One of the more obvious problems with the Shocklove’s idea is that, Ronald Reagan signed the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 1987 and it was ratified in the US Senate in 1988. The INF Treaty banned Intermediate Range Nuclear Missiles and the last one was destroyed (outside of museum pieces) in 1991. IOW, we haven’t had any Pershing Missiles since Aaron Schock was 10 years old.

Developing new intermediate range missiles would violate the INF Treaty and cause a rather serious and significant problem in our relations with Russia.

But you know:

.” In a phone interview, Schock’s manager Steve Shearer added that Schock’s proposal is “not just something that he pulled out of his pocket … It’s a deeply thought-out policy.”

I’d hate to see what’s in the pocket.

Bill Dennis adds to the fun with a great catch:

On May 31, 2007, the Illinois House of Representatives voted 80-2o to approve its version of SB 1621, a law that requires state pension funds to divest their holdings in foreign companies that are doing business with Iran’s energy industry, which is financing Iran’s efford to develop nuclear weapons.

Schock was among the 20 who voted against this measure.

Yesterday, Schock sent out a press release questioning whether his opponent in Republican primary for the 18th District seat on Congress might be better suited for another party and otherwise wrapped himself around the flag:

This story is tailor made for Bill

But making a few changes to a pension fund’s portfolio? But that’s wrong.

Well, you know how young people are these days. One day, they can’t get enough the hip-hop music, the next they spend all their waking hours advocating selling nuclear weapons, the next the spend all day playing video games. It’s hard for them to stay focused.

Via Capitol Fax where Rich said

So, Schock would threaten nuclear holocaust with China over Iran but wouldn’t vote for economic pressure? Oof.

House Race Hotline

 Dr. Schock-Love
McConoughey accused rival Schock of making “a very serious and reckless statement” when the 26-yo state Rep. proposed offering nuclear arms to Taiwan if China doesn’t go along with U.S. policy toward Iran in a speech 10/27. McConoughey said Schock’s comments “reflect a level of inexperience and overall lack of judgment and poor leadership.” McConoughey, asked why he thinks Schock made the comments: “My guess is, you know, he’s 26. And it’s a level of immaturity about what nuclear threat really can be to the United States and how it destabilizes the economic interests of the world.”
11/8 Schock “did not back down.” His camp issued a statement with the headline: “Schock: It’s Naive for My Opponents to Sit Still While Iran Builds Nuclear Weapons.” From the release, Schock said he does not plan to go to Congress “and sit idly by while Iran gets nuclear weapons. The fulcrum here is China. We need to introduce new diplomatic prods to China to get them to do what is right. The one thing that gets (China’s) attention is Taiwan.” In a phone interview, Schock’s manager Steve Shearer added that Schock’s proposal is “not just something that he pulled out of his pocket … It’s a deeply thought-out policy.”

Errrr…that makes it worse.

Does anyone know any other candidates who roll out a 27 page manifesto for delivery at their announcement for office?

It’s kinda big font, but it’s still pretty amazing.

Read it all here 

Ironically, it has that sort of Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez style to it.

Kagro X at Kos picked it up too. 

GOP rolls out a new flavor of crazy

“Undersecretary of State… 

Since the GOP’s Daddy Complex is showing, I think JSF’s comment deserves elevation:

OK, or how about in Fast Times.

Damone gets Stacy knocked up.  She says she wants an abortion.  But Mike Damone is a real man.  He isn't paying for any abortion.  And then, he treats Stacy like the slut that she is.

Congrats to you, Mike Damone.  You too win a Stannie Award for excellence in cinemagraphic heroism in the face of abortion.

Mike Damone, A Man’s Man

He also has great advice for getting women 

Perhaps she should have a talk with Jill

I’ll be honest.  I wasn’t sure what the term “beat it like a rented mule” meant at the time, but it was easy to figure out he meant to disrespect and degrade Senator Clinton.  I am guilty myself of doing that among friends, don’t get me wrong, but for a U.S. Senator to say something like that about a colleague and a female to boot — no matter how private the meeting, even among strangers — was appalling.

