* Sun-Times…
With fissures dividing the national Republican Party as it searches for direction and a message after the presidency of Donald Trump, the Illinois GOP is waging its own, lower profile quest for unity as members prepare to pick a new leader who can bring them together.
But rather than disagreeing over Trump, freshman Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, stolen elections or other conspiracy theories, the Illinois Republican Party’s challenge is to bridge ideological differences, reach out to minority and urban voters — and go back to winning elections.
Members of the state GOP committee are planning to meet Saturday to elect a successor to outgoing Chairman Tim Schneider, who’s been in the seat since 2014.
Illinois Republicans are hoping a new face at the head of their party will bring the “new energy” and “new ideas” needed to unite Republicans and “appeal to the most people possible” to make gains in the statehouse, Senate and other higher offices.
There’s some pretty good stuff in there, so go read the rest. But nothing about how to handle three dozen county party chairs who want “One Mind One Strength and No Division.”
…Adding… The Daily Herald has an interesting point about the weighted vote for party chairman…
That’s because the votes of the committee members — each representing one of the state’s congressional districts — are weighted based on the number of people who voted in the March 2020 Republican primary. Rural districts tend to have more Republican voters — and thus a higher weighted vote.
Of the state’s 18 districts, the 15th District, represented by Republican Mary Miller of downstate Oakland, had the most GOP voters in that election. The 18th District, represented by Republican Darin LaHood of downstate Dunlap, had the second-highest total. Third place went to the 14th District, represented by Democrat Lauren Underwood of Naperville.
Northeastern Illinois is overwhelmingly blue, with every Chicago-area congressional seat except one — Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s 16th — now held by a Democrat. That would have been unfathomable a generation ago, when the suburbs were solidly Republican.
Kinzinger’s district is exurban and rural.
* Tribune…
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois was one of 11 Republicans to cross party lines Thursday and support Democrats in stripping GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of her House committee assignments in a rebuke to her controversial past statements supporting false conspiracies and violence against politicians. […]
The vote to remove Greene, a freshman Republican from Georgia, from her positions on two committees, Education and Labor, and Budget, was 230-199. Except for Kinzinger, Illinois’ congressional delegation of 13 Democrats and five Republicans voted along party lines. […]
Appearing on CNN hours prior to the vote, Kinzinger noted that during the House Republican Conference held Tuesday night, Greene received a partial standing ovation, which he called an “embarrassment” and “disappointing by factor of a thousand.”
Kinzinger also was critical of House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy for not taking action to remove Greene from her committee posts.
* CNN…
Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger criticized House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Thursday for not taking action against far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and said the GOP leader “needs to stand for truth.”
“Kevin needs to be very clear that he’s going to stand for truth in this party,” Kinzinger told CNN’s John Berman on “New Day.” “He needs to stand for truth and he needs recognize this party, the future is not going down to Mar-a-Lago and being with Donald Trump.”
* And…
If his goal is to move the Overton window to the center for the national GOP after decades of rightward lurches, then I can see where he’s going here. And the Lincoln Project has proved there is money to be raised for this sort of message, so maybe his new PAC will take off (Lynn Sweet reports there has been a “strong response so far,” but didn’t specify any dollar amount). Other than that, his congressional career appears to be over and I’m not all that confident he can win a statewide primary here even if he gets really lucky.
*** UPDATE *** Press release…
Ten Republican members of the US House of Representatives have formally voted to impeach former President Donald Trump, and a few in the Senate may join them as well. This action has created widespread division and anger among the Republican party both nationally and here in Illinois. In response the Illinois Republican Party has released the following statement:
“We strongly disagree with any Republican, Congressman Adam Kinzinger included, who voted to impeach President Trump or those who vote to convict him in the U.S. Senate, but we will let the voters be the arbiters of any vote taken by an elected official.
