Guess who’s really paying for Darren Bailey’s campaign for governor? You are. Yes, you are. Follow along. Darren Bailey’s taken over $2 million in government money. The same Darren Bailey who acts like he’s against government support. And Bailey got caught taking a fortune in PPP money just weeks before giving $150,000 to his campaign. So, he’s running for governor courtesy of you. And Darren Bailey didn’t even say thank you.
Vallas speaks at event of group known for anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO and current mayoral candidate Paul Vallas spoke at a fundraiser for Awake Illinois—a group that has been criticized for its transphobic and homophobic rhetoric, The Chicago Reader reported.
The group hosted a fundraiser in Naperville about school choice in June, and Vallas was a featured panelist. In addition to promoting school choice, the nonprofit has opposed COVID safety protocols in schools as well as the teaching of what it calls “critical race theory.”
In July, Awake Illinois was among the right-wing groups that publicly criticized Uprising Bakery and Cafe in suburban Lake of the Hills for planning a family-friendly drag show. The bakery was subsequently vandalized and forced to cancel the event.
On its website, Awake Illinois, among other things, urges people to “opt out of perverse comprehensive sex ed.”
In his remarks, Vallas discussed his experience and spoke about school choice. He also accused Chicago Teachers Union leadership of using intimidation to control teachers.
In an interview with Windy City Times when he ran for mayor in 2019 (at www.windycitytimes.com/lgbt/ELECTIONS-2019-MAYOR-Paul-Vallas-on-background-minimum-wage-LGBT-issues-/65402.html ), Vallas said, in part, “My approach has always been to embrace and support the LGBT community and let my actions speak louder than my words as I fight for rights and services for all Chicagoans,” adding that he “supported marriage equality on record since 2001.”
WCT has reached out to Vallas.
Yeah, well, now he’s saying we should ignore his actions and focus on his words.
[Awake Illinois] hosted a fundraiser in Naperville about school choice in June, and Vallas was a featured panelist. In addition to promoting school choice, the nonprofit has opposed COVID safety protocols in schools, and the teaching of what it calls “critical race theory.” Last month, the group called Governor J.B. Pritzker a “groomer,” a term increasingly used as an anti-LGBTQ+ slur by the far right, after he signed a sex-ed bill.
In July, Awake Illinois and other right-wing groups publicly maligned UpRising Bakery and Cafe in suburban Lake of the Hills for planning a family-friendly drag show. The bakery was subsequently vandalized, and the bakery’s owners canceled the show as a result. Joseph Collins, a 24-year-old from Alsip, was later charged with a felony hate crime and criminal damage to property.
At Awake Illinois’s June fundraiser, Vallas sat on a panel alongside former Indiana school administrator Tony Kinnett and Waukegan teacher Frank McCormick, vocal critics of curriculum that includes critical race theory. Other panelists included Nicole Neily, the president of a campus free speech organization, and Pastor Randy Blan, who challenged the state’s mask mandate as headmaster of a private Christian school in northern Illinois. Corey DeAngelis, a national leader for school choice, gave the keynote speech. […]
Last week, VICE reported that the Proud Boys, a far-right neofascist organization, also targeted the bakery. The group gained widespread notoriety after its leaders were charged with seditious conspiracy for their roles in the January 6, 2021, insurrection in the U.S. Capitol. Its members have attacked and disrupted Drag Queen Story Hour events around the country in recent months.
Update 8/1/22: On Sunday, the Sun-Times reported that Collins, the man charged with attacking UpRising Bakery, was at the Capitol on January 6, and has been photographed wearing Proud Boys attire and posing with a prominent member of the group.
But Awake IL President Shannon Adcock of Naperville said it is not organizing a protest.
“We have posted the drag queen event info to our social media so people are aware of what is happening in McHenry County,” Adcock said in an email. “We do not condone children attending such an event.”
So, the group demands parental rights über alles except when they disagree with the parents? What a crock.
* Last week, the Tribune asked Vallas about the controversy…
In attempting to downplay his June appearance with Awake Illinois, Vallas repeated that it was simply a panel discussion with the intention of raising money for “Project H.O.O.D.,” a nonprofit founded by Chicago Pastor Corey Brooks.
“What they’re doing … ‘Oh, Awake Illinois. They’re anti-LGBTQ,’ and they’re trying to play that card,” Vallas said of critics.
