lobbyist-reyes-recorded-by-fbi-donated-nearly-1m-to-300-illinois-pols
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:46 am:
- Steve -
Go register and then vote.
You are acting here like a partisan, instead of someone who truly cares… but refuses to vote.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:48 am:
===in these peoples===
I’m truly grateful for President Trump, as he has exposed people as they are, when in the past they’d hide these feelings.
“in these peoples”
Says so much. Thanks.
- JS Mill - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:48 am:
man is that stupid.
- Steve - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:54 am:
Partisan? Who couldn’t be proud of Senator Sandoval, the town of Cicero, and Victor Reyes?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:57 am:
===Who couldn’t be proud of Senator Sandoval, the town of Cicero, and Victor Reyes?===
So it has nothing to do with the picture… it’s a partisan thought.
Knowing you don’t vote now says so much. Like the ”Koffeehouse Kool” you think you are, partisan thoughts that you think make you knowledgeable, like that comment, show you don’t really know much more than a Kassian sheep.
- Steve - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 9:58 am:
OW
Maybe someday I could levitate above class conflict like you.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:00 am:
Trump is openly and purposely stirring hatred and violence against Latin Americans and other people of color. This weekend he attacked Antifa on Twitter even though a violent white supremacist group, the Proud Boys, went to Portland, Oregon to protest. He said nothing about one group and said another may be labeled as terrorist. Many Proud Boys are Trump supporters, judging by their MAGA hats. I saw them in a video flashing the “ok” sign, which is for “white power.”
Hopefully right wingers and Republicans don’t get too snowflakey over this, after what Trump has done.
It’s no surprise that there would be this reaction by some Latin American, unwelcome as it is. Trump is bringing it on the country.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:02 am:
===class conflict===
You should be opposed to any and all things pertaining to mock assassinations, overt racism, covert racist agendas….
The reason there’s conflict is those promoting racist thoughts they didn’t dare in the past are now facing backlash.
This specific picture and symbolism, no matter the President is wholly wrong. Period. End of discussion.
You seem worried about the partisan bend, and “Cicero”
- Jocko - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:02 am:
At least Trump wasn’t wearing the Infinity Gauntlet./s
- zatoichi - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:08 am:
How is this idea ever acceptable? Just dumb.
- A guy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:10 am:
Quite a heightened brand of stupidity at work here. Ugh.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:19 am:
Pritzker and others did the right thing in denouncing/condemning this, because the office of the presidency is worth more than one occupant and respecting the rule of law is what makes countries advanced and civil.
But the current POTUS is inspiring this and using language to rile up violent and unstable people, whether they identify with the left or right.
- A guy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:22 am:
GoM, you went one sentence too long.
Rationalizing why? They shouldn’t have done it, but I get it?
Hate is hate.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:25 am:
Then - A Guy -
… then, why do you support Trump?
- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:26 am:
This is not about the President or any elected official. This is about what some people accept as acceptable humor. It’s. just. plain. wrong! How about an apology not just to Trump but to all the residents in his district, and maybe the rest of us.
- The monster - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:33 am:
==Dems will play with guns, even posing with fake “Kill shot” while proposing legislative limits to 2A. ==
I just don’t even know where to begin with that nonsense if you think that people playing with guns and using them as a prop is limited to dems
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:35 am:
===would never===
Hmm.
“Never” is a word when describing actions of all… you sure you wanna keep it at “never”?
- phocion - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:35 am:
Sandoval should donate proceeds from the golf outing to a gun control advocacy group.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:37 am:
So wrong and so remarkably dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
- A guy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:46 am:
==Then - A Guy -==
Try to stay on topic.
- Wylie Coyote - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:47 am:
Marty’s golf outing has gotten more than a little out of control in recent years. A three-ring circus may be a better definition?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:49 am:
===Try to stay on topic===
It’s very much on topic;
===Rationalizing why? They shouldn’t have done it, but I get it?
Hate is hate.===
So… why do you support Trump?
You question one’s rationality, how do you rationalize supporting Trump.
You opened the door…
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 10:52 am:
Surely none of these Sandoval folks had anything negative to say when trump supporters in Oregon hung hillary in effigy in 2016? Or when the trump-supporting cop in Michigan posted pictures pointing his guns at a Hillary campaign sign? Or when a Florida trump supporter sold gun targets with Hillary and Obama’s faces on them? Or when trump supporters hung an Obama effigy from a tree at an Ohio farm, and at the University of Kentucky, and at Dove World Outreach Center, and at a store in Plains, Georgia, and on an overpass outside Kansas City? Or when trump supporters burned an Obama effigy outside a bar in Milwaukee?