As we prepare to select a new chairman of the Illinois Republican Party on Saturday, it’s our collective belief that uniting the party will be the single greatest endeavor of the new chairman. Our elected officials must unite behind defeating President Biden’s radical left-wing agenda. In just two weeks in office, the President has already given into extremists by cancelling the Keystone pipeline, refusing to enforce our immigration laws, and cowering to the teachers unions who refuse to educate our children in-person despite all the evidence of its necessity.
The stakes of the 2022 election here in Illinois - defeating Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, winning back congressional seats, and electing Republican judges to the Illinois Supreme Court - are too monumental to engage in a circular firing squad. We cannot play into Democrat hands by fighting amongst each other, so we encourage all Republicans to focus on the future rather than relitigating the past.”
- Tommydanger - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 9:57 am:
If he never wins another election, he will forever be remembered and appreciated for standing on principle and doing the right thing.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 9:58 am:
“move the Overton window to the center for the national GOP’
Arizona GA approves bill to overthrow elections they disagree with
Missouri GA just approved bill to punish MO police who try to enforce federal gun laws
Good luck with that.
- NIU Grad - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 9:59 am:
“after decades of rightward lurches”
While I respect what Kinzinger is going for here, I will continue to hold Republican politicians like him responsible for being part of the rightward shift that brought the party where it is now. Rather than stand up for strong governing principles, they have been fueling the outrage factory for years to win elections.
- Precinct Captain - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:00 am:
- Tommydanger - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 9:57 am:
Sounds like he’s the one who wants to be famous.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:01 am:
“Also waking up ‘literally laughing’ is not normal.”
Is anything about this bizarre person normal? Seriously, I am waiting for her to “literally spew bile.”
- don the legend - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:02 am:
All this GOP angst. Couldn’t happen to a nicer group of people.
- Dysfunction Junction - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:03 am:
As some others here have lately opined, I suspect that Kinzinger is not as focused on his future congressional career as his future gubernatorial one. Just sayin’.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:03 am:
Kinzinger’s moves make perfect sense if his end goal is to go back to where it all started and reclaim a seat on the McLean County Board.
Perfect place for him really. So anti-Trump that Biden and Durbin (!) won the county in 2020, but still so Republican that there is not a single Dem countywide officeholder.
Somehow I don’t think that is Kinzinger’s grand plan though.
- SAP - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:04 am:
With respect to Will Rogers: “I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Republican.”
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:06 am:
===Arizona GA approves bill===
Stop. I will say to you what I told someone else on a different thread this morning. If you can’t see the difference between an introduced bill and a passed bill, then go somewhere else.
- Breezy Town - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:06 am:
* , I will continue to hold Republican politicians like him *
Dude, you’re a democrat, so it hardly matters who you hold responsible.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:09 am:
“new energy” and “new ideas”
The GOP is and has been about austerity and supply side economics. In Illinois the richest person and his wealthy allies lead the charge to not pay more taxes and are demanding cuts. They want to cut pensions even though they were already cut. It’s not a “change” party. These policies benefit the wealthy donor base. Can’t put lipstick on it and repackage it.
- Amalia - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:09 am:
for a party that is supposed to be about personal freedom, Kinzinger sure loves limiting the rights of women.
- Breezy Town - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:10 am:
** not as focused on his future congressional career as his future gubernatorial one **
Getting out of a Republican primary may prove more difficult than retaining his congressional seat.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:10 am:
=== as his future gubernatorial one. Just sayin’.===
Kinzinger is waxing poetic and standing tall and proud against racists, insurrectionists, and conspiracy theorists… on a national stage… Kinzinger isn’t thinking of a move to own things DCFS, DOC, or all things wonky to a state.
It’s re-elect or senate. Otherwise every word and way of this towards governor makes zero sense.
- SWIL_Voter - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:13 am:
There was like 10x more caucus support for kicking Liz Cheney out than Marjorie Taylor Greene
- JS Mill - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:29 am:
=Kinzinger sure loves limiting the rights of women.=
Being on a house committee is not a “right”. The GOP putting her on the house education committee is one of the most sickening committee placements I have ever heard of.
