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Is Dick Durbin, not Feinstein, the real obstacle to Biden's judge appointments?
I’ve been a Durbin voter forever. He’s never had any integrity problems or “issues” that caused concern. But I was astonished when he recently backed right leaning mayoral candidate Vallas in the very close Chicago election.
Now Thom Hartmann is discussing Durbin being the key obstacle to confirmation of Biden judges.
This is while delays are being blamed on Feinstein?! And while Republicans are trying to “compromise” by insisting only Sinema can replace Feinstein temporarily?
Could this be why Nancy Pelosi quickly came out and defense of Feinstein? When did Senator Dick Durban become a POS 💩?
21 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
I'm shocked. Why post that trash here?
what they need to about the pros and cons for Democrats of eliminating the "blue slip."
You may be 100% right about everything for all I know, but I don't, and that's why I virtually never criticize strategy in our professionals.
Anyway and fwiw, where and what would we and our nation be without our "good guys"? Glad you pointed out that Durbin is.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/09/chicago-mayor-biden-obama-democrat-00086395
A year before he became one of two Democrats left standing in the race for Chicago mayor, Paul Vallas went on a conservative radio show and mocked the last two Democratic presidents.
Appearing on Chicago’s Morning Answer (AM 560) program, Vallas rolled his eyes at former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as they spoke about their new library in Hyde Park and laughed about them living in Martha’s Vineyard. Vallas, in a separate appearance a few months later, questioned whether President Joe Biden actually was the one running the White House.
The comments came during a lull in Vallas’ political life, two years after losing the 2019 mayoral race and before he geared up for another bid. But they now could affect his future as he looks to run the nation’s third-largest city, where Obama remains a revered figure. And Biden’s potential endorsement in the race, along with other big-name Democrats, could end up tipping the balance.
Vallas is known for off-hand remarks. While doing the radio show, he described Democratic Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth as rubber-stamp votes for Biden, according to the Facebook Live video archives reviewed by POLITICO. Vallas’ appearance on Morning Answer was not unusual. He has regularly aligned himself with conservative-leaning outlets and organizations, and his endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police helped shore up his crime-fighting bona fides. Vallas also spoke at a fundraiser for Awake Illinois, a far-right organization that trafficks in transphobic and homophobic rhetoric.
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A year before he became one of two Democrats left standing in the race for Chicago mayor, Paul Vallas went on a conservative radio show and mocked the last two Democratic presidents.
Appearing on Chicago’s Morning Answer (AM 560) program, Vallas rolled his eyes at former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as they spoke about their new library in Hyde Park and laughed about them living in Martha’s Vineyard. Vallas, in a separate appearance a few months later, questioned whether President Joe Biden actually was the one running the White House.
The comments came during a lull in Vallas’ political life, two years after losing the 2019 mayoral race and before he geared up for another bid. But they now could affect his future as he looks to run the nation’s third-largest city, where Obama remains a revered figure. And Biden’s potential endorsement in the race, along with other big-name Democrats, could end up tipping the balance.
Vallas is known for off-hand remarks. While doing the radio show, he described Democratic Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth as rubber-stamp votes for Biden, according to the Facebook Live video archives reviewed by POLITICO. Vallas’ appearance on Morning Answer was not unusual. He has regularly aligned himself with conservative-leaning outlets and organizations, and his endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police helped shore up his crime-fighting bona fides. Vallas also spoke at a fundraiser for Awake Illinois, a far-right organization that trafficks in transphobic and homophobic rhetoric.
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Paul Vallas rubs shoulders with the far right
The mayoral candidate spoke at a fundraiser for a group that has promoted transphobic and homophobic rhetoric.
https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/paul-vallas-rubs-shoulders-with-the-far-right/
Last month, former Chicago Public Schools CEO and second-time mayoral candidate Paul Vallas spoke at a fundraiser for Awake Illinois, a group that has been criticized for its transphobic and homophobic rhetoric.
The group hosted a fundraiser in Naperville about school choice in June, and Vallas was a featured panelist. In addition to promoting school choice, the nonprofit has opposed COVID safety protocols in schools, and the teaching of what it calls “critical race theory.” Last month, the group called Governor J.B. Pritzker a “groomer,” a term increasingly used as an anti-LGBTQ+ slur by the far right, after he signed a sex-ed bill.