Supporters of random state senators should be better behaved than their trump supporting counterparts….well, pretty much everywhere.
- Dan Johnson - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:00 am:
So some random person held up a tequila gun at some other random person wearing a Donald Trump mask and posted it on their Facebook page — not anything that was part of the event or sanctioned, but what some random person happened to do — and Senator Sandoval called it out as unacceptable just like everyone else.
This is not in any way the action of Senator Sandoval. Or his campaign. Or his fundraiser.
Some guy just took a picture that happened to be at his event and the Senator along with everyone else said that’s inappropriate.
Mark Maxwell and other journalists should make that much clearer
- Cassandra - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:20 am:
Is the FBI going to investigate? I thought they investigated all threats against the President.
Kind of scary.
- Just a Citizen - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:21 am:
Totally inappropriate and insensitive. Whomever approved this should be fired.
- Huh? - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:24 am:
“Is the FBI going to investigate? I thought they investigated all threats against the President”
Secret Service is responsible for protecting the president.
- Cassandra - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:32 am:
OK. So is the Secret Service going to investigate?
That would seem to be an appropriate course.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 11:59 am:
==Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider called on Sandoval to fire the person in the photo if they were a staffer or volunteer.==
So they people involved were doners? I guess they can’t be fired then.
- Yep - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 12:10 pm:
Interesting that those against hate, violence and guns keep making the news for hate violence and guns. Yep
- G'Kar - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 12:39 pm:
You would think that after the kerfuffle McConnell had to deal with in Kentucky recently, all politicians,and their supports, would have learned a lesson.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 12:41 pm:
===keep making the news===
You got another recent Illinois example of this?
- Dome Gnome - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 12:41 pm:
And here I was, just looking forward to voting against the guy. Execution seems a bit extreme.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 12:43 pm:
==Interesting that those against hate, violence and guns keep making the news for hate violence and guns. Yep==
Do you have the identity of the person who was pointing the fake gun? How do you know that person is against hate violence and guns? Based on his actions I would guess not.
- crazybleedingheart - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 1:21 pm:
Of course Sandoval should apologize, but this is not scary and it’s not a threat. Take a few deep breaths.
https://time.com/4273123/mexico-donald-trump-burn-effigy/
https://money.cnn.com/2016/04/07/smallbusiness/trump-halloween-mask/
- City Zen - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 1:21 pm:
==Do you have the identity of the person who was pointing the fake gun?==
I want to know the identity of the Trump actor…so I never hire him for community theater. I mean, holding your heart with a gun pointed at your face?
- Huh? - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 1:35 pm:
This is worse than what Kathy Griffith did several years ago with her drumpf stunt. She was ostracized and to some extent has yet to recover her career. She received visits from the Secret Service and the FBI to see if she represented a threat.
Sandoval should resign instantly. A pablum mouthed “apology” is not sufficient to paper over this ill conceived and stupid event.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 1:36 pm:
I’m assuming the Trump mask wearer was as surprised as anyone. After all it looks like wearing costumes was encouraged. Who would bring a fake gun to a golf course? And why?
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 2:59 pm:
I disagree that Sandoval should resign. Trump purposely demonizes Latin Americans and people of color and puts their lives at risk. He gave a big silent nod to white supremacists this weekend by only attacking Antifa. No president has ever spewed hatred on a daily basis—just always punching down and attacking people—so far beneath the dignity of the most powerful office in the world.
- Taxedoutwest - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 3:59 pm:
It’s no secret, the favorite phrase in Springfield regarding those that have met closely with Marty: “Hes’s either really stupid….or wearing a wire”. I’m starting to lean to the 1st part of the expression.
- Amalia - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 4:10 pm:
Lol, taxedoutwest I’ve just always thought that he was arrogant, whether stupid or smart. he’s not warm and fuzzy.
- Blue Dog Dem - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 5:39 pm:
Sen Sandoval should have his FOID card rescinded and his firearms removed. Is this not why we have red flag laws.
- Kairos - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 7:04 pm:
Senator Sandoval was clear in his condemnation of the heinous act. He apologized and explicitly said he does not condone violence against the president or anyone.
- {Sigh} - Monday, Aug 19, 19 @ 7:56 pm:
{sigh} Whoever thought having a Trump mask at the event should not be invited back to the next Sandoval event. Given the current political environment, any person with common sense knows the possible photos would not be good.