Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Today’s quotable

Posted in:

Illinois

* Fox News…

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson tore into a reporter for asking the city leader when he plans to reschedule a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border.

“I have children who attend schools who have soccer games, y’all,” Johnson told reporters after being asked about his border plans. “You know, you all are asking me as if I’m not a parent in this city. I get it, I’m mayor, but you’re asking me to give you a date.” […]

“Do you understand that you have not had a mayor like me? I get that. I have a wife, I have children, they have schedules. And plus, we still have public safety that we have to address, we still have the unhoused that we have to address, I still have a budget that I have to address,” Johnson said. “And I’m doing all of that with a Black wife, raising three Black children on the west side of the city of Chicago. I am going to the border as soon as possible.”

Um, what?

Also, he had plenty of time to attend the Grammy Awards this week.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 11:53 am

Comments

I honestly can’t blame him for attending the Grammys. It’s doubtful he gets re-elected; he might as well enjoy the trappings of the office.

That said, how did he get the tickets?

Comment by Andersonville Right Winger Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 11:56 am
Well, he got one thing right : “you have not had a mayor like me”.

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:02 pm
I thought Johnson would be a disaster, but an improvement over Lightfoot in at least he wouldn’t be an embarrassment.

Seems I miscalculated.

Comment by AlfondoGonz Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:02 pm
Mayor Johnson doing his best Dante Hicks impression
“I’m not even supposed to be here today (exclamation point)”

Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:02 pm
He shouldn’t have ever floated the idea that he was going to the border. It’s a waste of time. He should have focused on his response in the city. Just a bungled moment after bungled moment for that team. It’s like they’re actively trying to get bad press.

Comment by reality Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:04 pm
Why the heck is it relevant to note that his wife and kids are black?

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:07 pm
Didn’t this happen in October?

https://twitter.com/ChicagoContrar1/status/1709988512106242524

Comment by MQ Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:08 pm
This isn’t the first time he’s used the soccer game excuse. You’d think he’d at least pick a sport that’s in season, like basketball.

Comment by ChrisB Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:11 pm
Another not ready for primetime Mayor.

He should have said traveling to the border is a waste of time, it’s now obvious that the border problem resides in the halls of the Capitol where the MAGA GOP refuse to take the necessary legislative action to address it.

Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:12 pm
People already lining up to run against him. Disaster

Comment by Watchful eye. Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:12 pm
Brandon Johnson is going to learn a hard lesson when it comes to dicing up public comments for campaign ads.

Comment by Chicago Voter Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:14 pm
Mr Mayor, generally, the dates and times of youth sports events are known in advance, allowing parents to plan around them.

Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:15 pm
Good catch from MQ. The comment is problematic on its own in the actual context it was made. Leave it to Fox News to blatantly lie about the context in order to try to make it worse.

Comment by Anon324 Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:16 pm
Good on Johnson. Going to the border without a solution is what Republicans do to keep their voters inflamed. They are killing bipartisan border legislation purely for politics, after all the screaming about a border crisis.

Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:17 pm
I didn’t vote for him, but after he won I had some hope he might not be a total disaster. And he had such a low bar to get over to be an improvement over Lightidiot. At first he seemed to sort of be fitting into the role — unlike his predecessor he occasionally smiled and seemed to have something of a sense of humor. He had tough issues to deal with but seemed to be doing, at least around the edges, the things that politicians have to do — buff down the rough edges of your campaign rhetoric.

But he is clearly not up to the task. He is becoming unhinged not even a year into his term.

Comment by DougChicago Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:18 pm
Let’s see. Rahm (married w/kids). Lightfoot (married w/a child). Okay. He really needs a friend to sit him down and let him know how ridiculous he sounds. It’s downright pitiful. I think if he could he would just quit. He is just not up to this job.

Comment by levivotedforjudy Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:18 pm
=you all are asking me as if I’m not a parent in this city=

What I really want to say would get me banned.

When you are the boss nobody cares if you have a family or personal life. There are city employees that are working all hours of the night and missing a lot of family time for far less money or attention than he gets.