In July, Awake Illinois and other right-wing groups publicly maligned UpRising Bakery and Cafe in suburban Lake of the Hills for planning a family-friendly drag show. The bakery was subsequently vandalized, and the bakery’s owners canceled the show as a result. Joseph Collins, a 24-year-old from Alsip, was later charged with a felony hate crime and criminal damage to property.
At Awake Illinois’s June fundraiser, Vallas sat on a panel alongside former Indiana school administrator Tony Kinnett and Waukegan teacher Frank McCormick, vocal critics of curriculum that includes critical race theory. Other panelists included Nicole Neily, the president of a campus free speech organization, and Pastor Randy Blan, who challenged the state’s mask mandate as headmaster of a private Christian school in northern Illinois. Corey DeAngelis, a national leader for school choice, gave the keynote speech.
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The mayoral candidate spoke at a fundraiser for a group that has promoted transphobic and homophobic rhetoric.
https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/paul-vallas-rubs-shoulders-with-the-far-right/
Last month, former Chicago Public Schools CEO and second-time mayoral candidate Paul Vallas spoke at a fundraiser for Awake Illinois, a group that has been criticized for its transphobic and homophobic rhetoric.
The group hosted a fundraiser in Naperville about school choice in June, and Vallas was a featured panelist. In addition to promoting school choice, the nonprofit has opposed COVID safety protocols in schools, and the teaching of what it calls “critical race theory.” Last month, the group called Governor J.B. Pritzker a “groomer,” a term increasingly used as an anti-LGBTQ+ slur by the far right, after he signed a sex-ed bill.
In July, Awake Illinois and other right-wing groups publicly maligned UpRising Bakery and Cafe in suburban Lake of the Hills for planning a family-friendly drag show. The bakery was subsequently vandalized, and the bakery’s owners canceled the show as a result. Joseph Collins, a 24-year-old from Alsip, was later charged with a felony hate crime and criminal damage to property.
At Awake Illinois’s June fundraiser, Vallas sat on a panel alongside former Indiana school administrator Tony Kinnett and Waukegan teacher Frank McCormick, vocal critics of curriculum that includes critical race theory. Other panelists included Nicole Neily, the president of a campus free speech organization, and Pastor Randy Blan, who challenged the state’s mask mandate as headmaster of a private Christian school in northern Illinois. Corey DeAngelis, a national leader for school choice, gave the keynote speech.
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Betsy DeVos’ Support for Paul Vallas’ Chicago Mayoral Campaign Exposed
Unpopular Trump Education Secretary and Failed Former Schools Chief Are ‘Two Peas in a Pod’
https://www.aft.org/press-release/betsy-devos-support-paul-vallas-chicago-mayoral-campaign-exposed
CHICAGO—Today, it was revealed that a group supporting Paul Vallas, the far-right candidate running to be the next mayor of Chicago, received tens of thousands of dollars from the Illinois Federation for Children—a super PAC founded by Donald Trump’s disgraced former secretary of education, Betsy DeVos. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said: “Paul Vallas’ goal of defunding public schools and dividing parents against teachers makes him precisely the kind of candidate who would appeal to a fellow wrecker like Betsy DeVos—a person who’s devoted her life to ending public education as we know it.
“From Chicago to Philadelphia to New Orleans, Vallas waged a craven campaign to voucherize and pauperize, just like DeVos tried—and failed—to do when she served as Donald Trump’s education secretary. “There’s a reason Vallas’ talking points about public safety, schools, election integrity and unions sound like national Republicans’: He’s being funded by them—Ken Griffin, Bruce Rauner, Charlie Kirk and now DeVos. “It’s little wonder that teachers and congressmen in the cities hurt by Vallas are standing alongside Chicago parents to support Brandon Johnson’s campaign instead. They know the grave risk to kids’ learning that Vallas represents and the passion for classroom instruction and leadership embodied by Johnson."
In 2021, Vallas publicly mourned DeVos’ departure from Washington, and last year wrote of his vision to privatize Chicago Public Schools through a voucher system funded by teacher pensions. He also proposed that religious schools could be considered charter schools that would be paid for by taxpayers.
AFT Michigan President David Hecker said: "It is no surprise that Betsy DeVos supports Vallas because both are clearly committed to eliminating public education. DeVos' track record is one of advancing vouchers, fighting against legislation to save Detroit Public Schools and strongly opposing organized labor, not to mention her atrocious years as education secretary. “From city to city, Vallas has strived to undercut public education. He and DeVos are two peas in a pod."
