* Background is here if you need it. WSPY Radio host Mark Harrington asked Sen. Darren Bailey about his comments comparing abortion to the Holocaust…
Q: Do you think the Jewish community needs an apology on that?
Bailey: [Laughs] The Jewish community themselves have told me that I’m right. Actually, that ad went out a day before we met with the Jewish, a day after we met with the Jewish community. And Pritzker, you know, knew that. So the timeliness was no mistake and all the people at the Chabads [he mispronounces as Cabads] that we met with and the Jewish rabbis they said, ‘No, you’re actually right.’ So no, and that’s what’s frustrating, you know, when government, when elected officials copy and paste these messages and turn them into something that they’re not because anybody that would watch my message, the whole nine minutes of it, would understand exactly what I was saying and where I was going with this.
OK, first of all, we’ve already debunked the notion that his comments were taken out of context. Click here.
I’ve asked the Bailey campaign for the names of those rabbis.
* Pritzker campaign…
Over the weekend, when asked again about his disgusting comments comparing the Holocaust to abortion, Darren Bailey doubled down, saying plainly:
“The Jewish community themselves have told me that I’m right.”
Bailey not only doubled down on his abhorrent statement, but scoffed when he said:
“The Jewish rabbis, they said, ‘No, you’re actually right.’”
Bailey’s comments have garnered widespread criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. Over the weekend, Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso became the latest Republican to join the chorus of voices condemning Bailey: “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.”
Mayor Grasso’s comments follow State Representative Steve Reick’s staunch criticism that, “Darren Bailey has crossed a line, a line which you just do not cross.” Even House Minority Leader Jim Durkin rebuked Bailey and stated that,“the Holocaust was one of the worst atrocities in the history of humankind and any comments that minimize it have no place in our political discourse.”
While Bailey may claim that the Jewish community told him he was “right,” non-partisan organizations and community leaders from across the state have strongly denounced his offensive language.
Here’s what they’re saying:
• Anti-Defamation League Midwest “The Holocaust and abortion are not the same. These types of comments have no place in public discourse. They are deeply offensive and do an incredible disservice to the millions of Jews and other innocent victims killed by the Nazis.”
• Springfield Jewish Federation “Holocaust comparisons are always fraught, and inappropriate when used politically. The Holocaust’s many lessons must be taught, one of which is avoiding using it as a rhetorical tool.”
• President Emeritus of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center Samuel R. Harris “I am pained and disturbed by Darren Bailey’s reckless comments. This despicable rhetoric is dangerous, trivializes one of the worst stains on human history, and disparages the memory of millions. It is imperative that we learn from the past so that we never allow such tragedy to befall us again. We must demand more from our elected officials.”
• Governor JB Pritzker “To equate the Holocaust to a woman’s right to choose is not only disturbing, but it’s also disqualifying. Illinois, this kind of false equivalence shows exactly the type of man and leader Darren Bailey is.”
• U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth “Comparing the extreme horror of the Holocaust and its immeasurable loss to a woman’s right to choose is unacceptable—full stop. I urge my opponent, Kathy Salvi, to denounce Darren Bailey’s comments, but know she’s lockstep with her Republican running mate on women’s healthcare.”
• Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky “Darren Bailey has spent years sifting between racist and anti-Semitic dogwhistles and bullhorns. He’s unfit to lead and must be soundly defeated.”
• Congressman Mike Quigley “Darren Bailey’s remarks are anti-semitic and deeply offensive. He is in serious need of a history lesson.”
• Congressman Sean Casten “This is the talk of a racist and a misogynist. Darren Bailey may also be a idiot, but that doesn’t excuse his behavior. In all cases, he is unfit for public office.”
• Congresswoman Marie Newman “This alone should end Bailey’s career in public service. Horrifying.”
• IL Comptroller Susana Mendoza “Darren Bailey’s reprehensible comparison of a woman’s right to make health care decisions concerning her own bodily autonomy to the horrific genocide of the Jewish people is a false equivalency to the highest degree. His statements are appalling, despicable and oozing of anti-semitism. Any and all Republicans seeking Illinoisians’ vote this November need to publicly condemn these extremist statements coming from the top of their ticket. Anything short of a forceful condemnation is an endorsement of this dangerous rhetoric that further insults the suffering and memories of victims of the Holocaust atrocity.”
