Some campaign stuff
Monday, Nov 22, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WGLT…
A Bloomington state senator is pushing back against former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s view that Illinois will not be a top-tier state next year for funding in Republican races for governor and U.S. Senate.
Christie made the remark in Chicago, during a speech at the Chicago Union Club. Christie was promoting his new book about how to get the Republican Party past former President Donald Trump.
State Sen. Barickman, R-Bloomington, said Christie should wait a bit on his conclusion that Illinois is not competitive in those statewide races.
“I don’t think the answer on that issue is fully yet known. Whether we are a top-tier state for funding largely depends on who the candidates are,” said Barickman. […]
“Suburban voters I think are not going to be overly motivated by social issues per se. I think they’re going to be driven by property taxes, crime, high quality schools. We can’t do it if our candidate is a non-starter with the suburban households where there are so many votes,” said Barickman.
* What Christie said…
As for Republican chances in Illinois in next year’s midterms, when Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth are seeking reelection, Christie likened the situation to a famed “Peanuts” cartoon.
“Sometimes Illinois is a little bit like Charlie Brown and the football and Lucy, and how you think you’re gonna get it and then you wind up on your back,” said Christie, who as head of the Republican Governors Association was actively involved in the election of one-term GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2014.
“I think there could be Republican gains here but it’s not a top-tier state in terms of where Republicans are targeting money,” he said, referring to lower-ballot races such as those for Congress. “If we’re spending money in Illinois in October of next year, we won the House and Senate already. That’s called piling on once you do that.”
Thoughts?
* Zero surprise here…
Democrat Nikki Budzinski of Springfield, a labor activist who worked in President Joe Biden’s administration until earlier this summer, has secured an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Springfield in her run for U.S. Congress in the 13th District.
The announcement came Sunday at Durbin’s Springfield home. […]
Democrat David Palmer, 35, a Champaign resident who is a Country Financial Insurance broker and financial planner, lives in the 13th District.
Palmer, who is Black, said the new 13th District would include majority Black East St. Louis which would be a boost to his election chances.
Still waiting to see what Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) plans to do.
…Adding… A commenter claims Rep. Ammons announced her re-election campaign today. Checking.
…Adding More… Rep. Ammons got back to me just now to confirm that she’s running for reelection.
* Meanwhile, on to a press release…
Michael Rabbitt, business transformation leader at Argonne National Laboratory, and a community activist, who is seeking the appointment to replace retiring State Representative of the 15th House district in Illinois, John D’Amico, has received the endorsement of 39th Ward Neighbors United, an independent political organization that fights for racial, social, and economic justice in Chicago’s 39th ward. Rabbitt’s strong performance yesterday’s People’s Candidate Forum, coupled with this key endorsement, gives him momentum heading into Tuesday’s appointment meeting.
The ward with the most weighted vote is the 39th and Sen. Ram Villivalam is the committeeperson. Contrary to what you might have read elsewhere, Villivalam had nothing to do with the Neighbors United endorsement.
* Russ Stewart…
State law mandates the area committeepersons of the party of the resigned incumbent meet within 30 days to pick the replacement, which means in D’Amico’s case by Dec. 8. The selection is by weighted-vote, based on the turnout in the 2020 Democratic primary, which was 35,637. The apportionment is as follows 38.2 percent in the 39th Ward, 32.6 in Maine Township, 17.7 in Niles Township, 9 in the 41st Ward, and the rest scattered. Joe Cook, the 41st Ward committeeperson, has said he won’t seek the job. The choice will serve through the end of 2022 and have an edge in the June 28 primary.
Michael Rabbitt of Wildwood was in the race before D’Amico quit. He works for Argonne Laboratories as a manager. He is an advocate of police reform and affordable housing. He models himself after Will Guzzardi, Lindsay LaPointe and John Arena, and is waging a door-to-door campaign. He will be the leftmost candidate.
