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Bustos on the hot seat

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* Mark Maxwell interviewed US Rep. Cheri Bustos…

After the election of President Trump, Politico, the same outlet came to you, curious how a Democrat in your district that elected President Trump could win. It sort of pitched you as I think maybe a Trump voter whisperer, if you’d agree with that there. But you told them that “on sensitive topics,” things like Black Lives Matter, “I don’t dwell on them.” That was back then. Do you wish now that that you had? Do you regret that comment at all?

From that 2017 profile…

She talks, in other words, about these kinds of things by not talking about them much, because the people she represents, she says, aren’t talking about them much, either, or don’t want to.

“On these sensitive topics,” she said—Black Lives Matter, transgender bathroom laws and so on—“I don’t dwell on them.”

* Bustos’ response to Maxwell’s question…

No. You know, I think, umm. Look, I’m a former reporter, and I know what you do to do research when you interviewing somebody. And you could go back to, you know, looking at articles that I used to write, you know, from the 1980s, for that matter. But the moment we’re living in right now, it’s 2020. And we are in the midst of a movement that is very special. And that is very important. And I think, you know, historically, we’ll look back at this and we’ll say this was a moment of change. And I’m confident that again, as House Democrats, where we are in the majority, we will be voting on a momentous piece of legislation that will pass. And, just, whatever the Senate ends up doing, November is a time of change. And what I was going to say about the last person’s statement: the part that I don’t agree with is, Joe Biden is going to win. And as House Democrats, we will stay in the majority and we will grow our majority. I’m increasingly confident that Democrats will win in the Senate as well. And then, this meaningful change… And this isn’t… You know, I know there’s all the articles about, you know, we’re going far left or whatever it is. We will bring about meaningful change that will pass the House that will pass the Senate that will be signed into law. And, and I just… I think this, what we are living through right now will lead to, to momentous change for the better of our country.

There’s more, so go read the rest.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:03 pm

Comments

Well…that didn’t age well.

Comment by Just Another Anon Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:11 pm
She can say almost anything she wants. Esther Joy King isn’t going to be much of a challenger.

Comment by ChuckIL Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:21 pm
Cheri, the quote in question wasn’t from 1987, it was from 2017. Black Lives Matter was formed in 2013 so it had been in existance for 4 years, countless incidents had happened and your response was “I don’t dwell on them.” And, as a former reporter, this should have been an expected question that a better answer ready than the word salad you gave.

Comment by OurMagician Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:22 pm
“Go read the rest”
I read enough on the front page to see she could give Trump a run for the money on “word salads”. Couldn’t pay me to read further.
And I’m a democrat.

Comment by GregN Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:26 pm
Ugh - Not a great response if it doesn’t start with “let me make this clear now and I should have then. Black Lives Matter”

But… her district isn’t drawn in a way where she needs to do that and being married to the Rock Island County Sheriff maybe she doesn’t want to say it or even feel that way.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:27 pm
Her district was redrawn to be even more Democratic that it had been previously and even then the 17th had Progressives like Lane Evans and Phil Hare representing it. She has played this game of straddling the line for her entire term. It’s served her well in terms of rising in the party leadership, but it opens her up to stuff like this.

Comment by PeoriaDem Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:29 pm
Bustos isn’t my US congressman. I have to deal with the word salads of the supercilious sycophant kinzinger.

Comment by Huh? Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:30 pm
Times change, people change. I don’t think there is anyone candidate of either party that is perfect on all the issues that each extreme wants. In my opinion that has destroyed my old Republican Party and if they keep it up the extremes may destroy the Democratic Party

Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:40 pm
You’d have thought Bustos learned from her disastrous staff situation last year, but apparently not. If she ran for Senate she’d be a McGrath.

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:56 pm
i sent a donation to the dccc this cycle to thank them for listening on the need for impeachment. they cashed my check then proceeded to spell my name wrong on all subsequent asks for money. then the dccc must’ve sold my name to other dem groups so i get a ton of dem fundraising solicitations all with my name spelled wrong. all of it gets chucked in the trash.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 2:59 pm
ChuckIL, I disagree, I think this year Bustos’ percentage of the vote will be closer to 50% than 60%.

Comment by CubsFan16 Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 3:04 pm
All politics is local. If it wasn’t for Trump in office would Congress have turned? Right now new school Dems have to realize that old school Dems in tough districts straddled lines that newbies never have to in the areas they live.

Could she now say she did not value the level of the BLM movement and should have done more. Yes she could. If she had supported back in 17 would she be there in 18? Would that be one less vote for the party? Would they ever get the seat back? Going to be a very interesting map with Illinois losing one possibly two seats. Who is willing to be an incumbent left progressive in downstate or western Illinois?

Comment by Frank talks Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 3:14 pm
– the 17th had Progressives like Lane Evans and Phil Hare representing it. —

Phil Hare got crushed.

Comment by 17thDistrict Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 3:43 pm
DuPage Saint, well said.

Comment by Birds on the Bat Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 3:47 pm
She is a precarious position with her husband being the Rock Island County Sheriff.

Comment by Mr. Hand Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 3:52 pm
Votes cast in Democratic primary - 56,500
Votes cast in Republican primary - 30,000

Cheri Bustos money raised $2.5 million
Esther Joy King money raised $0.5 million

Comment by ChuckIL Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 4:21 pm
She uses a lot of words to say very little and to shield her opinion. Not very impressed at all. Clearly she’s vested only in Democratic mainstream politics.

Comment by Larry Saunders Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 4:38 pm
The 17th CD they drew for 2012 is much more democratic than it was in 2010 and before. They carved part of Rockford into the Quad Cities and Peoria, thus making the 17th more blue. Lane and Phil had good old Adams County which used to go Republican 70-30 in those days.

Comment by downstate Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 9:54 pm
Not a political leader. Just found a political niche and had good timing. We need more creative, responsive leaders who want to find actual solutions and have the necessary guts and skills to sell those ideas to others. Not talking about big problems our society is facing is not leadership.

Comment by Veil of Ignorance Tuesday, Jun 30, 20 @ 10:17 pm