* Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) on Tucker Carlson…
Wilhour: Tucker, there are sheriffs all over the state, in fact, the majority of them said they’re not going to enforce this because it’s unconstitutional and it’s not enforceable. And, Tucker, man, I think that we are in danger of losing our country if we don’t stand up, if we don’t wake up. And you know, I didn’t leave the farm to go to the General Assembly to stand by and watch somebody like JB Pritzker trash our Constitution. He trashed it during COVID with his illegal lockdowns. He trashed it with his so called SAFE-T Act letting violent criminals out on the street. And now he’s coming after our guns and we’re just here to tell him that there’s 2.5 million legal gun owners in the state of Illinois that need a word and if he thinks that he’s going to come in here and make us register or legally obtained firearms, well, he better pack a lunch because it’s not going to happen we won’t comply.
Carlson: Well, of course, these are people who were not committing crimes, who are threat to nobody. And here is one of the dumbest, least accomplished people in our country. His family’s rich, he buys the seat and he can violate the Constitution because his family’s rich? So I really hope that people will just say no, this is too far and you think that people will do that?
Wilhour: I think they will. Violence is out of control in Chicago, they got the toughest gun laws in the country. You know, if they want to solve the crime problem they need to solve the opportunity problem in this state. Democrats in this state have destroyed the ability to make a good wage for too many people in this state.
Carlson: Yeah, so let’s go after the law abiders.
Wilhour: And that’s left too many people behind, Tucker, and that’s where the violence comes from.
Carlson: Blaine Wilhour, remaining in Illinois I hope for a long time. Great to speak to you, thank you.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 9:35 am:
=He trashed it with his so called SAFE-T Act letting violent criminals out on the street.=
Obviously an inaccurate statement if not an outright lie.
But I find it strange that SA’s and Sheriff’s were powerless to letting people out of jail, I guess they had to comply? But now they don’t have to comply when it comes to a different law?
These guys need to pick a lane.
=And now he’s coming after our guns=
No, he wants you to register your guns if they meet certain criteria. He does want you to get rid of certain capacity magazines.
Blaine is good with hyperbole but not good with the truth.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 9:37 am:
==if he thinks that he’s going to come in here and make… legally obtained firearms==
Wilhour taking out a pro stealing guns stance. You love to see it.
==And here is one of the dumbest, least accomplished people in our country.==
This is just out of town stupid right here. Pritzker’s first term was the most accomplished Illinois has scene in decades. You may not agree with everything he did, but he did *a lot*.
- very old soil - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 9:41 am:
oh my god
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 9:44 am:
Keep speaking like this. It’s perfect, actually.
I support these words… as they will continue to make the current GOP, something I can’t relate to or connect with as a party, wholly disqualifying to govern in Illinois.
Pile on.
You are reinforcing that Republicans are truly dangerous to children and families, and not only do you support insurrectionists, you’d support an insurrection too.
Good luck to McCombie.
How do you recruit candidates in the suburbs when this lunacy is being propagated on “FoxNews”
- Big Dipper - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 9:45 am:
I think we know which party wants low wages.
- illinifan - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 9:51 am:
“We are going to lose our country” is an overused talking point. This from the party that thinks attacking the capitol and attempting to kill the VP is a patriotic act and constitutional. Give me a break.
- Consider This - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 9:54 am:
And Caulkins with a call to secede in 2-3-1…same clown show, different day.
- Leap Day William - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 9:57 am:
== “You know, if they want to solve the crime problem they need to solve the opportunity problem in this state. Democrats in this state have destroyed the ability to make a good wage for too many people in this state. ==
Does anybody else besides me ever wonder how these people can be residing in the same country as we are, experience and see the same things we are seeing, and yet somehow be living in a completely different reality?
- Norseman - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 9:57 am:
OW + 1
- H-W - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 9:59 am:
I read a NY Times story yesterday, that suggested the current GOP is defined by three criteria. The third one suggested, the GOP needs enemies to stay relevant.
The pontification by Wilhour demonstrates that element perfectly. In order to stay relevant (to survive), the IL GOP needs to define enemies, so that laypeople will get angry with them, and support them.
Policies and ideas are irrelevant. Hate is all that matters. I see it in Carlson, and Wilhour.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:03 am:
The shameless hypocrisy is really destructive and dangerous. No mention that Tucker is pretty privileged himself or that Rep. Wilhour doesn’t really care about working people’s wages. It sounds nice, so goodbye truth.
- Lt Guv - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:05 am:
Deep thinkers, both of ‘em.
- froganon - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:06 am:
Wilhour and the Republican Party - every accusation is a confession.
People who understand that their only path to power is through violence and lies. The cruelty part is a bonus.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:08 am:
We’re in danger of losing our country over a gun registration law? Such a tired trope. It seems that the GOP is perfectly content in acknowledging that while it has plenty of grievances it has no policies to speak of. It has been reduced to a bunch of people yelling get off of my lawn. They simply want to turn back the hands of time because they’re incapable of accepting that things change and the world evolves.
- Big Dipper - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:09 am:
==the GOP needs enemies to stay relevant.==
CNN recently ran a four=part documentary on Rudy Giuliani and that was always his strategy.
