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* From the far left…
The mind of Pritzker… pic.twitter.com/DaEiq12y5O
— Mike Klonsky (@mikeklonsky) February 8, 2018
* From a former African-American politician who fought Speaker Madigan, et al for years and was called “crass” by Pritzker on the FBI tapes…
African American pastors called a private emergency meeting Thursday with Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker in Hyde Park to address concerns raised by newly released FBI recordings from 2009. […]
Emil Jones also had a lunch meeting in the same hotel. He said he had no idea Pritzker was holding a meeting with pastors at the same time.
“I guess they’re getting their checks,” Jones said.
Asked whether Pritzker could rehabilitate his image, Jones added, “let me just say this, all he said is what he thinks and believes. He should apologize for thinking that way about black leadership.”
* Fox 32…
Activist Jedidiah Brown demanded Thursday to join African-American ministers meeting in Hyde Park with Democratic candidate for governor, J.B. Pritzker.
A highly edited version of that event is making the rounds on social media, but if you click here (profanity warning), you’ll see there was a physical scuffle and shouted threats of violence against the gathered ministers.
* Also from Brown…
If you see a JB sign on the public way, grab it and take a picture of you taking a #kneeagainstjb… take the state from…
Posted by Jedidiah Brown on Wednesday, February 7, 2018
* From an African-American Tribune columnist…
There are three things we can take away from former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s and J.B. Pritzker’s 2008 wiretapped conversation about who to appoint to Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat.
No. 1: Both men knew that a debt was owed to African-Americans.
No. 2: Both men knew that African-Americans knew they were owed a debt.
No. 3: Both men knew that if that debt wasn’t paid in a way that appeased African-American voters, Blagojevich could kiss the governor’s job goodbye come re-election time.
* From a Downstate newspaper editorial…
Pritzker has not been accused of wrongdoing in the recorded conversations he had with Blagojevich. We have all probably said things we wish we wouldn’t have. And we’re not naive; we know politicians look at the optics of just about any decision they are about to make.
But these comments were despicable. Jones and White are accomplished men who have served the public. Pritzker’s words — whose wealth gave him the ear of those in power — attempted to marginalize their hard work and abilities. We appreciate that Pritzker admitted he was not his “best self” during that conversation and has apologized. His challenge now is whether his words and actions going forward will show he was sincere in his mea culpa.
* Pritzker gave a pretty sincere speech last night. Mary Ann…
Strong remarks Thursday night from @JBPritzker as he holds West Side Rally and apologizes #ILGov
Pritzker at Stone Temple Baptist Church https://t.co/hkfgRVqWmH via @YouTube— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) February 9, 2018
* It’s just a speech. Words on a page. But it was well-written and well-delivered and worth a look…
* I’ve posted the full text, but here’s the essence of his apology…
I’m sure that many of you have now heard about the report that was in the Chicago Tribune of a conversation with me and the former governor. That conversation does not represent who I am and it doesn’t represent what is in my heart. But that doesn’t change the fact that nine years ago, it happened. And for that, I am truly and deeply sorry.
* A bit more…
Black and brown communities are still shut out of equal access to jobs, of affordable housing, healthcare, and education at rates far disproportionate to any other communities.
Real opportunity is so often reserved for a group that is too small and too white.
Systemic disinvestment maintains the cycle of poverty and keeps so many minority communities from moving forward.
People of color are disproportionately targeted by our criminal justice system.
The greater conversation ought to be about the foundation of our institutions, the wealth that has never been shared, and the theoretical opportunity that exists on paper but that is never realized.
This exclusion is not just our history, it’s our present. And if we don’t talk about it, and if we don’t take real, concrete steps to address it, it will be our future too. […]
There are individuals in this room, I know, who live in communities impacted every single day by systemic racism and disinvestment. There are families whose lives have been forever altered by the broken systems of the state. There are no solutions without your input and there is no path forward unless you are at the table.
These are difficult conversations, but ones that I want to tackle head on. We can’t settle for the conversation about race to only be had every four years when the politicians show up looking for votes. It’s a conversation we need to have every day and it’s a conversation that I’m committed to having every day as your governor when I’m in office.
I know I can’t promise you that I will get it right all the time. I know I won’t. But I can promise you this.
When I get it wrong, I will take responsibility.