Others in the contest, who will likely seek selection, are Dan Cotter, an attorney from Edgebrook and former LSC president and CBA past president, Casey Smagala of Albany Park, a 2019 39th Ward aldermanic candidate who is close to Villivalam, Mike Kelly of Mayfair, a firefighter who is the football coach at St. Edward’s parish school, Liam Kelly, who ran for subcircuit judge in the 2020 primary, and whose brother Eamon is Evanston Township committeeperson, and Dean Alonistiotis, who works for MWRD commissioner Kim Du Buclet.
Mike Kelly is close to former Rep. D’Amico.
…Adding… Candidate list courtesy of the 39th Ward…
-Dr. Christina Brophy (Triton College; Professor of History & Humanities)
-Daniel Cotter (Howard & Howard PLLC; Attorney)
-Vince Fattore (Lexington Group; Chief Information Officer)
-Judy Kehoe (AAIA/A.C.E.S., Inc.; Contracting Specialist)
-Michael J. Kelly (Chicago Fire Department; Firefighter/EMT)
-John Melaniphy III (Village of Niles; Director of Economic Development)
-Michael Rabbitt (Argonne National Laboratory; Business Leader)
* Related…
* Illinois Comptroller visits Arcola mayor
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* The DuPage County Democratic Central Committee has been paying this person $500 a month for the past three years. It was definitely not money well spent…
After Sunday’s Christmas parade horror in Waukesha, Wisconsin, an Illinois Democrat appeared to portray the tragedy as a form of payback for Friday’s acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha.
“It was probably just self-defense,” read one of a series of mocking social media posts from Mary Lemanski, who is listed as the social media director for the Democratic Party in DuPage County, Illinois.
Lemanski also describes herself as an acting student with the famed Second City comedy group.
“Living in Wisconsin, he probably felt threatened,” read another post attributed to Lemanski, referring to the SUV driver in the Waukesha case.
* After the pushback began…
The DuPage Democrat then offered onlookers her own perspective on the Sunday attack.
‘I’m sad,’ Lemanski shared later that night. ‘I’m sad anytime anyone dies.’
‘I just believe in Karma and this came around quick on the citizens of Wisconsin.’
Then, in another, more judgmental, message directed to the citizens of the state that saw both of the contentious attacks, the staffer proclaimed, ‘You reap what you sow, Wisconsin.’
Her tweets are now deleted, but you can see them all at the links above.
* Facebook…
The DuPage Democrats deleted that post, and rightly so. She shouldn’t have been using the official site to announce her resignation.
* Twitter…
* So much has been written about the Rittenhouse case nationally and in Illinois, but I’ve avoided it because it was a Wisconsin court case. Various Illinois pols reacted after the verdict, but I’m ignoring them, too. Do yourself a favor and read Mark Brown…
Many people are going to have trouble accepting the Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty verdict, but I think there would be fewer of them if they’d watched the trial, beginning to end, as a jury does.
It bothers me deeply that Rittenhouse killed two people with a gun a 17-year-old shouldn’t have had in a fight he shouldn’t have been anywhere near.
But, as I wrote before the jury began its 26-plus hours of deliberations, it’s the correct verdict based on all of the evidence and the law.
It really was self-defense. Rittenhouse wasn’t the aggressor in the chain of events that led to the shootings. […]
I certainly pray people won’t be emboldened by this verdict to show up with their guns every time there is a protest over a matter of public dispute. But I fear some will.
Despite what people are saying, Rittenhouse’s acquittal should not be seen a victory for white supremacists (though I’m sure that crowd is celebrating) any more than a guilty verdict would have been a victory for antifa.
On the other hand, if those redneck clowns in Georgia get away with the shotgun lynching of Ahmaud Arbery, now, that would be a victory for white supremacists.