• IL Attorney General Kwame Raoul “Darren Bailey is an extremist hell bent on destroying women’s rights. His comments comparing the horrific loss of life in the Holocaust to the right to choose make clear he is unfit and incapable for any office – let alone the governor’s office. The extremism of Bailey & his Republican Party is offensive & dangerous.”
• Assistant Majority Leader and DPI Chair Lisa Hernandez “The Democratic Party of Illinois is one of inclusion that will always speak out against intolerance. Illinoisans deserve to know if Republicans will stand by and allow offensive, hurtful and antisemitic statements made by their nominee for governor to go without admonishment or condemnation. Now that we’ve seen Darren Bailey’s antisemitic values and disregard for Jewish life, does the ILGOP agree?”
• State Representative Jen Gong-Gershowitz “Darren Bailey’s shameful use of the Holocaust proves he is unfit to lead Illinois.”
• State Representative Bob Morgan “Darren Bailey’s extremism knows no bounds. Comparing a woman’s right to choose to the catastrophic loss of life during the Holocaust is unconscionable and quite frankly, disqualifying. It is demeaning to the legacies of those we’ve lost to reduce their suffering to a political talking point. Darren Bailey is once again causing harm with his callous words and actions and he must be held accountable for this abhorrent behavior.”
• Personal PAC President and CEO Terry Cosgrove “It’s bad enough that GOP Gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey believes abortion should be criminalized in Illinois, even in cases of rape and incest, but now he is demeaning the Holocaust and the memory of those who were lost in and survived one of the greatest stains in human history. As someone who grew up in the Skokie area, an American epicenter of Holocaust survivors during the late 60s and early 70s, and attending Niles West High School then, I can’t even fathom the pain of hearing Darren Bailey’s comment: ‘The attempted extermination of the Jews of World War II doesn’t even compare on a shadow of the life that has been lost with abortion.’ Personal PAC joins Governor Pritzker, the Jewish community and all decent Illinoisians in condemning the irresponsible and contemptuous comments of Darren Bailey. People who hold these dangerous views should have absolutely no place in government.”
• President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action Jennifer Welch“Darren Bailey’s comparison between abortion and the Holocaust is an outrageously inaccurate and harmful trope used by the most radical elements of the anti-choice movement to propagate misinformation and hateful rhetoric about fundamental reproductive health care and the people seeking safe and legal abortions. The appropriation of the Holocaust is despicable and an insult to the millions who died as well as those who survived its racist agenda. In addition, it reveals a complete lack of understanding of history and the realities of the lives of people seeking abortion care. These kinds of statements are unbecoming of any elected official, let alone a candidate running for Governor of Illinois. Darren Bailey should immediately apologize for his inappropriate and hurtful words.”
• Illinois NOW President Laura Welch “Enough using the holocaust to justify hate. Enough using the slaughter of six million Jews, gypsies, lgbtq folks in an attempt to sway voters. Enough lies about history to cover up a disdain for women and our rights. Video released of republican candidate for Governor, Darren Bailey comparing the holocaust to reproductive healthcare goes too far and he needs a history lesson. Illinois NOW says ENOUGH…IL NOW works to ensure our state remains a safe haven for abortion care and not the dystopian anti-woman society Mr. Bailey dreams of…It is appalling that Mr. Bailey believes it is ok to use one of the most horrific annihilations in modern history to justify keeping us barefoot, pregnant and subjected to the whims of his religion. We MUST vote for pro-choice candidates such as IL NOW PAC endorsed JB Pritzker and keep religious zealotry out of our government and our bodies.”
…Adding… More…
…Adding… Mayor Lightfoot yesterday…
What you see is a guy who, depending on what camera’s in front of him, what audiences he’s in front of, is going to say and do anything to pander to that crowd.
She makes a good point and the Chicago news media needs to figure this out. He’ll tell Chicago reporters that he’s sorry for something, and then he’ll go Downstate and say something completely different and Chicago-based reporters totally ignore it.
