Chicago GOP censures Kinzinger
Monday, Mar 1, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lynn Sweet…
Several Illinois county GOP organizations and the Chicago Republican Party have censured Kinzinger in the wake of his impeachment vote. The Chicago GOP party vote on Feb. 23 was among 34 ward committeemen; the organization has 16 of those 50 ward spots unfilled.
What’s noteworthy is that the Illinois Republican Party is not pursuing a Kinzinger censure.
According to the GOP party spokesman, the view of the new state GOP party chair, Don Tracy, is that the state party “will not be censuring Congressman Kinzinger. His goal is to unite the party and stop the circular firing squad.”
* Rick Pearson…
“Darkness has replaced light. Conspiracy has replaced truth. Division has replaced unity and worst of all, courage is fading and fear is rising,” Kinzinger said in a new video on behalf of his anti-Trump PAC.
“Rather than dispel the fear, most of our leaders stoke it. Gone are the days of inspiration. Now they amplify fear for their own selfish gain. Yet what’s good for them is bad for the nation,” said Kinzinger, who turned 43 on Saturday. “Division is widening. Anger is growing. Fear creates more fear, and it leads to the conflict that will tear America apart. Enough is enough.”
Kinzinger’s vote to impeach Trump and subsequent actions to take on Trump supporters have earned him a sanction of disapproval from the Illinois GOP and censure motions by county GOP organizations within his 16th Congressional District. He also now has an announced 2022 primary opponent, Catalina Lauf of Woodstock, who finished third in an unsuccessful bid last year for the GOP nomination in the 14th Congressional District.
Of Lauf, Kinzinger said that anyone declaring their candidacy against him now, so early in the campaign cycle and before new congressional district boundaries are drawn reflecting the 2020 federal census, are “making it clear that they have no interest in representing the people they live with. They’re more interested in representing the interests of a man.”
The video is here.
* Press release received yesterday…
Earlier this week, at a Zoom meeting of the Chicago Republican Party Central Committee, a resolution to censure Illinois Congressional Rep. Adam Kinzinger was presented, discussed and voted upon. The resolution passed and is presented below.
RESOLUTION OF THE CHICAGO REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE
WHEREAS, President Donald J. Trump was impeached by the United States House of Representatives without justification as there was not a proper investigation of the causes of the January 6, 2021 riot at the United States Capitol; and, Whereas President Trump was denied basic due process rights at the hasty and hyper-partisan impeachment proceedings conducted in the House of Representatives; and,
WHEREAS, subsequent and ongoing investigations of the riot have established that many of the unlawful activities were premeditated having been planned in advance of January 6, 2021 and therefore were not incited by President Trump’s speech delivered on that date; and,
WHEREAS, the resulting impeachment trial in the United States Senate was unconstitutional as the Senate lacked proper jurisdiction over a former President; and,
WHEREAS President Donald J. Trump was nonetheless acquitted by the Senate despite the unethical conduct of the House Managers throughout the trial; and,
WHEREAS, United States Representative Adam Kinzinger from the 16th Congressional District of Illinois has repeatedly engaged in conduct injurious to Republican Party harmony and unity in terms of his wholly unwarranted criticisms and defamatory attacks upon President Trump throughout the impeachment hearings and the trial before the United States Senate;
IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CHICAGO REPUBLICAN CENTRAL COMMITTEE:
RESOLVED, that Congressman Adam Kinzinger shall be and hereby is censured by this Committee; and
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chair is directed to transmit this Resolution to Representative Kinzinger and publicize the Resolution by means of an official press release to Illinois media outlets.
I certify that the above resolution was approved by affirmative vote of the Ward Committeepersons of the Chicago Republican Central Committee of the City of Chicago on February 23, 2021.
Stephen F. Boulton
Chair of the Committee
…Adding… The Chicago GOP is inconsequential in local races, but it has an important place in statewide bids…
- dan l - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:48 am:
lol
- BlueBin - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:49 am:
Gosh, I wonder why the Chicago GOP has had such a hard time connecting with voters. With actions like this, it demonstrates that they clearly have their fingers on the pulse of Chicago voters. /s
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:52 am:
Old, angry white…
Unless you believe in the cult, and see overt racism as acceptable in a party… or think an insurrection of our government is ok… or peddle conspiracy theories as fact…
… these “censurings” are the work of the old, angry white cultists who have forgotten what it means to *be* an American but want fascist thinking in our country.
I’m with Kinzinger.
It’s time to pick sides.
I truly appreciate those yelling at the top of their lungs, telling me who they are.