Take a very deep breath or three before commenting, please. There are plenty of other websites that encourage you to spew anything that comes to mind. This ain’t one of them. Also, remember that you’re often being manipulated…
…Adding… Press release…
“The Democratic Party of DuPage County immediately severed all ties with Mary Lemanski once became aware of her callous and reprehensible posts. She does not speak for us and we unequivocally reject her statements about the tragic events that occurred yesterday in Waukesha. We as a party denounce violence of any kind. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families impacted by this heinous act, which shocked and saddened us all.”
- Democratic Party of DuPage County Chair Ken Mejia-Beal
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* May 8, 2020…
Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau has called for his community to reopen faster than is outlined as part of Governor JB Pritzker’s plan.
He says it just can’t wait.
“The governor’s plan would not allow restaurants to reopen until at least June 26. Frankly, most of our small, family-owned restaurants will not survive that long,” Mayor Pekau said.
Mayor Pekau posted video on social media Thursday. The village said that it may lose $2.7 million this year in sales tax revenue because of COVID-19 restrictions, so it has laid out its own plan to reopen businesses at a faster pace.
* More from that video…
Pekau said Pritzker’s plan is based off “weird science” and has used an “asinine display of logic” in his guidance to restart the state after COVID-19’s peak.
The video is here.
* May 18 of last year…
Trustees in Orland Park could vote Monday to seek legal action against the state if businesses and “civic life” aren’t reopened in Illinois by June 1.
* Not long after he posted that video…
Less than one week after Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau used taxpayer monies to file a vague and unclear lawsuit against Gov. Pritzker demanding that COVID-19 restrictions be eased, the coronavirus struck close to home.
According to sources, an employee in the Village Manager’s Office at Orland Park Village Hall has tested positive for Coronavirus.
Although this is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 at Orland Park’s Village Hall – other government agencies have reported cases – Pekau’s high profile publicity, his demand restrictions be eased, and his taxpayer-funded lawsuit against Gov. Pritzker’s coronavirus plan has made Orland Park the symbol of a growing movement of people who believe the virus is more of a myth than a threat.
* And then a judge dismissed efforts by the village to obtain a TRO in August…
A federal lawsuit filed by the Village of Orland Park against Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been denied by the U.S. District Court of Northern District of Illinois.
The lawsuit – which was filed in June by the Village, an Orland Park restaurant and two Orland Park residents – claimed the governor’s executive orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic violated the U.S. Constitution, Illinois Constitution and the Public Health Act.
However, in an opinion filed on Aug. 1, Judge Andrea R. Wood denied the Village’s motion, stating the “plaintiffs have a negligible likelihood of success on the merits of those claims.” Wood also wrote that the “plaintiffs have not demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of any of their federal claims based on traditional constitutional analyses.”
* But Mayor Pekau persisted. He finally had to face reality in October of last year…
The federal lawsuit filed by the Village of Orland Park against Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been dropped, records show.
After months of discussion and investigations, the dismissal of the case on Tuesday did not give an explanation as to why the village decided to voluntarily drop the lawsuit. Mayor Keith Pekau, reached by phone Friday morning, said “it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It was pretty clear that [the judge] was going to say that we don’t have standing in a federal court and take it back to a state court, which obviously costs a ton of money… when it doesn’t matter anymore. We’re open,” Pekau said, adding that from August to now, the village has spent “almost no money” on the case.
Also…
Trustee Dan Calandriello, who was opposed from the start to the litigation, said the consensus during Monday’s closed-door session was drop the matter.
“The feeling was it was time to finish this thing,” he said.
Calandriello, who is an attorney, said he believes the total legal bill for Orland Park will be about $70,000 and was critical of the expense at a time when municipal revenues have been affected due to the pandemic.
“At the end of the day this was not productive,” he said.
* Sept. 8 of this year…
The Village Board of Orland Park voted 7-0 Tuesday to approve a resolution that opposes Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mask mandate and any vaccine mandate against COVID-19. […]
Pekau went on to state that Illinois has been under a state of emergency for 600 days, during which time the governor had issued 97 executive orders. “These are the actions of a dictator,” the mayor said.