*** UPDATE *** Forward…
Rabbi Avraham Kagan, the director of government affairs for Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois, told the Forward, “We don’t know who he met with and his comments do not reflect our position.”
- DuPage Dad - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:20 am:
This guy!
- Ryan - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:25 am:
I wonder if he gets tired from digging holes?
- Homebody - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:25 am:
Well Bailey definitely has the “make up things people are saying” move that the former president loved down pat. Not sure it would have been what I would have gone with in this situation, but good for him to sticking to his weird, bad principles.
- So_Ill - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:28 am:
Keep digging, Darren.
- HCMcB4 - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:28 am:
That list is incomplete. Just wait for the react from “Rabbis For Bailey”
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:30 am:
=The Jewish community themselves have told me that I’m right.
…a day after we met with the Jewish community.=
So he met with the roughly 297,000 Illinois Jews and everyone of them said he is right? Because that is precisely what he is saying. Would be nice if he provided a few receipts for his obviously exaggerated, if not entirely false, statement.
I am not sure exactly why, but that statement is suspect to me.
- Baloneymous - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:33 am:
I’m glad Bailey let us know that the rabbis are Jewish. Thanks.
- G'Kar - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:36 am:
I can’t. . . I just can’t comment about Beetle without being banned permanently.
- ArchPundit - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:39 am:
Big strong Jewish rabbis crying told me I was right. He’s gonna have Christians who practice Jewish rites blowing shofars next.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:39 am:
I would like to know which Rabbis said this was ok.
It should be easy enough. Bailey spoke to them.
Thanks.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:39 am:
=when elected officials copy and paste these messages and turn them into something that they’re not=
There’s a simple way to avoid this. Don’t compare things to the holocaust - ever. It is the definition of “beyond the pale” the line that you simply do not cross.
But if memory serves me correct, weren’t these comments made in 2017? So if I’m to believe Bailey’s explanation, he makes the comment on Facebook live in 2017, he somehow knows that an ad is about to come out a few weeks ago, and he goes to the “Jewish community” the day before it airs?
I’m going to give Bailey the benefit of the doubt here while I wait for the imminent apology from the “Jewish community.”
- TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:40 am:
This guy clearly has no idea how the idea of abortion exists within the Jewish faith.
I want to hear him say the name of one single rabbi who said Bailey is right. Just one. Because otherwise this sounds more like the words of a fundamentalist christian trying desperately to claim other people are also saying what he is.
I imagine we will be hearing from some Jewish leaders on this very shortly.
- H. L. Mencken - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:41 am:
This is straight out of Trump’s book. “Lot’s of people come up to me to tell me how smart I am and the best candidate for Governor Illinois has ever had.”
- Suburban Mom - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:42 am:
===He’s gonna have Christians who practice Jewish rites blowing shofars next. ===
I assumed that Bailey already goes to that kind of church. I bet there’s photos of him at fake Passover.
- fs - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:44 am:
Oy vey
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:47 am:
“I would like to know which Rabbis said this was ok.”
Perhaps they’re hanging out with the little old Democratic ladies tugging on the former governor’s sleeve and telling him to stand strong.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:48 am:
As a Jew, Chabad is not the monolithic organization over all of organized Judaism he thinks it is, and having studied with Chabad rabbis on several topics, there is so much more grey with the issue of abortion.
He just doesn’t get that not every religion has a yes no black white answer to everything.
- Bruce( no not him) - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:50 am:
But did they admit to the Jewish space lasers?
- Benjamin - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:50 am:
I could maybe believe that he dug up one rabbi who told him he was correct. Maybe.
But rabbis, plural? Like, or two or more? Uh-uh, no way.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:52 am:
=He just doesn’t get that not every religion has a yes no black white answer to everything.=
And there is no singular voice that speaks for the entirety of “the community.” Bailey’s suggestion is an insult in its own right. I can assure you that he doesn’t speak for the Christian community.
- H-W - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:53 am:
For Mr. Bailey to say, “the Jewish Community” and “the Jewish Rabbis” is akin to Mr. Trump saying “the Blacks.” It is offensive for Mr. Bailey to refer to “the group,” and intentionally imply that suggest he consulted with an entire race or ethnic identity group. “The” people said nothing. “The” leaders of an entire ethnic identity group said nothing. These are just lies used to cover up the fact that a politician did not consult or think through his offensive words.
