* Not unexpected…
But…
Real tough guys, eh? But maybe part of a larger trend…
* Subscribers know more…
* Meanwhile…
Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso has condemned Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey’s 2017 comments comparing abortion to the Holocaust.
“As a person with Jewish heritage on my mother’s side, Darren Bailey’s comments claiming abortion is worse than the Holocaust clearly disqualifies him, combined with his many other disqualifying positions, to hold any responsible office in this state,” Grasso, a Republican, said Thursday in a statement on Facebook. “Bailey should withdraw and give Republicans a chance to put forth a viable candidate. He’s already lost the Governor’s race. Bailey is too extreme to hold any office.” […]
“Bailey has not apologized for his comparison of abortion being worse than the Holocaust,” Grasso said. “Republicans who think they can get elected in November on their own merit must decide whether to distance themselves from and disavow the albatross at the top of the ticket.”
In the June 28 Republican primary, Grasso lost to Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau in the 6th Congressional District race. Grasso has not publicly endorsed Pekau.
Grasso was endorsed by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin.
* And…
Darren Bailey’s voting record shows a disturbing pattern of voting against the very initiatives he claims he supports. Despite his tough rhetoric, a closer look at Bailey’s four years in the legislature shows his votes don’t match up to his talk. In fact, during his time in Springfield, Bailey has sponsored only two bills that have passed and has instead spent his time voting against legislation that would make life better for Illinoisans—even bipartisan legislation that his Republican colleagues supported and voted for.
Bailey has voted against historic investments in law enforcement, including the single largest dollar investment to expand cadet classes in Illinois history, $10 million for a local law enforcement retention grant program, and $8 million for a multi-year equipment replacement program at the Illinois State Police.
Bailey has also been given multiple opportunities to denounce January 6 insurrectionists and stand up for the Capitol Police officers who defended our democracy, but he has declined to do so. Instead, Bailey has pushed the Big Lie, promised to “roll out the red carpet” for Donald Trump, and even had a close campaign associate charged for participating in the attack on the Capitol.
“Given his dismal voting record and hypocritical stance on supporting Capitol police officers who fought on January 6, Darren Bailey has no right to claim he supports law enforcement,” said JB for Governor Press Secretary Eliza Glezer. “Bailey’s real record is one of staggering inaction and contradiction, and we deserve better.”
Bailey also voted against:
• Strengthening the Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services
• Strengthening safety for first responders on state highways
• Installing hundreds of highway cameras and doubling state police presence on Chicago-area interstates in response to on-road violence
• Providing tens of millions of dollars for police body cameras, retention grants, and mental health screenings
• Building new, state-of-the-art forensics labs to provide law enforcement with the resources to solve crimes
• Delivering millions of dollars to local fire departments to purchase firefighting and ambulance equipment
• Requiring municipalities to coordinate 911 and 988 services in order to respond to mental and behavioral health emergencies with proper emergency care, reduce danger to those in crisis, and lessen the burden on local police
* Press release…
Greg Hart, Republican Candidate for DuPage County Board Chairman, received an endorsement today from former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar who served from 1991 to 1999.
“I am honored to have the support of a deeply respected, results-oriented leader like former Governor Jim Edgar. He worked with Democrats and Republicans to break through the partisan gridlock and get things done for all Illinoisans. That is the kind of leadership we need in DuPage County. I admire Governor Edgar’s service and believe his endorsement will show voters that I’m the right choice to lead DuPage forward.”
Edgar was known for his popularity and leadership that cut through partisanship and earned him a massive reelection victory in which he carried 101 of 102 Illinois counties, including Cook County.
“I am proud to give my endorsement to Greg Hart based on his demonstrated ability to lead DuPage County and get results for taxpayers. With the nation as divided as it is, and politicians taking such extreme positions on the left and right, Greg Hart gives me hope that there are still leaders who know how to accomplish great things in government for the people. Greg Hart is a bright, motivated leader who will serve DuPage County very well,” said Edgar.
* NRCC…
Hi there –
The House is set to vote on the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” this week.
A question worth asking: If Nikki Budzinski was in Congress, would she support this bill that will raise taxes on the middle-class and hire 87,000 IRS agent
s to audit Americans?
I waited more than an hour for the Budzinski campaign to get back to me. I’ll let you know if they ever do.
