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Bailey being Bailey, and not in a good way

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Illinois

* Sen. Darren Bailey made a Facebook video outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora today to announce that his galaxy brain had finally figured out why Richard Irvin won’t clearly answer questions about abortion…

The mayor of Aurora, a governor candidate on the Republican ticket refused to answer the abortion question. And then it dawned on me because you’ve seen me here before, you know my passion for life. And I am standing right now in this city of Aurora. And you can see what’s behind me, a Planned Parenthood facility. That’s why Mayor Irvin won’t answer the question because he’s proud of this facility. And as a matter of fact, you can go on his site, you can go on the city of Aurora site and you can see how proud he is of this facility. He helped get it here. He supports it. That’s why he refuses to answer the question.

* Um, Irvin wasn’t even on the city council when the project was approved, and he protested in front of the building. From September 5 of 2007…

Pro-life advocates are calling on the city of Aurora to launch an official investigation into the application process for the construction of a multi-floor building, revealed to be a new abortion facility.

The pro-life advocates discovered that Planned Parenthood had concealed its ownership of the new building, set to open soon in the Chicago suburb. Planned Parenthood officials admitted they concealed ownership to avoid opposition to the construction, reported WorldNetDaily.com.

About 1,200 pro-life advocates assembled over the Aug. 27-28 weekend to protest the structure that had initially been described in the permit application as an office building. The project was proposed to the city by Gemini Office Development.

Alderman Richard Irvin was among the protesters. He was not on the board when the project was approved, but says he is concerned that the building was brought into the city under false pretenses. The municipality could sue Planned Parenthood for being deceptive, he said.

* Meanwhile, here’s the Tribune…

An Oak Park and River Forest High School administrator had just finished a presentation last week about student assessment when school board member Ralph Martire nervously seized upon a phrase that had popped up several times.

“Equitable grading practices — people are going to hear that and not understand it,” he said. “We are going to get some very uninformed comments about this.”

He was right. Within days a website called West Cook News used the presentation as the basis for a story that claimed the school was creating a race-based grading system that would require teachers “to account for the skin color or ethnicity of its students.”

Nothing in the presentation suggested such a policy, and school officials say the story is false. But the account, magnified by influencers and conservative media, still rocketed around the internet, leading to volleys of insulting comments and what the school called “unnecessary confusion.”

The story also spilled over into Illinois politics. Darren Bailey, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, told West Cook News the supposed grading policy was “the latest example of ‘woke’ ideology polluting our schools” and promised to stamp it out if he wins election.

Comments

A superpac “The 1776 project” that pours $ into local school board elections nationwide is taking the OPRF story and running with it. Even the profound “libsoftiktok” twitter account deleted their tweet talking about it.

Comment by Lake villa township Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 12:53 pm
It’s just the same on abortion policies. Republicans want government out of our lives…unless you’re a woman and we’re talking about getting between a woman and her doctor on abortion.

Comment by New Day Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 12:54 pm
=“As Governor, I will put a ban on destructive, “woke” policies that create inequalities and unfairness in our classrooms. Any school district attempting to infect wokeness into the grading policies will be ineligible for state funding.”=

=“I want the government out of our schools.”=

Which is it there Sen. Hypocrite?

Used to be a time when people would be embarrassed to say things that were obviously wrong.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 12:56 pm
Irvin was elected ay-large alderman in Aurora in April of 2007, and sworn-in in May of that year, so the project, purposely obscure/vague, was approved before May of 2007.

Irvin first ran for mayor in 2005 and lost in April after winning spot from a 5-person primary.

Comment by John Lopez Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 12:59 pm
You know.. you gotta get a kick out of an R saying “keep government indoctrination out of education” and “less gov’t this, less gov’t that” despite having a strong desire to use his political authority to implement religious views into public policy.

Bailey is a political hack and the blind party loyalists will vote for him because of stunts similar to this.

Comment by Anthony Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 1:03 pm
“Alderman Richard Irvin was among the protesters”

So Richard Irvin protested an abortion clinic? That’ll play well in the General.

Comment by NIU Grad Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 1:04 pm
As Richard Irvin complains about false attacks from Darren Bailey, I look forward to him pulling back his own false attacks against Bailey and Sullivan.

Better yet, suburban women want to know: would he support Planned Parenthood opening more offices in Illinois as governor, or would he oppose them?

Comment by Immigrants Welcome Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 1:04 pm
The OPRF story hits close to home, including because I have teachers in the family. A couple points:

1. West Cook News is supported/controlled by Dan Proft, which should tell you all you need to know about its (lack of) respect for facts

2. Yet again, the crazy right misrepresents an issue that should be a legit topic of discussion - but is now taboo.

What I mean is that the grading changes being proposed/enacted in many systems (CPS for one) are pretty dramatic: for example, allowing unlimited retakes of tests for any reason, not allowing attendance or behavior to impact grades, eliminating the ability to grade lower than a 50 on a 50-100.

