* Russell Lissau at the Daily Herald…
Suburban congressional candidate Keith Pekau is taking heat for accepting an award from a group that called sex education standards “perverse” and has made transphobic social media posts.
Pekau, the mayor of Orland Park and the Republican nominee in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, received an Advancing Freedom Award from Awake Illinois in March for what the Naperville-based group called “his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Pekau and the village board refused to enforce any mask or vaccination mandates from Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Awake Illinois also added Pekau to its list of “Warriors” — people it says are “effecting positive change in their communities and throughout the state” — and it promoted his congressional candidacy.
Pekau went on to win the GOP nomination in June. He’ll face incumbent Democrat Sean Casten of Downers Grove in the Nov. 8 general election.
Casten press release…
Earlier this year, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau accepted an award from the far-right group Awake Illinois for his disregard of public health measures to combat the spread of COVID-19.
“Not only did Keith Pekau jeopardize the lives of his constituents throughout the pandemic, but he accepted an award from far-right extremists thanking him for ignoring public health officials,” said Casten for Congress Spokesman Jacob Vurpillat. “That tells you everything you need to know about his style of leadership.”
Awake Illinois has recently been in the news for its connection to the targeting of UpRising Bakery in Lake in the Hills. Members of Awake IL promoted a protest of the drag brunch with a local Proud Boys’ chapter, another far-right extremist group with ties to the January 6th insurrection and anti-LGBTQ+ protests across the country.
“Hate has no home in Illinois,” Vurpillat continued. “If Keith Pekau agrees with that sentiment, he’ll disavow Awake Illinois and their history of homophobia and racism.”
* From a Brenden Moore piece on social media posts by Darren Bailey and JB Pritzker…
Given the candid nature of Bailey’s messages, it would not be surprising if more are flagged for controversial statements.
Yep…
In context and everything. Click here for a link to that Bailey Facebook post.
* Speaking of Bailey…
Bailey released a video to The Center Square in response to Pritzker’s claim [about the $2 million in federal government aid he’s accepted]. In his video, Bailey took a shot at the Pritzker family fortune.
“J.B. Pritzker, you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth,” Bailey said. “You inherited billions of dollars from your family. You have millions stashed away on islands that most people have never heard of. Yet, you have never woken up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat worrying about keeping a job.”
The Republican candidate also said the incumbent Democrat has never experienced a hard day’s work.
“You have never worked a day in your life, and you will criticize me about how I run my farm. How dare you?” Bailey said. “You are the trust fund kid on the school playground pushing all the regular kids around and making fun of their bagged lunches.”
$2 million would fill up a pretty big lunch bag. /s
* MyPillow’s Mike Lindell referenced an Illinois US Senate loser on Steve Bannon’s podcast earlier this week…
Because of these machines, it almost just reminds me of the 2020 election. All of a sudden they’re not done counting now? What? I mean I thought they were machines, boom, here’s your winner, you know. And it’s disgusting. This is called, when you override the algorithms, when you override this, you override the machine sheet, now they’ve got to figure out a way. Is there a way we can backfill this? Is there a way we can backfill? Steve, this just happened to Peggy Hubbard in Illinois. They, they stopped the count in Illinois three weeks ago and they dumped 30,000 votes on her opponent and she and she lost. She was winning.
Oh, for crying out loud. At no time in the evening was Hubbard ahead. This was all debunked here.
…Adding… Oops. I totally forgot to include this Tribune story…
A former Illinois attorney who retired to Texas and two conservative political action committees filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging recently approved restrictions on campaign contributions to judicial candidates in Illinois on First Amendment grounds.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago by the conservative Liberty Justice Center on behalf of John Matthew Chancey, Fair Courts America and Restoration PAC, comes three months before Illinois voters will cast ballots in two state Supreme Court races that will determine whether Democrats maintain their 4-3 majority on the state’s highest court.
Seeking to preserve Democratic control of all three branches of state government, Democrats in the legislature approved a measure last year that bars judicial candidates from receiving campaign cash from out-of-state contributors and groups that don’t disclose their donors.
This year, lawmakers approved another measure that bans contributions in excess of $500,000 per election cycle from a single source to independent expenditure committees set up to support or oppose judicial candidates.
In their lawsuit, Chancey and the PACs argue that both laws violate free-speech rights established in cases including the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Citizens United decision, which opened the door to unlimited political contributions.
