* Center Square…
Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey, the GOP gubernatorial candidate who got Trump’s endorsement, said he saw the Trump raid as a bad sign.
“I find it very upsetting,” Bailey told WMAY. “I personally look at this, I believe it is political. And I want to tell you what, watching this all unfold, I am very concerned about the future of our country.”
Audio is here.
* Related…
* U.S. National Archives identified 700-plus pages of classified records at Trump’s home: “Among the materials in the boxes are over 100 documents with classification markings, comprising more than 700 pages. Some include the highest levels of classification, including Special Access Program (SAP) materials,” Wall’s letter said, referring to security protocols reserved for some of the country’s most closely held secrets. … The letter shows that Trump’s legal team repeatedly tried to stall the Archives from letting the FBI and intelligence officials review the materials, saying that he needed more time to determine if any of the records were covered by a doctrine called executive privilege that enables a president to shield some records.
* Documents recovered at Mar-a-Lago were among government’s most classified, letter shows: “I mean, if he had actual special access programs — do you know how extraordinarily sensitive that is? That’s very, very sensitive. If that were actually at his residence, that would be a problem,” said Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah), a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
* FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search followed months of resistance, delay by Trump: Trump’s lawyers do not appear to have argued to Steidel Wall that Trump had declassified the documents that bore classified markings before he left office. While presidents have widespread authority to declassify documents, there is a process for doing so, and even declassified documents are required by the Presidential Records Act to remain in Archives custody.
…Adding… Good point…
- watchful eye - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:18 am:
Wow. Doubling down on stupid. Guessing he hasn’t read the search warrant or any of the court’s rulings but he is firm in his view that its political Pathetic
- Jerry - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:18 am:
My question: If the current President takes home some documents at the end of his term, what do you think the Republican reaction will be?
- Furtive Look - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:18 am:
Just what I’d expect him to say.
- TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:19 am:
Bailey was in attendance at the Mar-a-lago fundraiser for Mary Miller, where these documents were located.
I’ll bet he is concerned about it.
- Cable Line Beer Gardener - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:21 am:
I dare say Darren I am more scared for my Country because of politicians like you.
- vern - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:21 am:
Looking forward to the police unions turning on Bailey now that his “support for law enforcement” is conditional on them never embarrassing the Republican Party /s
But seriously, is Bailey ever gonna try to get a Biden voter to vote for him? If he doesn’t, he’s on track to lose 57-40 just like trump did.
- Preserve Disorder - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:23 am:
Another “law and order” Republican heard from…
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:24 am:
-I personally look at this, I believe it is political.-
Based on? Absolutely nothing.
Legally speaking, anyone else without a long history of evading the arm of the law would be toast on these potential charges. Classification only goes to how bad the crime is, not whether one was committed. David Petraeus and Sandy Berger were convicted of similar offenses with a lot less stuff. And the reports that he personally looked at the stuff and decided what to give back, calling the rest “mine,” establishes willful intent.
- cover - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:28 am:
Funny how the “lock her up” crowd stumbles all over itself to make excuses for the even worse information security practices of Dear Leader
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:28 am:
Also, courts will likely find the executive privilege argument to be nonsense, as he’s asserting it against part of the Executive Branch. We can’t have former Presidents unilaterally deciding what their successors can and can’t see, for the good of the country and continuity of government.
- cermak_rd - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:29 am:
Why is he running? It certainly does not look like he has any intention of winning. He ticks off groups of voters he needs at every opportunity. He did not have to comment about this. He could have said this is a legal matter and the courts are dealing with it.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:29 am:
Bailey hits all the wrong notes.
Rich had the perfect QOTD on what issues (paraphrasing, apologies) were most important this election and saving democracy was a clear leader
According to polling, nationally, we here mirrored that thought.
Cite… https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3610753-threats-to-democracy-top-list-of-issues-facing-us-poll/
My point?
Easy.
This is Bailey, again, choosing thoughts, policies, beliefs, where there’s no bridge to filling the tent with more and more folks…
… frankly, Bailey already is disqualified, for me, it’s this kind of thinking that reinforces my own feeling.
I don’t identify or relate with Bailey on any political level, and conspiracy theorist is the worst kind of candidate.
