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* That escalated fast…

Father Michael Pfleger, the outspoken pastor of Chicago’s Saint Sabina church, slammed Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposal to reinstate the death penalty in Illinois on Monday, saying in a statement that “perhaps” the governor “should be charged with a hate crime.”

“While I remain against the death penalty for anyone, this announcement enforces the racist mentality that some lives are more valuable than others,” Pfleger said.

“If he had wanted it for everyone, I would have disagreed with the principle,” he continued, adding, “but when he puts police lives more valuable than the black and brown children dying everyday then perhaps Gov. Rauner should be charged with a hate crime!”

Rauner proposed the return of the death penalty for certain cases, specifically “for mass murderers and for those who kill law enforcement officers,” he said at a news conference Monday morning.

Rauner has very real problems with his GOP base. A good chunk of the governor’s hard-right base despises people like Fr. Pfleger and also loves cops and the death penalty. Rauner should therefore send the outspoken priest a thank you card for this political gift.

The governor also has a general election to win. I can’t find any recent polling here, but the death penalty remains popular across the country despite an overall drop in support.

* Gov. Quinn did essentially the same thing in reverse with the concealed carry bill…

Gov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday made sweeping changes to a bill that would allow concealed guns to be carried in public, writing in tougher regulations he deemed “common sense” amid staunch criticism from lawmakers who say they are poised to overturn his efforts when they return to Springfield next week.

Flanked by gun control advocates during a veto ceremony, Quinn argued the legislation lawmakers sent him would harm public safety by letting people carry as many guns as they wanted in places they shouldn’t be allowed.

* Whatever the case, Gov. Rauner’s AV and its underlying proposals aren’t going anywhere in this particularly format and everybody knows it. Essentially what happened here is that Rauner killed a popular assault weapons bill, staked out his political position at an Illinois State Police facility, gave himself cover for future gun-related vetoes and now moves on to the fall campaign.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 14, 18 @ 12:54 pm

Comments

If Father Pfleger wants to hurt the Governor, he should applaud this A/V and say nice things about Rauner’s commitment to gun control and waiting periods.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, May 14, 18 @ 12:58 pm
Pfleger is a self serving bag of wind.

Comment by SSL Monday, May 14, 18 @ 12:59 pm
Father Pfleger is also a useful something-something. He can’t point out the cynicism or phoniness of Rauner’s proposal without it helping Rauner.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, May 14, 18 @ 1:00 pm
Father Pfleger is a true spokesperson for the poor and disenfranchised of the South Side. Leave the death penalty alone. Locking up murderers for life is adequate.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, May 14, 18 @ 1:06 pm
Too bad Anonymous, this state doesn’t lock up Murderers nor Gun crime perps for any amount of real time.

Comment by YeaRight Monday, May 14, 18 @ 1:11 pm
Pfleger is already hurting Rauner. This will only go further to ensure a blue wave in November. Blacks and other minorities will be motivated to show up in big numbers to vote Rauner out.

Comment by Real Monday, May 14, 18 @ 1:11 pm
Killing people is morally reprehensible and the fact that we as a country still carry it out is a stain on all of us. That being said, this BS about a hate crime helps no one in any way and is absolutely ridiculous.

Comment by Perrid Monday, May 14, 18 @ 1:14 pm
Imposing the death penalty from start to finish i.e. trial to execution probably costs substantially more than letting someone sit in prison for life. It is a “luxury” the state cannot afford and doesn’t need. As to the good Father I appreciate his opposition to the death penalty I had agree with it but really some ideas can be wrong on the merits without also being racist

Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, May 14, 18 @ 1:15 pm
Has “Father” Pfleger ever been quoted saying something that wouldn’t be deleted if typed into the comments section of this blog?

Comment by Saluki Monday, May 14, 18 @ 1:23 pm
Rauner will help himself in the far right here with bringing back the death penalty.
However he gives himself no help with the suburban moms in this veto. He can still be painted by MDA and GPAC as vetoing another common sense gun law.
Look at the DuPage Suburban legislators you really think they want a top of ticket who vetos common sense gun reform proposals that keep kids safe? The suburban legislators aren’t worried about their far right their worried about a blue wave of soccer moms who are pissed. Gov did not help that argument today.