* Then, after the heat cranked up, Vallas told the Tribune this…
Vallas, who is running for Chicago mayor, called it “hateful” for Awake Illinois to refer to Gov. J.B. Pritzker as a “groomer.” The Naperville-based group made the comment in a social media post two days before Vallas spoke on one of the group’s panels in June. […]
“Had I been aware of the hateful rhetoric espoused by a prominent member of the group I would have not accepted the invitation,” Vallas said in a statement Monday. “I will be more vigilant about vetting invitations in the future.”
Two days before Vallas’ appearance at the Awake event, the politically conservative group called Pritzker a “groomer” in Twitter and Facebook posts for his support of a 2021 Illinois law that established sexual education standards that some conservative and anti-LGBTQ groups have criticized.
* Background and react from Democrats is here. This post will feature GOP responses to Sen. Darren Bailey’s comment. First up, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin…
The Holocaust was one of the worst atrocities in the history of humankind and any comments that minimize it have no place in our political discourse.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Bailey tried to backtrack from his earlier comments.
“The Holocaust is a human tragedy without parallel. In no way was I attempting to diminish the atrocities of the Holocaust and its stain on history. I meant to emphasize the tragedy of millions of babies being lost. I support and have met with many people in the Jewish community in Illinois and look forward to continuing to work with them to make Illinois a safer and more affordable place for everyone.”
The ADL disagrees, however…
Despite the Holocaust’s distinctive status, or perhaps because of it, politicians, activists and other public figures often invoke inappropriate Holocaust comparisons to highlight the ostensible “danger” of a social or political act. Read more. https://t.co/Wq7tUxv7oT
The new report fits nicely with a paper from the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, the General Assembly’s fiscal research unit.
What caught my eye is a nice summary—see Page 150—of what’s happened to the state’s credit rating through the years.
The study shows that Gov. J.B. Pritzker is right that, during his tenure, the ratings from the three major bond-review agencies have gone up. But they’re still a tad below what they were when former Gov. Bruce Rauner took office in 2014, and several rungs below the AA and equivalent rating the state had enjoyed for decades.
The ostensible reason for Democrats’ opposition to Kelly relates to fundraising. The Federal Election Commission ruled last year that Kelly can only raise money for federal offices and money raised for state candidates must come through a committee independent of Kelly’s review.
Pritzker & Co. charged Kelly can’t raise sufficient funds, although Kelly supporters note the party has nearly $3 million.
But here’s the rub. As a candidate for the U.S. House in Chicago, Hernandez could be in the same fundraising boat that Kelly is now.
Perhaps that’s why Kelly supporters charged the fundraising issue is a pretext.
He appears to be confusing state Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Berwyn) with state Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago).
Also, as I explained to subscribers, much of the money the party currently has in the bank was put there by none other than former state party chair Mike Madigan and rightfully belongs to the House Democrats.
* Meanwhile, Axios takes a look at Darren Bailey’s op-ed in the Chicago Tribune…
Bailey wrote that “defunding the police” has made it difficult for officers to do their jobs.
• But Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s 2022 budget actually boosted police funding by $189 million, from $1.7 billion to nearly $1.9 billion.
The other side: Bailey spokesperson Joe DeBose says Bailey supports the claim of defunding the police by using old budget data from 2020 to 2021 — when spending fell by $59 million — rather than the latest figures.
What’s more: Bailey’s assertion that CPS spent almost $23,000 per student in 2021 doesn’t jibe with district calculations of $14,782 per student and is “not based on any facts provided by Chicago Public Schools,” district officials tell Axios.
• And while the latest Illinois Report Card shows that CPS’ per-pupil instructional spending is slightly higher than average in the state, that’s not unusual in a district with high costs of living and high-need students.
• State officials say that CPS has only 67% of the funding it needs.
Yes, but: Bailey’s camp says it arrived at its figure by dividing the number of students in the district by the total 2021 CPS budget, which includes legacy debt payments and capital funding — not just money that goes to schools.
Today, the JB for Governor campaign released a new ad holding Darren Bailey accountable for recently uncovered comments he made in 2017 comparing the Holocaust to a woman’s right to choose. In the video, Bailey egregiously says “the attempted extermination of the Jews of World War II doesn’t even compare on a shadow of the life that has been lost with abortion.”
This new video comes less than one month after Bailey’s offensive comments telling the predominantly Jewish community of Highland Park to “move on'’ and “celebrate” only 90 minutes after a mass shooting was carried out by a gunman with a history of posting antisemitic content.
