On today’s pod we discuss the alleged reasoning behind Chicago CRED’s founder & leader Arne Duncan’s endorsement of Paul Vallas for mayor. Later we also discuss the Chicago Tribune’s editorial comparing Donald Trump & Jussie Smollett.

We know about Duncan’s endorsement because Duncan authored an OpEd in the Chicago Tribune announcing it. While we are not going to judge the endorsement itself other than to say we believe nonprofit leaders are and should be barred from engaging in any type of political involvement including endorsements. This is why we find what Duncan has done and the method he has done it to be completely distasteful but inline with his Chicago machine roots.

The outrageous and completely unbelievable reasoning behind this endorsement is that Duncan says because Paul Vallas has a wife who is former police officer and that his son is a current officer makes him the perfect person to make the Fraternal Order of Police, the main police union in Chicago, swallow reforms. If you are thinking this is totally bat shit crazy you are not alone. This would require Duncan to be so naive that the alt right extremist FOP leadership did not have a conversation with Vallas about reversing reforms already put in to place and limiting whatever he might bring forward during his administration. The FOP leadership is awful & full of hatred but they are not that dumb. That conversation definitely took place. Duncan knows this but used this bull shit reasoning anyways.

The weird thing is Chicago CRED’s reforms that they support as an organization are very aligned with Brandon Johnson’s stated reform goals. They are also very far from the unleash the police rhetoric of Vallas.

Also on the show today we discuss a really bad OpEd by the Tribune’s Editorial Board comparing Donald Trump to Jussie Smollett. While they are aligned in that they are both proven liars there is nothing else that connects them. However, in the OpEd itself the Tribune reveals the real reason they have pushed so hard for Smollett to be put in prison and it is pretty ridiculous for the small government hypocrites.