* Sun-Times…
“They said this was all about flattening the curve. I think we flattened the curve,” Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider said. “These are the snarky things he says: ‘This is all about science… and the peak isn’t going to hit until the middle of June.’ Why did they take down all the beds in McCormick Place already then?
“You know what this is all about. This is about taking down President Trump in November,” Schneider said.
Nothing like completely politicizing the state’s pandemic response.
* NBC 5…
Illinois Rep. Allen Skillicorn says a recall resolution is on the table if Gov. J.B. Pritzker fails to fix the state’s unemployment claims website, the representative announced Sunday. […]
The Illinois representative threatened to file a motion to recall the governor’s election if Pritzker does not fix the website soon.
A little context is in order here…
The recall of the Governor may be proposed by a petition signed by a number of electors equal in number to at least 15% of the total votes cast for Governor in the preceding gubernatorial election, with at least 100 signatures from each of at least 25 separate counties. A petition shall have been signed by the petitioning electors not more than 150 days after an affidavit has been filed with the State Board of Elections providing notice of intent to circulate a petition to recall the Governor. The affidavit may be filed no sooner than 6 months after the beginning of the Governor’s term of office. The affidavit shall have been signed by the proponent of the recall petition, at least 20 members of the House of Representatives, and at least 10 members of the Senate, with no more than half of the signatures of members of each chamber from the same established political party.
There is no “motion to recall.” C’mon, 5.
* Center for Illinois Politics…
But by picking fights with the president, Pritzker also risks losing credibility at home, said U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, a downstate Republican. […]
The congressman noted that Pritzker bristled when reporters asked about his wife traveling to Florida during the crisis.
“Frankly,” Davis said, “if you’re going to Monday morning quarterback a federal response to a disease we didn’t know existed seven months ago, then you open yourself up to criticism when your family decides to leave the state when you’re telling people to stay home. You can’t be offended by people criticizing your response if you’re so quick to criticize others during the pandemic.”
Criticize the president and it’s just fine with Davis to come after your family. Not to mention that they went to Florida before the order was issued.
* Speaking of which…
Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand why people are upset. I’m not at all happy with this situation either and I wrote about it in the subscriber edition today. But, if the governor is telling the truth then they’re not technically in violation of the order. And a statewide party dragging minor children through the political mud is just beyond the pale.
- efudd - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 10:49 am:
“beyond the pale”
Really, Rich?
I mean, the GOP’s candidate for president in 2016 attacked a gold star family.
Not to mention insulting the disabled, and wondering aloud if a female reporter was menstruating.
What is beyond the pale anymore?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 10:49 am:
=== “You know what this is all about. This is about taking down President Trump in November,” Schneider said.===
Let’s be very clear, crystal clear even;
Schneider is a Raunerite, and every Raunerite now defending the racist president for politics in a pandemic are not leaders of anything.
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 10:53 am:
===the GOP’s candidate for president in 2016===
…lost Illinois by 17 points.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 10:53 am:
Rep. Davis admitting we didn’t know anything about this disease seven months ago is really gonna hurt the national leader of his party’s case that this is all the prior federal administration’s fault.
- efudd - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 10:56 am:
Rich, didn’t say Trump, or his rhetoric was popular in Illinois.
The GOP in this state is following his rhetoric.
So, what is beyond the pale for them?
- Practical Politics - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 10:57 am:
People are angry. I get it, but the gubernatorial
“recall” is going absolutely nowhere.
I think Illinois has the most restrictive “recall” provisions of any state permitting the procedure. Illinois requires the “recall” to have a degree of bipartisan support in the legislature.
- GA Watcher - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:01 am:
“You know what this is all about. This is about taking down President Trump in November”
We can only hope.
- Candy Dogood - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:02 am:
Didn’t the last GOP governor leave the country for a couple of weeks to go on vacation without telling anyone?
===And a statewide party dragging minor children through the political mud is just beyond the pale. ===
All y’all’s faces been so pale they don’t know what they normally look like. They just move from outrage to outrage and try to outrun the consequences before you have the time to get the color back to your cheeks.
- Cheryl44 - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:04 am:
Removing Trump from public office legally is lots of people’s goal.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:05 am:
Are the 49% of Americans that approve of Donald Trump racists, Nazis, bigots, Deplorables, Xenophobes, misogynists, homophobes or secret Russian agents?
That attack line sure didn’t work out that well in 2016.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/203207/trump-job-approval-weekly.aspx
- Grandson of Man - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:06 am:
“But by picking fights with the president, Pritzker also risks losing credibility at home, said U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, a downstate Republican. […]“
Lol, Trump helped wreck the GOP in Illinois.