- Ron Burgundy - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:11 am:
“And here is one of the dumbest, least accomplished people in our country. His family’s rich…”
Tucker is projecting again.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:12 am:
=It seems that the GOP is perfectly content in acknowledging that while it has plenty of grievances it has no policies to speak of. It has been reduced to a bunch of people yelling get off of my lawn.=
There is a part of me that would like to see them have some power so they would have to do some work.
===And here is one of the dumbest, least accomplished people in our country.===
Wilhour may want to watch himself here. He does not strike me at smart.
- vern - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:13 am:
JB is definitely rich, but it’s another kind of rich to call yourselves “the law-abiders” while insisting you won’t follow the law and implying you’ll use violence against law enforcement.
- Excitable Boy - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:19 am:
You took the words out of my mouth, RB.
- I didn’t leave the farm to go to the General Assembly to stand by and watch -
I thought it was the pole barn business you left, now it was the farm? Better get your story straight or people might think you’re just another kid born into wealth and privilege.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:21 am:
== The third one suggested, the GOP needs enemies to stay relevant.==
This is hardly confined to the Republicans. Picking the right enemy is a pretty big part of all mass communications. That’s why Elon keeps trying to stunt off the old Twitter bosses, and why toothpaste commercials make ugly little germ cartoons.
I would certainly argue that Democrats have a positive agenda and policies that they sell and hope to accomplish, but they engage in negative partisanship, too.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:27 am:
Perhaps the time has come to conclude electin’ law enforcement isn’t the greatest idea. Perhaps this could be tested in the nest GA. We would think turning in a few serial #s would help them prove how they are members of the “well regulated militia” that the 2A is all about.
- Give Us Barabbas - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:36 am:
“… Tucker Carlson…”
Stopped reading right there. The formula for that guy and that show is so trope-filled and predictable, chatgp could write out the script in seconds.
- Anyone Remember - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:40 am:
Why is it when people complain about Illinois’ gun laws, I get this sneaking suspicion they spent their teen years binge watching Patrick Dempsey in Red Dawn?
- Lincoln Lad - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:41 am:
Still waiting to hear why registering weapons of war is such an infringement on your rights, but registering your car or your boat is not. What are they afraid we’ll find out?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:44 am:
=== sneaking suspicion they spent their teen years binge watching Patrick Dempsey in Red Dawn?===
Allen Skillicorn was into performance art, the “Red Dawn” red herring was his prop.
There are no accidents…
- what - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 10:58 am:
Patrick Swayze was in Red Dawn. Not Patrick Dempsey.
- btowntruthfromforgottonia - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 11:16 am:
“And, Tucker, man, I think that we are in danger of losing our country if we don’t stand up, if we don’t wake up.”
Drama queens gonna drama queen.
- Radio Frequency - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 11:22 am:
Performance art
or
Performance pandering to the base
- New Day - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 11:43 am:
“Patrick Swayze was in Red Dawn. Not Patrick Dempsey.” In fairness, people often confuse C. Thomas Howell (who was in Red Dawn) with Patrick Dempsey.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 11:43 am:
ding ding ding ding ding….losing our country for $500, Tucker. Patrick Dempsey in Red Dawn, a new Shondaland spinoff? (Illinois gal makes real good tv.)
- zatoichi - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 11:45 am:
These guys sound exactly like the ‘preachers’ who regularly came on campus to shout about evil behaviours destroying basically everything. Rant, rave, Bible quotes, signs, yelling, and eventually someone would respond. They would go on for hours while the crowd turned over about every 20 minutes.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 11:48 am:
They’ve been hollering socialism and losing this country for decades. We ain’t going nowhere, lol—not with wealth disproportionally going to the richest. One would think many voters are on to this, but many are not and keep swallowing it.
- Lincoln Lad - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 12:34 pm:
If forced to register these weapons, the police will be able to track potential shooters taking aim at election opponent’s homes. That must be it. Unconstitutional!
- Steve Rogers - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 12:44 pm:
“I think that we are in danger of losing our country”
He’s not wrong on that point, see January 6, 2021. Maybe he should ask Chris Miller about it.
- Near West Side - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 12:57 pm:
Looks like the Freedom Caucus finally found someone who thinks they are relevant, but they did have to go out of state to find him.
- Anyone Remember - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 1:20 pm:
To all who caught my misadventure with autocomplete, thank you.
- lol - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 1:21 pm:
Name on thing that man has voted for that has created opportunity for the people of this state. Raising the minimum wage? Balanced budgets that increase funding in social services?
- Dysfunction Junction - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 1:39 pm:
If I read the transcript correctly (and omit Tucker’s interruption), Wilhour finished his screed with: “Democrats in this state have destroyed the ability to make a good wage for too many people in this state… And that’s left too many people behind, Tucker, and that’s where the violence comes from.”
So let me try to parse this. Because of Democrats, many people can’t make enough money and the natural consequence is violence. Obviously that means we shouldn’t restrict access to weapons designed to kill humans. /s
Does anyone else think Wilhour sounds like an apologist for violence, or is that just my warped interpretation? Wonder how the “Dems made me do it” defense will play in court?
- filmmaker prof - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 2:42 pm:
The problem with Republicans, both in Illinois and nationally, is that they “govern” based on how things will play on Tucker Carlson and similar shows. That’s their entire criteria.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Jan 17, 23 @ 2:45 pm:
=that they “govern” based on how things will play on Tucker Carlson and similar shows=
That’s what happens when your “news programs” aren’t focused on policy but an advertising demographic.