Bailey is only shrinking his appeal.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:34 am:
Bailey fulfilling his membership requirement in the MAGA GOP by affirming belief in whatever phony conspiracy theory der leader and his propagandists spout. The impact on democracy, it’s institutions and the lives of people be disregarded.
MAGA law and order equates to laws only for our enemies and mandatory compliance with our orders.
- Save Ferris - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:37 am:
“Bailey is only shrinking his appeal.”
I still don’t believe he’s running anything other than a grifting campaign at this point. Compiling sellable donor lists seems to be his long term strategy.
- Concerned Observer - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:38 am:
I only bring this up because someone else had similar story about a month ago, but the Bailey sign that was in my neighbor’s yard disappeared a couple of weeks ago. Had been there since March, I think. Will Co.
It’s probably nothing. I just found myself thinking, there I’d tangible evidence that DB is…going the wrong way.
- Treefiddy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:42 am:
Went to a dental appointment last week, and the person prepping me for my (routine) procedure found out I worked in politics and asked, “If I had the please of meeting Mr. Bailey yet.” Sadly, I didn’t tell her what I truly thought over concern she may not give me the right amount of anesthesia.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:44 am:
===he’s running anything other than a grifting campaign at this point. Compiling sellable donor lists seems to be his long term strategy.===
Dan Proft got ~7% in a *primary* running for governor, parlaying that embarrassment into a windfall of riches, radio gigS, “consulting”, and checks… lots of lots of checks.
Bailey is a true believer to a way to find a niche to lead “dozens”, as long as the checks cash.
You’re not wrong. Nope.
- sax - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:44 am:
Law and order for you, not for me.
- Streator Curmudgeon - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:45 am:
Completely predictable. When you beg for a Trump endorsement, you go all in for defending Trump, even when it contradicts the rule of law.
This is playing to the MAGA base in Illinois. This kind of stuff may earn him “atta boys” from the red hat crowd, but it won’t win him the election.
- MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:47 am:
“I personally look at this, I believe it is political.”
To be fair, the Rule of Law and the preservation of our democratic republic are political matters.
– MrJM
- fs - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:47 am:
==And I want to tell you what, watching this all unfold, I am very concerned about the future of our country==
I would actually tend to agree with his statement here. Having said that, my guess would be we would disagree as to what the catalyst for those concerns are.
- Homebody - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:47 am:
They see the world through one lens. They went after Bill and Hillary (both all the way back to Whitewater up through Benghazi) purely out of political motivation, and never actually found anything. So they assume that everyone else does the same thing.
It is how cheaters justify cheating. “Everyone else is doing it” makes it ok for them to do it. It doesn’t actually matter if everyone else actually IS doing it or not. They just tell themselves it is true, and that is good enough.
- Save Ferris - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:48 am:
“Dan Proft got ~7% in a *primary* running for governor, parlaying that embarrassment into a windfall of riches”
I’m a bigger fan of Pat Proft. I mean, Police Academy and Bachelor Party. And the Star Wars Holiday Special!
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:51 am:
-Bailey is a true believer to a way to find a niche to lead “dozens”, as long as the checks cash.-
Being full on MAGA is expensive. The $60K pickup truck, the arsenal of weapons and ammo, travel to rallies and convoys, all the merch, giving to millionaire politicians every time they text you and feign poverty, etc. No wonder some of them complain they are broke. Clearly the Liberals’ fault.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 9:54 am:
Whatever happened to law and order, ILGOP? Or is that only for the people the base fears and despises.
- G'Kar - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:03 am:
I’m tired of hear Trump supporters and some in the media (not you, Rich)calling the raid “unprecedented” like that is a bad thing. Trump is unprecedented in so, so may ways. He broke a law that he himself pushed for so the penalties would be increased.
- XonXoff - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:03 am:
I believe his ‘opinion’ is political. Law and order, my backside.
- H-W - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:10 am:
Of course it is political, but not in the way Bailey assumes.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:12 am:
Bailey isn’t even trying to attempt to increase his appeal to voters beyond his die hard, far right base. He does understand that he can’t win with them alone right?
- ;) - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:18 am:
I wouldn’t have even needed the reporter to finish the question before responding with a resounding hell yea, they all were political. The DOJ/FBI are corrupt cartels, and they have been for 50+ years. They’re the most corrupt of all the federal agencies, and they’ve been criminalizing the political and governing processes of this country for too long.
