State Journal Register political reporter Bernie Schoenburg managed to wrangle a quote or two from State Rep. Aaron Schock about his vote in May against requiring five state pension funds to divest from companies doing business with Iran’s energy industry, the profits of which are being used to fund that nation’s research into nuclear weapons.
I found Schock’s vote — he was one of just 20 in the state house who opposed it — to be a little odd considering he proposed threatening to sell nuclear arms to China (a violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which experts say would probably cause a shooting war) in order to get China to stop supporting Iran’s nuke program.
Schock told Schoenburg that the didn’t want to place restrictions on the funds’ managers that would prohibit them from making wise business decisions, and that previous bill banning investments in the Sudan caused them to have to unload some pretty good investments.
Still, if the managers of these funds were upset at the Iran divestiture, I not aware of any reporting on that fact, and I looked for it.
The best line came from commenter Louis Howe: “Candidate Schock is having a John Kerry moment … He voted against economic sanctions for Iran before he supported selling nuclear weapons to Taiwan.”
My two cents: I agree with a different commenter’s point: Voters have GOT to pay attention to what the candidates are saying about issues of global importance. This isn’t a race for the county board or the statehouse. The winner of the race to replace Ray LaHood in Congress will have a say on issues of war and peace that affect the entire world. Too often, candidates use foreign policy issues to toss red meat to their particular constituents. Unilateral and immediate withdrawal from Iraq might play well with some, while advocating an a radical and potentially violent solution to the Iran nuke issue might play well with others, neither position is best for the United States in the long run.
Schoenburg’s column also mentions PeoriaPundit. Thank you.
UPDATE: Rich Miller looked it up and found out that Schock voted FOR the Sudan divestment bill. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” Trouble is, Ralph never defined which consistencies were foolish, and which ones were wise.
Tags: Aaron Schock, China, Congress, nukes, Taiwan
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