Restoration of America…
At Restoration of America, we know the timeless foundation of America’s peace and prosperity is turning to God and the enforcement of just laws. We know that in our current era our nation’s most significant threats are twofold: internally – the elite, Marxist neo-liberals and, externally – Communist China. We defend our nation by electing like-minded leaders and by creating organizations and campaigns that promote fully transparent elections, economic freedom, limited government, military superiority, secure borders, rule of law, and the sanctity of life.
We do this through an experienced and passionate leadership team that values truth above all else. We apply best in class business practices yielding efficient, effective, and innovative products and results. And we partner with like-minded organizations to create force multiplication, greatly extending both our reach and the return-on-investment for our donors.
We fearlessly pursue the Restoration of America.
Fair Courts America…
Fair Courts America is the nation’s premier organization dedicated to preserving the Founders’ intent that the judicial branch of government renders equal justice under the law.
Through public education and advocacy, Fair Courts America connects voters with vital information about candidates for public offices that affect the courts, both judicial and prosecutorial. Progressive activists seek to take control of the courts away from the people, to enact a liberal agenda resulting in violence and crime in our communities and creating victims of our neighbors. Fair Courts America is committed to standing against this tide, uniting voters across the political spectrum, and restoring America’s courts to their original purpose.
Doug Truax…
Our founder Doug Truax is unorthodox in the conservative political world. He comes at his mission with military and entrepreneurial sensibilities. A graduate of West Point and an Army veteran, Doug transitioned to a successful entrepreneur, building multiple successful businesses. He nearly pulled off a massive upset in the 2014 U.S. Senate primary in Illinois as a political newcomer and learned important lessons along the way. He formed Restoration Action/PAC with those lessons in mind. His organizations exist solely to get things done in the fight to preserve our way of life. Mindful of the importance of providing the highest possible return-on-investment for contributors, Doug does not receive any compensation for running these organizations.
Came up 12 points short to a guy who’s lost a ton of statewide races
- DuPage Dad - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:28 pm:
Darren Bailey was the candidate they wanted to face for a reason.
- Lake Villa Township - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:31 pm:
Trans rights, that’s it that’s the comment.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:33 pm:
Bailey is example 8,731 that social media will come back and haunt far more often then it can ever help.
I’m going to put out there that this isn’t merely “Bailey being Bailey”, which it is, that’s a given… Bailey is 56% plus of the voted GOP in June.
It’s who they are, Bailey speaks *to* them, can’t blame Bailey on Dems
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:38 pm:
-you will criticize me about how I run my farm. How dare you?-
Since you’re using $2m in our tax money to run your farm, I think we bought the right to criticize.
As for the Hubbard thing, it was a GOP Primary. Who is the mysterious “they” rigging a GOP Primary?
- Norseman - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:41 pm:
Illinois MAGA GOP has made it on the MyPillow crazy train.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:42 pm:
===Who is the mysterious “they”===
I think it’s either the ILGOP or Darren Bailey.
- City Guy - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:43 pm:
Strikes me that Pritzker is the opposite of the playground bully. Pritzker is using his resources to help protect people who are being bullied by right-wing religious groups and others.
- Bruce( no not him) - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:43 pm:
Don’t politicians ever learn?
You’re supposed to scrub your social media before anyone knows who you are.
- twowaystreet - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:43 pm:
“You are the trust fund kid on the school playground pushing all the regular kids around and making fun of their bagged lunches.”
During my grade school years all the rich kids brought their lunch. Middle-lower income kids paid a few dollars for the straight-out-of-the-can cafeteria food and the low-income kids didn’t have lunch or ate the same cafeteria food at reduced cost.
Maybe my experience is different but strikes me as out of touch with the plight of middle or lower class families.
- XonXoff - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:45 pm:
Pillow guy(banned punctuation) I was quietly hoping he’d show up.
- Red Ketcher - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:52 pm:
Careful Candidate Bailey :
Questions are going to surface.
Like the Farm operation passed down through the Family
And how much are all the intertwined subsidies
Think the Door is now open
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:53 pm:
Golly… I can remember a time when the wingnuts loved Kathy Salvi. What happened?
- H-W - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 2:58 pm:
One the one hand, we have a candidate running on an antiquated, 1950s buzzcut, to go along with his antiquated, 1950s homophobic, sexist platform.
