TheChat: Sly James is fed up

Good morning.

▪ “I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty damn sick of it.” — Kansas City Mayor Sly James on the ongoing gun violence in his city — and around the country.

In the wake of the Orlando shootings, James gave one of his most impassioned addresses ever on the need for more gun control. But James also recognizes his reality: He’s in a state controlled by Republicans who aren’t inclined to give the mayor what he wants.

▪ “I believe that there were financial decisions made in media suites on who they wanted to have as a nominee and what they would do to him after he became a nominee. I don’t think all of this is accidental. I really don’t.” — Jeff Roe, campaign manager for Ted Cruz, suggesting that big media in this country wanted Donald Trump to be the GOP presidential nominee.

Roe said the media, for example, didn’t pursue the veterans’ money story until Cruz was out of the race. The thought here: Media moguls aren’t that well-organized.

▪ “I want to thank that British philosopher, Mick Jagger, who said, ‘You cannot always get what you want.’ That is the best advice for any legislator I have ever heard.” — Kansas state Rep. Mario Goico, a Wichita Republican, on serving in the Legislature.

Goico is retiring from the House after 14 years.

▪ “I hope not.” — Trump on whether Muslims in America fear him.

And yet, Trump has doubled down on his proposed ban on Muslim immigration to the United States.

This story was originally published June 15, 2016 at 6:28 AM.