I will hold myself accountable - and I’ll hold others accountable when they get it wrong.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:34 pm
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Like anyone else, he can’t un-ring the bell.
Apologizing, taking responsibility, and promising to do better is what your mom and dad taught you to do.
Compare and contrast with Rauner and the vets home:
“We handled it exceptionally well and we would not do anything different.”
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:44 pm
Mending fences is a tough business. The above speech has a sincere ring to it. However; if he wins, the proof will be in the policies he puts forth. To many of these guys promise the moon, and deliver nothing.
Comment by Retired Educator Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:47 pm
=== When I get it wrong, I will take responsibility.
===
That makes JB the anti-Rauner.
Comment by anon2 Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:47 pm
Her name’s Dahleen, Rich.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:49 pm
Pritzker is in a bad spot here. And while his apologies will ring hollow with many he can use it as a point of contrast with Rauner who lies habitually and is never wrong. I think humility could be a very useful campaign tool for Pritzker and frankly he has no choice anyway so he might as well try to use it to his advantage.
Comment by Pundent Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:49 pm
Did he also fix his toilets and pay what he truly owes in property taxes?
Comment by Stand Tall Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:53 pm
So when will Rauner start putting up billboards on the south and west sides that mimic the Klonsky graphic?
Comment by Urban Girl Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:54 pm
Nice apology, but ….drip/drip/drip, what else is out there? This apology may work for now. I’m sorry about disconnecting my plumping, insulting respected African Americans, scheming for a statewide appointment, …..JB seems like a decent billionaire, but anymore missteps and the apology train starts to run out
Comment by Rutro Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:56 pm
Huh. Can’t seem to so easily shake that “African American thing,” can he?
Comment by JB13 Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:57 pm
The one strong point for JB in the We Ask America poll was the black vote, where he was getting 40%. If black voters turn on him, he can’t win.
Comment by Grand Avenue Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:58 pm
Whatever debt he had before, has been at least quadrupled so that JB will over-compensate, be over-sensitive, be over-cautious and will be unable to completely shake this political debt in a way that will permit him to be unbiased and balanced as a state leader.
Every issue where a racial element can be injected in the future, if he is elected, will be injected. Every Chicago issue effecting Illinois will be spun to reflect any interpretations of race.
JB has dug himself into a whole so deep, it may take millions of tax dollars to pay off to satify his critics, if he is elected.
JB will always be tainted and his image forever changed. If he is elected, race will be a big issue in his administration, coloring everything.
This is not over. It will never be. Is that the kind of gubernatorial administration we need?
How ironic that the richest man to have run for public office will be forever paying off this huge political debt - if he ever could.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 12:59 pm
JB’s apology is just a lot of words. One thing to notice from yesterday’s poll is that JB’s lead in the AA community is 2 pts. It was 20-30 pts in previous polls, and, really, the bulk of his lead. If he continues to drop with what was his strongest constituency, which makes up 28 percent of a Democratic primary, he’s doomed.
Comment by Lil Lebowski Urban Achiever Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:03 pm
The photos of people kneeling on JBs sign are more powerful than anything either campaign could put out there right now. If I have to guess right now on the primary, JB survives because Biss and Kennedy cannabalize each other’s votes and Pritzker will get the party votes needed.
It’ll be interesting to see if the other statewide elects stick with him too. Hard to criticize Trump for these types of comments and then look the other way with JB.
Comment by Snapper Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:11 pm
Man it is getting hot in that kitchen eh JB?
Biss should be putting the foot on the accelerator. He is the guy now.
Comment by allknowingmasterofracoondom Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:13 pm
I can’t stop thinking about the really untenable position JB has put his AA supporters, endorsers, and especially his running mate in, regardless of what they may be saying for public consumption. It’s not much of a challenge to make educated guesses about what kind of “unrecorded” private conversations are being had and shared about all this within the AA community.
Comment by Responsa Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:13 pm
Put a fork into good ole’ JB…
Comment by Mouthy Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:14 pm
For those saying that JB cannot overcome this, I suggest you look at Rahm Emanuel. He was absolutely dead to rights in the black community following the Laquan McDonald video surfaced. He has fought back, worked hard, and has done a lot to repair his image in the African American community. This is a great opportunity for JB’s political opponents to create a feeding frenzy of bad PR, but people will eventually vote for him because of who he is, not how inartfully he spoke in a conversation with blago. JB will get through this. This was a great speech.