- Redneck Bill - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:26 am:
Bold prediction JBP gets ousted with 48.9% Bailey grassroots pulling 50.7%. screenshot this and post it on election night.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:26 am:
Benny B. has a good folo up. Maybe this be followed up with Did you any free secret docs souvenirs when you visited Mar A Lago? Or if one federal judge says ComEd actions were not a crime do other federal judges pay attention.
- Wading in... - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:31 am:
I think I know how Dems felt back in the day when the LaRouchies were their torchbearers.
The pendulum has to swing back for the Republicans, doesn’t it? I hope I’m alive long enough to see it.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:31 am:
==The DOJ/FBI are corrupt cartels,==
I think you need to go back to bed for the day.
- Dysfunction Junction - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:31 am:
=Being full on MAGA is expensive=
Don’t forget the megavitamins. And the colloidal silver. The horse dewormers. And the freeze dried year’s supply of beans and jerky on a pallet.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:31 am:
===Bold prediction===
It’s way to early to be imbibing or “toking” at this level.
Where do you see the abortion issue at with Bailey feeling a child that’s a victim of incest carrying a pregnancy to term?
That’ll move the needle, maybe not as you see it, but…
- walker - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:32 am:
“”The DOJ/FBI are corrupt cartels, and they have been for 50+ years. They’re the most corrupt of all the federal agencies, and they’ve been criminalizing the political and governing processes of this country for too long.”"
Hah That you Blago?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:34 am:
-
-
Explain how one can say that ridiculous nonsense… and be all “law and order”?
Usually my favorite aunt saves the in-law uncle before that kind of screed.
(Hat tip to - Ron Burgundy - and - Save Ferris -)
Crazy times, indeed
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:37 am:
As someone pointed out, Bailey seems to no ever care at this point. He probably figures he will win enough downstate counties to call fraud the day after the election then will be the featured speaker at every County GOP Lincoln Day dinner for the next decade.
- Rudy’s teeth - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:38 am:
As Candidate Bailey continues to call Chicago a hellhole, it’s ironic that Darren schedules a pricy boat cruise fundraiser on Lake Michigan.
Wonder if they’ll drop anchor at the Playpen?
- Dysfunction Junction - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:50 am:
=Wonder if they’ll drop anchor at the Playpen?=
With millionaire Bailey of course substituting for Rodney Dangerfield as Al Czervik. “You scratched my anchor.”
Cut to a shot of JB christening his new sloop. “Oh it’s easy to grin when your ship comes in, and you’re got the stock market beat.”
- Hot Taeks - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:52 am:
Mr. Bradley is correct. We are very used to our politicians getting sweeped by the Feds. Bailey is out of touch here. We just call it another Monday when it happens.
- Frank talks - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:52 am:
Darren will win 96 counties and cry fraud. How can I win 96 counties and not the election will be the phrase. The voters in those counties will rail on and on about stolen election and fraud. Most of them don’t even realize their county is less than 1% percent of the city of Chicago. “But his signs were all over the county, he won 78% of the county how is that not fraud that he lost statewide?”
- Flying Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 10:57 am:
Keeeeeeep talkin’, Skeeter.
- MoralMinority - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 11:03 am:
Let’s see. Trump leaves the White House and takes along boxes of papers that belong to the US Government, some of them that were top secret. The National Archives retrieves part of the stolen documents from where they were stored under minimal security at Trump’s home. Trump lawyers, when pressed, stall for months and claim all the classified and top secret items have been returned. Finally, after giving every reasonable opportunity to comply, the FBI gets a search warrant and finds classified and top secret government documents. Trump and his pals like Darren claim this is all a big political witch hunt. If it is a witch hunt, them the FBI stumbled upon a bunch of broomsticks and pointy hats at Mar-a-Lago. At best this shows how totally inept and careless Trump was with national security. At worst we see evidence of Trump’s backup plan to fly by night to Moscow and take along something of value to his pal Vladimir so he could be the newest oligarch.
- Lurker - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 11:03 am:
I’m very disappointed. Lock him up indeed.
- XonXoff - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 11:20 am:
// …take along something of value to his pal Vladimir so he could be the newest oligarch. //
If I were a writer, “The Newest Oligarch” would have just gone onto my list of working titles.
