* We talked about a Richard Irvin fundraising email yesterday. Lynn Sweet based her latest column partly on Irvin’s attacks on Chicago…
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said GOP candidates for governor, making crime — especially in Chicago — central campaign themes should think twice about damaging the city’s reputation.
“Vilifying the economic engine of your state just strikes me as a really foolhardy strategy,” she told the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday. […]
Irvin said, if governor, he would be “removing liberal prosecutors who look to decriminalize acts of violence.” That seems aimed at Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
A governor can’t get rid of an elected official — no matter their politics. What he means is a ripe question for Irvin, who has yet to do interviews with reporters.
Lightfoot said there are “definitely productive ways in which a governor can be helpful. But anybody who thinks that they’re going to solve crime by sitting in Springfield and lobbing bombs obviously doesn’t understand the first thing about public safety.”
Same could be said of being mayor, but I digress.
* Meanwhile, there was an awkward moment at the governor’s press conference yesterday when told that Mayor Lightfoot had endorsed his reelection bid this week and was asked if he planned to do the same for her when she runs..
Well, I appreciate. I have not heard that. That’s very kind of her. And, and yeah, I mean, I think, you know, the, what I can say is, there’s nobody running, as far as I know, for mayor. And I think, you know, the mayor has worked well with me, especially as we have addressed the pandemic, broadly. And so, you know, we have a good relationship. And, you know, I, I know we’ll keep working together to make sure we’re keeping people safe and healthy.
Lightfoot’s comments from earlier…
I fully support Gov. Pritzker. And that’s what I’m focused on.
- PublicServant - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:27 am:
=== Vilifying the economic engine of your state just strikes me as a really foolhardy strategy ===
Well it is foolhardy, but Irvin is no fool. He’s just a grifter taking Griffin’s money, and he’ll speak whatever words he’s told to speak.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:30 am:
Maybe it’s more Lightfoot hanging her star on Pritzker than Lightfoot using her star to highlight Pritzker?
Who’s actually polling better these days?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:31 am:
=== Lightfoot endorsing Irvin===
Huh?
- Arsenal - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:35 am:
==Lightfoot endorsing Irvin is the whole bag.==
It is literally in the post that she endorsed JB?
To the post…
Irvin getting into an anti-Chicago routine would be pretty devastating to the Griffin Experiment. I thought that that fundraising email yesterday walked up to the line, but did not cross it.
But MLL might just get him those last few inches.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:37 am:
It certainly is lonely being the only elected Democrat confronting the teacher’s Union’s walkout and demanding accountability for public safety from Cook County Prosecutors and Judges
- Back to the Future - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:38 am:
As surprised at Mayor Lightfoot’s endorsement of JBP as he appeared to be.
Not that anyone has filed against him or started a petition drive yet or will file in the primary, but why not wait for the primary to play out.
- Steve - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:38 am:
-Vilifying the economic engine of your state-
Will big cities like Chicago be economic engines of job creation in the coming decade? I have doubts considering how popular working from home has become for many who can do their job that way.
- DrurysMissingClock - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:39 am:
@OW I gotta imagine JB is polling higher inside city limits these days.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:45 am:
===imagine===
“Pretty sure” is where I fall. Yep.
- El Duderino - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:45 am:
Lightfoot is such an incredibly politically-inept elected offficial.
- New Day - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:45 am:
That’s great stuff. She endorsed me? Really. Wow. Did anyone see those texts? She endorsed me? Wow.
- past - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:46 am:
JB’s awkward response reminds me of Rich Daley’s awkward comment that he was for Poshard basically because Poshard had won the primary and when you win the primary, you’ve won the primary.
Not a ringing endorsement.
- supplied_demand - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:48 am:
> Will big cities like Chicago be economic engines of job creation in the coming decade? I have doubts considering how popular working from home has become for many who can do their job that way.
According to venture capital funding, yes. “Chicago startups raised a record $7 billion in 2021″ [1]. As long as the state’s best universities, the bulk of it’s population, and newly formed companies are in Chicago; it will be the economic engine.
[1] https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/inno/stories/inno-insights/2022/01/14/chicago-tech-companies-raised-a-record-7b-in-2021.html
- Lincoln Lad - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:53 am:
Irvin is well on the road to losing his chance for the Chicago vote he was chosen to crack. I hope it is all about the money for him… at least that would explain the launch so far.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:53 am:
New Day, I’m still chuckling about it.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:53 am:
===he was chosen to crack===
You’re looking at this wrong.
- fs - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:59 am:
Does Irvin need to report this as a campaign contribution from Mayor Lightfoot towards his primary campaign?
- ChrisB - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 9:59 am:
Some pretty huge “You can’t sit with us” vibes from JB.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 10:00 am:
- ===he was chosen to crack===
You’re looking at this wrong. -
Chicago liberals always seem to think everyone in the city shares their exact viewpoint.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 10:07 am:
==I hope it is all about the money for him… at least that would explain the launch so far. ==
I think it’s just hard to calibrate that kind of rhetoric for all audiences. And like I said, I think Irvin more or less pulled it off, but…I guess MLL disagreed.