Mr. Bailey needs to just stop. If you want to tell the citizens of Illinois how Jewish people feel about abortion, then choose a recognized leader of “the Jewish Community of Illinois,” and have that leader tell us what she or he thinks about any similarities between the Holocaust and abortion. But please, do not speak for “the Community.” You are not of the community, as your words clearly indicate. You do not speak for “the community,” and you cannot infer that you do speak for the community.”
- Jocko - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:54 am:
“Of course I’ve been to temple (exclamation point). I wear those yamahas all the time.”
In keeping with Mitt Romney, I bet Bailey has binders full of Jews.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:56 am:
I do understand that Pundent.
I have many philosophical differences with Chabad as do most Jews, but they are great humanitarians. However, that discussion is not appropriate for Cap Fax.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:57 am:
wow, so Bailey’s one Jewish friend is a rabbi. at least that’s how this reads. there’s been lots of explanation of late of Jewish law and abortion. this take is not that.
- Norseman - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 9:58 am:
=== I’ve asked the Bailey campaign for the names of those rabbis. ===
Rich, I don’t need to tell you not to hold your breath.
- Nuke The Whales - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:01 am:
The three rabbis who filed a lawsuit arguing that Florida’s abortion ban violated their freedom of religion have entered the chat.
https://jayaramlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Complaint_1.pdf
- MaddyMoon - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:02 am:
=I would like to know which Rabbis said this was ok.=
Bailey references speaking with Chabad Rabbis, if this is the case I am probably inclined to believe at least one interaction did occur. Chabad is a sect of Judaism that really plays by their own rules and doesn’t fit into the mold of the majority of American Jews who are either reformed/conservative/orthodox. The Chabad has always prioritized having lots of children, if you meet a chabad rabbi they usually have 5-10 children. so it would not surprise me at all if at least one chabad rabbi endorsed this statement.
- Billions - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:03 am:
2017.. then tens of millions.. to complain about the Beetle.. R voters may have chosen him but it’s interesting how the turnout numbers are never part of the argument. Turnout was thirty percent for a reason. That was whole point of the tens of millions. Pour tens of millions of gas on a crazy fire.. then you will get more crazy.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:09 am:
===That was whole point of the tens of millions===
Now explain Mary Miller’s win over Rodney Davis. Or David Welter’s loss. Or Madison County’s results. Or…
- MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:15 am:
At some point, logic dictates that we recognize this, not as an ongoing series of clumsy, antisemitic gaffs, but as a deliberate antisemitic strategy.
Everyone will draw that line at different places, but for me, Darren Bailey is teetering at the line.
– MrJM
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:15 am:
- Billions -
There’s 56% plus of the GOP that support Bailey.
Ridiculous and truly terrible thoughts that Bailey has… they are the GOP’s thoughts too.
Chairman Tracy… silent as an Evangelical Church Mouse.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:17 am:
This is what it looks like when an entire political party realizes it never needs to tell its base voters anything resembling factual truth to maintain their loyalty. Darren’s never going to stop making things up. Why would he?
- vern - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:20 am:
This is ridiculous. At the start of this I had a small amount of sympathy for Bailey. I’ve met a lot of people who were born and raised so far from Jewish communities that they met their first live Jewish person as an adult. I’ve been that person for some of them.
It’s not the worst sin in the world for someone from that background to speak of us in abstract or historical terms. It’s not ideal, and I’m glad there are strong Holocaust education requirements here to counteract that. But I do try to approach this sort of thing with some generosity.
That ran out Bailey ran out of a long time ago. His Senate district has at least one synagogue. He’s served in the House and Senate with Jewish members. He’s served during the term of a Jewish Governor. And he’s been running statewide for like a year.
Even after all of that, there was a way to clean things up without compromising his principles. He could apologize for the analogy. He could go to Skokie and tour the Holocaust museum. He could meet with the various parts of the Illinois Jewish community. He could try to stop the political bleeding.
Instead, he met with the most politically conservative group of Jews he could find, then declared they agree with him. This statement today retracts anything that whiffed of apology from the last week. He has shown no interest in learning more about the constituents he offended. He just openly does not want Jews to vote for him.
