It still isn’t going away
Thursday, Mar 9, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
An attempt to replace Jewish members who’ve resigned from the Governor’s Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes apparently isn’t working very well. From The Forward.
A source at the Chicago Board of Rabbis told the Forward that two of its members had been asked by the governor’s office to fill the newly-emptied slots and that they had refused.
And the commission became an issue after last night’s debate.
Some GOP gubernatorial candidates say a state hate crimes commission should be dissolved because of the controversy over one member who is a Nation of Islam official, calling the commission “dysfunctional” and Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s handling of the matter “pathetic.”
They also accused Blagojevich of playing politics with the controversy.
“He’s decided the African-American community is more important to his re-election than the Jewish community,” Bill Brady said after a Republican debate Wednesday. “He doesn’t care about ending discrimination.”
Candidates Brady, Jim Oberweis and Ron Gidwitz all said Blagojevich should abolish the Gov.’s Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes.
“We clearly need a hate crimes commission but this commission today is dysfunctional and not working,” Gidwitz said after the debate.
State treasurer and GOP front-runner Judy Baar Topinka said the commission can still serve a purpose, but she too condemned Blagojevich’s handling of the issue.
The governor was cornered by CBS2 last night on his way into a fundraiser, but made a hasty exit after mumbling a few platitudes.
But as he arrived for a $250 a ticket fundraiser Wednesday night in a downtown high rise, the governor would not talk about the issue or those resignations.
“Things are going forward, and we’re all about encouraging people to work together,†he said, but did not respond when the fifth resignation was brought up.
And reporters in Peoria had no luck either.
“Look, I’d love to make more news for you,” he told reporters who peppered him with questions as he left an event in Peoria. “We have no news for you. There’s nothing new to say. Everything’s the same.”
UPDATE: The Tribune editorial page demands resolution.
The governor dug himself into a hole by reviving this once-moribund panel to score points with supporters and then being inattentive to the appointments he made to it. It demands his attention now.
The solution: Ask Muhammad publicly to renounce the anti-Semitic comments of Farrakhan–and ask her to leave the commission if she will not do so.
UPDATE 2: More trouble. From a press release:
Today Stonewall Democrats Illinois, an organization of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender Democrats, regrettably calls on Governor Rod Blagojevich to remove Sister Claudette Marie (Johnson) Muhammad from the Governor’s Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes.
It is unfortunate that Sister Claudette refuses to repudiate statements made in a recent speech by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan in which he reportedly equated Jews and gays to “filth†and told his audience: “don’t be afraid to hateâ€, said Stonewall President Rick Ingram. “In a Tuesday interview on WVON radio, the Associated Press reported that Sister Claudette referred to criticism of her actions as “absolutely ridiculousâ€, and referred to Farrakhan’s remarks as only being “perceived by some as anti-Semitic†(emphasis added). “How can she combat discrimination and hate if she doesn’t even recognize it,†said Stonewall Democrats Vice President Tom Chaderjian.
Sister Claudette is in a leadership and advisory position at the Nation of Islam as Farrakhan’s Chief of Protocol and National Director of Community Outreach. “ When you combine her ridicule of her critics with her refusal to repudiate Farrakahn’s speech, it leaves us no choice but to conclude that she is in agreement, and there is no room on the Commission for anyone who represents a position advocating hateâ€, said Ingram.
“Governor Blagojevich is a strong supporter of equal rights for GLBT Illinoisans, and we applaud him for that, but Sister Claudette is doing the Governor and the Commission a great disservice. Her continued presence on the Commission has proven to be disruptive and divisive, and she should resign from the Commission. If she refuses to do so, Governor Blagojevich should remove her. “The real tragedy here is that her actions have been allowed to divide traditional allies in the human rights community. For the good of the Commission and its important work, she should step downâ€, said Ingram.
- Bill Baar - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 5:54 am:
Democratic leaders are cowering on a human rights issue.
Let’s hope that changes.
- North of I-80 - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 6:02 am:
If this was a conservative Republican Governor who had appointed David Duke’s minister of protocal to his Hate Crimes Commission, this would be front page news every day. Everyone would be calling for his [and the Governor’s] head. There would be Federal probes and accusations of civil rights violations; The Governor claiming ignorance of his commission pick would not be an acceptable repsonse. I guess that the Governor really is too busy “governing” to do his homework or to debate Edwin E huh?
- Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 6:12 am:
“…Everything’s the same.â€
Sigh.
- DOWNSTATE - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 7:06 am:
Yep everything is the same.LIES-PLAY FOR PAY-STUPIDITY-APPOINTEES WHO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT DAY IT IS-RECORD BORROWING-DESTRUCTION OF THE STATE AGENCIES AND ON AND ON
- Cassandra - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 7:28 am:
Well, of course nothing has changed at the guv’s office. And the NOI is rubbing it in a bit by saying they would have taken legal action had their member been dismissed. NOI is not exactly trying to tamp down the emotionalism.
I think Bill Brady has it right. And Blago’s handlers may be right too. The Jewish community is extremely liberal politically so most members will no doubt vote for Blago anyway in the general. And will they even bother to vote for Eisendrath in the primary to demonstrate a teensy bit of concern over all this. Not in large numbers, I bet. But we’ll see. The primary is a perfect vehicle for a safe protest vote as EE doesn’t have a prayer of winning.
I’ve been telling all my friends who say they “couldn’t vote for a Republican” to vote for EE. He couldn’t be any worse than Blago and he won’t win anyway.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 7:46 am:
Reply to….”The Jewish community is extremely liberal politically so most members will no doubt vote for Blago anyway in the general.”