Bailey has proudly touted his extreme abortion views and has repeatedly said he does not believe in any exceptions to abortion even in cases of rape or incest.
“Conflating a woman’s bodily autonomy to the systematic mass murder of Jewish people is antisemitic and disqualifying. Darren Bailey’s disgusting assertion that a woman determining her own reproductive future is worse than the Nazis’ genocide of 6 million Jews is offensive to Illinoisans everywhere,” said JB for Governor Press Secretary Eliza Glezer. “With violent antisemitism on the rise and in the wake of a massacre against the predominately Jewish Highland Park, Bailey must answer for his hateful comments.”
“Darren Bailey’s extremism knows no bounds. Comparing a woman’s right to choose to the catastrophic loss of life during the Holocaust is unconscionable and quite frankly, disqualifying,” said State Representative and Chair of the Illinois House Jewish Caucus, Bob Morgan. “It is demeaning to the legacies of those we’ve lost to reduce their suffering to a political talking point. Darren Bailey is once again causing harm with his callous words and actions and he must be held accountable for this abhorrent behavior.”
“I am pained and disturbed by Darren Bailey’s reckless comments” said Samuel R. Harris, President Emeritus of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. “This despicable rhetoric is dangerous, trivializes one of the worst stains on human history, and disparages the memory of millions. It is imperative that we learn from the past so that we never allow such tragedy to befall us again. We must demand more from our elected officials.”
Prior to holding office, Governor Pritzker was approached by two Holocaust survivors who sought his help with creating what would become the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Governor Pritzker worked with them and other survivors to build a museum in Skokie dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Holocaust by honoring the memories of those who were lost and by sharing universal lessons that combat hatred, prejudice, and indifference.
Statement by Jennifer Welch, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action
“Darren Bailey’s comparison between abortion and the Holocaust is an outrageously inaccurate and harmful trope used by the most radical elements of the anti-choice movement to propagate misinformation and hateful rhetoric about fundamental reproductive health care and the people seeking safe and legal abortions. The appropriation of the Holocaust is despicable and an insult to the millions who died as well as those who survived its racist agenda. In addition, it reveals a complete lack of understanding of history and the realities of the lives of people seeking abortion care. These kinds of statements are unbecoming of any elected official, let alone a candidate running for Governor of Illinois. Darren Bailey should immediately apologize for his inappropriate and hurtful words.”
I’ve asked for comments from the House and Senate Republicans, the Illinois Republican Party and Chicago FOP President John Catanzara. I’ll let you know if they get back to me.
…Adding… Personal PAC’s Terry Cosgrove…
It’s bad enough that GOP Gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey believes abortion should be criminalized in Illinois, even in cases of rape and incest, but now he is demeaning the Holocaust and the memory of those who were lost in and survived one of the greatest stains in human history. As someone who grew up in the Skokie area, an American epicenter of Holocaust survivors during the late 60s and early 70s, and attending Niles West High School then, I can’t even fathom the pain of hearing Darren Bailey’s comment: “The attempted extermination of the Jews of World War II doesn’t even compare on a shadow of the life that has been lost with abortion.”
Personal PAC joins Governor Pritzker, the Jewish community and all decent Illinoisians in condemning the irresponsible and contemptuous comments of Darren Bailey. People who hold these dangerous views should have absolutely no place in government.
…Adding… DPI…
Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) Chair Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez wants answers and accountability from the Illinois Republican Party after a newly uncovered video shows Darren Bailey making the egregious statement that “the attempted extermination of the Jews of World War II doesn’t even compare on a shadow of the life that has been lost with abortion.”
“The Democratic Party of Illinois is one of inclusion that will always speak out against intolerance,” said DPI Chair Hernandez. “Illinoisans deserve to know if Republicans will stand by and allow offensive, hurtful and antisemitic statements made by their nominee for governor to go without admonishment or condemnation. Now that we’ve seen Darren Bailey’s antisemitic values and disregard for Jewish life, does the ILGOP agree?”
His appalling comment is further proof that he lacks the empathy and temperament necessary to govern this state. To even suggest that allowing women to make their own health care decisions compares to the systemic mass extermination of Jews during the Holocaust is horrifying, heartless, and antisemitic.
Extremist language and out-of-line remarks are becoming typical for Bailey. After telling supporters to “move on” and “celebrate” in the wake of the violent attack on Highland Park’s predominantly Jewish community, Bailey refused to stand by his own apology. He has aligned himself with fringe sects of the Illinois GOP time after time, and this recently uncovered video demonstrates this is exactly who Darren Bailey has always been.