So if any Republicans are baffled why Jewish voters overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party, this is why. There are plenty of affluent, moderate Jewish voters who want lower taxes and a hawkish foreign policy. But there’s only one party that wants our votes, so that’s who gets our votes.
- Kayak - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:23 am:
Bailey’s laugh and lie is almost as good as BVR’s. Maybe there is hope for one term after all.
- leonard - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:26 am:
maybe he should sell his trackhoe
- Huh? - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:33 am:
“maybe he should sell his trackhoe”
Not going to help when he is flailing around in quicksand.
- Roadrager - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:37 am:
Yes, I talked with a lot of Jewish Rabbis. No, you wouldn’t know them. They live in Canada.
- Skeptic - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:37 am:
“I wonder if he gets tired from digging holes?” Well, he is a farmer, right? So maybe it’s in his nature.
“So he met with the roughly 297,000 Illinois Jews …” I’ll bet even some of his best friends are Jewish.
- Save Ferris - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:38 am:
“…we met with and the Jewish rabbis they said, ‘No, you’re actually right.’”
What did the Non-Jewish Rabbis say?
- SAP - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:40 am:
I couldn’t hear anything, but my dog was acting like he heard some strange sort of whistling sound.
- Lincoln Lad - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:45 am:
Irvin must feel great after losing to this guy…
- Northsider - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:46 am:
== But did they admit to the Jewish space lasers? ==
We don’t talk about that, but Mel Brooks gave the game away decades ago.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:51 am:
Bailey Crew,
The names of these Rabbis shouldn’t be difficult.
I’m looking forward to you letting Rich know.
It’s almost lunchtime… so you should have enough time to send an email, text…
- Commissar Gritty - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 10:53 am:
Did Darren Bailey literally just use the “My one black friend” defense? Really? Really? …Really?
How do we lose to these people?
- Pundent - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 11:01 am:
Somebody might also want to tell Bailey that the only thing worse than a Holocaust comparison is trying to explain the prior Holocaust comparison.
- New Day - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 11:02 am:
I must have missed the meeting of the “Jewish Community” when we voted on that. Good grief.
- Correcting - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 11:10 am:
“Now explain Mary Miller’s win over Rodney Davis.”
-Davis overstayed his welcome.
-Miller is more right wing and it was a Republican primary.
-Miller was endorsed by Trump.
-People make votes based on more than one comment.
-Maybe a lot of Republicans actually agree with the “controversial” comments made by Miller and Bailey.
- Bruce( no not him) - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 11:11 am:
==What you see is a guy who, depending on what camera’s in front of him, what audiences he’s in front of, is going to say and do anything to pander to that crowd.==
No offence to Mayor Lightfoot, but that is the perception a lot (I would say most…) of voters have of every politician.
- New Day - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 11:14 am:
““So he met with the roughly 297,000 Illinois Jews …” I’ll bet even some of his best friends are Jewish.”
I doubt it. Even that is too high a bar for Darren to clear.
- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 11:18 am:
A clarification: Bailey’s original comment did not compare abortion to the Holocaust. He said the Holocaust “didn’t even” compare to abortion.
- Excitable Boy - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 11:31 am:
Glad to see Bailey is abandoning the pivot. Looking forward to the crazy to come.
- Dotnonymous - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 11:34 am:
Whoever likes Mary Miller and Darren Bailey is like them.
I’m going to keep count of the time it takes Bailey to name the “Jewish Rabbis”…8/9/2022…start the clock.
- Chris - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 11:38 am:
“ He just doesn’t get that not every religion has a yes no black white answer to everything.”
Which one does? It sure isn’t Christianity, or even whatever bizarro prosperity gospel sect he subscribes to.
- Cool Papa Bell - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 11:51 am:
There is an oddness that Bailey keeps calling them Jewish Rabbis. As opposed to Baptist Rabbis?
It’s a cover to me, as it is when someone says “I have many Black friends
- JoanP - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 12:11 pm:
= @RepTimButler adds it was also unwise for Bailey to equate abortion and the Holocaust =
Unwise? That’s all he could come up with?