Tell that to Glen Poshard.
- Backyard Conservative - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 7:52 am:
More Democrat leaders need to speak up and demand the governor resolve this. The governor by his inaction has given legitimacy to NOI and their anti-Semitic remarks.
- Ben - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 8:41 am:
Maybe I missed it but have we heard from our U.S. senators on this yet. They usually comment on everything. What is the problem now or do we already know?
- Bill Baar - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 8:55 am:
I haven’t heard anything from Obama or Durbin. Or from many Dems in Illinois other than Pat Quinn and Lou Lang.
- DOWNSATE - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 9:07 am:
Speak up my butt there isn’t a Democrat in the state that speaks up on anything this guy screws up.Even when he puts the state farther in debt.The governor is a Democrat,they have majority rule and that is all they care about.Every dog has their day and some day this bunch will be dog bit.All the borrowing and unpaid debt will catch up to the Democrats.
- RobOh - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 9:25 am:
It is interesting to note that the Jewish community in IL is about 250,000 people (quoted on WGN news) and the state population is about 12,400,000 people. The Jewish population subgroup is about 2% of the Illinois population as a whole.
- grand old partisan - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 9:54 am:
My apologies for jumping back into this after resting my case yesterday, but I just have to ask: RobOh - what exactly about that is interesting?
- Phocion - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 9:56 am:
Bill Barr is right. Where are the other Dem leaders on this important issue? Emil? Stroeger? Daley? Bueller???
- DOWNSATE - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 10:09 am:
RICH SORRY TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT BUT WHERE CAN A GUY GET ONE OF THOSE NIFTY BUMPER STICKERS YOU HAVE POSTED AT ILLIINOIZE
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 10:10 am:
I didn’t post nothing. lol
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 10:22 am:
A scourge on all your houses. For 60 years, the South Side was abandoned except for welfare checks, pimps and drugs. Under these deplorable conditions, gangs ruled. When the NOI was founded and Farahkan demanded another way, they were received as a salvation from despair. Over the past 40 years, Farahkan has turned to hatred to continue NOI support. Over the years, we have learned to look around his rantings and his follower’s fanaticisms and simply hope he would change his ways, or die.
We all know the NOI is a hate organization. But it is a complete insult to claim they speak for black Chicagoans. The NOI has made it clear that they hate everyone equally who does not follow them, including black Chicagoans.
So, this is not a black/Jew issue. Brady is clearly demonstrating his ignorance, having no idea what the social issues are in a part of Illinois 20 times bigger than his little town.
If Blagojevich would show some of the testicular virility he claims to have, he would have asked this NOI nut-job to step down immediately. He would only lose the crazies in the NOI organization, not black voters.
What Blagojevich must have done is sense that his re-election turns on South Side voters. By dealing with the Devil, he did a deal with the NOI. But the NOI doesn’t hold the key to his re-election, the Reverend Meeks does, and he is no Blagojevich supporter. Blagojevich continues to waffle on the Hate Crimes appointment, trying to find a way to save his bacon.
Blagojevich tried to split the South Side voters, united behind Meeks. But by dealing with the NOI, Blagojevich selected to do business with the most virulent hate group in Illinois, and now has to figure out how to save face with everyone else.
Blagojevich is a good campaigner, but he really screwed up by his NOI dealings. He deserves all the crap we can throw at him for dealing with Farahkan - it is simply a disgusting thing to do, even for political reasons.
- Ben Franklin - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 10:46 am:
I think on Monday or Tuesday I heard a commet from Sen Dick Durbin on wbbm radio, I think he was talking about something else but was asked about this issue and gave a good standard non-answer like I am concerned, we all should be tollerent,bla bla bla Who would have thought with all the shady crap that Rod is into that a simple appointment to a do nothing, feel good commission may be his undoing. Has anyone posted the full commission, names and groups they represent? Why don’t we CapFax fans put together out own list to replace the commission members.
I nominate former Cook County Board President George Dunne because he is very Sensitive to lesbians, he’s a bit senile and he is Irish.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 10:49 am:
OK, that’s enough of that. lol
- grand old partisan - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 11:32 am:
Ben has a good point. Where can one locate a complete list of the rest of the commission members? Seems to me that it would something the Gov would want to be well publicized, but I have has a hard time finding it.
- grand old partisan - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 11:35 am:
okay, scratch that. I should have checked on more time before I posted, but there is a link on the commission’s site: http://www.state.il.us/cdhc/Commissioners.htm
I swear it wasn’t there until this morning, but I could be wrong again.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 11:39 am:
GOP, you are right. That site has been completely bereft of content.
- Anon - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 12:20 pm:
How come the Tribune expects her to condemn Farrakhan’s anti-Jewish rhetoric, but doesn’t say she should condemn his anti-gay rhetoric?
- Bill Baar - Thursday, Mar 9, 06 @ 2:55 pm:
It was there yesterday Rich. I checked for it. I believe members are unpaid except I heard a quote from Judy that the director of the whole thing made $90k. Members do get reimbursed expenses.
- Daley=Corruption - Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 6:13 am:
Isn’t the “Stonewall” organization the same one that attacked Joe Birkett a few years ago? Isn’t one of Mayor Daley’s aides, Mike Segobiano, one of the people who attacks anyone who doesn’t comply with the demands of gay activists like him?
- Northsider69 - Friday, Mar 10, 06 @ 10:26 pm:
Segobiano is not an officer of stonewall democrats anymore. Check out the stonewall web site. Governor, she’s gotta go.