* Tribune…

Addressing more than 2,000 people at the annual pre-fair brunch of the Democratic County Chairs’ Association, Pritzker cited “the insidious danger of a campaign by some elected representatives who suggest that Illinois would be better off divided into pieces — that if you live in one part of the state, that you’re less patriotic or less American than if you live in another part of the state.”

“Illinois’ success relies on all of us,” echoed Kristina Zahorik, the president of the county chairs group. “Democrats will not be divided by race, by gender or by whom they love. We will not be swayed by small-minded Republicans who seek to build a wall against Chicago and strive to use diversity as a political weapon.” […]

In her speech, Pelosi borrowed on Pritzker’s campaign slogan in telling the crowd, “You think big. You get big things done.” She said “persistent, bold experimentation” was the “vitality of the Democratic Party.”

Noting national party concerns over attracting Midwest voters who backed Trump over Hillary Clinton in 2016, Pelosi said Democrats across the country hope to “catch the spark of Illinois, the spark of the heartland of America where our victory in 2020 will spring from.”

* Sun-Times…

The first-time governor painted Illinois as the state that’s doing it right as a battle is underway “for the soul of our nation.”

“Here in Illinois, we built a wall around our country’s most sacred and important values. And we told America that we will keep those values safe until sanity is restored to the White House,” Pritzker said.

“And if Donald Trump wants a piece of that wall, well then he’ll have to go through me,” Pritzker said, and gesturing to the litany of Democrats on hand, including Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, U.S. Represenatives Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten and congressional candidate Betsy Dirksen Londrigan. […]

Pelosi, who never directly mentioned Trump’s name, said the president “has no respect for God’s creation, the land of America.”

* Center Square…

“But right now there is a battle being waged for the soul of our nation, and in the last eight months, Illinois has found its anthem,” Pritzker said.

Pritzker championed the legislative accomplishments he was able to secure with Democratic majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly. Those accomplishments included expanding abortion rights, raising the state’s minimum wage, tax increases to fund a statewide infrastructure bill and recreational cannabis legalization, among other measures.

Pritzker struck a partisan tone Wednesday morning, where he went after Republicans, especially President Donald Trump.

“They put on a red hat and they want to say ‘let’s make America great again,’ ” Pritzker said. “It’s a president who thinks that we are so blind that we don’t see right through his racism and xenophobia.”

* Trib…

Mayor Lori Lightfoot taped a message for the Democratic event that praised Pritzker and legislative leaders for pushing to raise the minimum wage, legalizing recreational marijuana and passed a “real'’ infrastructure bill. She also said Democrats need to fight to unseat Trump. We need to stay united and do everything in our power to defeat Donald Trump and the people around him who look the other way as he undermines the foundations of our Democracy.”

* SJ-R…

Springfield lies in the 13th Congressional District where Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan is trying to unseat incumbent Republican Rodney Davis in what promises to be a hotly contested race. Davis often tries to link Londrigan with Pelosi who can be a polarizing figure in her own right. Asked about being used as a campaign foil by Davis, Pelosi said the Democrats have done quite well despite the attacks.

“In this last election, Republicans had 137,000 ads describing me as a San Francisco liberal, which I proudly am,” Pelosi said. “They are not saying it in a complimentary way. It didn’t work. We won 43 seats. We’ve heard that before.”

Prior to the Democrats’ brunch, Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said Pelosi’s appearance in Springfield was a plus for Londrigan.

“Nancy Pelosi used to be a polarizing figure. Now she’s the center of the Democratic Party,” Cullerton said.

* Bernie…

(F)reshman Democratic Gov. J.B. PRITZKER framed the picnic he hosted (and paid for personally) at the Director’s Lawn at the State Fair as a bipartisan event, and said he invited all lawmakers, including Republicans.

Well, House GOP Leader JIM DURKIN, R-Western Springs, said he never got an invitation, and ELENI DEMERTZIS, his spokeswoman, said some others in the caucus she checked with didn’t receive invitations either.

JORDAN ABUDAYYEH, spokeswoman for Pritzker, said invitations went out to all legislative district offices on July 22 and a follow-up was sent last week.

One GOP lawmaker who did receive the invitation was Rep. TIM BUTLER of Springfield. […]

If the governor really wants to change the culture of the day, Butler said, the governor’s office “should have done a much better job explaining it,” possibly contacting GOP leaders to get them on board. Butler opted not to go.