I was thinking about the term “beat her like a rented mule” again today when I saw the Obama story.  Urban Dictionary has three definitions for the term.  Read them for yourself HERE, I’m too embarrassed to copy and paste them on Illinois Review.

You tell me which one YOU think the good Senator McCain meant when he answered my question “How do you intend to beat Hillary Clinton?”

It may be how the “big boys” talk behind closed panel doors, but McCain revealed that day how out of touch he is and how he has no chance of gaining the support of the conservative movement’s female half, and thus, the GOP nomination.

These aren’t issues, they are subscriptions:

One of the best scenes in the Godfather movie trilogy was in “Godfather II,” when Kay Corleone (Diane Keaton) told her husband Michael (Al Pacino) she was taking their two children and leaving him. The dialogue:

Michael: Do you expect me to let you take my children from me?…. Don’t you know that’s an impossibility, that that could never happen, that I’d use all my power to keep something like that from ever happening?…. I know you blame me for losing the baby. Yes. I know what that meant to you. Kay. I swear I’ll make it up to you…. I’ll change. And you’ll forget about this miscarriage, and we’ll have another child, and we’ll go on, you and I, we’ll go on.

Kay: Oh - oh, Michael, Michael, you are blind. It wasn’t a miscarriage. It was an abortion, an abortion, Michael! Just like our marriage is an abortion, something that’s unholy and evil. I didn’t want your son, Michael! I wouldn’t bring another one of your sons into this world! It was an abortion, Michael. It was a son, a son, and I had it killed, because this must all end. I know now that it’s over. I knew it then. There would be no way, Michael, no way you could ever forgive me, not with this Sicilian thing that’s been going on for 2,000 years….

SLAP.

Michael: You won’t take my family!

And she doesn’t.

That spontaneous slap was the reaction of a real man who a woman had just told she aborted his baby. Compare that to the modern day cowardly male response, “It’s your choice. Whatever you decide, I’ll support you.” Or worse, his threat to abandon her if she does not abort.

It was this fierce devotion to family that strangely endeared us to the Corleone men despite their otherwise heinous behavior.

 More recently

In Mr. Brooks, the teenage daughter of serial killer Earl Brooks (Costner) turns up pregnant midway through her first semester of college. When Jane tells her parents, Earl emphatically states abortion is out of the question and offers to raise the baby. Jane is equally emphatically abortion minded until that moment, when she says she will reconsider. Typical. If a mother in a crisis pregnancy is offered love and support, she will most often choose life.

I won’t give away the end of Mr. Brooks except to say the prospect of his seeing future grandchild became Earl’s motivation for a life or death decision.

All of this is way twisted, I know. But similar to Godfather II, even a schizophrenic serial killer knows abortion is wrong, and similar to Godfather II, this became a redeeming quality of one who had no others.

Mr. Brooks’ pro-life stance was an obviously planned juxtaposition.

On one hand he was a serial killer no better than Dahmer and Gacy.

On the other, he was pro-life. Of of all possible character attributes, the writer and director chose this as Mr. Brooks’ one featured nobility, something they decided demonstrated the exact opposite of the schizophrenic killer mentality.

Why is that?

The comments are even more, ahem, interesting.  I know and respect many people who are pro-life. You aren’t helping their cause.

Are from Kane County:

Kane County Republican Party Chairman Denny Wiggins is now a paid consultant for State Senator Chris Lauzen’s congressional campaign. Hmmm! The party chairman working for one candidate in an open primary? Sounds kind of like one of my kids offering me 50 bucks to love them more than the other.

Ah! But this is the same Denny Wiggins we’ve already discussed. You see, Mr. Wiggins is not only our Republican chairman, but the director of government affairs for the Home Builders Association of Greater Fox Valley. Mr. Wiggins tried to tell me it wasn’t a conflict of interest for someone in his position to lobby our County Board on behalf of home builders.