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# # # #
The AFT represents 1.7 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.
Unpopular Trump Education Secretary and Failed Former Schools Chief Are ‘Two Peas in a Pod’
https://www.aft.org/press-release/betsy-devos-support-paul-vallas-chicago-mayoral-campaign-exposed
CHICAGO—Today, it was revealed that a group supporting Paul Vallas, the far-right candidate running to be the next mayor of Chicago, received tens of thousands of dollars from the Illinois Federation for Children—a super PAC founded by Donald Trump’s disgraced former secretary of education, Betsy DeVos. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said: “Paul Vallas’ goal of defunding public schools and dividing parents against teachers makes him precisely the kind of candidate who would appeal to a fellow wrecker like Betsy DeVos—a person who’s devoted her life to ending public education as we know it.
“From Chicago to Philadelphia to New Orleans, Vallas waged a craven campaign to voucherize and pauperize, just like DeVos tried—and failed—to do when she served as Donald Trump’s education secretary. “There’s a reason Vallas’ talking points about public safety, schools, election integrity and unions sound like national Republicans’: He’s being funded by them—Ken Griffin, Bruce Rauner, Charlie Kirk and now DeVos. “It’s little wonder that teachers and congressmen in the cities hurt by Vallas are standing alongside Chicago parents to support Brandon Johnson’s campaign instead. They know the grave risk to kids’ learning that Vallas represents and the passion for classroom instruction and leadership embodied by Johnson."
In 2021, Vallas publicly mourned DeVos’ departure from Washington, and last year wrote of his vision to privatize Chicago Public Schools through a voucher system funded by teacher pensions. He also proposed that religious schools could be considered charter schools that would be paid for by taxpayers.
Link to tweet
AFT Michigan President David Hecker said: "It is no surprise that Betsy DeVos supports Vallas because both are clearly committed to eliminating public education. DeVos' track record is one of advancing vouchers, fighting against legislation to save Detroit Public Schools and strongly opposing organized labor, not to mention her atrocious years as education secretary. “From city to city, Vallas has strived to undercut public education. He and DeVos are two peas in a pod."
snip
# # # #
The AFT represents 1.7 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.
Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas insists he's a lifelong Democrat. But he's backed by conservative donors and the FOP.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/elections/ct-paul-vallas-mayor-republican-20230213-rjl6fmiri5ftbjheqxehovkop4-story.html
Danny’s Pizza on the Southwest Side is often packed on a weekend, but nothing like the turnout for a recent Paul Vallas campaign stop. A waiter got stuck by the kitchen’s pass-through window trying to deliver a fresh pizza to the right table. A woman exclaimed, “Jesus Christ!?? when someone squeezing past almost knocked the plate out of her hands. And a man surveying the room bemusedly observed, “This is a COVID risk.” When Vallas finally took the microphone at the Garfield Ridge restaurant, he cut straight to the point. “This whole campaign is about taking back our city, pure and simple,” Vallas said.
He repeatedly invoked that refrain throughout his remarks as the crowd soaked it in and cheered. He blamed Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx for high crime, said he’d get criminals off the street and added, for the benefit of government workers in the crowd, that he wouldn’t cut pensions. When it came time to take questions, a woman stood up and asked about her educational concerns. “I’m hoping that you’re going to be very active in the schools and get rid of the CRT, get rid of this sex education,” the woman said, referring to the term “critical race theory” that has become a national touchstone for conservatives opposed to teaching concepts such as institutional racism in American history. Critical race theory isn’t a formalized curriculum in Illinois and attempts to curtail such teachings in the state have been unsuccessful.
In his response, Vallas did not address the woman’s comments on critical race theory or sex ed. He simply recited his stump speech on education — including a promise to funnel more money to the local schools and open campuses during evenings, weekends and holidays — and then continued his path through the crowd. The encounter highlights a thorny campaign issue for Vallas: As he makes his second bid for Chicago mayor and proclaims himself a “lifelong Democrat,” he’s pivoted to run on law-and-order and other themes that have drawn support from conservatives in the city and state. While Vallas doesn’t want to lose conservative supporters — many on the Northwest and Southwest sides who could propel him past the Feb. 28 election into a runoff — he also can’t alienate the rest of the city if he wants to win on April 4.