Comment by DuPage Bard Monday, May 14, 18 @ 1:28 pm
Pfleger, you are not helping your cause.

Comment by Amalia Monday, May 14, 18 @ 1:45 pm
Good to see GovJunk nailin’ down bigot/2A Whackjobs. Guess that leaves the Commando out in the cold. Suspect this paves way for CarWashKing to stay as GOPie chair

Comment by Annonin' Monday, May 14, 18 @ 1:46 pm
Why are we assuming this AV doesn’t move?

Comment by Boomdun Monday, May 14, 18 @ 1:48 pm
== Why are we assuming this AV doesn’t move? ==

Too many poisonous elements combined together. One block will oppose the death penalty being reinstated. Another block will oppose the 72 hour period for all firearms. And there will.be splinter groups on the other provisions. Don’t see enough combined votes to approve the AV or to override the AV … so the smart money is it just dies.w

Comment by RNUG Monday, May 14, 18 @ 2:07 pm
–However he gives himself no help with the suburban moms in this veto.–

All the newspaper headlines are about proposing the death penalty for mass murders and cop-killers. I wonder how that polls with the suburban moms.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, May 14, 18 @ 2:17 pm
Staying one month at an IDOC penthouse should be required of every public office-holder. Wrongly convicted inmates (and there are many in IL) already have to spend decades sometimes behind bars just to have sufficient time to prove their innocence and gain exoneration. Unless Rauner changes the criminal justice system to dramatically shorten the process and difficulty of proving innocence and also guarantee impartial review of cases and competent pro bono representation to all such inmates with claims his move to reinstate the death penalty is murder; plain and simple.

Comment by anon Monday, May 14, 18 @ 2:19 pm
I’m betting suburban women will feel like the mom of the 21 year old suburban kid who was beaten and put in critical condition at the lakefront a week or so ago. get tougher on crime, because there are actual victims and they number so far beyond any numbers of wrongly convicted.

Comment by Amalia Monday, May 14, 18 @ 2:27 pm
=Why are we assuming this AV doesn’t move?=

That might be a good question. It wouldn’t pass, but who is in a worse spot if the House calls it for a vote?

Comment by m Monday, May 14, 18 @ 2:30 pm
IF this state reimposes the death penalty, where does Rauner propose we get the drugs? Other states that DO have it have to order their drugs covertly. Many drug suppliers won’t sell if the drugs are intended to kill.

Comment by Cailleach Monday, May 14, 18 @ 2:49 pm
To those who think this move will bring back the far right, I respectfully disagree. Their opposition to abortion is way more acute than their bloodlust for the death penalty.

Comment by TominChicago Monday, May 14, 18 @ 3:40 pm
Fr. Mike is Fr. Mike. It’s no surprise that this would be his reaction to this policy. He’s willing to react to every legislative action in Springfield. And he does. The difference is the newsroom decisions on whether to carry his response or not. Fr. Mike is a sincere guy. He loves the mic. This is a case of the mic looking for him.

Comment by A guy Monday, May 14, 18 @ 3:57 pm
No snark intended here. Maybe the bill should be further amended that any police officer who is found guilty of killing a person without cause should also be subject to the death penalty. I think we’d see fewer shootings by officers.

Comment by IllinoisCitizen Monday, May 14, 18 @ 4:17 pm
Is anybody going to contend that a mass murderer is likely to be deterred by the prospect of being executed in 15-20 years?

Comment by anon2 Monday, May 14, 18 @ 4:39 pm
Amalia,
Yeah, the death penalty is going to bring kids back to life. Give me a break. All the penalty does is spread the hurt one feels around to other people; mostly the families of those convicted. If that is what it takes for you to feel “better” then you should look at your values. It’s well proven that the penalty is no deterrent. It’s senseless & kills others. Go to a max security facility and listen to the stories of the families visiting; most of them for life. If your son was convicted of a murder at age 21 for the rest of his life; believe me you would feel differently.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 15, 18 @ 6:59 am
==nd they number so far beyond any numbers of wrongly convicted==

One wrongly convicted individual that ends up being put to death is one too many.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, May 15, 18 @ 7:50 am