I hope she keeps talking though. I wouldn’t give her the pleasure of booting her from congress, she was lawfully elected and should stay so long as she continues to win elections. She will do more to hurt the GOP on a national level than hundreds of millions worth of campaign ads can ever hope to achieve.
The bigger concern for me is direction it seems much of rural America and non-urban/suburban southern America is going. They have moved back to early 20th century thinking and attitudes. And the whole “2nd Amendmenter” thing is baffling. When did we become so consumed by guns? That is coming from a gun owner/hunter/CCL holder. Guns just do not dominate my life given that gun “rights” have expanded over the last decade in Illinois to an extent not seen in very long time.
- Lake Effect - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:30 am:
The Lincoln Project just proved that Dem donors are easily grifted
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:33 am:
=== The Lincoln Project just proved that Dem donors are easily grifted===
Well, if that’s the complete case then… the racists, insurrectionists and conspiracy theorists already won, and Dems might marginalize these folks easier than anticipated.
- Responsa - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:34 am:
Might be a good idea for Adam to pull back a bit and refresh his memory about the story of Icarus and the sun.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:36 am:
=== Adam to pull back a bit and refresh his memory about the story of Icarus and the sun.===
Why?
That only makes sense if Kinzinger sees racists, insurrectionists, and conspiracy theorists as folks he wants to align with and attract.
It’s an odd analogy to say the least.
- Actual Red - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:40 am:
The reality is that supply side economics and austerity are not all that popular with the voting public. Trump’s absolute dominance of the republican party while pretending to reject these ideas illustrates the point. The republican party is popular, to the extent that it is popular, because of conservative cultural politics. There just is not much electoral appetite for fiscally conservative cultural moderates (not zero, just not that much). While many GOP leaders are still die-hard free marketers, their voters are not.
All of this to say, I don’t see Kinzinger and others like him having much of a place in our modern political landscape. MTG is much closer to the typical Republican than he is.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:42 am:
===… is much closer to the typical Republican than he is.===
“The party of racists, insurrectionists, and conspiracy theorists”
Welp, Bost, LaHood… Mary Miller.. Rodney Davis see that too I suppose.
Their votes say so.
- Pundent - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:43 am:
Right now Art Jones would be more welcome in the Republican party than Adam Kinzinger. Let that sink in.
- TheInvisibleMan - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:46 am:
=== one of the most sickening committee placements I have ever heard of. ===
This is a pattern that has repeated in many places. In my county, the GOP put a stop-the-steal *organizer* on the legislative and judicial committee, and a covid-denier on the public health and safety committee. It’s the same person.
They seem to think this is funny.
- Jen R - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:47 am:
==When did we become so consumed by guns?==
It didn’t help that gun manufacturers have been telling people for decades that the uncivilized horde is coming to kill them and take their stuff so they need to be prepared for all-out war.
- Anotheretiree - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:47 am:
To whoever decides these things, when will she be shortened to MTG ?
- Breezy Town - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:57 am:
* gun manufacturers have been telling people for decades that the uncivilized horde is coming to kill them *
Do tell. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an ad containing such information.
- JS Mill - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 10:59 am:
=I don’t think I’ve ever seen an ad containing such information.=
Ever been to an NRA meeting, gun store, small town cafe at breakfast, MTG rally, Trump rally…the list goes on.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:02 am:
===I don’t think I’ve ever seen an ad containing such information.===
#AlternativeFacts
- Norseman - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:05 am:
I say fire, ready, aim. I’m hopeful that a phoenix dedicated to democracy, governing and ethic arises from the ashes.
- Breezy Town - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:05 am:
JS Mill-
What do you call the anti gun bills that are filed every session? You complain about those who support gun rights, but have the audacity to get a ccl, something you wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for their efforts. Seems pretty hypocritical to me.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:08 am:
=== What do you call the anti gun bills that are filed every session?===
“It’s just a bill”
Rich has posts on these bills all the time.
