(L-R) Schneider, Morrison, Shaw, McSweeney, Brady, DeWitte
By Rich Compton –
As reported by POLITICO's Shia Kapos, the perpetually offended Illinois Democrats have once again found their mark in the routinely weak-kneed Illinois Republicans. Falling over themselves in their predictable retreat from a fabricated meme scandal, the faint-hearted GOP "leadership" has submissively genuflected to their Democrat superiors who routinely intimidate them.
The list of Republican invertebrates is unsurprising. Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider and Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison were the first to succumb; dispatching press releases Sunday afternoon condemning the meme and its creators and profusely apologizing for having aggrieved the Democrats with political satire.
Schneider and Morrsion were followed by Mark Shaw who has consistently pleaded ignorance while begging forgiveness as President of the Illinois Republican County Chairmen's Association – the organization whose Facebook page re-posted the meme already making the rounds on social media.
Never one to miss an opportunity for self-promotion, State Rep. David McSweeney (R) threw himself into the brouhaha by obligatorily calling the parody meme "outrageous" and demanding his fellow Republicans turn over the dastardly culprit who dared defy the Democrat dictum: "Thou shalt not offend us!"
Of course, McSweeney has made criticism of fellow Republicans a kind of cottage industry and personal fetish. Three months ago Illinois House GOP Leader Jim Durkin pulled McSweeney's communications aide after the Republican State Rep. paid to promote a tweet condemning fellow Republican Steve Reick. This came on the heels of McSweeney publicly castigating the Illinois Family Institute for a pro-life article and meme they published criticizing Democrats as militant abortion advocates.
Not to be outdone, minor Republicans from the Illinois State Senate also surrendered. Senators Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) and Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) jumped on the anti-meme bandwagon, tweeting perfunctory cliches about "political discourse."
Interestingly, the Illinois Democrats have a meme problem of their own. As reported by Greg Hinz, a Kankakee County Democrat group published a post featuring a red-sheeted MAGA Klan hat."
But don't expect any Republican reciprocation. The Illinois GOP is too busy confessing, repenting, and self-flagellating.
And so, in the end, the Illinois Democrats demonstrate again how to win, and the Illinois Republicans prove why they cannot.