As Vallas tries to strike that balance, he has faced attacks from rivals that he’s truly a Republican, a charge they hope will sink his campaign. Even though municipal elections in Illinois have been technically nonpartisan since 1999, Chicago hasn’t had a Republican mayor since 1931. President Joe Biden won the city with more than 80% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election and former President Donald Trump lost all 50 wards, though he came close to winning the 41st Ward on the Far Northwest Side. Christopher Mooney, a political science professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said he isn’t surprised by the “Republican” attacks against Vallas. He noted Vallas is likely to face criticism as a perceived front-runner and as someone who is unapologetically pro-charter schools and the endorsed candidate of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police.
snip
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/elections/ct-paul-vallas-mayor-republican-20230213-rjl6fmiri5ftbjheqxehovkop4-story.html
Danny’s Pizza on the Southwest Side is often packed on a weekend, but nothing like the turnout for a recent Paul Vallas campaign stop. A waiter got stuck by the kitchen’s pass-through window trying to deliver a fresh pizza to the right table. A woman exclaimed, “Jesus Christ!?? when someone squeezing past almost knocked the plate out of her hands. And a man surveying the room bemusedly observed, “This is a COVID risk.” When Vallas finally took the microphone at the Garfield Ridge restaurant, he cut straight to the point. “This whole campaign is about taking back our city, pure and simple,” Vallas said.
He repeatedly invoked that refrain throughout his remarks as the crowd soaked it in and cheered. He blamed Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx for high crime, said he’d get criminals off the street and added, for the benefit of government workers in the crowd, that he wouldn’t cut pensions. When it came time to take questions, a woman stood up and asked about her educational concerns. “I’m hoping that you’re going to be very active in the schools and get rid of the CRT, get rid of this sex education,” the woman said, referring to the term “critical race theory” that has become a national touchstone for conservatives opposed to teaching concepts such as institutional racism in American history. Critical race theory isn’t a formalized curriculum in Illinois and attempts to curtail such teachings in the state have been unsuccessful.
In his response, Vallas did not address the woman’s comments on critical race theory or sex ed. He simply recited his stump speech on education — including a promise to funnel more money to the local schools and open campuses during evenings, weekends and holidays — and then continued his path through the crowd. The encounter highlights a thorny campaign issue for Vallas: As he makes his second bid for Chicago mayor and proclaims himself a “lifelong Democrat,” he’s pivoted to run on law-and-order and other themes that have drawn support from conservatives in the city and state. While Vallas doesn’t want to lose conservative supporters — many on the Northwest and Southwest sides who could propel him past the Feb. 28 election into a runoff — he also can’t alienate the rest of the city if he wants to win on April 4.
As Vallas tries to strike that balance, he has faced attacks from rivals that he’s truly a Republican, a charge they hope will sink his campaign. Even though municipal elections in Illinois have been technically nonpartisan since 1999, Chicago hasn’t had a Republican mayor since 1931. President Joe Biden won the city with more than 80% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election and former President Donald Trump lost all 50 wards, though he came close to winning the 41st Ward on the Far Northwest Side. Christopher Mooney, a political science professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said he isn’t surprised by the “Republican” attacks against Vallas. He noted Vallas is likely to face criticism as a perceived front-runner and as someone who is unapologetically pro-charter schools and the endorsed candidate of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police.
snip
The Illinois Federation of Teachers on Vallas
https://www.ift-aft.org/vallasiswrong
Q: Who is Paul Vallas?
A: Paul Vallas is a former head of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) who is running for mayor. He has a long track record of failures. He would be a disaster for public education, union members, and Chicago residents. From Chicago to New Orleans to Philadelphia, Vallas has left a trail of budget disasters that taxpayers are still paying for today.
Q: Who is supporting him?
A: Paul Vallas has courted and received support from right-wing extremist groups like Awake Illinois, a group that has been criticized for its transphobic and homophobic rhetoric. Vallas has been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and has campaigned with John Catanzara, an apologist for the January 6 insurrectionists. Paul Vallas has received large sums of money from conservative contributors and prominent Republicans. His largest donor is golf course developer Michael Keiser, who has given him $700,000. Keiser also previously contributed $11,200 to Trump. Vallas has taken money from John Canning, a Chicago private equity executive who has given to many politicians locally but also national Republicans, and Noel Moore, who has given to Trump and Texas Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. Vallas also took $25,000 from Ron Gidwitz, Trump’s 2016 Illinois finance chairman, who served as finance co-chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and ran as a Republican for governor in 2006. Major donor to Republican causes Craig Duchossois, for instance, has given $10,000 to Vallas and was a major supporter of Richard Irvin for governor.