- SAP - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 11:22 am:
==Bailey grassroots pulling 50.7%==
I’ll take the under.
- Bruce( no not him) - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 11:26 am:
=== I believe it is political.===
Of course, he does.
His “base” expects this stand and would freak out if he said anything else.
This is the opinion of a large swatch of downstate republicans, and we all know he isn’t trying to appeal to Democrats.
- Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 11:50 am:
===Follow-up question: Was it “political” when the FBI executed search warrants on Illinois democrats including Ald. Ed Burke, House Speaker Mike Madigan and Gov. Rod Blagojevich?===
Likely responses:
Ald Burke - not political
Speaker Madigan - not political
Gov. Blagojevich - (checks notes, sees that Trump commuted sentence but did not pardon) - not sure, I’ll get back to you
- New Day - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 11:56 am:
“Bold prediction JBP gets ousted with 48.9% Bailey grassroots pulling 50.7%. screenshot this and post it on election night.”
Please please please id yourself so we can all take a piece of that action. I’ll even give you odds.
- Skeptic - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 12:03 pm:
“The Newest Oligarch” So we had The Oligarch, but then the lead guitar had a falling out, so he split off and formed The New Oligarch. He died and the remaining band members carried on and called themselves The Newest Oligarch. Do I have that right?
- vern - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 12:04 pm:
=== Bailey grassroots pulling 50.7% ===
I respect the bravery of coming in with a contrary take, so I’ll engage in good faith. What does “grassroots” mean in this sentence? I’m genuinely asking
- Blackhawk - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 12:06 pm:
As Bailey said, “we just need people to comply with the law. “
- AlfondoGonz - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 12:12 pm:
I’d like to hear a Mar-A-Lago raid truther answer this:
Assuming Donald took classified documents, and that he was asked to return them, and he did not, and he was subpoenaed to return them, and he did not;
What more would you have the DOJ do?
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 12:48 pm:
Notwithstanding the fact that it was illegal for him to have taken the documents in the first place, I think it’s scary that one of the arguments Trump and his lackey’s have made is that because he was President he has unlimited authority to do whatever he wants unilaterally, including declassifying documents and that anything taken was automatically considered declassified. That’s not exactly how it works. But these people argued multiple times during his Presidency that he had absolute authority to do anything he wanted.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 12:55 pm:
No Darren, it’s not political. You don’t get to keep classified materials when you leave office. You don’t get to go through the boxes and say about items “they’re mine.” Public figures have been indicted for possession of even one piece of classified information. This is an indictment-a-palooza in the making. It’s dangerous to have state secret information out there, you know, in a place where Chinese officials are roaming with phones with cameras and the items are not kept in a locked room until the government…while it is trying to pry them away from you without making a scene…tells you to lock them up. (doesn’t he know about that phrase?) Learn something about responsibility for sensitive information.
- Skeptic - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 1:24 pm:
“What more would you have the DOJ do?” Well, I’d wager the DOJ didn’t say “Pretty please with sugar on top?” So there’s that.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 1:26 pm:
Bailey’s response should not be a surprise as there is endless evidence that he is a complete and total hypocrite.
On law and order- refused to wear a mask and encouraged others to do the same.
Supports the Jan 6 insurrection and the insurrectionists
Supports the big lie
But wants more cops and the death penalty
On economics:
Takes millions in government subsidies and PPP.
Calls assistance to average person socialism
Wants more public money for private schools
- thisjustinagain - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 1:27 pm:
Can you believe Bailey sits on the Senate Higher Education and Education committees yet say things this dumb all the time? And if he has access to any information that is subject to some form of State security clearance-type process, maybe that should be reviewed as he is likely a security risk.
- Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 4:11 pm:
When the 2006 movie Idiocracy came out it was a comedy.
Now we find it was foretelling the future.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 5:16 pm:
There is ample evidence that the search of Mar-a-Largo was legally warranted and no evidence that it was politically motivated. But Darren made a Faustian bargain to obtain an endorsement. And he now has to defend the endorser at all costs.
- Over It - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 6:07 pm:
the Mar-a-Lago raid was political, and the Madigan, Burke, and Blago warrants were all political as well. this is obvious.
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Aug 24, 22 @ 7:59 pm:
Does this count as another ton of chicken manure?