- May Soon Be Required - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:54 am:
Who Care?
- May Soon Be Required - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:55 am:
Who Cares?
- Rich Miller - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:55 am:
May Soon Be Required, you cared enough to post twice. Just sayin…
- SWIL_Voter - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:55 am:
Unlike people getting fired for violating HR policies by using racial slurs, this is actual cancel culture
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:55 am:
If the Chicago GOP doesn’t like him, they should vote him out… oh wait.
- Jocko - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:56 am:
Not that it would’ve made a difference in the Senate, but Trump’s ‘perfect’ phone call to Brad Raffensperger should have been the primary focus of impeachment. I don’t see how “Find me 11,780 votes” could be subject to interpretation.
- Pundent - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:56 am:
Sad that so many feel compelled to go on record of being on the wrong side of history. It’s gonna make it a lot more difficult for the inevitable backpedal.
- May Soon Be Required - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:57 am:
My bad. Tried catching that misspelled word as I know what a stickler you can be.
- Ok - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:01 am:
The whole premise of the GOP defense now is that the action at the capitol was premeditated, and not spurred by Trump’s Jan. 6 speech.
As if he had become inspired on Jan 6 himself to call the election stolen for the first time.
- Levois J - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:03 am:
How about filling those vacant GOP committeman spots and stop with these symbolic censures. Just sayin’!
- RetiredStateEmployee - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:05 am:
Blind allegiance to one man is not democracy. The republicans should embrace their hatred of democracy.
- Frumpy White Guy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:08 am:
Kinzinger did what we Democrats should do more often - resist partisanship. On a side note, is it just me or does Kinzinger have odd body language when doing interviews?
- Give Us Barabbas - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:10 am:
Adam has picked the only honorable path. If the common clay cultists in his party complain and reject him, it’s a badge of honor, really.
To have any chance going forward and courting the votes of moderates and cross-overs, Adam has to stay the course, and what he’s doing is what his entire party should be doing, if they ever want to be relevant in Illinois again. They have to break free of the Trumpist, hyper conservative brand and figure out what their future direction is, what they can do for people who are not elderly angry white billionaires.
- Earnest - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:14 am:
-lol
-Who Cares?
It’s not funny. It’s not unimportant. It’s a serious, credible and ongoing threat to our system of government, fully supported by one of our two major political parties.
- Not the Dude - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:19 am:
“Blind allegiance to one man is not democracy” Agree 100%.
- Amalia - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:19 am:
such stellar Chicago GOP lights like Kessem and Podgorski promoting things with Law and Order in big lights to cover their right wing nonsense.
- H-W - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:26 am:
Is a vote to censure an equivalence to a vote to support the actions of the former President?
- NIU Grad - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:29 am:
I was about to come in with a super snarky post, until I saw your update with the great context of how many GOP votes do come out of Chicago and how that has an impact statewide.
However, I’ll note that those votes happen despite of Chicago GOP’s work and not because of it…I doubt those Trump votes are there because a campaign operative knocked on someone’s door. One only needs to go on their website and look at all of the committeeman slots with a big “Vacant” listed next to it to assess how meaningless this organization is.
- Bruce( no not him) - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:32 am:
Adam Kinzinger’s response to the Chicago GOP…
“They have GOP there?”
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:33 am:
Cook County (with Chicago) has the largest block of GOP voters in the state.
Wordslinger would remind often this truth.
And yet, “they” can’t get their act together, or want of that, “building” for quite some time.
The supporting of a cult of personality over Kinzinger is a big deal to remind us all 1) votes count, not land 2) how deep the cult is… everywhere.
- SuburbanRepublican - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:36 am:
I’m sure this will help the Chicago GOP become relevant in city elections going forward. The Chicago GOP is such an embarrassment. Most GOP organizations are these days. Very sad to see. It is good to see Chairman Tracy not following this.
- Lincoln Lad - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:43 am:
All the true Republicans, not those worshipping the golden calf, need to act now to separate their beliefs or have the real party be forever lost. Kinzinger gets that, Cheney gets that - but where are all the others who know that, but remain silent? You can’t wait for others to do it for you…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:45 am:
=== It is good to see Chairman Tracy not following this.===
Yeah… ‘bout that…
=== “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,” read the Friday statement.
…
The Illinois GOP’s statement came a day after Kinzinger was one of 11 Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to strip freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, of her committee assignments over her past support for false conspiracy theories involving QAnon, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and mass-shooting incidents.
