Um, no
Friday, Jul 9, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Washington Examiner…
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has requested President Joe Biden send federal troops to her city amid a rising crime wave, an offer she previously rejected under former President Donald Trump.
Um, no. To even think that is totally silly.
* Lynn Sweet…
A day after Mayor Lori Lightfoot talked with President Joe Biden at O’Hare Airport about the extra resources he promised to combat crime in Chicago, the mayor said Thursday more federal help will come “relatively soon.”
Lightfoot also dismissed as false a report from a conservative news outlet that she asked Biden to send troops to Chicago, a story that seemed the peg for a Fox News reporter to ask White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki about it at the Thursday briefing. […]
“And no, we don’t need federal troops; we need federal resources of a different kind. And I’ve been very vocal about that; really vocal about both issues since 2019, and I talked at length last summer about the Trump administration’s disastrous policy of sending troops into cities like Portland and Seattle, which was an unmitigated disaster. Troops don’t know how to do local law enforcement. They’re not interchangeable,” Lightfoot said.
* Meanwhile, last week in Politico…
SCOOP: Democratic Rep. Dave Vella and Republican Rep. Tom Bennett, assistant minority leader, had planned a bipartisan legislative update over lunch tomorrow, but the invitation rankled Republicans who didn’t see the benefit of such public camaraderie. There was even talk about some GOP members calling a caucus meeting to voice their concerns. Their view: “Why would our leader co-host a Democratic meet-and-greet?”
The event didn’t just cross party lines, it crossed district lines, too. Vella is in the 68th District and Bennett in the 106th. Vella thought it would be a good way for lawmakers to get to know his district, he told Playbook. “My goal is to bring as many people as I can to look at the manufacturing, trade schools, and restaurants that are here,” he said. It’s about “reaching across the aisle.”
But before anyone could RSVP, Bennett had to bow out, said Vella. “He wasn’t able to make it.”
Um, no.
Anyone who knows anything about Leader Bennett knows that he holds these luncheons all the time, with members of both parties. Vella, a Tier One target, made the mistake of promoting the lunch as some sort of big event and Bennett decided he’d rather not participate. Also, while there may have been some talk among the more extreme elements of the HGOP caucus, the caucus chair told me nobody ever asked him about holding a meeting to discuss this topic.
* And if this had been such a thing, then today’s Politico story never would’ve happened…
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is giving a new meaning to bipartisan campaign reform. He’s holding a fundraiser tonight with Republican state Rep. Joe Sosnowski.
It’s a rooftop event overlooking the Cubs game against the Cardinals. Welch and Sosnowski have done this before. They split the tickets they sell and do their own sales and promotion.
Back when Welch was just another Democratic rep, it seemed like a nice way to show that lawmakers can work across the aisle. Now that Welch is House speaker, the gesture takes on a whole new meaning.
It plays into Welch’s pitch for bipartisanship — something he’s talked about since becoming speaker in January — and his efforts to show that it’s here to stay. It could benefit Sosnowki. Even Republicans want time with the speaker, after all.
Sosnowski is no RINO. He’s a staunch Republican.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 9:48 am:
If sending in a Federal strike force of career civil servants to target gun crime is a good idea now why wasn’t it a year ago?
- Been There - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 10:04 am:
==== He’s holding a fundraiser tonight====
Nitpicking here but if you thought about going it’s a 1:20 game today.
- 1st Ward - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 10:11 am:
Why does Welch care/want bipartisanship with supermajorities in the house/senate? At worst he will have majorities for many years to come. Is this for personal branding and ambition of potentially seeking higher office down the line?
- Cheryl44 - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 10:12 am:
~If sending in a Federal strike force of career civil servants to target gun crime is a good idea now why wasn’t it a year ago?~
Not that I think it’s a good idea at all, but right now we don’t have a CiC who is would bomb Chicago because we didn’t vote for him.
- Levois J - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 10:17 am:
If I understand correct the federal gov’t under trump send U.S. Marshals and Customs Agents to Seattle and Portland to protect federal property. I think that’s a long way from federal troops which to me means anything from active duty military to nat’l guard.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 10:23 am:
===Why does Welch care/want bipartisanship===
What’s the harm?
- 1st Ward - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 10:24 am:
Given the judiciary is a co-equal branch of government fire bombing a federal courthouse for months on end should be met with a strong federal response just like insurrectionists storming the capitol to try and stop the legislature from voting.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 10:26 am:
=== Is this for personal branding and ambition of potentially seeking higher office down the line?===
After decades of one man as Speaker, ya think, even with a limit on how long one can *be* Speaker, Welch is thinking eight years down the road (if he stays Speaker, if they stay in the majority) with this?
The legislature should strive for bipartisanship whenever and wherever it can. It’s good for the system.
- Westender - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 10:41 am:
Why is everyone always talking about the National Guard coming to Chicago and not St. Louis or Indianapolis - two cities with higher death rates per population than Chicago? Is it because they are in red states with laxxed gun laws and no one wants to talk about reality?
- 1st Ward - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 10:51 am:
“What’s the harm?”
There’s pluralities in both parties that believe bipartisanship doesn’t/can’t work and often hurts more than it helps. Do CTU/DSA candidates at the State House think about compromising on their bills based on republican’s and IPI feedback?
- Leap Day William - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 10:54 am:
=== Why is everyone always talking about the National Guard coming to Chicago and not St. Louis or Indianapolis - two cities with higher death rates per population than Chicago? Is it because they are in red states with laxxed gun laws and no one wants to talk about reality? ===
In the words of PM Francis Urqhardt, “you might very well think that, I couldn’t possibly comment.”
- 17% Solution - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 11:16 am:
=== If sending in a Federal strike force of career civil servants to target gun crime is a good idea now why wasn’t it a year ago?===
Forgot about John Lausch and Operation Rescue?
- Amalia - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 11:29 am:
so many on the right are missing the difference, including one vocal Chicago alderman who whined that now she will take the assistance when she refused the previous president’s offer. he offered troops, not really anything else. Biden takes a broad brush approach, enforcement and prevention. big difference.
- bob - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 11:46 am:
Silly?Over a hundred wounded and about twenty killed last weekend. Could be a lot of things but silly is not one of them.
- Responsa - Friday, Jul 9, 21 @ 1:38 pm:
==right now we don’t have a CiC who is would bomb Chicago because we didn’t vote for him.==
Gotta say that’s a pretty bizarre out of left field statement to be posted on here.
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