Bailey’s views on abortion are dangerously out of line with those of Illinois voters. He has taken the extreme position that abortions should not be allowed even in cases of rape or incest and celebrated the misguided decision by the Supreme Court to overturn 50 years of precedent and turn the fate of women over to radical Republican legislatures.
Invoking a violent genocide to push dangerous and radical anti-choice positions is an insult to the memories of those lost in the Holocaust and to their families. Darren Bailey has proudly touted his extreme views for months, and this latest video shows just how out of touch with reality he really is.
Will the ILGOP condemn these disgusting remarks? Or will they allow their nominee to continue to spew offensive rhetoric?
…Adding… Sen. Duckworth…
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement after a video of Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey from 2017 surfaced where Bailey said the Holocaust “doesn’t event compare” to abortion, which he called “one of the greatest atrocities of our day”:
“Darren Bailey’s comments are despicable and deeply upsetting. Comparing the extreme horror of the Holocaust and its immeasurable loss to a woman’s right to choose is unacceptable, full stop. To conflate a woman’s freedom over her own body to the attempted extermination of the Jewish people is antisemitic, inaccurate and wrong. I urge my opponent, Kathy Salvi, to denounce Darren Bailey’s extreme and inappropriate comments, but know she’s lockstep with her Republican running mate on women’s healthcare, leaving no exception on abortion for rape or incest.”
…Adding… Attorney General Kwame Raoul…
Darren Bailey is an extremist hell bent on destroying the rights of women. His comments comparing the horrific loss of life in the Holocaust to the right to choose make clear he is unfit and incapable for any office – let alone the governor’s office. The extremism of Bailey and his Republican Party is offensive and dangerous.
* Comptroller Mendoza…
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza demands that Republicans unequivocally condemn GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey’s radical statements comparing abortions to the Holocaust.
“Darren Bailey’s reprehensible comparison of a woman’s right to make health care decisions concerning her own bodily autonomy to the horrific genocide of the Jewish people is a false equivalency to the highest degree. His statements are appalling, despicable and oozing of anti-semitism. Any and all Republicans seeking Illinoisians’ vote this November need to publicly condemn these extremist statements coming from the top of their ticket. Anything short of a forceful condemnation is an endorsement of this dangerous rhetoric that further insults the suffering and memories of victims of the Holocaust atrocity. ”
…Adding… Illinois NOW President Laura Welch…
Enough using the holocaust to justify hate. Enough using the slaughter of six million Jews, gypsies, lgbtq folks in an attempt to sway voters. Enough lies about history to cover up a disdain for women and our rights. Video released of republican candidate for Governor, Darren Bailey comparing the holocaust to reproductive healthcare goes too far and he needs a history lesson. Illinois NOW says ENOUGH.
Hitler had one goal, racial purity. Millions of Jews, lgbtqia people, gypsies, and the disabled, were slaughtered with the goal of a “pure” society. Anti-Semitic hate, replacement theory lies and comments from Mr. Bailey, must be shut down.
I am a Jewish woman who had an abortion and I speak about it so others realize they aren’t alone. IL NOW works to ensure our state remains a safe haven for abortion care and not the dystopian anti-woman society Mr. Bailey dreams of.
A pregnant student must have the right to an abortion so their education continues. The single mother who works two jobs to feed her family must have the right to decide her future. A 10-year-old rape victim must have the right to an abortion so her life and her future are not jeopardized by a legislative stranger.
Abortion rights don’t exist in a vacuum. Healthcare access, equal pay, and voting rights are just the start. Racial inequities in healthcare create huge disparities in maternal mortality rates. Housing costs and mortgage discrimination make living in a community with quality air and water unattainable for many. And a lack of representation in government makes it difficult for many to have a voice.
As a Jew, I am sick of those using their religion to dictate what women can do. The Talmud says a child doesn’t exist until it takes its first breath outside of the woman’s body. Before birth, the fetus doesn’t have a life of its own. As an abortion rights advocate, I believe those who push religion into our government, don’t belong there. There must be a separation of church and state.
It is appalling that Mr. Bailey believes it is ok to use one of the most horrific annihilations in modern history to justify keeping us barefoot, pregnant and subjected to the whims of his religion. We MUST vote for pro-choice candidates such as IL NOW PAC endorsed JB Pritzker and keep religious zealotry out of our government and our bodies.