On the other hand, we have an intelligent, rich kid.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:00 pm:
Darren Bailey, like many modern day republicans, is incredibly fixated on the gender identity of children, such that he’s been fretting about it online for years. I’m surprised we haven’t seen a tweet from Darren blaming trans people for the HP shooting, because dipstick tried to disguise himself in a dress.
Anyway it’s definitely not weird for grown men and women to be working themselves up into a borderline murderous hysteria over what bathroom a child uses. That’s how all the normal grownups spend their spare time. Totally rational stuff.
- H-W - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:02 pm:
The Tribune story is scary, because it may actually work to allow unlimited funding of State Court candidates. It is consistent with Citizens United, and it may be the only way left for radical ideologues to maintain control of the State Courts across America. Scary.
- Dotnonymous - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:03 pm:
When you have both Steve Cortes and (self-professed) former crack abuser Mr. PillowGuy…what could possibly go wrong.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:04 pm:
===I can remember a time when the wingnuts loved Kathy Salvi. What happened?===
So much is being said right here. Wow. This is exceptionally well done.
I appreciate this. The new GOP might not understand it, but…
- JS Mill - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:07 pm:
So the pritzker campaign issues a statement of fact and the best ayatollah bailey can do is respond by name calling?
Someone got his panties n a bunch.
Funny, I would like to see ayatollah bailey’s team actually verify their statements with some kind of receipts. I won’t hold my breath.
- Cool Papa Bell - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:10 pm:
=you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth=
Someone get me a plat book from Southern Illinois and we can see how much farmland was passed down to Darren Bailey from his parents.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:12 pm:
“When a young girl decides she is too fat and develops an eating disorder, we get her psychological help.”
Surprised Bailey didn’t support fat-shaming or call her weak.
In terms of LGBT+, many are real freaked out about “woke” and the direction of Democrats. Many have recently become comfortable with L and G, and now Democrats are pushing B, T and the rest of the acronym (in some/many minds). They may think Democrats have gone nuts, and wonder how many genders do they want our children to have?
- Xeno - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:13 pm:
Red Ketcher, you’re right about those subsidies. Bailey’s $2M was from 1995 forward across farms in 5 counties. And, you will see the names of other Baileys (Bill L. for $4m, Cindy J. for $1.4M, etc) in the same area. I read somewhere that Bailey;s net worth is in the $5M range.
- Dotnonymous - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:20 pm:
It seems to me that individuals who are inordinately interested/concerned/fixated on other people’s gender or sexual identity may be conflicted about their own.
- XonXoff - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:20 pm:
// Questions are going to surface. //
His neighbors will be telling him to hush, directly.
- Flying Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:29 pm:
Here’s hoping GOP nominee for governor Skeeter Samples keeps sharing his thoughts.
This election may make Pritzker/Rauner seem close.
- Amalia - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:31 pm:
the MyPillow guy should drink some of his new MyCoffee scam and WAKE UP. Far Right extremists you will be found out in Illinois.
- vern - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:32 pm:
=== I think it’s either the ILGOP or Darren Bailey. ===
At one point Hubbard claimed it was Mark Shaw, the dude who couldn’t even rig his own reelection for county party chair. Quite the imagination on these folks.
- a drop in - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:34 pm:
Republican bathroom fixation goes at least as far back as Phyllis Schlafly and the Equal Rights Amendment.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:36 pm:
=Anyway it’s definitely not weird for grown men and women to be working themselves up into a borderline murderous hysteria over what bathroom a child uses. That’s how all the normal grownups spend their spare time. Totally rational stuff.=
Restaurant quality right there.
=And, you will see the names of other Baileys (Bill L. for $4m, Cindy J. for $1.4M, etc) in the same area. I read somewhere that Bailey;s net worth is in the $5M range=
So, if I understand correctly what you are saying, it is a family grift?
I wonder how much reduced tax fuel the ayatollah and his klan have used? Sounds like they are tax eaters.
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:55 pm:
When a child has an eating disorder, we get them help. When a child has a gender identity issue, we should also get them help. I’m sorry Senator Bailey doesn’t like what actually helping them entails. Hint: It doesn’t involve waving a Bible at them and calling them sinners.
