CHICAGO – Indy Star cartoonist Gary Varvel’s work is shared on Facebook and re-Tweeted thousands of times every day. He’s well-known for mocking the Radical Left and bringing smiles to conservatives voters nationwide. In July alone, Varvel took on the Left, the Iranian tyrant Ali Khamenei, and yes, even the four Democrat Congresswomen that have slammed the USA, the Jewish nation, the US Border Patrol, Homeland Security – just to name a few. 

Varvel’s sense of humor is one that is celebrated among those repulsed by attacks on the US and the Trump Administration’s “America First” policy. It’s fair game to make fun of those focused on tearing down the country, demoralizing patriots and attacking our allies. Or is it? 

Over the weekend, the Illinois Republican Party’s County Chairman Association posted on their Facebook page a graphic ridiculing the “Squad” as they call themselves – beginning reportedly last November, when NY Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted the following photo on Instagram: 

The “Squad” consists of four first time Congress members that call themselves “women of color” – Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.; and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.

The four have the largest social media following among new Congress members – and they have used that following to promote radical Leftist views among the 20-something and younger crowd. The Leftist media follow them faithfully and report on their comments, activities and efforts, drumming up more and more support. 

The four want President Trump impeached, investments in Jewish enterprises to cease and conservatives to be silenced. President Trump mentioned the four in a tweet last week saying they should leave America if they don’t like it, rather than publicly demean the nation as they do. He followed up his thoughts in a speech last week and the crowd called, “Send her back!”

The “Send her back!” outcry from the audience created outrage among the Leftist elitist media, the Democrats grabbed hold and the debate grew. Someone that has access to the Illinois Republican Party County Chairmen Association’s Facebook Page jumped on the controversy posting this: 

The posting of the meme created outrage among Leftist media sources such as “Think Progress,” MSN News, and USA Today.  Local Chicago media have picked up the story, all shaming the Republican group. 

And the Republicans apologized. 

First, IL GOP Chairman Tim Schneider apologized. “I strongly condemn evoking race or religion as the basis for political disagreement. The recent social media post coming from the IRCCA does not reflect my values or the Illinois Republican Party’s values. Bigoted rhetoric greatly distracts from legitimate and important policy debates and further divides our nation.

“My intense disagreement with the socialist policies and anti-semitic language of these four congresswomen has absolutely nothing to do with their race or religion. I urge everyone who also opposes them to keep the rhetoric focused on policy and political ideology.”

So did Cook County GOP Chairman Sean Morrison. 

“As the Chairman of the largest Republican County organization in the State of Illinois, I am appalled by most recent post on the Facebook page of the Illinois Republican County Chairman’s Association and their use of hateful rhetoric, and I am calling on them to immediately remove this post.

 

“There are civil ways to express political differences that do not involve going to racist extremes. The Illinois Republican County Chairman’s Association’s post only serves to further the hateful divide within our country, when we should instead strive for an intelligent, civil and thoughtful discussion of the philosophical differences between Republicans and Democrats.”

 

Mark Shaw is the president of the Illinois Republican County Chairman’s Association and he’s in charge of the Facebook page. Shaw was quoted on MSN news as saying the image was not authorized to be posted and he’s sorry if anyone was offended.

 

The question we have for Schneider, Morrison and Shaw – would you apologize for the Gary Varvel comics at the top of this post? Or would they pass as okay to post on the IL GOP County Chairman’s Facebook Page? If not, what CAN the Republicans do to bring humor to a dire growing anti-American political environment in nationwide and here in Illinois?

 

We look forward to posting their responses on Illinois Review.