You do know the difference between bills and passed legislation, right?
- Breezy Town - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:11 am:
Yes OW, I also know the meaning of the word “intent”.
- JoanP - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:12 am:
==Kinzinger sure loves limiting the rights of women.=
=Being on a house committee is not a “right”.=
I don’t think Amalia was referring to that. I think she was referring to Kinzinger’s position on reproductive rights.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:14 am:
===“intent”===
Like.. the intent of the straw man fallacy of bills becoming laws but fundraising off that fear… that intent?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:16 am:
I guess I keep looking for these bills to limit… that are such a “surprise” that they pass…
Happens all the time with 2A bills… folks flipping left and “left” to limit things… just clear outta the blue.
- Inbox - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:17 am:
As a “normal Republican” I don’t think people understand how much enthusiasm there is for Kinzinger among folks like me. We are out here wandering in the desert and he is one of the only members of Congress speaking for us. And we are a lot of those suburban, college educated voters who left Trump in double-digit numbers this election, so there are more than a few of us.
- harp5339 - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:23 am:
Apparently Marjorie Taylor Greene thought this was a real news article:
https://politics.theonion.com/pundits-warn-removing-marjorie-taylor-greene-from-commi-1846198622
- Dotnonymous - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:24 am:
Normal and Republican are increasingly unrelated concepts.
- Breezy Town - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:24 am:
So are you saying when someone files a bill it’s “just for fun”? There is no “intention” of it passing? That the GA member is not taking their position seriously, wasting taxpayer time and money on pointless committee hearings and printing reams of paper?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:27 am:
=== So are you saying when someone files a bill it’s “just for fun”? There is no “intention” of it passing?===
Are you new to things or just a lemming or a mark?
=== That the GA member is not taking their position seriously, wasting taxpayer time and money on pointless committee hearings and printing reams of paper?===
Facebook… down the dial… along side “tin foil hats” and “gullible ways to grift”
- Bonnie - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:41 am:
When the IL GOP talks about “unity” what they really mean is just shut up about how our inept officials have no clue how to build a winning party organization, even if they were really interested in doing that, which they aren’t. Good grief they won’t even offer a transparent party chair selection process. It’s all closed door. Total joke.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:43 am:
===so are you saying when someone files a bill it’s “just for fun”? There is no “intention” of it passing? ===
Not always, but often. But what I’m really saying is it’s just a bill. And if you can’t tell the difference between an introduced bill and a passed bill, then you need to go to another website. Now. Questions?
- JS Mill - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:44 am:
=What do you call the anti gun bills that are filed every session? You complain about those who support gun rights, but have the audacity to get a ccl, something you wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for their efforts. Seems pretty hypocritical to me.=
Reading is fundamental and the irony of your self-own is not lost on me. You complain about “anti-gun” legislation (spoiler alert, gun control isn’t generally “anti-gun” but in you want to make it that, are you pro-mass shooting?)
My lament was clearly stated about peoples obsession with guns and one out of 27 amendments. They basically don’t care about 99% of our constitution.
That is not hypocrisy, it is about being able to be self critical and honest. I support hunting and gun ownership but within reason and we need to find a way to reduce violence and gun violence. No amendment is without limitations as the USSC has determined time and time again.
To your question- I call gun bills just that. The bills to allow concealed carry were far more successful than the bills to limit ownership.
Peace be with you.
- Todd - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 11:58 am:
OW
“Happens all the time with 2A bills… folks flipping left and “left” to limit things… just clear outta the blue.”
It does two years ago it was the dealer bill which drove 50% of the dealers out of business. the flipping occurred by several republicans who thought it would save their skin in the election, it didn’t. It happens every few years when the repubs decide to slice off another hunk in an effort of appeasement.