- SAyitaintso - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 12:11 pm:
Wonder why Bailey didn’t share “one of
My best friends is a rabbi”
- Alana - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 12:22 pm:
Apparently no one told Bailey that in Judaism, not only is abortion allowed, but called for when the life of the mother is in danger. I can’t wait to hear which “rabbis” were laughing with him and slapping him on the back for his Holocaust “gotcha.” The fact he thinks he can play this off as if “The Jews” agree with him tells me everything I need to know about him. Bailey is foul.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 12:24 pm:
I am actually astonished that Darren Bailey is having this problem to the extent which he is having this problem.
He is doubling down. His only goal with this campaign is to appeal to his faction — a faction that already agrees with his unmasked version of antisemitism. He’s basically pulling a Milošević style political move from a campaign he can’t win. He might be doing that on accident, or he might just be doing that because he likes the audience he has built for himself — but regardless this man and the followers he is attracting with the hatred he is continuing to reinforce is dangerous.
It should be no surprise that the FOP has endorsed Darren Bailey. They see in him the kind of bigotry that they exercise and so the endorsement is a natural consequence.
- low level - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 1:01 pm:
Im glad the “Jewish” rabbis agreed w him so much. I thought all rabbis were of the Jewish faith?
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 1:08 pm:
===What you see is a guy who, depending on what camera’s in front of him, what audiences he’s in front of, is going to say and do anything to pander to that crowd.===
It is a good point, but does she own a mirror?
- Unionman - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 1:42 pm:
Bailey probably assumes that any Jewish person wearing a skullcap and has a long beard is a Rabbi.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 2:00 pm:
===Rabbi Avraham Kagan, the director of government affairs for Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois, told the Forward, “We don’t know who he met with and his comments do not reflect our position.”===
Does the Bailey Crew have a name of these folks whom agreed with Bailey?
It’s not a difficult question
- filmmaker prof - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 2:04 pm:
The classic “I have a black friend so I can’t be racist” defense.
- Rahm’s Parking Meter - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 2:05 pm:
For Chabad to say that… it takes A LOT!
- fs - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 2:06 pm:
To the update: Maybe he said Druish Rabbis?
- Skeptic - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 2:07 pm:
“I thought all rabbis were of the Jewish faith?” Maybe he was talking a rabbi’, you know the four-legged furry creature with long ears, except instead of droppin’ his g’s, he’s droppin’ his t’s?
- illdoc - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 2:17 pm:
Skeptic…. I just shot coffee out of my nose. Thanks for the laugh
- Amalia - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 2:21 pm:
Maybe Bailey was talking about his former rabbi, Uihlein.
- Cool Papa Bell - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 2:23 pm:
I’m almost starting to feel bad for the Bailey staffer who has to monitor CapFax and the comments and relay them up to top.
- Crispy - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 3:06 pm:
I believe MisterJayEm is right. This isn’t just an advanced case of Foot-in-Mouth Disease; it’s a deliberate dogwhistle, designed to signal his antisemitism to his fellow bubbas in such a way that he can claim for the city folk that he’s not a bigot.
- Chris - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 3:36 pm:
I wish we had a “none of the above” option, so we could know how many folks don’t like either candidate. I’d like folks who don’t like Pritzker, but can’t vote for Bailey not to have to either undervote or select a random third party candidate.
- Shytown - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 3:51 pm:
oh wow. he suffers from serious foot in mouth disease.
- New Day - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 3:51 pm:
“I wish we had a “none of the above” option, so we could know how many folks don’t like either candidate. I’d like folks who don’t like Pritzker, but can’t vote for Bailey not to have to either undervote or select a random third party candidate.”
I suppose we can launch a write-in campaign. Let’s pick someone with a short, easy to spell name. Something like…Rich Miller. That’s it, GOPers who can’t vote for JB can write in RICH MILLER FOR GOVERNOR.
- thisjustinagain - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 5:00 pm:
Bailey is able to both dig himself a deep hole while dying on a meaningless hill he should have never climbed, let alone defended.
As for Rich Miller for Governor, Oscar would assume the role of Deputy Governor for Dog Treats.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Aug 9, 22 @ 6:32 pm:
To the update. Oh vey (banned punctuation).