* January 6…
Supporters of President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election gathered for hours on Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington, D.C. Tuesday, where speakers delivered Christian nationalist messages and veiled threats of violence if Congress failed to reject Biden electors on Wednesday.
“We should not accept this,” said former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who has called on Trump to declare martial law rather than concede. “Everybody in this country knows” that Trump won the election, Flynn claimed.
Standing in front of a sign declaring “MARTIAL LAW NOW,” so-called Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander led the crowd in chants of “Victory or death!” Alexander told activists, “Our government is only our government if it is legitimate” and declared, “1776 is always an option.” He said Stop the Steal activists are starting “a rebellion against the Deep State.”
“What’s going to start a civil war is if we legitimize a rigged and stolen election,” said political consultant Alex Bruesewitz, a friend of Alexander’s and a Stop the Steal colleague. “We will never acknowledge Joe Biden as the president of the United States.”.
* Alex Bruesewitz is now on board with the Lauf campaign…
Republican Catalina Lauf has hired GOP political consultant Alex Bruesewitz to help run her congressional campaign challenging Rep. Adam Kinzinger in IL-16.
Bruesewitz, who heads the conservative X Strategies consulting group in Washington, D.C. (and Palm Beach, Fla.), spoke at a Stop the Steal rally the day before the attack on the Capitol. He has criticized the violence, saying it allows Donald Trump’s critics to paint him as a threat.
Bruesewitz is now supporting Trump’s efforts to target Republicans who have opposed him, and it’s no surprise that one of the first to be identified in that vein is Kinzinger.
The congressman was one of 10 House Republicans who voted with Democrats to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Kinzinger has formed a “Country First” political action committee and movement focused on steering the Republican Party away from Trumpism.
Lauf is all in for Trump. She ran unsuccessfully for Congress in the 14th District in 2020 and spoke at the GOP national convention last summer.
- Lindenhurst Dem - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:14 am:
Thanks so much for the info rich, absolutely abhorrent. Worst part is how Kinzinger is almost certainly running vs duckworth (has put out text polls vs her multiple times and nrsc is targeting Tammy very hard) so lauf has a very good shot at winning in November. Plus there’s an even more extreme candidate Lombardi in the race as well who has the blessing of people like Nick Fuentes.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:18 am:
Lauf is a dangerous conspiracy theorists and one willing to say and push truly untrue things to undermine American Democracy
Outside that, Lauf is a carpetbagger who supports Trump, seeks Trump’s approval and all that means in racist thinking and insurrection of the American government.
Can’t be with Kinzinger more against her.
- don the legend - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:23 am:
It’s only because the former Seditionist in Chief pardoned Flynn that Flynn was free to say this crazy BS.
- LV147 - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:24 am:
@oswego Kinzinger is almost certainly running statewide, has put out text polls vs duckworth on multiple occasions. Also there an even more extreme candidate in the race too Jack Lombardi who has the blessing of people like Nick Fuentes.
- JS Mill - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:24 am:
Usually candidates try to bring in political “heavy hitters” for their campaign. Intead, Lauf is bringing in “Heavy Nitwitters”.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:25 am:
=== Kinzinger is almost certainly running statewide===
“Almost” is doing a great deal of work here.
“We’ll see”
- Token - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:26 am:
—Kinzinger is almost certainly running statewide—
He isn’t. Maybe he was, but he isn’t now.
- LV147 - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:28 am:
@Oswego this is true, NRSC is targeting Tammy heavily though probably with Adam in mind. Only real hope to stop lauf/Lombardi from winning the seat at that point is if Yednock runs as a dem I think.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:32 am:
=== probably===
Now it’s “probably” doing all the work here, lol
Let’s wait and see. “Probably” and “Almost” are not a certainty.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:33 am:
===Yednock===
… who is a Dem, as we are discussing the Trumpkin Primary.
Keep up, please.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:37 am:
=== almost certainly===
I’m almost certainly going to make the big club’s 26 man roster and join the Cubs opening day.
Nothing is certain right now.
There’s speculation, but no certainty… almost or not.
- Bored Chairman - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:38 am:
Hard pass.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:39 am:
Kinzinger has all but ruled out a statewide bid. And I believe him. Get back on topic, please.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:40 am:
Crazy times. The last couple years I see a lot of people who are plainly not in fighting shape talking about how badly they want another civil war in the United States. I guess the assumptions are a) someone else is going to fight it for me, and b) it won’t take place where I live.
I’m not sure what in the history of humanity or warfare could possibly be fueling those kinds of assumptions. The American right needs to get a grip on itself. I live next door to you people, you are not physically or mentally equipped for killing and dying in the streets of your country. Enough with the lunatic fantasies.
- "A Horse is a Horse" - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:43 am:
I can’t believe how many people I know who I thought were intelligent believe that the election was stolen from Trump. It is very scary. It has taken its toll on many relationships in this country.
- Crash - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:49 am:
It looks like Bruesewitz to be the one moderate on that campaign.
Joking of course but in the context of that campaign, he genuinely might be the one to the left.
- DuPage Saint - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:56 am:
Maybe she will actually win. I just cannot wrap my head around that or how far off the rails my old Republican Party has gone. I just thought she was auditioning for Fox TV
- Socially DIstant watcher - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 11:58 am:
Lauf may need to move even further south to find a district that’ll hear her message. But those districts are occupied, and one of them may be there come 2022.
- TheInvisibleMan - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 12:02 pm:
Another event led on stage by by Will County Board member Debbie Kraulidis, in one of her now infamous “Moms For America” rallies in DC, while skipping her first county board meeting in Illinois as a local elected official.
At the root of all of this is Dominion Theology. It just gets dressed with all these buzzwords.