Our good chairman remains undaunted and unclear on the concept of a conflict of interest. He said, “Because I’m the party chairman, I’m not supposed to support anyone?” Stunned into speechlessness by that remark, I’ll just quote Geneva mayor and congressional candidate Kevin Burns, “I trust Mr. Wiggins will do the right thing and step down as party chair. After all, he cannot serve two masters.”

So first Wiggins said he would quit the chairmanship. Then he said he would “consider” resigning if a majority of the GOP Executive Committee asked him to step down. Then he asked for a leave of absence. When the committee voted 5-3 for his resignation, Wiggins said he was “leaning toward stepping down.”

Apparently three executive committee members don’t understand the meaning of “appearance of impropriety.”

Then Wiggins said this, “I wouldn’t step down unless somebody stepped up to the plate that I felt didn’t have a personal agenda, somebody that I felt strongly that they had the best interest of the party at heart.”

Lauzen in Roll Call:

“The Illinois Republican machine … does not like Chris Lauzen,” Russell said. “The [unknown] candidate … would have the [Hastert] machine influence.”

Russell and Green speculated that the entry of a Hastert-picked candidate will set up an eventual Lauzen victory by siphoning off Oberweis supporters and encouraging typically conservative primary voters to organize around Lauzen.

But Lauzen said he sees his formula for victory in the primary as simple, and he said the contest involves two issues: “performance versus promises and … I win campaigns.”

Still, Lauzen acknowledges that his biggest asset going into the primary — his far-right base of conservative diehards — could prove problematic in a general election with Foster, when heavy swing-voter turnout is expected in 2008 presidential election.

“Primaries are easy because people generally agree with you,” Lauzen said. “General elections: you need all the people you can get.”

So he’s too extreme. Let’s get that out of the way now. Worse, he’s thin skinned and whines non-stop about every little slight such as whether he is a CPA or not. He was nutty enough to sue to CHANGE HIS NAME to Chris Lauzen, CPA because a political opponent questioned his credentials It was denied.

Not to be outdone, the Oberweis campaign has the crack team that brought Keyes in running his campaign with this fine release about a Lauzen hire:

LAUZEN BUYS COUNTY CHAIRMAN; OBERWEIS CAMP CALLS FOR RESIGNATION
(AURORA, October 30) — Oberweis for Congress spokesman Bill Pascoe — reacting to news that Kane County GOP Chairman Denny Wiggins has accepted a paid position with State Sen. Chris Lauzen’s campaign — called on Wiggins to abide by the majority vote of the Kane County GOP Executive Committee last night and resign his position immediately.

“Republican County Chairmen shouldn’t be serving as paid staff on any campaign at any level,” said Pascoe. “I don’t know which is worse — that Denny Wiggins apparently sold himself to the highest bidder, or that Chris Lauzen decided to buy Wiggins’ ’services.’

“What this whole episode says about Denny Wiggins is clear: given that he asked Jim Oberweis for a payment of $10,000 per month — a payment Jim refused to make, believing it just wasn’t the right thing to do — and then shopped his services to Chris Lauzen after telling Jim how little respect he had for Lauzen and Lauzen’s record, what this says is simply that Denny Wiggins is a man whose support can be bought.

“What this episode says about Chris Lauzen, though, is worse — it says that Lauzen has been in Springfield too long. Fifteen years in the midst of the George Ryan-Rod Blagojevich mindset has apparently infected Chris, and led him to buy into the notion that it’s appropriate to buy people off. ‘Put them on the payroll’ is the battle cry of the Establishment Insiders, and that’s trouble — because when the Insiders get together in their back rooms to scratch each other’s backs, it’s always the taxpayers who get stuck with the bill.