Comment by Anon Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:23 pm
J.B. just needs to sprinkle some more pixie dust within the south side communities next week and he will be just fine. Cook County is just swell
Comment by Sue Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:25 pm
If there is another tape hanging around out there, he is totally done.
When it first came out, I was ticking through the various steps the playbook requires and deciding what he would need to do.
I knew he would need the instant presser surrounded by validators, thought he *might* be able to avoid the ad blitz and never thought he would have to do the stand-up staged mea culpa speech that Barack had to give after the Rev. Wright events.
JB appears to have done all of the above and, remarkably, the bleeding appears to be getting worse as he is giving the story more legs. It takes a certain kind of charisma and oomph to be able to get up there and make the thing go away with a speech - Obama has that, JB doesn’t (not by a long shot).
I wonder if he is actually getting any good advice from his staff or if they just take the easy road because the gravy train is running at full speed and nobody wants to jeopardize their seat on it.
Comment by Tapes Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:27 pm
“From the far left…”
Left of hammer, right of sickle.
Comment by City Zen Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:34 pm
Pritzker has and is apologizing. When was the last time Rauner ever did???
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:35 pm
“One thing to notice from yesterday’s poll is that JB’s lead in the AA community is 2 pts.”
Still citing the Rod McCullough poll? Dude, that guy is a joke of a pollster and you should take it with a huge grain of salt. If we see a reasonably high-quality poll with similar numbers we can talk about him having a two point lead. In the meantime, I’m taking a wait and see attitude.
Comment by Anon0091 Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:37 pm
Very disrespectful to disrupt the meeting.
Comment by Honeybadger Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:39 pm
=Biss should be putting the foot on the accelerator=
If you don’t have gas in the tank putting the foot on the accelerator does no good.
Comment by Turn Around For What? Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:41 pm
Quoting the results of any polls about this race that were taken and tabulated before Thursday is a waste of time except as a baseline. The earth has shifted on its axis. We will not start to understand how much it has shifted until next week sometime.
Comment by Responsa Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:45 pm
Rodney McCullough couldn’t accurately predict the score of a completed game.
Comment by Tommydanger Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:47 pm
You can’t unscramble eggs.
Comment by Saluki Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:50 pm
FYI to Jedidiah he is encouraging his followers to commit a crime..
720 ILCS 5/16-1(b)(1) covers “[t]heft of property not from the person and not exceeding $500 in value.” Whether it’s a small yard sign or a big one, if its value is below $500, the same statute applies. Under state law, you cannot touch another candidate’s signs for any reason. Even if they are illegally placed, you must call that campaign and have them come out and remove it.
Comment by Texas Red Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:50 pm
Post is about JB, but half the comments are about Rauner.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:56 pm
Saluki- “You can’t unscramble eggs.”
True, but if you break shells into them, you can choose to correct the mistake (Pritzker), instead of just calling it extra calcium (Rauner).
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 1:59 pm
Not a Pritzker fan, but it would be a tall order to name a candidate that Klonsky would approve of. He is a hard core leftist.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:00 pm
Wow, I’ve rarely seen such a display of screeching harpies, hopping about clawing and pecking.
You all are acting as if this is the worst thing you’ve ever seen or heard of
My God
Where was this level of indignation
When it was shown that Rauner
Over a million Illinoisans lost services,
When it was shown that Rauner caused
72,000 students to leave illinois colleges
When it’s proven that Rauner lied
Over and over again
When it’s proven that Rauner stiffed contractors
And drove up the debt to 16billion
Where were the harpie behaviors then?
I think Obama was a mediocre president
And Emil Jones strikes me as a grandstanding opportunistic jerk. Scoring cheap points and piling on.
With what Pritzker said
Nobody lost a job
No business went down
Nobody got denied service
No one left the state for another school
No programs got cut
No budget got slashed
All done by Rauner and more.
Shove your purity
Shove your pietism
Shove you sanctimoniousness
you know where.
You want “despicable”
Focus on the
Proven Behaviors
The destructive acts
Of Bruce Rauner
Stop just stop
Comment by Honeybear Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:01 pm
To the Post,
The speech, both in words and delivery, was well done, and well said. It’s as good in all aspects as it could be
At some point, apologizing just gets too onerwhelming and it overtakes the needed work that should be done to move forward.