Their end goal is a theocracy in the US, and they honestly believe they are on a religious mission to do so. Backing down would be considered blasphemy, which means there is only one way this can play out.
I hope people understand this. It isn’t going away. It is going to intensify.
- Left Leaner - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 12:17 pm:
VERY interested to see how the Illinois GOP handles this race. (tub of popcorn already in hand)
- Norseman - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 1:04 pm:
Left, the censure show that the IL GQP has gone all in on the sedition.
- lake county democrat - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 1:13 pm:
Kinzinger, as co-leader of the Republican “silent sane majority” movement, needed a clear test case to prove the Trumpists aren’t invincible. He got one.
PS - I imagine a fair map would help him.
- Rudy’s teeth - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 1:33 pm:
Perhaps Ms. Lauf could be the leading candidate to replace Vanna White on the Wheel of Fortune. Catalina could put her finger-waving to good use turning those letters.
Also, Vanna smiles but doesn’t speak. A silent, smiling Catalina would be most welcome.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 1:34 pm:
“VERY interested to see how the Illinois GOP handles this race.”
The ILGOP issued a statement previously, opposing Trump’s impeachment and blaming Kinzinger for stoking intra-party division and anger. The GOP base is with Trump. Pritzker was feeling down about his recent losses, until he looked over at the other party.
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 1:52 pm:
===Alex Bruesewitz ===
Writing checks to this guy seems like a pretty good way to risk having one’s bank accounts unceremoniously closed under post 9/11 banking laws once everything is said and done.
===The GOP base is with Trump.===
I am very prepared to be wrong about this but I feel it is worth noting that county parties and precinct committee organizations do not necessarily or even accurately reflect the views of what has traditionally been the GOP base.
The reason why I’m prepared to be very wrong about that is because I continue to be an optimist no matter how many times Republicans have risen at the opportunity to disappoint me.
- Pundent - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 2:11 pm:
If the GOP is unable to denounce conspiracy theorists and extremists it will continue to be defined by them. While that might win you an election here or there it doesn’t seem to be a long term formula for building the party or broadening its base. For me it’s not about being a Democrat or Republican it’s about choosing whether or not to live in an alternative reality.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 2:28 pm:
“views of what has traditionally been the GOP base”
Hopefully Trump’s absence from power will make GOP hearts grow less fond of him. I wish Kinzinger and the few anti-Trump GOP well in their daunting struggle to reclaim their party.
- CMZ - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 2:37 pm:
Honestly, if she were to win in a primary against Congressman Kinzinger I have a pretty good feeling that she’ll lose the General to whoever the Democratic candidate is. Those collar counties that Kinzingers district has may vote for a Republican like him but she’s far too extreme to win them in a General Election. I don’t understand how the GOP can’t see that…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 2:41 pm:
=== I don’t understand how the GOP can’t see that…===
Lauf and the conspiracy theorists and racists think they are “right” and as all these things are happening, Lauf is in it for her own thoughts to the warped idea of Trumpism.
If you’re looking for a logic, Lauf is not your touchstone.
The party?
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.”===
The party doesn’t care. Don Tracy tells me so
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 2:44 pm:
In a normal time this should solidify her reputation as an extremist nut job and end her campaign. But as we all know, that’s a feature and not a bug in today’s T/GOP.
- Independent - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 2:44 pm:
Larger trends don’t look good for Kinzinger. Blunt is yet another traditional conservative Senator forgoing a re-election bid in ‘22. Murkowski is probably in trouble, Rubio is praying he doesn’t get primaried. Republicans are picking up steam in their Trumpy purification movement. The IL primary is just over a year away. I wish Kinzinger well but twelve months is a short time especially when Republicans are doubling down on Trumpism.
- Thomas Paine - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 3:01 pm:
Roy Blunt retiring is not good news for the GOP. He is leaving and taking mainstream conservatives with him. Open seat races are much easier to flip.
Kinzinger is not running statewide and he certainly is not running scared from Catarina.
- TJ - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 3:04 pm:
The trap question for the next decade from all Democratic candidates for office to their Republican opponents has to be, “Do you think Biden’s election was fraudulent and did you support the efforts to prevent him being inaugurated?”
If they say yes, then that immediately alienates swing voters and serves as a rallying cry against for the left.
If they say no, then it puts a wedge in the Republican’s own base of support.
- CMZ - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 3:06 pm:
===Kinzinger is not running statewide and he certainly is not running scared from Catarina.===
That’s true. Seeing the debate will be interesting too and will definitely gives us a window on what’s going on national with the GOP as a whole. I’m just hoping that the GOP primary voters in that district don’t give in to the extreme wing of their party. I fear they will at the cost of another seat here in Illinois.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 3:11 pm:
Roy Blunt just turned 71 years old
Why is it considered strange to retire in a couple of years and not want to be in office into his late seventies?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 3:38 pm:
=== they may not be willing to go as far as Adam Kinzinger.===
Welcoming racists, insurrectionists, and conspiracy theorists isn’t an admirable thing.
Pick a name next time, thank you.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 4:44 pm:
“Murkowski is probably in trouble”
Nope. Alaska adopted a nonpartisan primary in the last election. Murkowski is safe.
- Huh? - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 4:45 pm:
Don’t bother shading my stoop. Won’t vote for you, the name of your hack doesn’t matter.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 5:43 pm:
===Yednock===
… who is a Dem, as we are discussing the Trumpkin Primary.
I think LV147’s comment is that, should Lauf win the R primary, the D’s would need to run a popular labor/2A centrist such as Yednock to be competitive in the general.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 8, 21 @ 6:47 pm:
=== should Lauf win the R primary, the D’s would need to run a popular labor/2A centrist such as Yednock to be competitive in the general.===
While true or not, the Lauf-Kinzinger dynamic is at play.
How the Dems look at it is different