…
The state party’s rebuke of Kinzinger falls short of actions taken by other state parties against their GOP congressional members who voted for impeachment. Some have issued a censure, a statement of strong disapproval but carrying no formal penalties, against those representatives.===
Link? https://cutt.ly/OlXmY87
Let’s not congratulate the ILGOP or Tracy too quickly here.
- Pundent - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:45 am:
=Is a vote to censure an equivalence to a vote to support the actions of the former President?=
Presumably yes. And it doesn’t seem to be a path to relevance given the successive double digit losses in Illinois experienced by the former President. Doubling down on a candidate who clearly does not appeal to the majority of voters in IL doesn’t seem like a winning strategy. The only surprise is that what is apparent to Kinzinger is being lost by so many others.
- Your Mom - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:54 am:
Funny every time I hear the word Chicago I laugh out loud. Dem control for a 100 yrs how’s that worked out
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:55 am:
This weekend’s CPAC meeting sealed the deal. The GOP belongs to Trump, with the slogan of “Uncancel America.” Yet here it is again, “cancelling” another of their own for not being a Trump sycophant. There won’t be an intra-party war after all.
- JS Mill - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:58 am:
Cancel culture from the party that created a golden idol of trump on display at CPAC. It is getting harder and harder to stomach all the freedom and liberty talk from these guys.
Kinzinger has my vote.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 10:59 am:
=== Funny every time I hear the word Chicago I laugh out loud. Dem control for a 100 yrs how’s that worked out===
… and yet Republicans can’t win elections against the Dems.
That’s more of an indictment of the Republicans than the Dems.
Explain Big Bill Thompson in between your laughing. Thanks.
- Boone's is Back - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:00 am:
I used to think that Kinzinger’s anti-Trump comments were just political posturing for a likely run for Gov. However, after McCarthy, McConnell, etc. backed off their statements and Kinzinger has stayed the course I really give him credit. That’s a lonely mission and best of luck to him.
- VerySmallRocks - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:02 am:
Rep Kinzinger and other non-Trump conservatives increasingly remind me of monarchists after world wars I and Ii. Personably honorable and decent, but hopelessly out of date.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:05 am:
===… hopelessly out of date===
It’s never the wrong time to do the right thing.
Never.
I have my own reconciling with Kinzinger’s Trump years. That’s on me.
I’m with Kinzinger here, he’s right, he’s been right since 1/7, and every step after.
I’m sure Kinzinger will rest easy with my support. (That’s snark)
- Commisar Gritty - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:21 am:
“The Chicago GOP” has just about as much power as the Democrats of Alabama. Is it like 6 old white guys who sit around and quote John Kass at eachother? Is Kass one of those 6 guys? The answers to these questions matter about as much as their censuring of Kinzinger.
- dan l - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:21 am:
—-
Funny every time I hear the word Chicago I laugh out loud. Dem control for a 100 yrs how’s that worked out
—-
Every time I hear about places other than Chicago I have to google to find out if they really exist and then chuckle at the population.
- dan l - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:22 am:
—-
Rep Kinzinger and other non-Trump conservatives increasingly remind me of monarchists after world wars I and Ii. Personably honorable and decent, but hopelessly out of date.
—-
He voted for him in November. He’s not a non-trump conservative, he’s just playing one on TV.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:24 am:
=== He’s not a non-trump conservative, he’s just playing one on TV.===
… and yet, everyone is all upset Kinzinger voted to impeach.
If impeaching Trump isn’t enough to absolve Kinzinger, why this need to censure him?
Keep up, please.
- Miso - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:25 am:
Give us Barabbas
Dude, stop with the anti-Semitic tropes. This is the second time you’ve posted under that goofy name.
Do yourself a favor. Pick a different one.
- Commisar Gritty - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:26 am:
Also kudos to “Your Mom” at 10:54 am for giving as insightful and poignant a comment as someone would expect from that name.
- dan l - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:30 am:
—-
If impeaching Trump isn’t enough to absolve Kinzinger, what this need to censure him?
Keep up, please.
—-
I’m not sure that there is absolution for supporting that guy in any way, particularly after he killed a few hundred thousand with the botched pandemic response. That’s why I find Kingzinger’s fairly meaningless impeachment vote and subsequent media tour to be pointless. People who haven’t gone few qanon aren’t going to accept him because he’s still part of the problem, the qanon crowd is going to eat him alive. This was literally high risk with no tangible reward - unless he intends to run for governor and then maybe it differentiates him guys like our new downstate goober-natorial candidate.
- dan l - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:31 am:
—-
If impeaching Trump isn’t enough to absolve Kinzinger, what this need to censure him?