And I know we won the carry fight — mostly, but it was not because of anything the legislature did it was because when they had a chance they decided to roll the dice with the courts and we won.
Lots of bills get introduced for a press pop or try to stir the base. I get it. But then things with bland titles get moving, but they contain a whole lot of other stuff in them like last years fix the FOID bill. it was held by a narrow margin in the senate. And yet with all of State Police’s SNAFUs, they still want to pile more on.
up until the last election there was always a sense of blue dog dems and the rural ones sticking up against their party on a lot fo the gun issue. but with Beto, Harris and others trying to out do themselves on confiscating guns, what was once symbolic or “its just a bill” takes on new meaning as during the last year they were openly touting confiscating people firearms and forcing buy back of them. IT was even on the Presidents website. So what was once whispered in back rooms has made mainstream dem politics. and when rural or conservatives or republicans see those bills and hear those statements they take them and the bills at face value. They don’t do nuance. they see an all out attack on their right.
Add that with the Mayors telling the cops to not aggressively dell with the situation people are more worried than ever. Why do you think there are 7 million new gun owners?
NRA has largely been sidelined this last year with an internal feud and the New York AG. Can’t say they are leading the charge to stoke the buying frenzy as most of the platforms they had are gone.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 12:05 pm:
- Todd -
With respect, isn’t that why there are lobbyists to track actual legislation, it’s status, and work bills?
Like I said, not out of the blue, or “new”, even as you said, whispers, they are still heard, no?
If anyone, I’d hope you’d know where I stand and making the case that this idea of sneaky runs counter to the premise that lobbyists are needed to do the job… aren’t they already there?
Hope you’re well, stay warm.
- Jocko - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 12:10 pm:
I’m beginning to suspect that MTG’s apology before Congress wasn’t sincere. /S
To the post, unless Adam is trying to bring in the bucks, I don’t see his endgame…particularly when 201 colleagues left him out in the cold.
- train111 - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 12:11 pm:
The 32 counties in the “One Mind One Strength No Division” yesterday represent 8.25% of the vote cast statewide last November. The 14 counties Biden won represent about 75% of the vote cast in November.
Just sayin…
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 12:12 pm:
=== “We strongly disagree with any Republican, Congressman Adam Kinzinger included, who voted to impeach President Trump or those who vote to convict him in the U.S. Senate, but we will let the voters be the arbiters of any vote taken by an elected official.
As we prepare to select a new chairman of the Illinois Republican Party on Saturday, it’s our collective belief that uniting the party will be the single greatest endeavor of the new chairman. Our elected officials must unite behind defeating President Biden’s radical left-wing agenda.===
If you are welcoming racists, insurrectionists, conspiracy theorists and applaud LaHood, Mary Miller, Bost… Rodney Davis that voting not to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection should be… something to move on from..
Then the Trump Party of Illinois has its base…
Racists. Insurrectionists. Conspiracy theorist.
The ILGOP is cool with that?
“Ok”
- Uma - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 12:16 pm:
The Republicans only hope of keeping their party together is if QAnon comes out in favor of Trump’s impeachment. The Trumpers will never be satisfied until all other Republicans have capitulated completely or have changed political parties. They seem to enjoy the power in being able to threaten armed insurrection as a way to attempt impose their social values on to the nation. Any leader not willing to incite these flames of passion is simply intolerable.
- Pundent - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 12:25 pm:
=We strongly disagree with any Republican, Congressman Adam Kinzinger included, who voted to impeach President Trump=
As a suburban voter in an area that used to be reliably Republican I find this statement lacking in context. Certainly if you can rant on Biden’s radical left-wing agenda you should also be capable of articulating why you feel it is appropriate to stand behind our former President while condemning those that don’t.
- NIU Grad - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 12:27 pm:
“cancelling the Keystone pipeline, refusing to enforce our immigration laws,”
Ah yes, zeroing in on those issues Illinoisans care about most. They’re trapped in a cult and they know it.
