Bailey shooting site photo op refuted by his entire career

GOP gubernatorial candidate Darrin Bailey ventured to Chicago’s Washington Park to survey the scene of Tuesday’s mass shooting of 9, including 2 killed.

“It breaks my heart as well to see what’s happening across Chicago, and especially what happened near here last night. Those affected by the senseless shootings in Washington Park, Garfield Park and the families of the more than the 500 people that have been killed in Chicago this year — I want you to know that I am fighting to end this bloodshed,”

But community activists led by Rainbow PUSH Rev. Janette Wilson chided Bailey for doing nothing to help Chicago’s poverty stricken, crime riddled neighborhoods during his 4 years in the Illinois legislature.

Now running for governor, Bailey’s campaign website contains not a single word on addressing crime nor on uplifting Illinois’ pockets of poverty and hopelessness. His agenda will actually do worse than nothing as his primary focus is cutting state spending, including the social safety net, desperately needed to uplift those crime ridden communities.

Even worse is his total loyalty to the gun lobby in protecting the endless flow of guns throughout society while cutting spending to the bone.

Bailey cannot reconcile his campaign sound bite to end Chicago violence with, not only with his legislative record, but with his gubernatorial platform, that promises further snuffing out needed resources while enabling the endless flow of guns into the hands of the dispossessed and desperate.

Gubernatorial candidate Bailey rents a little slice of heaven at Hancock Building in 'hellhole' Chicago.

Darrin Bailey appears to be channeling former Chicago mayor Jane Byrne, who in 1981, rented a Chicago housing project apartment. There, for three weeks, she could truly connect with mostly wonderful but poor Chicagoans coping with the reality of trying to survive in a heartless society which refuses to uplift these pockets of poverty, crime and hopelessness.

Bailey's sojourn to toney Hancock simply continues his lifelong political agenda of doing absolutely nothing useful to alleviate conditions in his self described Chicago 'hellhole.' Rather than provide that nurturing help, Bailey has spent his governmental service voting against resources that could truly make life better for the Chicagoans he's left behind. He's done worse than nothing on gun violence, parroting every gun lobby refrain to continue to funneling of million of guns throughout our gun and blood soaked.

nation.

Bailey has likely not signed a long term rental on his new digs in the clouds. In 83 days, Bailey will say adios to the Hancock and return to his farm in Xenia. When asked how his connection to the hellhole went. Bailey will likely reply 'Don't know...its was 75 floors below me.'

Response to Chicago Tribune editorial: Britain has a new government led by women. Vanquishing Boris Johnson will be the least of its problems.

The Trib’s editorial on new UK PM Liz Truss has one mistaken opinion; one glaring omission

The mistaken opinion is lauding outgoing PM Boris Johnson for exceeding expectations in dealing with the Ukraine war. Did the Trib miss his April 9, visit to Kiev to help the US torpedo the tentative negotiated truce between Russia and Ukraine brokered by NATO member Turkey. Johnson told Ukraine president Zelensky the UK "was in it for the long run”, would not be party to any Ukraine, Russian agreement since the "collective West" saw a chance to "press" Russia and make the most of it. Two weeks later US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reinforced Johnson’s warning to Zelensky, sealing the joint US, UK effort to keep the war going to further weaken Russia, among other things not related to peace. The only expectations Johnson exceeded were his willingness to extend America’s proxy war against Russia

The omission is not calling out new PM Truss for calmly telling a Town Hall UK audience, when asked how she would feel if she had to fire nuclear weapons, “I’m ready to do it.” When asked again how she’d feel, she refused to answer, simply repeating the chilling response, “I’m ready to do it.” That alone should disqualify Liz Truss from leading Britain or any nuclear power.

Sympathetic friends on 911 now enemies

When the towers collapsed, the first call to President Bush was Russian president Vladimir Putin. He told Bush “In this struggle, we will stand together.” Besides words, Putin offered Russian intelligence, use of Russian airspace, even the setting up of US bases in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Chinese president Jiang Zemin also called Bush that day, offering intelligence, including setting up an FBI office in Beijing.

Iran, like Russia and China, sought better relations with America by aiding the effort to confront terrorism. Iranian president Mohammad Khatami ordered the arrest of hundreds al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters who had escaped to Iran. Iran also turned over the Afghan Northern Alliance, which Iran had largely created, to US control. It also offered the US use of Iranian air bases.

The US rebuffed much of the aid offered by Russia, China and Iran. Today, 21 years on, we’re in a proxy war with Russia over Ukraine, seeing the highest tensions with China over Taiwan in 50 years, and inching closer to ending negotiations for a new nuclear agreement with Iran that could lead to war.

Catastrophic war killing hundreds of thousands in Afghanistan and Iraq are not the only casualties of America’s failed, dysfunctional response to 911. Needless war or near war on 3 fronts this very somber 21st anniversary truly mar what should be reserved for remembering the 911 victims.

Move over Mr. Hearst, there’s a new newspaper mogul in town

At his height, William Randolph Hearst controlled 28 newspapers. Illinois conservative activist Dan Proft is making a strong run at toppling the titan of newsprint with his blizzard of new papers ending up in voters’ mailboxes.