Missing a soccer game or dinner comes with the territory. Maybe it is somewhat generational but I do not see the work ethic and commitment from Gen Z or millennials. Or maybe he just isn’t a leader.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:19 pm
Touring the border would be fairly pointless, but this line of complaints from the mayor makes no sense.

Comment by Perrid Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:22 pm
=== Do you understand that you have not had a mayor like me? ===

All too well, sadly.

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:30 pm
He is shaping up to be more incompetent and out of touch than our prior Governor. I sure hope his term is not as damaging to the City as what the prior Gov did to the state.

Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:34 pm
==I do not see the work ethic and commitment from Gen Z or millennials==

And my response to that comment would get me banned. Can you explain why you felt the need to disparage an entire generation based on the actions of 1 person? It has nothing to with this story or your comment. Instead, it was just an opportunity to make yourself feel better by trashing others.

If I were you, I would judge your comment as proof boomers are a bunch of out of touch curmudgeons who can’t accept blame for their own failings in life. So instead, they blame everything on a generation they in fact raised.

But then again, I’m not you.

Comment by Former Downstater Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:38 pm
=== I do not see the work ethic and commitment from Gen Z or millennials ===

Not to pile on, but Brandon isn’t a part of either of those generations. He’s 47 years old, born in 1976. Even more evidence that this isn’t a generational issue.

Comment by vern Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:49 pm
Many of us worked, raised families, attended soccer and softball games, drove kids to swim lessons at the YMCA, hockey and figure skating lessons, drove kids to golf and tennis practice, music lessons, and attended their theater productions all while holding down full-time jobs. It is called parenting. We didn’t make excuses.

Is Mayor Brandon Johnson suffering from the maladies associated with “empty suit syndrome”?

Comment by Rudy’s teeth Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 12:56 pm
Is he going to Vegas for the Superbowl? It wouldn’t be surprising.

Comment by Blanche Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 1:05 pm
What’s the point of going to the border anyway? Don’t they have phones in Texas, Arizona or New Mexico? Email?

Comment by Da big bad wolf Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 1:15 pm
=Going to the border without a solution is what Republicans do to keep their voters inflamed.=

And that would have been a much better response than blaming it on kids soccer on the heels of attending the Grammy awards. Because that will also keep those same voters inflamed.

Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 1:20 pm
If he was prepared by his comms shop for that potential question (pretty foreseeable with IL GOP down there) and that was the planned response? No bueno.

If Mayor Johnson’s comms shop didn’t even prep him for that pretty foreseeable media border trip question this week? Muy malo.

Comment by ChicagoBars Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 1:22 pm
“I have children who attend schools who have soccer games, y’all,”

Wow, one angry response and he has now alienated just about every City worker. Cops and firefighters in particular have to miss many family and sporting events. The Mayor has a huge salary, and staff, he is so out of touch. Hope his staff did not have any confrontations with reporters on his last trip.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 1:23 pm
Not sure why Fox News is reporting this today. Johnson said this back in October. https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoMayorsOffice/videos/3542025076116110

Comment by ToddAF Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 1:26 pm
Trying to get in charge syndrome

Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 1:27 pm
Interesting issue, right?

On the one hand, we want our leaders to be available to serve their constituents 24/7. On the other hand, they have lives.

It begs the question how much should a leader be expected to work each week, and what hours belong to the community, and what hours belong to the servant. If the mayor’s position is not a 40-hour a week job, then how many of the 168 hours per week are purchased via wages, and how many are unavailable. Of course, that sounds like a union member talking.

Perhaps Mayor Johnson could have been more thoughtful and considerate in his answer. He could have skipped all of that and said, “I/’m going to the border as soon as possible” and not brought up his own concerns.

Perhaps if he was having a bad hair day and the stress of the job is getting to him, he should have checked himself and not be given to sharing his frustrations and upsetting others. Perhaps he did not need to remind us he has a family and wishes to participate in his family’s life outside the office. And perhaps we need not recognize that public servants have lives independent of their office.