Keep up, please.
—-
Also, if he’s reformed from being a nutso, what’s with the anti-stimulus vote and the anti-equality vote? he sure took the trumper line on that, right?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:32 am:
=== That’s why I find Kingzinger’s fairly meaningless impeachment vote and subsequent media tour to be pointless.===
Your “whataboutism” ignores the politics of the party versus cult aspect.
You may think your own reconciling makes sense, frankly you’re looking for other reasons to bash… or see what’s really at play.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 11:33 am:
=== Also, if he’s reformed from being a nutso, what’s with the anti-stimulus vote and the anti-equality vote? he sure took the trumper line on that, right?===
Again, if you can’t grasp the politics to a cult versus the policy issues that party’s inherently have, that’s on you.
- Denny's Grand Slam - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 12:09 pm:
The only “Chicago GOP” member that matters is Ken Griffin.
- LakeCo - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 12:23 pm:
=== Funny every time I hear the word Chicago I laugh out loud. Dem control for a 100 yrs how’s that worked out===
Um, worked out to be the largest economic engine in the state, the third largest economic engine in the country, and a GDP bigger than many countries? That bankrolls the red counties of the state with its tax dollars?
- Shytown - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 12:41 pm:
There’s a Chicago GOP? (snark)
- Cheswick - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 12:58 pm:
Speaking of Dem control for a hundred years and as a side note, why didn’t Republican Heavy Hitters like Governors Rauner, Thompson and Ogilvie do more to boost the GOP in Chicago? Or is it just a lost cause?
- Amalia - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 1:27 pm:
@Commisar Gritty, Kass did move back into Chicago recently….
- Loop Lady - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 1:47 pm:
The GOP will make his re-election a living hell…
If he was the Rep in my district, this lifelong Dem would pull a GOP ballot in the primary…just an idea…
- Broom - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 2:18 pm:
OW that ILGOP quote on Kinzinger was when Schneider was chairman, not Tracy.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 2:25 pm:
Let’s look how Chairman Tracy sees racists, insurrectionists, and conspiracy theorists;
February 6th Capitol Fax
===“My number one priority is to give every Republican a seat at the table and give every Republican a voice. Regardless of our differences, Republicans are the only hope for turning Illinois around and keeping it from becoming…
…
So, whatever your political leanings, wherever you live - if you want to fight … It’s time to suit up, work together, and bring home some wins for the people of Illinois.”===
It appears on Don Tracy didn’t disagree with the state party on the statement.
- Cornfield Cowboy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 2:29 pm:
Money, Message and Manpower are the three things that win elections. In looking at money, the Chicago GOP has $1,265 in its account.
For a similar reference point, the Hardin County GOP (pop. 4400) reported $2,550 in its account.
- Commisar Gritty - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 2:39 pm:
@Amalia
I don’t know if Kass moved back to Chicago but it smells more like stale cigarettes so I presumed the answer was yes.
- Feldy - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 3:17 pm:
Chicago GOP usually can’t get more than 18% of the vote in their own jurisdiction, but they are spending time shooting daggers at a Republican from downstate? Explains a lot. Try to get to 22%.
- Denise - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 3:18 pm:
These comments are hysterical. The Chicago GOP. Who knew such an organization existed.
- The Ford Lawyer - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 5:20 pm:
Listening to clips from CPAC on the news this morning, I alternated between waves of nausea and depression. The Grand Old Party of my youth has been taken over by a modern day Willie Stark and a few people, like Adam Kinzinger and Ben Sasse are the only ones that haven’t fallen under the spell of the Kingfish. Good on Adam, shame on the Chicago GOP. If the party survives, it will be because of Kinzinger and his allies, and January 6, 2020 may surpass the Corrupt Bargain of 1876 as its darkest moment.
- Bonnie - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 6:16 pm:
Almost all of the vacancies are in black wards on west and south side. And the “chair” Steve Boulton is same guy who made that happen. Disenfranchised over a dozen committeemen supposedly for not being Republican enough. That was a few years ago. Then he loses in court all the way to appellate level. Now few want anything to do with the organization. He gets the chair title via votes of the few left. Total clown show.
- Tamisha - Monday, Mar 1, 21 @ 9:48 pm:
It’s true about that Steve Boulton guy helping Chris Cleveland kick most of the elected black GOP ward committeepersons out of Chicago GOP. Some were big Trump supporters and new to GOP. Then this Kinzinger resolution comes up and he abstains. Big man when it comes to kicking out blacks. Total coward on anything else.