“I did it. I was wrong. I’m sorry”
You eat it. You own it. You make your peace with those willing to find your constriction, and you move forward.
What great Crews and leaders do… they take the serious lumps. They take em. They eat it.
But, then there’s the moment.
It’s not a pushback or a rebuke of those seeking apologies or even a begging for forgiveness.
You do all you can, and you move forward.
I’d like to see Pritzker and his Crew appreciate the blowback, eat the bad, take it, and move forward, and make peace, even if the Crew and Pritzker feel themselves slighted, from anyone towards anyone.
Here’s a secret.
No one gets 100% of the vote. Not everyone forgives, and even rarer, fewer forget. So… eat it, own it, move forward, be better, and be pros when things are tough, as much of a pro when things are good. Protect and defend, but realize each day has different challenges too.
Keep plugging. We’ll be watching.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:03 pm
The anger is understandable, but does everyone on the Dem side indulging in this orgy of outrage truly want four more years of Rauner? Because that’s what we’re likely to get if he manages to pick JB off in the primary with this TapeGate stuff. Neither Biss nor Kennedy can go dollar-for-dollar against Rauner. And does anyone imagine Rauner doesn’t have nasty secrets to spring on either one of them if they survive past March?
Sheesh. Get rid of Rauner, whatever it takes; plenty of time to extract your pound(s) of flesh afterwards.
Comment by Crispy Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:03 pm
JB can’t worry about Rauner now. He has to trash Biss all day, and hope the community buys his apology. Plenty of time for him to attack Rauner later. If he survives this storm.
VanillaMan is right. He can never make up for what he said. At a minimum some people just don’t vote. Worse, the vote for Biss.
And we didn’t even get to Toiletgate yet.
Comment by SSL Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:09 pm
–Post is about JB, but half the comments are about Rauner.–
Well, the comparisons are automatic and obvious.
On the same day, one candidate apologized and took responsibility for comments he made nine years ago; the other candidate bragged about what a swell job he did at the Quincy vets home.
–J.B. just needs to sprinkle some more pixie dust within the south side communities next week and he will be just fine. Cook County is just swell–
LOL, what’s that supposed to communicate, in context. It’s like Drunk Uncle on SNL with you. Party on, Sue.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:12 pm
Lies forever change relationships.
There’s no “just move on”
A liar must display remorse.
A politician who lies creates a debt.
The victims must accept the apologies.
It is the victims who decide when to move on.
So, what does JB do?
He has to get with those he insulted and fix it, so they move on.
Yet, he needs those he insulted, and so the power shifts from JB to those he insulted. They get power and they use it against JB. Until they are “OK”, they have power.
If JB looked like the only guy to nominate, then the remedy is quick. Not in a primary, though. Rauner is weak and will lose. So JB has to pay up.
If JB is nominated, this debt continues if Rauner or Ives looks strong in the General.
JB will have this debt for as long as the insulted want to use the power JB gave them.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:16 pm
Honeybear @2:01: Preach. This, 100 percent, every single day.
Comment by Crispy Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:21 pm
==I’ve rarely seen such a display of screeching harpies, hopping about clawing and pecking.==
There’s a pretty good scene in the musical The Music Man about this phenomenon.
Comment by Responsa Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:23 pm
You don’t nominate a candidate with this kind of debt because that individual will always need to repay that debt.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:24 pm
Nothing against J. B. Pritker but this Blago stuff keeps getting worse and worse and I feel he is capped where he is at. He may stop the bleeding but I can’t see undecided breaking his way.
Biss has run a great grass roots campaign but he may be capped as well. There only so many progresives.
If I’m right, the election is Kennedy’s for the taking. He might have to run a couple ads like “Hi, I Chris Kennedy, you know, Bobby’s son. I’m running for Governor. Please vote for me.
That should do it.
Comment by Bobio Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:26 pm
The solution is to hire Jedidiah Brown as his chief steategist
Comment by Sue Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:42 pm
I see a lot about what about Rauner but as Willie says one election at a time. It seems almost as if there is a visceral dislike for J B among the regular democrat voters the base or Sanders voters. Almost the same on the Republican side with Ives voters despising Rauner. Maybe showing how some people liked Sanders and Trump. Or maybe people sick of entitled billionaires
Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 2:58 pm
JB: I’m not Donald Trump.