Q: What is Paul Vallas’ track record on education?
A: Paul Vallas is a champion of school choice, vouchers, and charter schools, which funnels millions of dollars away from public schools. During his tenure at CPS, Vallas oversaw what would become a model for conservative education policy around the nation, including increased standardized testing and the privatization of public schools through charters. As CEO of the Philadelphia and New Orleans school districts, he decimated public education. In Philadelphia in particular, his big plans resulted in the highest-poverty schools getting the least support; the entire district was left with no stable, reliable funding to meet student needs. His last job as schools chief in Bridgeport, Connecticut ended with a costly court battle over whether he had the credentials needed to serve as a superintendent in that state.
Q: What’s Paul Vallas’ record on pensions?
A: Under Vallas, Chicago Public Schools stopped making regular payments into the teachers’ pension. With the district facing an anticipated $1.4 billion deficit, Vallas trimmed the budget by eliminating staff and cut spending from special education according to Chicago Magazine. The same state law that gave former mayor Richard Daley control of the schools also changed the tax levy that directly funded the Chicago teachers’ pension system, allowing Daley and Vallas to use money earmarked for pensions to help cover operating costs, said Chuck Burbridge, former executive director of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund from 2015-2020. According to Burbridge, the legislation only required district leaders to make pension contributions if the fund fell below 90 percent of full funding. The district began making payments again in the early 2000s, but a “pension holiday” approved amid the great recession further contributed to the Fund’s current condition. CPS teacher pensions are currently under 50% funded, according to a recent report.
snip
https://www.ift-aft.org/vallasiswrong
Q: Who is Paul Vallas?
A: Paul Vallas is a former head of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) who is running for mayor. He has a long track record of failures. He would be a disaster for public education, union members, and Chicago residents. From Chicago to New Orleans to Philadelphia, Vallas has left a trail of budget disasters that taxpayers are still paying for today.
Q: Who is supporting him?
A: Paul Vallas has courted and received support from right-wing extremist groups like Awake Illinois, a group that has been criticized for its transphobic and homophobic rhetoric. Vallas has been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and has campaigned with John Catanzara, an apologist for the January 6 insurrectionists. Paul Vallas has received large sums of money from conservative contributors and prominent Republicans. His largest donor is golf course developer Michael Keiser, who has given him $700,000. Keiser also previously contributed $11,200 to Trump. Vallas has taken money from John Canning, a Chicago private equity executive who has given to many politicians locally but also national Republicans, and Noel Moore, who has given to Trump and Texas Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. Vallas also took $25,000 from Ron Gidwitz, Trump’s 2016 Illinois finance chairman, who served as finance co-chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and ran as a Republican for governor in 2006. Major donor to Republican causes Craig Duchossois, for instance, has given $10,000 to Vallas and was a major supporter of Richard Irvin for governor.
Q: What is Paul Vallas’ track record on education?
A: Paul Vallas is a champion of school choice, vouchers, and charter schools, which funnels millions of dollars away from public schools. During his tenure at CPS, Vallas oversaw what would become a model for conservative education policy around the nation, including increased standardized testing and the privatization of public schools through charters. As CEO of the Philadelphia and New Orleans school districts, he decimated public education. In Philadelphia in particular, his big plans resulted in the highest-poverty schools getting the least support; the entire district was left with no stable, reliable funding to meet student needs. His last job as schools chief in Bridgeport, Connecticut ended with a costly court battle over whether he had the credentials needed to serve as a superintendent in that state.
Q: What’s Paul Vallas’ record on pensions?
A: Under Vallas, Chicago Public Schools stopped making regular payments into the teachers’ pension. With the district facing an anticipated $1.4 billion deficit, Vallas trimmed the budget by eliminating staff and cut spending from special education according to Chicago Magazine. The same state law that gave former mayor Richard Daley control of the schools also changed the tax levy that directly funded the Chicago teachers’ pension system, allowing Daley and Vallas to use money earmarked for pensions to help cover operating costs, said Chuck Burbridge, former executive director of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund from 2015-2020. According to Burbridge, the legislation only required district leaders to make pension contributions if the fund fell below 90 percent of full funding. The district began making payments again in the early 2000s, but a “pension holiday” approved amid the great recession further contributed to the Fund’s current condition. CPS teacher pensions are currently under 50% funded, according to a recent report.
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