THE ILLINOIZE: Fire builds in GOP intraparty attacks...Should DCFS Director Resign?...Masks

April 26, 2022

Good morning, Illinois.

I was feeding the baby last night when I got a text from an old political friend of mine asking “What’s worse, politicians or dirty diapers?”

I’ll let you decide the answer, but I grew up on a farm, so poo doesn’t bother me.

That said, we’re 9 weeks today from the June primary and the ads are just ramping up (and some are getting out of hand).

Buckle up.

My latest column for Shaw Media is here. I talk about the tax breaks passed in the latest state budget and the laudable, but minimal, progress that’s being made.

Let’s get to it.

IS THE GOP MUDSLINGING WORSE THAN NORMAL?

A new mailer from the campaign of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin takes political attacks to a nearly comical level. The direct mail piece shows Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) in a poorly photo-shopped “I ❤️ Biden” and venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan in an equally goofy photoshop wearing an “I ❤️ Obama” t-shirt.

It can be argued Bailey’s 2008 vote in the Democratic primary for President is a campaign issue, while Sullivan’s “support” of Obama claim is a little more dubious. The comical part of the allegation made by Irvin’s crew is that he has voted in five of the past six Democratic primaries.

If you think Irvin’s campaign is doing this because you’re stupid or they don’t think people pay attention to facts, you’re probably right.

Negative campaigning isn’t a new concept in Republican primaries. Then-Rep. Jeanne Ives attacked incumbent Governor Bruce Rauner in the 2018 primary. In 2014, Rauner’s camp made attacks at then-Sens. Kirk Dillard and Bill Brady and then-Treasurer Dan Rutherford. In 2010, businessman Andy McKenna aired TV ads attacking Dillard and former Attorney General Jim Ryan.

For the most part, those attacks were at least based in reality. In 2022, it seems as if campaigns believe they can say whatever they want without any incentive to be held accountable.

“It’s as if facts don’t matter anymore,” said one longtime GOP consultant. “Bailey says whatever he wants and the Irvin people are putting blatant falsehoods on TV and in mail. But they don’t care if it’s true or not because they [the Irvin campaign] has the money and the other guys don’t.”

Irvin has outspent the other candidates in the race, though, sources tell us polling numbers show Irvin, Bailey, and Sullivan in a a dogfight, depending on the source of the poll. Bailey has received millions in recent weeks from billionaire businessman Richard Uihlein. Uihlein is also funding a third party PAC run by talk radio host Dan Proft to run attack ads against Irvin.

“Pritzker is immensely beatable, but we’re watching these guys beat each other bloody,” said a former GOP lawmaker, who asked not to be identified by name. “Even if someone conservative like Bailey or moderate like Irvin wins, they may be fatally flawed for November.”

We’re told all candidates but Irvin appeared at a candidate forum in Tazewell County last night and there was no sniping between the candidates. Irvin has not appeared in a joint setting with other GOP candidates yet.

Messages to the Irvin and Bailey campaigns were not returned last night. Andrew Welhouse, a spokesman for the Sullivan campaign, said his outsider credentials are being attacked.

“Jesse Sullivan is what these insiders and politicians fear the most, the only candidate who doesn't owe anything to anybody, who can win both the primary and the general election,” Welhouse said. “We're focused on delivering real solutions to voters who are facing crippling taxes, sky high crime, and the effects of generational corruption in Illinois. That's why we're seeing so much momentum with the voters, they're sick of the insider corruption and the same old politics.”

It doesn’t appear as if campaigns will tone down their rhetoric in the remaining nine weeks until the primary election.

IS DCFS DIRECTOR ON HOT SEAT?

After he was found in contempt of court for the ninth time last week, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) Monday called for the resignation of Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Director Marc Smith.

Smith was held in contempt in the latest case Thursday for failing to find housing for children that complies with court orders.

Durkin issued a statement Monday.

“Unfortunately, contempt of court orders against DCFS have become business as usual for the Pritzker administration,” Durkin said. “Governor Pritzker clearly isn’t bothered by a ninth contempt of court charge against DCFS Director Marc Smith and has done nothing about it. That is simply unacceptable. The Governor has had three and a half years to get this agency under control, he owns this ongoing tragedy. Since the Governor has failed to take action, I call on Director Smith to resign for the good of the children in this state who depend on DCFS.”

The Governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

DCFS spokesman Bill McCaffrey issued a statement defending the work of the agency.

“The Department of Children and Family Services is dedicated to keeping children safe and strengthening families,” McCaffrey said. “We are aggressively addressing the decades-long challenge of a lack of community resources and facilities for children with complex behavioral health needs, which has been exacerbated by an increased demand in social services in recent years. Every single day, DCFS works with its network of providers and foster parents in an ongoing effort to place these children in settings that can provide the appropriate level of care and in which the children can grow and flourish.”

It isn’t clear where Smith stands with the Pritzker administration at this point, though we’re told there hasn’t been a push from Democratic lawmakers to dump Smith, though there has been some frustration over failures at DCFS.

Messages with spokespeople for House Speaker Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon weren’t returned Monday.

YES, YOU STILL HAVE TO WEAR A MASK AT THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE

It’s interesting to see the world seemingly “moving on” from COVID, unless, of course, you may actually have it.

My whole family caught a bug last week (even the baby) that led to lots of congestion and terribly sore throats. I went to urgent care Friday to make sure I didn’t have strep throat, but they were more concerned with COVID than anything else, kicking me out of the building for an hour until I was ready to be seen by a nurse and doctor complete with face shields.

But I saw on Twitter over the weekend someone complaining they had to wear a mask in a waiting room at the doctor’s office. Really?

That’s why this Tribune story stuck out to me:

It may be some time before people can walk through Illinois hospitals, doctors’ offices and nursing homes barefaced, despite mask mandates dropping on buses, planes and trains last week.

Health care settings, however, remain some of the last places in Illinois where everyone must continue to cover their mouths and noses. The state still requires masks in hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis centers, physician offices, dental offices and outpatient care centers, in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the state health department.

Local hospital leaders say Illinois’ continued mask mandate for health care settings is just fine with them.

“We would mandate it anyway,” said Dr. Richard Freeman, regional chief clinical officer for Loyola Medicine, which has three hospitals in the Chicago area. “Anybody in the hospital, all our personnel are still masked, visitors still have to be masked. That is not going to change in the foreseeable future.”

Just imagine the outrage if there’s another spike in cases this summer.

MEA CULPA

I mentioned in our interview with Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) last week that his district had become more competitive, but he dropped me a note last night to tell me I got my numbers wrong. Turns out, I read the wrong box on illinoiselectiondata.com and Hoffman’s 113th district will likely remain Democratic. President Biden won the district by around 18 percentage points, Governor Pritzker won it by around 19 points. I apologize for my inability to read.

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