- Muddy trail - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 12:57 pm:
== Add that with the Mayors telling the cops to not aggressively dell with the situation.==
That didn’t happen.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 1:00 pm:
“We strongly disagree with any Republican, Congressman Adam Kinzinger included, who voted to impeach President Trump or those who vote to convict him in the U.S. Senate”
This statement and position of the super-minority party can be used as a masthead for every Democratic attack. It looks like a flag of surrender, giving in to the base. Is this done knowingly, where the calculation is, we will stay the super-minority party but comfortable in our districts? Given the party’s weakness, it seems so irrational.
- Todd - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 1:15 pm:
OW –
I’m not making the argument of sneaky. The GOP flips usually try to conceal their change to minimize the outrage on the front side.
And we try to pick up on that and usually when someone like Dave Harris or others won’t talk to you or give you an answer you get a sense of what is happening. But you can’t control when someone outright lies to you.
This issue is what were whispers now seem to be mainstream positions that the media doesn’t even question. we’ve heard them, just lots of people here think gun guys/gals are nuts when when they talk about having guns confiscated. The first retort is usually something along the lines what did Obama take your guns?
had a bill made it to his desk he would have gladly signed it and let it happen. Today we have a President to campaign on treating common firearms as if they are machineguns or face confiscation.
And when 2A types talk about these things they get mocked. Ok. But the march towards these types of radical proposals keeps inching forward. And lots of people are getting fed up. We will see if the new SCOTUS puts down a marker, My bet is we won’t get a case there till the fall and by then we should see if Biden tries to move on anything gun related.
In the mean time, there will be a run on guns, mags and ammo because while some think politicians just say things to get elected, people I know are taking them at their word they want to confiscate firearms.
- Amalia - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 1:21 pm:
@JoanP, correct, and thank you. Kinzinger is a NARAL zero. He’s against rights for women, reproductive freedom.
- X suburban mayor - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 1:33 pm:
Who the party chooses on Saturday will either save or further the death of the Republican Party that Trump has started which is not the great party of the past
- EssentialWorkingMom - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 1:37 pm:
== He’s against rights for women, reproductive freedom. ==
Unlike Kinzinger’s votes to impeach Trump and remove MGT, I think these two things align him more with what has been long established in the Republican party. Not saying that Kinzinger is a saviour or a saint, but he is kind of a quick burst of fresh air and a voice of reason/common sense, in an otherwise gloomy outlook for the current state of the R party. Same goes for Sen. Sasse (who I had previously thought was an immense tool). Not going to say I agree with all things these gentleman do or say, but I’m listening right now.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 1:52 pm:
It’s a Friday and I’ve been trying to avoid things that might ruin my afternoon, so wading into this thread is something I do with hesitation.
I think Representative Kinzinger was expecting to find more friends when he embarked upon this path than he has turned out to actually have.
Right now he is a banner for voters, supporters, and donors to flock to but this is perhaps more of a project than he anticipated. He needs to continue to be that banner of whatever it is he thinks the GOP should be for long enough for others to rally behind him and then as soon as possible he is going to need to hand that banner over to someone else that didn’t spend the last 4 years debasing themselves to suddenly find their principles when they thought it was going to be politically expedient.
Adam is a Leopard getting his face eaten by the other Leopards. He is partly responsible for the mob that is howling at him, but the only way out of this is for him to stay there till there’s an apparatus to support the faction he tried to lead before it existed.
- Norseman - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 2:24 pm:
Rich, I’m sorry to go a little off post to respond to a comment left in this thread and I hope you bear with me with a response.
I want the ability to purchase an automatic machine gun and RPGs to defend my family against the racist militias that are running rampant. My daughter is in a category hated by these groups and I’m not that great of a shot and most of these militia types are combat trained. I may have a chance with that kind of firepower.
Most sane readers will think that request is nuts. I agree.