- Zim - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:10 am:
Perhaps the Congressman would like to explain how Australia, a federal system with many similarities to the US, as well as a Prime Minister with a warm relationship with President Trump, managed to get out in front of the virus in a way we can only wish for in the US. Australia’s case numbers and death toll have been exceptionally small, particularly compared to our staggering numbers. The Australian economy is beginning to reopen and will probably be well on its way while our reopening sputters along for a long time to come. I think plenty of “Monday morning quarterbacking” is in order when the national governments of other developed nations understood the magnitude of the crisis and have been able to handle it in a competent manner.
- thoughts matter - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:12 am:
His family traveled before the stay at home orders from a house they owned to another house they owned.
There’s no problem there. Then they came back when Florida opened up. Now they supposedly traveled from Illinois To Wisconsin and back to check on their home there.
Technically yes, it’s a little risky to return from another state - but I bet a bunch of snowbirds just did. As did college students in March. Technically its’ risky to go to your other home. But I bet we all would have if we could.
I bet many did. There’s no security checkpoint at the border
The bigger question to me is if they had other people such as private or state security details that had to travel too. That’s what Ivanka Trump had going on over Passover when she, her family, and Secret Service agents traveled to a Trump Joey in New Jersey to a hotspot area. Forcing others to assume that risk is not acceptable.
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:14 am:
===to check on their home there===
They’re not going to the house. They’re going to the horse farm. No residence at that place.
- Norseman - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:15 am:
=== Politicizing, grandstanding and twisting the facts ===
Standard operating procedure. Not strictly a GOP thing, although they’ve elevated it to a mind numbing level. The disgusting thing about this time is that the results will adversely affect the health of too many.
- Pundent - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:15 am:
=This is about taking down President Trump in November,” Schneider said.=
Yes, Pritzker’s criticisms are definitely going to make Illinois a lot more challenging for Trump come November. /s
- Jibba - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:18 am:
Somebody needs to look up the definition of snark. Why doesn’t he just call JB “arrogant” and “elitist” like the Repub playbook says?
- @misterjayem - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:20 am:
“That attack line sure didn’t work out that well in 2016.”
And there haven’t been any election results since 2016, rite?
– MrJM
- John Deere Green - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:21 am:
==by picking fights with the president, Pritzker also risks losing credibility at home, said U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, a downstate Republican. […]==
Losing credibility with whom? The Trumpkins? Is that really a concern in Illinois, congressman? BTW, the more people who wear Trump t-shirts call Pritzker and anyone else they don’t like “Nazis,” the more you should get use to calling Pelosi “Madam Speaker.” Save Chambana, your part of the state and that of your like-minded pals Bost and Shimkus is shrinking, and consequently your opinions relative to the whole of the state. You grow more irrelevant with each passing day. Best wishes.
- Huh? - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:22 am:
“Illinois requires the “recall” to have a degree of bipartisan support in the legislature.”
Such a resolution will be sent to die in the Rules Committee.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:25 am:
If you are going to have a news conference where you criticize and warn residents of the Quad Cities and other border metros of the dangers of crossing state lines it is best that you follow your own advice.
Mayor Lightfoot and her hair stylist should do the same.
- thoughts matter - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:29 am:
==They’re not going to the house. They’re going to the horse farm. No residence at that place.==
I did not know that. I had thought about using the word estate but chose to use ‘home’ loosely. I think many of us would feel we were allowed to check on anything we owned. I know many closed businesses were taking the opportunity to upgrade and remodel their facilities - which would have people on premises. Horse farm means living animals on the premises, and we’d all want to see for ourselves that they were being taken care of.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:31 am:
====Are the 49% of Americans that approve of Donald Trump racists, Nazis, bigots, Deplorables, Xenophobes, misogynists, homophobes or secret Russian agents?====
I’m willing to wager that the vast majority of the types of people you mention support Trump over anyone else. Would you take that wager, LP, or no?
Also, I think you mean 41% - https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2020-05/2020_reuters_tracking_-_core_political_coronavirus_tracker_05_13_2020_.pdf
See, I can cherry pick too(banned punctuation)
- Grandson of Man - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:31 am:
I believe Pritzker said during a media questions segment of his daily COVID-19 reports that he’s not trying to stop people from going to and from states. How many people have gone to and from Illinois during the stay at home order? Lots of people, maybe more than anybody has ever seen. So Pritzker opponents are making a nothingburger and merely looking for a weak spot at which to attack him.