- Nuke The Whales - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:58 pm:
==Our founder Doug Truax is unorthodox in the conservative political world. He comes at his mission with military and entrepreneurial sensibilities.==
What a scathing indictment of the conservative political world.
- Rudy’s teeth - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 3:58 pm:
Bailey’s comment about bagged lunches —- does Full Armour Christian Academy participate in the free or reduced lunch programs provided by the government
Program note from Beyond the Bell — breakfast,lunch, and snack will be provided at no charge. Let’s not forget about funding from the IL Department of Human Services.
- XonXoff - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 4:02 pm:
// So, if I understand correctly what you are saying, it is a family grift? //
Surely it’s all legit. Maybe just a family tradition.
- SIUEalum - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 4:52 pm:
Bailey is one of the most thin-skinned candidates I’ve ever observed. It becomes quite clear anytime ag subsidies are mentioned.
- Pundent - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 5:06 pm:
Those Tweets, Facebook postings, and live streams are going to come back to bite Bailey. He doesn’t do nuance at all. He can’t be taken out of context because he always provides us with the full context. There’s a treasure trove of material out there just waiting to be mined.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 5:12 pm:
I feel for Mike Lindell. His trips to Trump’s White House apparently fed some longing inside him that he’s fighting to regain. And people keep swindling millions of dollars away from him.
He may be a hero to many on the Right, but the whole thing just seems very sad to me.
- MoralMinority - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 5:36 pm:
==does Full Armour Christian Academy participate in the free or reduced lunch programs provided by the government==
Unless things have changed in the last year or so FACA doesn’t serve lunch themselves. Students have to bring their own lunch or pay for a lunch brought in from Subway or a local deli for about $5 I believe. Occasionally they offered a staff-prepared lunch, usually hotdogs. This despite having a fully equipped commercial kitchen from the time when it was a United Methodist camp. Also, for students bring lunch, they didn’t want them to bring things requiring microwaving because there were only four microwave ovens and the kids only had a short lunch break. You would think since they didn’t provide a hot lunch, which they could have easily done for a reasonable price, they would have at least added more microwaves.
- New Day - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 5:39 pm:
““You have never worked a day in your life,..”
This one is really dumb. Ask anyone who’s benefitted from 1871, or his venture capital firm or his private equity firm or the IL Holocaust Museum or in the early childhood education community whether JB has worked a day in his life. The man has a well-earned reputation as one of the hardest working guys around.
- MoralMinority - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 5:49 pm:
I had a MyPillow I got as a gift. Never used it. When Lindell, the MyPillow guy, started in with his election fraud craziness I took it out and burned it, box and all. No way I would put my head on something that came from his factory. The craziness might rub off.
- MoralMinority - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 6:19 pm:
==Yet, you have never woken up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat worrying about keeping a job==I’m sure he is correct, however, I doubt Darren has ever had to worry about that either. As far as working, as in hard physical labor, he may be right about Pritzker, but my impression of Darren is that he has liked to play the part of country squire. That’s why he employs others, including migrant laborers on H-2A visas, to do the actual farm work. I don’t see how he would have much time to drive the tractors himself, what with all his politicin’.
- West Side the Best Side - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 7:09 pm:
H-W I’d move Bailey up a decade, a ’60s Alabama sheriff.
- Guysalone - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 7:33 pm:
I think Polls are much closer than ya think…. Bailey is within reach of pulling an upset. Chicago voters are not motivated and Latinos don’t like jb and that is a huge worry for dems in an otherwise solid blue state.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 7:38 pm:
=== I think Polls are much closer than ya think….===
Hope is not a plan.
- MisterJayEm - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 7:53 pm:
“Many have recently become comfortable with L and G, and now Democrats are pushing B, T and the rest of the acronym (in some/many minds). They may think Democrats have gone nuts, and wonder how many genders do they want our children to have?”
Or they may believe that attacking trans people is an effective way to prepare the ground for subsequent attacks on anyone who isn’t straight and cis.
– MrJM
- filmmaker prof - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 8:09 pm:
Ron Burgundy +1
- Amalia - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 8:20 pm:
Bailey, Illinois against hand lotion? jeez.
- Fivegreenleaves - Thursday, Aug 4, 22 @ 8:24 pm:
Thanks to Gov. Pritzker, a lot of people are getting the opportunity to work a day in their lives, even if Bailey thinks Pritzker never has.