* Ted Slowik in the Daily Southtown around the same time…
I think it’s rather sad how some elected officials keep making the pandemic about politics rather than public health.
Leaders in Orland Park, for example, seemed incapable of discussing mask and vaccine mandates last week without criticizing Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
“We’re ruling by fiat, and by one man, we’re not ruling by legislative action,” Mayor Keith Pekau said during a rambling, 25-minute diatribe at the Sept. 7 Village Board meeting. […]
Pekau refused to answer [WGN-AM’s Steve Bertrand’s] question about whether the mayor was vaccinated. […]
Pekau is hardly the only warrior for the aggrieved who seems like an opportunist using the pandemic to gain attention and score political points.
* Yesterday…
Mayor Keith Pekau is running for Congress in the 6th Congressional District, according to federal documents filed Monday.
The Orland Park mayor had not formally announced his candidacy as of Thursday afternoon, but registered Pekau For Congress as a committee under the Federal Election Commission Monday afternoon.
Currently, the 6th District is represented by Democratic incumbent Congressman Sean Casten. … Democrat Marie Newman [has announced she will run] against Casten in a primary contest. Pekau has registered to run as a Republican.
* Related…
* Illinois suffers highest COVID-19 caseload in two months, spikes in hospitalizations, positivity, deaths: ‘We are in a surge’
*** UPDATE *** Media advisory…
WHO: Mayor Keith Pekau
Special Guests: Jeanne Ives and Other Local Leaders
WHAT: Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau has fought career politicians and the radical left to help his hometown put “people over politics.” Now, he’ll take that fight to the halls of Congress. Pekau will formally announce his campaign for the 6th Congressional District at a local small business.
WHEN: Monday, November 22 at 10:00am
Press can arrive at 9:30am to set-up.
WHERE: Alexander Equipment Co., 4728 Yender Ave, Lisle, IL 60532
WHY: Keith Pekau is the common sense, local leader 6th District residents need in Washington to take on the extreme politicians. His record of results stands in stark contrast to the failed far-left politics of Marie Newman, Sean Casten, and Nancy Pelosi.
EXTRA: Pekau’s public Campaign Kick-Off Event is that evening (November 22nd) at 5:30pm at Fox’s Pizza & Irish Pub in Orland Park.
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Lots of land mines in this post
Friday, Nov 19, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Mike Miletich…
The Illinois State Board of Education hopes to approve a new rule that would further cement Gov. JB Pritzker’s executive order mandating that Illinois teachers, staff and school contractors be vaccinated against COVID-19 or go through weekly testing to be inside schools. […]
Under the proposal, teachers and other staff could still be exempt from getting the vaccine if they have a medical issue or strongly held religious beliefs. However, the proposed rule could allow schools to require unvaccinated staff to get tested twice per week if there is a COVID-19 outbreak. Schools could also bar staff from entering buildings if they have any COVID-19 symptoms. […]
Not all ISBE board members were happy with proposal. ISBE member Roger Eddy, a former state lawmaker and head of the Illinois Association of School Boards, said the board shouldn’t use rule-making to overrule the subject of multiple court cases.
“I think that allowing the courts, as one of the three branches of government, to weigh in on this would be a far more prudent way to proceed at this time,” Eddy said.
There was a time when Republicans opposed activist judges dictating policy rather than trying to get the policy right to begin with.
I mean, seriously, since when do members of a state board vote to abdicate their authority to slightly change some rules to the whims of judges?
* Let’s move along to this from last month…
The National School Boards Association has apologized to its members for its letter last month to President Joe Biden in which the group sought federal help in countering threats, harassment, and violence targeting school officials and said that some of the actions could be classified as “domestic terrorism” or hate crimes.
In a Friday letter to NSBA members, the group stated that while the safety of its members and schools in general was its top priority, “There was no justification for some of the language included in the letter. We should have had a better process in place to allow for consultation on a communication of this significance.”
Lots of Facebookers were sure up in arms about that.