…Adding… Tribune…
John Catanzara, the firebrand president of Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police, won’t run for mayor against Lori Lightfoot.
Catanzara, who retired while facing potential termination by the Chicago Police Board after a career as one of the department’s most disciplined officers, flirted with the idea of running for City Hall’s top job but told ABC 7 Monday that he will focus instead on being re-elected as union president next year.
*** UPDATE *** The FOP also endorsed Tom DeVore today. Here’s AG Raoul…
As someone who started my career as a county prosecutor, I value the relationships I have developed working directly with police officers, prosecutors and other law enforcement partners across Illinois to protect our communities, and I plan to continue this work on a bipartisan basis. I’m proud of the work we’ve done collaboratively to prosecute murder cases, cases against sexually violent people, internet crimes against children, retail theft crime and illegal gun trafficking. My opponent has never prosecuted a criminal case in his career and has threatened to use the power of the Attorney General’s Office to investigate his Republican adversaries.
- Arsenal - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 12:11 pm:
==Bailey should withdraw and give Republicans a chance to put forth a viable candidate.==
Any candidate who has to stand up an entire campaign in August isn’t going to be viable.
- Huh? - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 12:20 pm:
The republican’t party is already gearing up the “election was stolen because I didn’t win”.
What sore lasers.
- G'Kar - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 12:24 pm:
I ask myself why wouldn’t Nikki Budzinski support that bill?
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 12:30 pm:
Take it easy on Catanzara, there is a high school girls locker room he needs to inspect today. It’s all part of the protecting and serving.
- Amalia - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 12:39 pm:
it’s such a version of we don’t want nobody nobody sent. we don’t want no questions from nobody nobody sent.
- XonXoff - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 12:39 pm:
RE: FOP’s, color me not at all surprised.
They’ve also propagated the notion that, post SAFE-T Act, law enforcement has no levers to remove an unwelcome stranger I find camping on my property after I instruct them to leave. My opinion is FOP is fear-mongering on this issue and will find themselves back in line after the first of the year but I’ve not found clear proof for myself. Is there anyone here who could put those concerns to bed? Seems to me like something worth addressing sooner than later if not already done and I’ve missed it. And thanks in advance.
- TheInvisibleMan - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 12:44 pm:
- But maybe part of a larger trend… -
There are some local newspapers that have been on this bandwagon for awhile.
I can’t remember the last time the local Shaw newspaper ran anything other than a copy/paste press release someone in office wanted people to read.
The two important local court cases this month, a cop killing another cop in a DUI, and a well known diocese teacher indicted for lets just say doing stuff with a minor - not a single piece of coverage in local news.
Reporting news doesn’t seem to be the objective any longer.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 12:45 pm:
If your idea of mass communications is holding a presser with no questions and being “friendly” with only friendly outlets and/or choices, that echo chamber working, not working to opening any tent.
Bailey knows who he is, and the FOP led by their leader is that base of… bottom-ness
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 12:52 pm:
You know, if they don’t want to answer questions and treat you with disdain, you don’t have to cover their events and run stories on them. Just saying.
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 12:53 pm:
FOP mit Uns.
- Moe Berg - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 1:04 pm:
For a party obsessed with “manliness” GOP pols sure seem to need their safe spaces.
And, as much as they carry on about “Communist China” it’s fascinating/frightening to watch them embrace the cultist worship of a supreme leader and house organ “news” networks.
- Medvale School for the Gifted - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 1:05 pm:
How you doin’?
We got a press release for you.
What’s that?
How you doin’?
We got a press release for you.
How you doin’?
- Benjamin - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 1:20 pm:
“We thought Richard Irvin had the best chance to beat Pritzker. Darren Bailey proved us all wrong.”
Well, okay, of all the people on the ballot this fall, Bailey indeed has the best chance of beating Pritzker.
It’s probably in the single digits, but it’s better odds than I’d give Libertarian Scott Schluter or indpendent Tommy Belg, who are so obscure I had to use Wikipedia to learn of their existence.
- Norseman - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 1:20 pm:
FOP continues to justify the need for police reform.
- Publius - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 1:34 pm:
Funny how to ILGOP is aganist unions except for police unions.
