* The Tribune takes a last look at the Republican candidates for governor. We highlighted this Ted Dabrowski claim earlier, but here’s the Trib…
Dabrowski has gone the furthest, saying he would use executive orders declaring an “emergency” to revoke both the TRUST Act and the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail — a legally dubious promise given that previous emergency declarations have addressed acute public health crises.
The Tribune refrained from using the all-too-common “policy guru” tag about Dabrowski and explained his former employer far more accurately: “former president of the conservative Wirepoints activist organization.”
* But I did learn some things, including this about DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick…
Mendrick’s rhetoric on immigration has been the most combustible. At times, he has echoed the debunked white nationalist “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory.
“We are being replaced,” he said after a recent debate, though he maintained his comments had “nothing to do with whites. This has a thing to do with citizens and non-citizens.” […]
“I’ll be in charge of the state police, and they’re all going to jail,” [Mendrick] said, alleging without evidence that the governor had illegally diverted fuel tax and local government revenue. “He will go to jail for sweeping the local tax.”
Um, OK.
There’s lots more so go read the whole thing.
- Northsider - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 9:39 am:
Thankfully, the only way these clowns get into the governor’s mansion will be as tourists.
- NIU Grad - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 9:39 am:
March 17 can’t come fast enough.
Outside of Bailey, none of these candidates have been able to get their name out there or make an impact. If he wins, I look forward to forgetting the names of the three other candidates within the year.
- Roadrager - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 9:40 am:
Best of luck in your future career*, James.
*Occasional guest caller on WIND
- Demoralized - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 9:51 am:
How anybody can support people like Mendrick is beyond me.
- Excitable Boy - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 9:57 am:
- How anybody can support people like Mendrick is beyond me. -
Agreed. How he got a free pass to be Sheriff for 2 terms is beyond me.
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 10:14 am:
“ Thankfully, the only way these clowns get into the governor’s mansion will be as tourists.”
Or insurrectionists, based on their rhetoric.
- JS Mill - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 10:17 am:
Someone should ask mendrick if he would jail people who illegally detain US citizens. I bet he doesn’t give a straight answer.
- Occasionally Moderated - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 10:29 am:
As a former member of the State Police I’d like to say that statement is the most preposterous thing I have ever heard. Good luck with that Sheriff.
- NormalRepublican - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 10:31 am:
These guys just aren’t serious. On paper, Dabrowski seems sensible on paper until you find out who he has surrounded himself with- people like Ives and Proft. The ILGOP is completely ineffective. Very sad.
- Norseman - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 10:32 am:
I long for the days when Republican craziness was things like pushing baloney that tax cuts paid for themselves. FACEPALM.
- Annon'in - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 10:50 am:
Is there time to impeach the Sheriff before he inflicts damage on DuPage residents as part of his exit interview? Seems like he got zero scrutiny on his way into office.
Yikes.
Or maybe he just got nutty recently. In retirement he can join Commando Jeanie’s strike force. Fire,Aim,Ready CFS
- Stephanie Kollmann - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 11:14 am:
Mendrick’s bio says he has lived in DuPage for 30 years. So he was part of the mass migration into a county lauded as growing at hyperspeed … but still manages to resent the drivers of its success.
By the way, DP has disproportionately more “non-citizens” who have legal status than many other places, so he’s not even bothering with the usual figleaf of The Law re: immigration. It IS straight up replacement theory.
You have to be a special kind of BANNED WORD to act like this in DuPage.
- ArchPundit - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 11:25 am:
I’ve checked several times in the past and I can confidently state that the US Constitution does not mention the office of sheriff once.
===“You’re talking about highly trained ICE agents, right?”
Oh, sweet innocent child…
And my shirt about how I have no ties to organized crime is raising questions about my ties to organized crime.
Bailey seems the most normal of the bunch and that’s something all right.
- Next Caller - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 11:30 am:
Illinois…where republicans come to watch their political career die.
The sheriff is speaking directly to the lunatics and they do not even come close to a majority of the population of anywhere.
- JoanP - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 11:35 am:
= Mendrick threatened to jail Pritzker if elected governor =
I doubt that Pritzker is losing any sleep over this.
- Bob - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 11:39 am:
It’s no wonder Bailey is winning this race. The other candidates are making him look positively competent.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 11:44 am:
Republicans and the ILGOP should feel relieved in a sense. They may not win statewide offices ever again in Illinois, but at least they don’t have to tamp down their extremism and bigotry anymore.
- Demoralized - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 12:09 pm:
==It’s no wonder Bailey is winning this race==
Bailey doesn’t have to say a word. These goofballs are shooting themselves in the foot just fine on their own.
- Bigtwich - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 12:47 pm:
“The sheriff is speaking directly to the lunatics and they do not even come close to a majority of the population of anywhere.”
Well, we are talking about a Republican primary here.
- btowntruthfromforgottonia - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 1:22 pm:
Ever notice the ones who are all “we want small government and limited executive power” until they get a chance at it or get in?
Yeah….
- btowntruthfromforgottonia - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 1:26 pm:
How anybody can support people like Mendrick is beyond me. -
Agreed. How he got a free pass to be Sheriff for 2 terms is beyond me.
———‐———————————–
You would be surprised how many voters go for people who talk tough and act macho,goes over big in some parts of Forgottonia.
“I’m a gonna whoop ‘em and toss ‘em in jail” seems to play better than taking like a grownup.
- ArchPundit - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 1:28 pm:
==You would be surprised how many voters go for people who talk tough and act macho,goes over big in some parts of Forgottonia.
True, but the thing is there aren’t that many people in Forgottonia.
- btowntruthfromforgottonia - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 1:36 pm:
ArchPundit:
You are not wrong.
Very rural.
In some parts the 21st century has just arrived after being fought off as much as possible.
Still,that talk that Mendrick is spouting would be more appealing to more people here than it should be.
But his campaign has been unable to or can’t get his message out to enough people for him to have any chance in the GOP primary.
- ArchPundit - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 1:58 pm:
===Still,that talk that Mendrick is spouting would be more appealing to more people here than it should be.
Oh, I agree. My Dad and his side of the family live in the area and he’s not sympathetic, but many of my relatives are. I love the area, but it can be challenging.
- Jibba - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 2:05 pm:
I wasn’t sure what it would take for me to fondly think of Bailey as a sane alternative, and now I know.
- G'Kar - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 5:02 pm:
I realize that they don’t vote, but I’ve seen dozen of Mendrick signs and just one for Bailey in my little patch of rural central Illinois.
- Former State Employee - Monday, Mar 9, 26 @ 8:58 pm:
when you see what some of these characters come up with it reminds me how close we could be to having some nut job actually win. Scary.