- hisgirlfriday - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:34 am:
I have generally been supportive of JB’s efforts to respond to coronavirus and supported extending the stay-at-home orders.
In my view, the conduct of JB’s family just makes it harder for those of us supporting him to defend and explain the stay-at-home orders.
Even if they didn’t technically violate any laws by going out of state at the time they did, if they were traveling right before the stay-at-home order came down, this does not make me feel any better. I was supposed to go on vacation the week before the stay-at-home order went into effect. I still had to cancel my vacation though because I don’t have a private jet or a personal vacation home out of state.
The sense of shared sacrifice matters in these times.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:36 am:
=== Are the 49% of Americans that approve of Donald Trump racists, Nazis, bigots, Deplorables, Xenophobes, misogynists, homophobes or secret Russian agents?===
Nope.
Worse.
Those folks who ignore the “racists, Nazis, bigots, Deplorables, Xenophobes, misogynists, homophobes or secret Russian agents” folks supporting Trump are the ones who passively allow those groups to openly support Trump.
Where’s the pushback? There isn’t.
Being an enabler to…
“… racists, Nazis, bigots, Deplorables, Xenophobes, misogynists, homophobes or secret Russian agents” thinkers are the ones who don’t mind “policy” even if the reality is imploding the country.
Oh… too difficult to grasp?
Try this…
If you think agreeing with David Duke on policy but calling *him* (David Duke) abhorrent is a ridiculous stance…
Welp, that’s what Trumpkins try to say with these welcomed protesters amongst them.
Enablers.
- John Deere Green - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:48 am:
Oh, look. Lucky just called the election for Trump because as of last week his approval rating was blah blah blah. I thought yours was the party of poo-pooing polls. But bravo in using a snapshot in time from one poll where Trump has not only been underwater since day 1 but also upside down to the tune of more than 20 points during his reign of error to prove…what exactly? You’ve heard of outliers, right?
- Suburban Guy - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:49 am:
===The sense of shared sacrifice matters in these times.===
I think this hits the nail on the head.
Is it right for the Republican Party to use Pritzker’s family? Probably not but Pritzker opened himself up to this by letting his family travel freely while asking others to make personal sacrifices and shelter in place. You lead by example and what’s disappointing is that Pritzker is giving troublemakers justification for their blowhard actions. This was an unforced error and his response has been poor. He and his team usually do better.
- Sideline Watcher - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:55 am:
“Are the 49% of Americans that approve of Donald Trump racists, Nazis, bigots, Deplorables, Xenophobes, misogynists, homophobes or secret Russian agents?”
I for one would never ever say that. Never. But I will say those 49 percent seem to be ok with them. Kinda like that saying about justice not coming until those who aren’t affected are as outraged as those who are.
- Hard D - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:55 am:
It’s politely grandstanding by a number of these local Mayors. The Orland Park patch is reporting that the Mayor is asking board approval tonight to suit the state if it refuses to open on June 1st.
Now so far 2 federal Judges have sided with Pritzker. Yet this Mayor will file either a 3rd in Federal Court or try his luck In Cook County ( good luck with that outcome). This Mayor wants to open one of the biggest Malls in the State and have 3 music concerts. Last week he said Orland Park has lost 3 million dollars in revenue so why waste thousands on a suit you can’t win and with Phase 4 only 6 weeks away.
Orland is a hot spot waiting to happen.
FYI he’s a Proft guy who on his radio show all the time. This is why Republicans are in shambles
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 11:59 am:
Most of you cant handle anything contrary to your view of politics.
Hard for many to believe but I am not a Trump fan. Never have been.
Especially before he entered politics and was trying to open casinos and sell menswear with his label on it in Marshall Fields.
His New York arrogance has always been out of sync with Chicago.
The betting lines all favor Trump even after a pandemic and impeachment.
Tell me again why this is not an indictment of the failure of the Democratic party and a rejection of it’t hard turn to the left.
https://www.actionnetwork.com/politics/2020-election-odds-presidential-race-donald-trump-joe-biden
- Pundent - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:01 pm:
=Are the 49% of Americans that approve of Donald Trump racists, Nazis, bigots, Deplorables, Xenophobes, misogynists, homophobes or secret Russian agents?=
I suspect that the answer would be no. But it wasn’t that long ago that it would have been unthinkable for any candidate to openly embrace those that spewed this kind of rhetoric.
Perhaps the better question is why isn’t this being widely and regularly condemned within the Republican party? Why would it’s members willingly share a stage with people espousing these beliefs?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:04 pm:
=== The betting lines all favor Trump even after a pandemic and impeachment.