- Momma - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 10:10 am:
“Damaging the City’s reputation”? I gots the feeling Rich don’t like emojis but an eye roll one seem appropriate.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 10:10 am:
The Irvin ticket, funded by Griffin, is the anti-Trump GOP ticket, a ticket designed to appeal to GOP voters turned off by Trump and welcome them back to beat JB, et al.
Irvin’s story, credentials, and race (not specifically looking for an AA candidate, but it’s a happenstance) play to that premise.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 10:33 am:
- Lucky Pierre -
You choosing to show sympathy and support of Lightfoot is very “Rauner” of you.
Good to see you’re back on brand, maybe that reboot helped?
There was no winner, all losers, including parents, and the kids as the big losers in the CPS/CTU matchup.
I’m guessing both sides, both sides, would like it to fade away about now.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 10:40 am:
==I’m guessing both sides, both sides, would like it to fade away about now. ==
Lucky for them, I doubt a 4 day labor action is gonna stay in the public conscience for very long.
- Nagidam - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 10:42 am:
Basically, the Governor said he is grateful for the mayor’s endorsement, but he is looking up the word reciprocity. Very awkward.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 11:00 am:
===Very awkward===
Yep lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e99Nfcfv3WI
- SAP - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 11:39 am:
=Very awkward=
Kinda like when one party in a relationship throws out the “L” word and the other party isn’t ready to say it back.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 11:41 am:
SAP, you’ve given me PTSD. Thanks lol
- Thomas Paine - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 11:50 am:
=== > Will big cities like Chicago be economic engines of job creation in the coming decade? ===
McDonald’s moved its corporate HQ from Oak Brook to Chicago.
Allstate is moving from Northbrook to Chicago.
Downers Grove, once the symbol of suburban corporate might, is now a vast field of vacant office buildings and empty parking lots, the concrete equivalent of a Brownfield.
And then of course there is Citadel…for all of his complaining and explaining, Citadel has not relocated to Aurora last time I checked.
- Da big bad wolf - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 12:09 pm:
=== Will big cities like Chicago be economic engines of job creation in the coming decade? I have doubts considering how popular working from home has become for many who can do their job that way.===
It’s important to look at the economic engine as not just Chicago but the whole metropolitan area.
The metropolitan area has too much to offer to stop being a economic engine. Chicago is an transportation hub, a center for quite a few institutions of higher learning, a cultural center, etc. I don’t see a lot of people working remotely being happy with their home offices sitting in the middle of the corn field. But even if that was so, one can find a corn field inside the metropolitan area too.
The metropolitan area includes farms, forests, highly industrialized areas, small towns, prairies and wetlands, just about every kind area/atmosphere a person could want.
- Da big bad wolf - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 12:37 pm:
=== Lucky for them, I doubt a 4 day labor action is gonna stay in the public conscience for very long.===
Meh, the kids will be in school for 4 extra days.
- levivotedforjudy - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 1:11 pm:
I can just envision the mayor with her fingers crossed after endorsing JB and hoping he reciprocates chanting “I hope it worked, I hope it worked….”
- Levois J - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 1:19 pm:
Well that settles it Pritzker wasn’t expecting a Lightfoot endorsement. Perhaps he didn’t even want it that badly. Hmmm…
- Chicago Blue - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 1:21 pm:
@Da big bad wolf
According to my wife (CPS teacher), her principal said that no extra days will be added because there are 7 emergency days built into the schedule. She may have bad info, but that’s what her and the other CTU members have been told (ie they’re gonna lose the pay from those 4 days)
- Say What? - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 3:12 pm:
Mayor Lightfoot should probably get used to the soft on crime theme.
The candidate highly likely to defeat her will be bringing a huge helping of that theme. Note that NYC just elected a cop as Mayor.
The victor will most certainly be a Democrat, but the Kim Foxx playbook is a political anchor.
- Just a guy - Thursday, Jan 20, 22 @ 6:46 pm:
Irvin isn’t vilifying the economic engine. The news and reality does it. Carjacking in the Grant Park garage (where I park, and where coincidentally many of the folks who are returning to work downtown do, as well as those looking to ice skate, etc.). 9th-grader shot in the chest as he walks to the bus. Four other children shot the same day. I live in the city and have made my way to my office downtown every day since the pandemic started. And I can tell you from first-hand experience the city is not the same. My colleagues and others I know who work here say the same thing. And for all of the talk of relocation, etc., of companies to be here, why are they doing it? Leaving a huge sprawling campus in Northbrook to take a consolidated space downtown where the vast majority of their workforce will never venture would be my answer. How many jobs did McDonalds truly bring to the city? As Da Big Bad Wolf accurately noted, the region is the engine, not just the city. And until our good Mayor gets the issue of crime - both real and perceived (which I understood on the latter side is a difficult thing to do) - under control in the city, Irvin will and should continue to pound that drum.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 21, 22 @ 5:47 am:
Irvin said “We all watched in horror as Chicago allowed criminal activity to overrun a city under Democratic control.”
Yesterday a commenter said the same thing about Irvin. Mayors don’t “allow” crime to happen, neither Irvin or Lightfoot. In Chicago at least, hundreds of people were arrested in those riots.
“And I can tell you from first-hand experience the city is not the same.” Yes, crime was way worse in the mid1990s.