Politics: Aaron says he was joking … yeah, that’s the ticket
Aaron Schock told the Peoria Journal Star editorial board that he was joking when he said he wanted to sell nuclear weapons to Tawain in an effort to force China to stop helping Iran. As this article correctly pointed out that after the crap hit the fan, Schock and his campaign manager Steve Schear adamantly defended this plan, with Schearer calling the scheme well-researched and betted by experts. A week later, Schock backed down. Now, more than a month later, Schock is still getting hit hard on this issue at debates and in the media. So he goes and tells the JSEB that he was kidding.
Let’s just call it for what it is. Schock lied to the JSEB. It was not a joke. It was not off the cuff. He was telling potential voters what his foreign policy position would be, and he was hoping it would get him votes. Instead it bit him in the ass by making him look reckless and inexperienced. And it ieeps biting him in the ass and now he wants to pretend it didn’t happen.
Next thing, he’ll be passing around pictures of his wife, ummmm Morgan Fairchild.
Current Congressman Ray LaHood was rumored by be thisclose to endorsing Jim McConoughey several months ago. He declined to do so, at least in part because he didn’t want to create any static for his son, Darin, who is going to be running against Democrat Kevin Lyons for U.S. State’s attorney. But LaHood held out the possibility he might make a primary endorsement, once he sees how they run their campaigns.
Well, we’ve all had a look.
It’s time for Ray LaHood to do what’s best for the people of the far-flung 18th District and provide some guidance and direction.
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 
the new site looks great!
Aaron Schock…not so much.
Come on now Kent, Aaron Schock looks good. Its when you look beyond the rainbow colored ties, that people are now seeing some problems.
The more Aaron Schock tries to wiggle and squirm the more immature, uninformed, and stupid he seems to be. If he keeps it up he just might loose this election and have to find a real job in 2009.
Nukes are not something to joke about when you are in public office.
And someone with all Shock’s “experience” should know that.
Wow. A Pee Wee Herman reference, obscure as it may be to some under the age of 40. And so weirdly appropriate.
Schock won’t be the first inexperienced candidate to dig his political grave with his mouth,
Providing nukes to Taiwan is little different from the Reagan policy of 1983 of locating nuclear weapons in Western Europe.
If you personally know anyone from Taiwan, it is easy to understand why they would need themm.
Not really, Chase. We didn’t sell the nukes to Eastern Europe. We located bases there, with these nation’s permission. But the Soviets knew WE were in charge of them. Now, if we had sold nukes to Afghanistan in the early 1980s, then the USSR would have had a legit gripe because we woduld have been violating the anti proliferation treaty. It also would have been wildly unsafe of us to do.
How come Billy gets a unique color and none of the rest of us do?