The A2 rights groups love to point to the extreme to justify the extreme. The radicalism excuse is a phony crutch used by A2 types to say no to any reasonable restrictions on guns. No to restrictions on ownership by the mentally ill. No to keeping guns out of schools. No to assault weapons strictly designed to kill people – although we lived happily during the period when assault weapons were banned enacted during Reagan – wasn’t he a Republican.
It used to be that folks were interesting in protecting the right of hunters to have long guns and for handguns for self-defense purposes, a point I have no problem with since I have three guns myself. Now A2 NRA extremists refuse any restrictions. We now have domestic terrorists walking the halls of capitols leering over the galleries at legislators. Radical lawmakers get their thrills trying to carry weapons into the House of Representatives chamber. I still recall the terror wrought by the killing of a guard and a good man in the Illinois Capitol.
To try to stir back to the post, the Republicans have used limited examples of radicalism and create phony narratives of larger radicalism to justify their own anything that keeps them in power radicalism. Lies, corruption and cleansing of their ranks of individuals who seek to act responsibly and within the confines of the constitution as in reads in its entirety.
It’s time for this failure of a party to be replaced by people of character who are dedicated to serving the country and not their personal power.
- King Louis XVI - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 2:25 pm:
–If he never wins another election, he will forever be remembered and appreciated for standing on principle and doing the right thing.–
If he never wins another election, he – and other pols – will forever remember the electoral value of “standing on principle.”
- Amalia - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 2:26 pm:
@EssentialWorkingMom, my pals who are Republicans, or should I say were even before Trump and Q, specifically do not like the anti choice stance that has overwhelmed most of the party. this is not long established but rather a vestige of 1980. My formerly Republican pals were part of the traditional liberal wing of the party which is drowned out with such ridiculous actions as being against insurance covering birth control pills and declaring a fertilized egg equal to live born humans.
- OneMan - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 2:36 pm:
This progression has been going on for a while at the local level (at least in my neck of the woods) and as power decreases this movement is going to increase. Unless something really changes soon, the Illinois Republican Party is going to be too toxic for some people to be associated with it (and give it money)
- Pundent - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 2:57 pm:
=Not saying that Kinzinger is a saviour or a saint, but he is kind of a quick burst of fresh air and a voice of reason/common sense, in an otherwise gloomy outlook for the current state of the R party.=
I can disagree with Kinzinger on matters of policy. I can’t disagree with him on matters of reality.
- Last Bull Moose - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 3:39 pm:
To use language from the 50’s; we have Q members, Q sympathizers, and Q fellow travelers. I would like to put them in a Quiet place with high walls. But that would be un-American.
Not sure how we get these people back to accepting democracy and living in our reality.
- SuburbanRepublican - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 3:45 pm:
It seems that the ILGOP is only interested in uniting the Party around the failed leadership of Donald Trump. They only want Republicans to vote their conscience when it’s in line with the Party. 2018 was a brutal year for the GOP in Illinois and 2022 could be just as bad if we nominate someone whose loyalty is only to a former President and not actually advancing conservative policies in Illinois. It’s ironic that people like Congressman Kinzinger are considered RINOs yet he has a 90%+ voting record supporting Trump’s policies. SMH.
- Anyone Remember - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 4:02 pm:
“… refusing to enforce our immigration laws, … .”
Still amazed the GOP, usually an advocate doing things in a cost effective manner, enforce immigration laws in such a cost ineffective manner. Rather than concentrate on individuals, concentrate on employers – Social Security Administration records show who they are. Restrict a search to gao.gov for “Earning Suspense File” – the data is there, use it.
- Your Mom - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 4:21 pm:
We all condemn ridiculous comments but where was Kinzinger on Maxine Waters and Chuck Schumer’s crazed comments against legislators and the Supreme Court?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Feb 5, 21 @ 4:23 pm:
===… but where…===
(Sigh)
This is an intra-party struggle, not an assessing of inter-party politics