Tell me again why this is not an indictment of the failure of the Democratic party and a rejection of it’t hard turn to the left.===
Wanna bet I can show you favoring Trump in comments these past 3 years?
Think long and hard.
Let’s also clarify, again… for you…
If you think agreeing with Donald Trump on policy but calling *him*, Donald Trump abhorrent is a ridiculous stance…
Welp, that’s what Trumpkins try to say with these welcomed protesters amongst them.
Think on that.
- Mama - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:04 pm:
““You know what this is all about. This is about taking down President Trump in November””
Trump needs no help with that - - Trump is doing that all by himself.
- Left Center Right - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:09 pm:
How quickly Willy forgets Farrakhan and Rev Wright. Stop the phony race baiting. Democrats do the same thing
- Blue Dog Dem - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:11 pm:
LP. I UNDERSTAND.
- Fighter of Foo - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:11 pm:
I am rooting for JB as much as Trump. I think Rich’s article about JB needing to keep it simple is great advice. Why does everything have to be a zero sum game? I want both to be successful, so we are in Illinois and as a Nation. I guess that makes me a Trumpkin? Or a JB apologist?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:12 pm:
=== Farrakhan and Rev Wright. Stop the phony race baiting.===
… as you cite two African Americans..,
Racist, anti-Semitic, folks favor Trump.
They are embraced and welcomed.
Old, angry… white.
Have there been any racist, anti-Semitic folks supporting doctors? Nurses?
I know you don’t like the mirror of the Trumpkins…
- John Deere Green - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:17 pm:
==the Democratic party and a rejection of it’t hard turn to the left.==
lol. Because the Republican Party was oh so moderate when it crowned Trump as its standard bearer. Holy cow dude. And yeah, Pelosi getting the gavel back sure was a rejection of the Democratic Party. And nominating that rabid “leftist” Joe Biden. Yes, “hard turn left,” indeed. lol
- Sanity - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:20 pm:
Just to clarify it doesn’t take any sort of resolution from the General Assembly to trigger a recall. It requires a notice of intent to file a recall petition to be filed with the secretary of state of intent to collect signatures. This notice must be signed by 20 members of the House and 10 members of the senate. Half of these must be democrats. After that if signatures equal to 15% of the voters in the last election sign the petition there will be a special election. There is no committee that can block it.
All it would take is 15 democrats to not back JB and he very well could be up for a recall election. I don’t see that as being horribly unrealistic as a possibility.
- AD - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:27 pm:
JB has lost a lot of downstate’s respect. You’re seriously telling me that his family had to go check on the horses and would be considered essential? It’s one thing if they go everyday and it was their livelihood, but this is recreation for them. People are being forced to miss church for the first time in decades, graduates are missing something they’ve worked their whole life towards (not to mention the terrible economy they’re going to graduate into), playgrounds are closed, etc. So, let him be mad that he got called out for his double standard. Sorry, it’s not pleasant, but it goes with the job.
- Rather Not Say - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:28 pm:
When you legislate a stay at home order, but your family isn’t staying at home, it matters. When you vote against school vouchers, but your kids go to Parker (private school), it matters. If his family was already in FL, maybe it is ok….but really? More investigation of his private plane’s flight records may reveal something different. Same with his hair cut and family actually being the ones to care for the animals. It is relevant.
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:32 pm:
===I don’t see that as being horribly unrealistic===
Oh, please. It’s way too early to be drinking.
- Dave W - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:32 pm:
There has been strong bipartisan criticism to Pritzker’s hypocrisy downstate. His family travels freely in and out of the state for non-essential travel, but he expects everyone else to be held to a different standard. There are tens of thousands of Metro East residents traveling across the river to do business they aren’t able to do on this side of the river, myself included, because of his inflexibility and inability to use common sense with his “regional” approach.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:37 pm:
===All it would take is 15 democrats to not back JB===
Name those 15
Thanks.
- John Deere Green - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:40 pm:
==All it would take is 15 democrats to not back JB==
This makes as much sense as saying “It’s a presidential election year so Illinois Democrats will pick up 6 seats.” Show me where. Or, in this case, tell me who those 10 and 5 are. Can you? As Willy says, put them on the stairs.
- Friend of the Family - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:51 pm:
The recall talk is nonsense. Let’s not be Wisconsin crazy. If you don’t like what is going on then just remember all of this when the Governor is up for re-election. But please, don’t be Wisconsin crazy and start with the “I don’t like what this guy is doing so let’s do a recall”.