“Denny Wiggins should immediately step down from his position as Chairman of the Kane County GOP. A leave of absence is not enough — if he maintains his position as Chairman, whether on leave or not, he will maintain undue influence over the organization and its key players. That would deny the Republican voters of Kane County their right to a free and fair election.

“In order to remove even the appearance of impropriety, Wiggins must resign immediately,” Pascoe concluded.

Pascoe, Oberweis, Lauzen, Jack Roeser, and Zahm.

Pass me the popcorn.

While Iraq has 3 basic ethnic/religious groups, Iran has exponentially more.

Little Aaron Strangelove apparently doesn’t understand that about 9 in 10 Iranians are Shia.  And while there are some ethnic variations within the country, it’s not something that is anything like in Iraq.  Most of the ethnic variations have common roots in Persian culture.

Really, this guy served on a school board?

Follow this closely.  We declared war on Japan on December 8, 1941.  Germany then declared war on the United States and December 11, 1941.  We then declared war on Germany later in the day on December 11, 1941.

But it gets better–Iraq would eventually have been a threat according to Aaron Strangelove, so all is good that we attacked them before they eventually decided to start a nuclear program again.

I understand the argument that we are stuck there so we have to try and win. But to argue it was the right thing because eventually Iraq may have resumed a nuclear program again and so the entire idea was good is batshit crazy.

By this standard, Ronald Reagan would have had to invade:

• Pakistan
• Brazil
• Argentina
• South Africa

All, but Pakistan are now nuclear free due to the NPT framework.  Destroy that, and little Aaron Strangelove is right, you will have to conduct a lot of invasions to keep nuclear weapons from proliferating.

The United States needs to *lecture* PRD and presumably Vicente Fox about political and economic reform in Mexico?

I shit you not. We need to lecture the PRD about political and economic reform including the first non-PRI President of Mexico since 1920 about the need for economic and political reform in Mexico. Fox is the guy who singlehandedly pulled off significant structural reform in the Mexican economy while also being the first President to avoid a major currency devaluation in a couple decades.

Aaron Schock is going to lecture that guy and the two Presidents following him. This is exactly the kind of arrogance that complicates our relationships throughout Central and South America.

It helps to know just a little bit of history before shooting one’s mouth off.

 Here

As an assistant Cook County State’s Attorney, I have spent the last 10 years ensuring that people are equally protected under the law. I believe it is one of the bedrock principles of our country that every American is entitled to be treated fairly regardless of their age, gender, race, national origin or religion. The Employee Non-Discrimination Act (HR 3685), or ENDA, simply makes it illegal to discriminate against any American in the workplace because of his or her sexual orientation.

No American should be subject to employment discrimination or have their right to work revoked because of sexual orientation.

Congress has a responsibility to ban any form of discrimination in the workplace in order to protect the rights of all workers against the biases of their employers.

Given the opportunity, I would have proudly voted in favor of ENDA as the House approved it yesterday.

ENDA is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation. Its approval tells millions of gay and lesbian Americans that they entitled to the same employment protections as everyone else and that they do not need to live in fear of losing their jobs due to their sexual orientation.

Unfortunately, the Congressman from Illinois’ 3rd District doesn’t believe all Americans are entitled to the rights already granted to them by our state government.

As he has many times in the past, Congressman Dan Lipinski sided with President Bush and the Republicans again yesterday and voted against ENDA. He was the only Democrat in the Illinois delegation to vote against the proposal.

In fact - other than the seven representatives who voted against ENDA on the grounds that it didn’t go far enough - Lipinski was the only northern Democrat, and just one of 18 Democrats overall, to oppose the bill.

While Illinois is one of 30 states that already has an “ENDA” law in place at the state level, Lipinski demonstrated that he does not believe that all Americans are entitled to equal protection under the law and that employment discrimination has no place in our society.

Every American has the right to expect to be treated equally. It is appalling that a Democratic representative from Illinois fails to uphold that fundamental principle.

That’s about right.