Leader Durkin calls for unity
Monday, Mar 23, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I was told by spokesperson Eleni Demertzis that this statement from Leader Durkin “is directed at anyone making partisan attacks during this crisis”…
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) released the following statement on recent partisan attacks regarding the coronavirus pandemic:
“Fighting for our state through this pandemic is neither a Republican nor Democrat issue. We share a common enemy and share the same goal of working together to eradicate Covid-19. As in all emergencies, time spent on blame or fault provides little or no merit nor solutions. Despite the challenges, the time is now and we must be vigilant and united to defeat this virus.”
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 12:54 pm:
=== Democrat issue.===
Every thing about his statement is so great except for this dog whistle
There are Democratic issues… but saying that won’t signal things?
Grateful for the words, but a bit disappointing to that choice there.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 12:55 pm:
*Like*
*Thumbs up emoji*
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 12:58 pm:
The word Democrat is a dog whistle?
That only partisans who don’t want to unify can hear.
- Steve Rogers - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:03 pm:
Will Durkin send this to the president as well? It seems to be particularly targeted for Gov. Pritzker, and perhaps deservedly so, but the president’s always-the-victim schtik is really, really tiresome in a crisis like this.
- JS Mill - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:04 pm:
Nice to see Durkin calling out Trump like that.
- anon2 - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:06 pm:
Last month polling revealed that Republicans were less likely than Democrats to take the virus seriously. That gap has been shrinking more recently.
- Bubble Popper - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:06 pm:
Both parties are not equally blameless here. We can walk and chew gum, I.e. take action to ameliorate the crisis and simultaneously hold accountable the Republican president and his allies who have made the situation grievously worse.
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:08 pm:
Not that I am an English teacher or anything, but isn’t the COVID-19 Pandemic a Democratic and Republican issue? Isn’t it an everybody issue?
I think he meant to say “not a partisan issue.”
===so great except for this dog whistle===
OW, I believe the GOP House Minority Leader is so used to whistling for dogs he has forgotten that it’s the Democratic Party and the “Democrat Party” is their way of manipulating cognitive linguistics.
Imagine a world we’d live in where he referred to himself a the House Minority Leader.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:10 pm:
I wonder though, does Leader Durkin believe the President or Dr. Fauci.
Just for my own knowledge.
Normally I wouldn’t be troubled by such thoughts, but “Democrat issues” makes me wonder if science and such, is that non-partisan to actual facts that others are ignoring.
- The other Rich Hill - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:11 pm:
JS Mill best me to it.
This starts at the top Leader Durkin. Trump can stop turning this into his partisan circus any time he wants.
- TheUpperRoom - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:15 pm:
It’s not a party issue, but it is a leadership issue, and Trump is NOT a leader. Color me surprised a bankrupt reality TV game show host is a poor leader. I believe most governors except for Florida and Oklahoma have done well, including Governor Pritzker.
- Moe Berg - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:20 pm:
Calls for unity, can’t resist the petty “Democrat” instead of the proper Democratic.
Continue signaling. Sad.
- Sideline Watcher - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:30 pm:
It still amazes me that Republican leaders immediately jump to admonishing people for making partisan attacks when they can’t see their own hypocrisy. Find an example of when that statement comes for someone of the opposite party for one of them? When legitimate issues are raised, and legitimate criticism is leveled, they get really sensitive and the gas lighting begins. He is exactly right, this is not a partisan issue. So when I say Trump and his entire administration bungled this for months before any of us knew anything about it, its not because he is a Republican. Its because he is an awful leader. And part of the reason why we have such chaos is because he leads from his world view which is woefully unprepared for the crisis at hand.
This is a time when we need our institutions to work. Can’t do that when the party line for decades has been that government is the problem. How’s shrinking government to fit in a bathtub working out for us now?
Trump: Only I can fix it.
Trump: I don’t take responsibility for anything.
Not being partisan at all.
- Pundent - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:35 pm:
I remember when super storm Sandy hit the east coast and President Obama and Governor Christie coming together together to reassure the people of New Jersey that the federal and state government had their back. We need a lot more of that right now.
- John Lee Pettimore, III - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:35 pm:
@Oswego Willy, didn’t the statement read: “…neither a Republican nor Democrat issue”? Am I missing something?
I am not sure why Oswego Willy is getting wrapped around the axle on the word choice of “Democrat” vs “Democratic”. I think Leader used it in correct context and it was not a “dog whistle”, as he suggests.
For Pete’s sake, take the man at his word.
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:38 pm:
Let me parse this a little. While I completely agree that dealing with the health consequences of the pandemic, we should not be partisan. We should listen to doctors and the CDC and abide by their guidance.
On the economic side, though, I feel a need to be completely partisan. We have a Senate President that crafted a completely partisan bill that is a massive and secretive giveaway to the wealthy in exchange for $1200 for everyone else. All the while he is saying the democrats need to set aside partisanship. It’s a bunch of baloney. We can’t let our federal government bankrupt itself to subsidize millionaires and billionaires.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:38 pm:
People, take a breath already.
- Proud Sucker - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:41 pm:
Grammar school taught me that not all nouns can be used as adjectives without suffixes. I’m struggling to remember all capitalization rules but I think an adjective is capitalized only when, but not always when, it’s noun is capitalized.
Durkin is my age, I think it was still grammar school for him.
Well, I guess it was intentional, so sad.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 1:41 pm:
===… is getting wrapped around the axle on the word choice of “Democrat” vs “Democratic”. I think Leader used it in correct context and it was not a “dog whistle”, as he suggests.===
Guess I’m confused is all. Wonder how the ILGOP is handling it? Maybe that’s where my second question originates.
I also stated, clearly…
===Every thing about his statement is so great===
Stand by that too.
- Annonin - Monday, Mar 23, 20 @ 4:39 pm:
Actually all four leaders had quotes in JB’s stay at home press release that went out Friday. Maybe Capt Fax can dig out and put up tomorrow for a quick once over. That “ic” thing is just something the GOPie spell check will not let happen.