One can argue that these changes are necessary to eliminate systemic racism and/or to fairly evaluate knowledge/mastery. Or one can argue that students should have to buckle down and complete assignments/tests on schedule. I see both arguments as legit.
But now Proft has turned the discussion into a debate on racism. Man, I really don’t like that guy.

Comment by WestBurbs Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 1:12 pm
Darren Bailey - I’ll say whatever the crowd in front of me wants to hear. Or what script my staff has given me.

Comment by zatoichi Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 1:15 pm
Darren Bailey and the word education should never appear in the same sentence.

Comment by Rudy’s teeth Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 1:26 pm
So did Sen. Bailey know that he was talking to one of Dan Proft’s newspapers and that the entire premise was apparently a lie? Or that Richard Irvin was named in a 15 year old article as a protestor of the Planned Parenthood? Bailey and Irvin are both floundering. With each new stop in their campaign they become more bumbling and schizophrenic than the next. Both see the other as their unilateral enemy and yet are demolishing their own prospects for winning through a series of unforced errors.

Comment by Ainsley Hayes Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 1:32 pm
Begs the question of if there’s a good way for Bailey to be Bailey. I don’t really see one.

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 1:41 pm
=for example, allowing unlimited retakes of tests for any reason, not allowing attendance or behavior to impact grades, eliminating the ability to grade lower than a 50 on a 50-100.=

I wonder how upset false prophet bailey will be when he learns MANY rural Illinois schools already implement some or all of those concepts and have been doing so for the better part of 20 years. Even way down state in his god fearing neck of the woods.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 1:48 pm
“I see both arguments as legit.”
I do love reasonable, critical thought, something that is sorely lacking from these folks.
I could go on about the purpose of grades (to convey information), how we tinker with an antiquated scale, and how students (and their parents) try to game the system, but today I’ll just be thankful there are people out there who can have an open mind.

Comment by Proud Papa Bear Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 1:57 pm
Don’t tell Bailey and Republicans, but the Founding Fathers were woke for their time. So was Lincoln.

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 2:09 pm
==Begs the question of if there’s a good way for Bailey to be Bailey. I don’t really see one.==

Joe, Bailey being Bailey is mini-Trump. He’s not trying to make sense; he’s playing to his base.

The more screwball he acts, the better they like it. The GOP abandoned the realm of common sense and good taste years ago.

If you’re hoping for Trump’s endorsement, you’re not going to behave like Everett Dirksen while you’re waiting.

Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 2:11 pm
The Tribune gives a decent analysis of the right wing disinformation network that exists in this country. Timpone and Proft are like stringers for Brietbart. They put some noxious spin on a local matter, add in all of the critical buzzwords and connotations, and launch it into the viral right wing media loop.

Proft and Timpone are just the local conduits of ignorance and hate. There are dozens of these outfits all across the country poisoning American thought.

Steve Bannon used Breitbart to destroy democracy, not enhance it. And so far, he’s winning. And his minions are hoping to cash in along the way.

Exposing how this works by shining a light on this story is the best response, and something journalists everywhere should be doing. Bravo and more please.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 2:20 pm
==Any school district attempting to infect wokeness==

wokeness (n.) any topic that might offend the sensibilities of a select group of rural white males over 55 (e.g. native American resettlement, slavery, bodily autonomy)

Comment by Jocko Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 2:25 pm
Shouldn’t the Oak Park school story and the follow-up Bailey campaign piece be reported as an independent expenditure for Bailey? /s

https://westcooknews.com/stories/626634471-bailey-oak-park-and-river-forest-high-school-policies-represent-latest-example-of-woke-ideology-polluting-our-schools

Comment by Phineas Gurley Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 2:31 pm
WestBurbs:

Thanks for the informative comment. As an OPRF grad, I’m…not surprised.

It’s a shame folks on the right can’t provide a measured, reasonable, not crazy counterbalance to some of the dumber policies pushed by the left.

Comment by AlfondoGonz Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 2:41 pm
Proud Papa Bear — yep, it is a complicated and nuanced discussion to be sure. Too bad the Profts of the world don’t do complicated or nuanced (or even truthful)

Anecdotally, the teachers in my family tell me that most of the kids taking advantage of the “re-test” opportunities are college-bound kids looking to turn a B into an A (or even an A- into an A).

Comment by WestBurbs Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 2:56 pm
that story about OP/RF school lies is absolutely terrifying. I heard about it days ago and thought then that it should get much more attention than it had received. thanks for bringing more light to that “newspaper” that manipulated the facts.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 3:02 pm
== …to infect wokeness into… ==

What ?
Is this guy from another planet ?

Comment by sal-says Friday, Jun 3, 22 @ 4:01 pm
It takes a special kind of creep to “protest” (i.e. harass and threaten patients and healthcare workers) outside of a healthcare facility. And the top two contenders for the ILGOP governor’s primary are that type of creep.

Comment by Abbey Monday, Jun 6, 22 @ 3:47 pm