* So, I was a bit surprised that the state’s Republican congressional delegation minus Adam Kinzinger waited until late yesterday afternoon to issue this press release…
Today, Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15) led a letter with members of the Illinois Congressional delegation urging the Illinois School Boards Association to withdraw from the National School Boards Association.
On September 29, 2021, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent a letter to the Biden Administration asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to treat concerned parents, advocating for their children peacefully, as “domestic terrorists.”
“Parents should never be treated as domestic terrorists for showing up at school board meetings to advocate for their kids,” Miller said. “Many school boards across the country are trying to force racist Critical Race Theory, a perverted sexual education curriculum, and transgender policies that are harmful to teenage girls. We must empower the role of parents in their children’s education, and we hope that the Illinois School Boards Association will withdraw from the National School Boards Association.”
The Illinois School Boards Association (ISBA) plans to meet today and discuss their continued involvement with the National School Boards Association (NSBA).
“The FBI is still “tagging” parents they deem threatening at school board meetings,” Miller said. “I believe that Illinois parents and families should play a central role in their children’s education, not the federal government.”
Not over the top at all. Also, it’s the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB). The full letter, which has the name right, is here. The press release was sent after the IASB meeting ended, by the way.
* I reached out early this morning to IASB Executive Director Thomas Bertrand for comment. His reply…
Hi Rich,
Thanks for your email.
On 10/20/21 I sent a message to IASB members that stated that IASB is currently not a dues paying member of NSBA. Last year the IASB Board of Directors suspended membership in NSBA (for this year) because of concerns that have persisted over time with the national organization. The IASB Board affirmed that decision yesterday at its regularly scheduled board meeting.
So, the letter was not only too late, it was unnecessary. Click here for the press release issued by the IASB.
* From that October letter…
The Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) supports school board members in their civic duty to represent their community and provide quality educational opportunities for all students of the district. The letter to President Biden was sent without the knowledge or input from the state associations that NSBA represents. While the letter drew attention to reports of physical and verbal threats made at some publicly held school board meetings, including isolated incidents here in Illinois, the incendiary language used in it detracted from that message.
This is not the first disagreement that IASB has had with NSBA. Prior to this incident the IASB Board of Directors was evaluating its relationship with NSBA. IASB previously expressed concerns to NSBA about problems related to governance, transparency, and financial oversight. IASB suspended payment of dues to NSBA for 2021-2022, and sought to address these concerns through changes to the governance structure of the national association.
* And, in other news, here’s an op-ed by Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich)…
In other words, the indoctrination is being implemented implicitly rather than explicitly and thanks to the actions of the Illinois State Legislature, it is only going to get worse. Illinois has embraced Culturally Responsive Teaching Standards, which encourages teachers to embrace woke ideology. Additionally, the Governor has signed Senate Bill 818, which requires schools to implement the National Sex Education Standards beginning in kindergarten. Students as young as 8 years old will now have curriculum that teaches them about masturbation and other sexually explicit material.
Add to this the willingness of the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Education Association to not only go along with the Governor’s overreaching school mask mandates but to encourage these mandates, and the wokeism in our schools is inescapable.
He sure likes that word “woke.” All-purpose.
If you want to know what’s really going on with Culturally Responsive Teaching Standards, click here for a reasoned, factual piece. And SB818 does not require all schools to do anything and parents can opt their kids out.
Some people just gotta be angry all the time. I don’t get it.
...Adding… Might as well throw this one on the pile…
(The Center Square) – As a group of schools continues to get court protection against punishment from the Illinois State Board of Education, another Illinois district is gearing up for a legal fight to make masks optional. […]
In Vandalia, School Board Vice President Joe Schall said the board was unanimous this week in returning to mask optional policies starting Dec. 6. […]
“Our budget is $100,000 for our tort, so we’re going to set up a trust,” Schall said. “There will be more details to follow, but if you feel necessary, if you feel compelled to donate to the cause as our legal bills may go over our budget, you are more than welcome to do that.”
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