Then again, he and I both could just said “no comment.”

Comment by H-W Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 1:29 pm
Ask not what you can do for your city, but what you can do for the mayor.

Comment by Blanche Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 1:48 pm
In a city where no one can agree on anything, tons of debt, tons of complicated problems, toxic politics, who wants the job?

I didnt vote for mayor Johnson, but i hope he is being authentic here and putting his kids first. kudos to him if he is. This job isn’t worth sacrificing that time with them.

i love the judgment from all the baby boomers. hey you created this mess and now you’re passing it off.

Comment by Merica Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 1:52 pm
I think the last mayor without a spouse and kids was Harold Washington? Maybe the only mayor without a spouse and kids?

Comment by Formerly Unemployed Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 2:03 pm
“begs the question how much should a leader be expected to work each week, and what hours belong to the community, and what hours belong to the servant”

The Mayors received a raise in 2024 (Johnson would receive a raise of about $4,800 next year, which would bring his salary to $221,052) and he is for sure an exempt employee under FLSA so not sure what you are getting at.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 2:04 pm
One key person… close to him, attached at the hip. A cool head who cares, who’s there as a sounding board, a buffer, a consigliere, who’s completely committed and trying to make things better. That’s what he needs immediately, and it certainly is not someone currently on his staff. If he doesn’t get that help soon, he’ll end up hating the job until he resigns… and the city will continue to suffer.

Comment by Lincoln Lad Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 2:09 pm
Agree totally with Rudy’s Teeth and I wonder if the mayor would accept that excuse from one of his staff members who hadn’t done something that he/she had told the mayor he/she would do.

Comment by Just a Citizen Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 3:25 pm
Good father? Who cares, go home and play with your kids. You want to run the city, close. You think this is abuse? You can’t take this, how can you take the abuse you get on 60 Minutes.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 4:07 pm
CTU entitlement runs deep.

Comment by Wilson Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 4:17 pm
Mayor Johnson is sure taking some hits today.
I think sometimes we forget that he put together a campaign that went from being a serious underdog in a group of candidates that were pretty well funded and experienced to winning the Mayor’s office.
He’s been a Dad raising kid’s in a pretty challenging neighborhood, worked for a living, served on the Cook County Board with President Toni,. Some of us also think it’s a plus to have a union member sitting on the fifth floor in City Hall.
With the DNC about to come to Chicago, he is someone the party should highlight as someone who has figured out how to win and be a role model for youngsters. In terms of the DNC, he is someone that will help deflect the problem of corruption in our state. With all the trails and convictions lately it is a real plus for Dem delegates and Chicago citizens to have someone in office that shows you don’t need to be corrupt to win elections and serve in government.
Being Major is one tough job. Thinking Mayor Johnson will turn out just fine.

Comment by Back to the Future Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 4:42 pm
City Zen - Also wanted to compliment the tie to Glengarry Glen Ross. Solid.

Comment by Just a guy Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 6:22 pm
Mayor Johnson should have given an answer along the lines of, “I intend to make a trip to the border in the next two months, before May.” Or state something positive about the question, and mention it is a priority that has to be figured out with his chief of staff & scheduler.

Comment by Chris in ChiTown Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 6:44 pm
I dont mind his response but I would have emphasized more to the reporter the pointlessness of the major of Chicago visiting the border and how that is a waste of city resources as with his time.

Comment by The Dude Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 6:58 pm
By making the point, “you have not had a Mayor like me” and specifying that he has a Black wife, was he trying to point out the race of Mayor Lightoot’s wife as a contrast?

Seems pretty shameful.

Comment by GC Wednesday, Feb 7, 24 @ 7:40 pm
If a woman DARED to ever say this she would be laughed off the stage and be chastised up and down.

Not to mention, all but 1 mayor over the last 100 years had a wife and children. This doesn’t make you special, dude.

Comment by Thoughts Thursday, Feb 8, 24 @ 12:43 am