I refer to publications Chicago City Wire, Will County Gazette and the one clogging my mailbox, DuPage Policy Journal. They’re pretty slick, catching my eye for a look see. I was jolted back to reality when I realized these papers were simply phony political ads for gubernatorial candidate Darrin Bailey disguised as legitimate newspapers.

Worse, they represent the lowest form of political pandering. Promoting the election of Darrin Bailey over JB Pritzker this November, they focus primarily on the specious charge Pritzker has unleashed a crime wave upon peaceful Illinoisans with his bail and other long overdue criminal justice reform. Proft’s ludicrous charge ignores the fact the reforms don’t even become effective till next year. Apparently, Proft has ESP.

When it comes to printing pictures of the alleged criminals Pritzker is flooding Illinois’ streets with, white folks need not apply. They’re virtually all black.

Besides Pritzker, many in law enforcement and criminal justice reform, rightly call these phony rags out for the unseemly stereotyping of blacks and pandering to voters’ worst fears with racist memes. There is no reasoned discussion crime or any critical issues of state governance.

When Pritzker alluded to Proft’s racist memes as racist, Proft responded with his typical infantilism, saying “It’s like being called ugly by a frog”. Proft’s previous juvenile Pritzker insult was directed at complaints he darkened Mayor Lightfoot’s skin color to accentuate her blackness in a TV ad: “We did nothing to her pigmentation just as we did nothing to the pigmentation of our pasty blowhard of a governor.”

While Bill Hearst’s record of 28 papers is likely safe, he’s just been dethroned as King of the Yellow Journalists by Daniel K. Proft.

Meddling Prince morphing into Mousy King

Royal watchers, talking heads, even newbie King Charles III himself, advise his meddling days are over. For the last half century Charles has been known as the Meddling Prince, with his blizzard of memos to governmental officials on how to improve Britain, indeed the world.

I grew to idolize Prince Charles decades ago with his pronouncements on saving the planet thru environmentalism and his railing against ugly architecture. He said he protected the environment because he feared his grandkids coming to him years on saying, “Grandpa, why were you silent when the planet was dying?” If everyone thought like that, Mother Earth would have a chance.

Had Charles the say, there would be no monstrous, unusable Soldier Field defiling the lake front in Chicago.

Charles was always portrayed as a bit kooky in his concern for peoplekind. When it comes to improving life on earth, I’ll take kooky any day.

That brings to mind how the chattering class is enthralled that Charles will button his lip and pen, modeling his behavior upon dear mama, not uttering one political pronouncement of value in 70 years.

Imagine instead of that royal reticence, the Queen said this to then Prime Minister Tony Blair when he informed her at their weekly chat in early March, 2003, he was joining in lockstep with George W. Bush to attack Iraq: “Tony, my boy, if you dare bring Britain into this criminal war by that lunatic in America, I’ll go on national TV and call you out for the war criminal you’re planning to become”.

Charles will have his chats with newbie PM, Lizz ‘I’m ready to fire the nukes’ Truss. Britain’s economy is in freefall from their tagging along with America’s proxy war against Russia. Nuclear war is on the horizon. For humanity’s sake, I hope Charles III will revert back to meddling Charles, and inform PM Truss the facts of war and peace.

Why did US torpedo April Ukraine war negotiated settlement?

Most Americans are unaware how close Russia and Ukraine came to ending the current war in April.

Last March 27, Ukraine president Zelensky told his people "Our goal is obvious – peace and the restoration of normal life in our native state as soon as possible."

He was hinting at what went unsaid: Ukraine and Russia, brokered by NATO member Turkey, reached a tentative fifteen-point peace plan to end the month old war. Key points were Russia withdraw from all Ukraine except for breakaway Donbas and Crimea. Ukraine were pass on future NATO membership, pledging neutrality between Russia and NATO. Donbas and Crimea would undergo political transition based on self-determination to be recognized by both combatants. Ukraine security would be guaranteed by neighboring countries but no foreign troops would enter Ukraine.

What’s not to like? For the US weapons makers, the end to a weapons manufacturing boondoggle. That $60 billion in free weaponry to Ukraine fighters has depleted our ammo dumps.

For the US military, the end to a new perpetual war, albeit a proxy one, to relieve the boredom of peace.

For the political class, the end to the new Cold War with Russia to weaken, marginalize, and keep them from economic integration with Europe.

So on April 9, Uncle Sam sent Boris Johnson, the latest version of America’s British Prime Minister poodle, to Kiev, to school Zelensky on who’s running the war. The UK, Johnson advised "was in it for the long run”, would not be party to any Ukraine, Russian agreement since the "collective West" saw a chance to "press" Russia and make the most of it. Johnson cannot be accused of subtlety.

Two weeks later, the US sent Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to Kyiv to reinforce Johnson’s warning and make clear the US and NATO were determined to use the war to "weaken" Russia. NATO ally Turkey has blamed the US and UK for sabotaging a promising chance to end the war early on.

When it comes to provoking, preventing and prolonging senseless war, America always fails the test of peace. Getting back to the question posed: Why did the US torpedo the April Ukraine war negotiated settlement?

Because we can.