Everyone: But Trump is a rich guy that is racist and decided to get into politics.
JB: Oh. Never mind.
Comment by I Miss Bentohs Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 3:17 pm
@Crispy - so only JB can defeat Rauner because only JB has the money to match the Governor, got it. To you, it must seem pointless to even have a primary. Why not just nominate the owner of the biggest bank account as the Democratic Nominee? For the record, President Obama sure had a mediocre Justice Department and his Administration’s plan to help homeowners was nothing more than to turn them into “form for the runway” to help banks make a softer landing which is far less than even mediocre.
Comment by Blue Dogs are Blind, Deaf & Dumb Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 3:19 pm
Crispy- any D who wins the primary will beat Rauner unless the candidate turns out to be a wife beater or child molester. Why not nominate someone who will be an independent voice instead of another machine slug
Comment by Sue Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 3:22 pm
Honey Bear- even over the top for you. Rauner isn’t the reason Illinois is a fiscal basket case. The reason is that for 40 plus years Illinois Govs and legislatures turned the State disc over to your public Sector unions of which you are a beneficiary. You just want to elect someone who A F C SM E can count on to resume your runaway contracts and benefits
Comment by Sue Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 3:29 pm
Great throwaway line from Emil about the pastors meeting with JB. It sure seems like the political influence of these pastors is rapidly waning.
Comment by Chicagonk Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 3:40 pm
Blue Dogs are etc. @ 3:19–Welp, looks like you’ve got my number, lol.
Sue@3:22–I hope you’re right, I really do. It’s just than I’m still traumatized by our current president’s win over supposed shoo-in Hillary Clinton, and I don’t want to take any chances.
Seriously, though, I’ll vote for Biss or Kennedy if one of them gets the nod. I’d vote for a ham sandwich over Rauner at this point. I’m just not convinced enough other Illinoisans feel the same way, regardless of what polls seem to say.
Comment by Crispy Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 3:52 pm
I’d rather be a screeching harpie, hopping about clawing and pecking, than a Doug Stamper of superior airs, defending my guy, demanding all be quiet-regardless his actions.
Comment by Hamilton Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 3:57 pm
Not sure what happened to my last comment, but anyway, @Blue Dogs are Blind & Sue, it’s not that I’m so into JB, it’s that I want whoever has the best chance of unseating Rainer, and I remember, painfully, the results of the 2016 presidential upset as an example of why not to trust conventional wisdom. It’s a big mistake to get complacent about Rauner’s chances imo.
Comment by Crispy Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 3:59 pm
==Rauner isn’t the reason Illinois is a fiscal basket case. ==
As always, you’re off your rocker. There is not one single area of this state’s government, fiscal or otherwise, that is not in much worse shape than it was just three years ago when your boy got elected governor. While you continue to post screeds about fiscal responsibility, Rauner is handing out millions in taxpayer money to his pinstripe patronage group at Deloitte and the friends of Trey Childress. Every single area of responsibility under the administration that you spent months here at Capfax cheerleading for is up to its neck in incompetence, wasteful spending and corruption. Even Jeanne Ives is smart enough to see it. Amazingly, you never seem to notice any of that in your posts. Harp on Pritzker all you want, but please stop trying to feed us the babe in the woods, poor Bruce act. We get enough of that tripe from Lucky.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 4:05 pm
JB, unlike Trump, is not a racist. His choice of words might not have been the best, but how does that make him racist if he thinks Emil Jones is crass. Judge Jones by the gentlemanly senatorial standards of Cecil Partee and Phil Rock and he really doesn’t match up. Whatever his motives for that conversation with Blago, whether to seem like a kingmaker or to get Jesse White appointed so he could get the SOS job and jobs, pointing out what he saw as a reason not to appoint someone who might not be able to hang on to the job is more crassly political rather than racial.
Comment by West Side the Best Side Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 4:20 pm
Honey Bear- if I wouldn’t vote for Rauner I guess you should rest easy. And not because he went to the center. Rauner just proved inept at governing
Comment by Sue Friday, Feb 9, 18 @ 4:22 pm