- {Sigh} - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 12:54 pm:
=All it would take is 15 democrats to not back JB and he very well could be up for a recall election. I don’t see that as being horribly unrealistic as a possibility.=
{Sigh} just more political grandstanding. How many republicans were willing to go out on a limb to recall Rauner? Enough said.
Those pushing a recall must not having anything better to do. All of their negativity is exhausting. A perfect example of misery loves company.
On a serious note. For these legislators pushing to reopen the state… why are your district offices closed?
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 1:08 pm:
“Pritzker opened himself up to this by letting his family travel freely”
I don’t know how things work in their family, but I can tell you that when it comes to certain circumstances, my wife is going to do what she is going to do and I just get to deal with it. Let his family travel freely… oy, is it 1950?
- Froganon - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 1:20 pm:
Pritzker’s family traveled to Florida around Spring break, the travel ban started. It was lifted, they came home. Now family members travel to check on a working farm in Wisconsin. I simply cannot imagine a less pressing issue to occupy my time. The response reminds me of fights with my brothers on car trips, Mom, he touched me, Mom, she’s looking at me. Sheesh, people get over it. The Pritzkers travel more than you do and have more property. Get over it and focus on improving your own lives. If you really can’t stomach rich people having more stuff than you do, vote for the Fair Tax. The Pritzkers will pay more and chances are if your so peeved about their lifestyle, you’ll pay less.
- Jibba - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 1:37 pm:
When Rauner intentionally hurt Illinois by going without a budget, there weren’t 15 Republicans to sign a recall petition despite real damage and a complete lack of plan. There were only a handful to even sign a budget in the end. So why would you think there are that many Dems today?
- Norseman - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 1:40 pm:
=== JB has lost a lot of downstate’s respect. ===
Any data backing that up. Frankly, I’ve never seen any significant level of respect before this.
- Someone you Should Know - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 1:41 pm:
so wait a minute, I think I said this before, the last guy had Nine Houses, and he skipped town for a month, and nobody from the GOP Said anything,
Okay Sure
- Just a Guy - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 1:51 pm:
As for the Pritzgers traveling to their properties…they don’t have to. They have staff. Staff take care of everything…houses, estates, the horse farm, the horses. None of these places are empty. They all have to be maintained. That is why they have staff. They don’t *need* to be there at all.
There should be no double-standard. If it doesn’t fit essential travel (as in me going to check on my one horse at a boarding facility where I do not have staff), then stay put.
- AD - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 2:04 pm:
=== Any data backing that up.====
Nope, but sure has been a change in tone with family members and friends regarding him. It’s bound to happen to anyone in politics. As Batman said, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Well, JB started out a hero at the beginning of this and has become the villain to a lot of people by a lot of actions in the last two weeks.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 2:06 pm:
===to a lot of people===
(Sigh)
=== === Any data backing that up.====
Nope===
Shoulda stopped your comment there.
- AD - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 2:18 pm:
===Shoulda stopped your comment there===
Thanks Willy. I don’t need data to know which way the wind is blowing, but since that’s the new standard, I’ll be expecting a data analysis to go with all 300 of your daily comments.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 2:21 pm:
===I don’t need data to know which way the wind is blowing===
This is truly comedy gold.
Are you trolling yourself?
- John Deere Green - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 2:26 pm:
==As Batman said==
Harvey Dent said that, but I digress.
- AD - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 2:36 pm:
=== Harvey Dent said that, but I digress.===
Good call. You’re right.
- ADA - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 3:08 pm:
The rules only apply to governor and his family when he wants them to. This is totally political and an attack on Trump.
Last year, the governor said that Trump shouldn’t withhold federal money from sanctuary cities but now the governor wants to withhold money from communities who don’t abide by his illegal orders.
Politics
- Anonymous - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 3:25 pm:
Rodney Davis ought to be an expert on losing creditability since he lost his a long time ago. Remember he said he supported requiring insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions when he voted many times to get rid of the requirement. Just one example of credibility gap.
- Demoralized - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 3:39 pm:
==who don’t abide by his illegal orders==
I don’t think you get to make that decision. Yours is only an opinion. Unless you wear a black robe and have authority to rule on that then nobody particularly cares what you think.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 18, 20 @ 6:23 pm:
Leader Durkin surfaces…
“This is a small amount of a few people that show up at events and do nothing but bring out hate and bring out the worst in people in this country. I find their actions contemptible and repugnant & I find them contemptible and repugnant as well”
Noting…
Doesn’t denounce Miller or Bailey for speaking.