- charles in charge - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 1:41 pm:
That FOP endorsement really means a lot coming off an embarrassing primary where all their candidates got trounced. The way Catanzara has squandered FOP’s resources and credibility, he is right to “focus his efforts on getting re-elected as FOP president” rather than demonstrating how poorly he can perform in a mayoral election.
- Cool Papa Bell - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 1:46 pm:
=Reporting news doesn’t seem to be the objective any longer.=
That’s more about staffing than anything else. Local newsrooms almost don’t exist anymore.
- Big Dipper - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 1:57 pm:
If law enforcement is trying to further alienate the general public they have done so with these endorsements.
- Annonin' - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 2:12 pm:
Gotta love how the GOPie whacks are all crazed about IRS agents…..if memory serves IRS headcount has dropped in recent years so the # is probably not a huge number of new bodies.
AND then it is sad to see the sorrowful shape of FOP….uh we liked Irvin so we will go to Gomer… totally illogical….go figure
- Galway Bay - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 2:29 pm:
Still waiting to hear how Nikki would vote on middle class tax increase.
- Annonin' - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 2:32 pm:
So Gomer & his lawyer duck questions. Pretty sure this cannot be called a “press conference” it can be clocked in as a session that gets media all lathered up and lookin’ for action….Gomer promised the fair.
- Senator Clay Davis - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 2:38 pm:
==You know, if they don’t want to answer questions and treat you with disdain, you don’t have to cover their events and run stories on them==
Rich, does Team Bailey answer your questions?
- Kayak - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 2:45 pm:
Now Friends, the FOP thought Richard Irvin had the best chance to beat Pritzker. Well friends, we proved em wrong; now there’s no chance to beat Pritzker.
- Rudy’s teeth - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 2:48 pm:
Candidate Bailey has the smiling face of the Gingerbread Man yet votes no on important legislation for first responders, Forensic Services, local fire departments, funding emergency care, and measures that would benefit communities throughout Illinois.
What’s wrong with his thinking? Hypocritical actions by a candidate. Of course, Bailey can’t/won’t explain his rationale.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 2:52 pm:
==would vote on middle class tax increase.===
Which part is that? Drive-by talking points need context.
- Arsenal - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 2:59 pm:
==Still waiting to hear how Nikki would vote on middle class tax increase. ==
Well, there isn’t one in the IRA, so…
- The Way I See It - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 3:20 pm:
That is quite the deductive powers by the FOP - we thought Irvin could beat Pritzker, but he lost to Bailey, so now we think Bailey has the best chance to beat Pritzker. The two do not follow together.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 3:26 pm:
“==Still waiting to hear how Nikki would vote on middle class tax increase. ==
Well if you’re a corporation making more than a billion in taxes and you currently pay zero income tax, you will pay a tax increase. Otherwise, zilch.
- 48th Ward Heel - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 3:35 pm:
Got a robocall this afternoon asking me to donate to “pro-police candidates.” Didn’t catch the name of the PAC but the caller ID said “Anna, Illinois,” which is not a great brand for the police (banned punctuation)
- charles in charge - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 3:44 pm:
==Didn’t catch the name of the PAC==
Was it “People Who Play by the Rules”? Pretty amusing that a bunch of insurrectionists and insurrection apologists think of themselves that way . . .
- Amalia - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 3:55 pm:
Rock on, Kwame.
- Big Dipper - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 4:04 pm:
= The two do not follow together.==
They don’t understand the modern GOP conundrum that a moderate can’t win the primary and a conservative can’t win the general.
- Fivegreenleaves - Monday, Aug 8, 22 @ 8:48 pm:
I’m 100% pro-union, and I understand the FOP generally endorses GOP candidates, but this endorsement of Bailey makes it hard to take the FOP seriously. He has voted, literally, against every budget that funds policing in Illinois, and voted against the 7 cadet classes Gov. Pritzker signed the budget to fund. It’s easy to say he supports law enforcement, but his voting record says otherwise.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:02 am:
==this endorsement of Bailey makes it hard to take the FOP seriously==
You should not take FOP seriously. They’re garbage at politics, worse at policy, and the entire history of police unions is a slap in the face to the rest of organized labor.
They’re useful in expressing the id of most cops, and I wouldn’t ignore that, but we needn’t consider them credible political actors.