Aaron has sponsored legislation specific to his constintuents in his district and quite frankly the good Senator refused to sponser an excellent piece of legislation even when requested by the neighborhoods. It was blocked specifically by democrats and Chicago lobbiests. I don’t believe Aaron committed to the PAWAC debate, despite the opponent’s taunts and I also believe that Blago has called special sessions of the state legislators to deal with the capital budget, so that would put him in Springfield, doing the current job he’s elected to do. So it appears that the problem you’ve mentioned is your issue rather than a valid generalization.

Additionlly as grammar lessions were noted in an earlier post, Aaron was accused of implying, when the correct phrasing should have been that the writer “inferred” and that technicality shifts the resposibility from the subject to the author, of whose sole opinion is being expressed. How’s that for a private school education.

Again, knowing many politicians, I understand that they can’t be at everything, everywhere, everytime. As the area represented grows in size, it becomes even more difficult. Aaron’s schedule is very tight and he works long hard hours. I know this as a fact, not suppostions, as does our Mayor and many of our city councilmembers. multiple events are covered daily, some events may only get brief visits and there are often unexpected things along the way, such as answering questions, etc. I can’t imagine someone more visible and accessible currently in the 92nd and in the 18th as well as Aaron.

And he can’t listen to the people he represents, when he is invisible within his district. And he can’t do it when he’s on some whirl-wind money-raising tour of the East Coast, to LA & San Diego, back to DC, etc.

I can’t get a return call or reply to my letters to him, so I finally had to turn to Sen. Dave Koehler.

Aaron is like a child on the side of a milk carton… sure, he showed up for an open-form this AM in Peoria (NOT a debate, as Shearer claims), so why does he snub the PAWAC debate tonight??

I was looking forward to going to this debate with an open-mind, but it’s difficult to make an informed choice if the candidate continues to dodge & duck public appearances.
SW

a snipet: Klein’s reaction to Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin’s attacks on Obama’s work on the South Side of CHicago. “So here is what Giuliani and Palin didn’t know: Obama was working for a group of churches that were concerned about their parishioners, many of whom had been laid off when the steel mills closed on the south side of Chicago. They hired Obama to help those stunned people recover and get the services they needed–job training, help with housing and so forth–from the local government. It was, dare I say it, the Lord’s work–the sort of mission Jesus preached (as opposed to the war in Iraq, which Palin described as a “task from God.”)

Giuliani and Palin, it would seem, are going in for those personal attacks you so despise, Paul. I don’t much like Callahan’s personal attacks either, but I’ll put up with them to get someone in office whose views I agree with.

Then compliments Billy: “I still go to Billys occasionally because he tends not to push his personal agenda as much on his site as do others.” I don’t actually agree, but it’s Billy’s blog and he can push whatever agenda he likes. I like to read Billy’s opinions frankly, and Diane’s, and Bravo’s. I learn a lot here. Does any of it make me want to vote for Schock – no, I’m what y’all would refer to as a “bleeding heart liberal” and something I read on a blog is not going to change that.

“strategy of attack and misdirect and create doubt vs. selling a qualified candidate that has been used with Slone and Spears.” I’ve seen this strategy used by both Dems and Reps – Karl Rove pretty much perfected it, though, in Bush’s efforts – I think most here would admit to that.

Paul says: “Great, more votes for the Chicagoan mess of Blogo, Emil until he retires and Madigan. ” I agree, wholeheartedly – but no one, either side of the aisle (although I have hope with Dave Koehler) is doing much to fix this situation. Some grass roots folks are arguing for the constitutional convention – I think that might be a good idea that could actually break the gridlock we suffer in IL.

“Disagreeing with politics, with decisions, etc and generating good discussion with potential solutions is excellent. A consistent gripe fest is worthless and tiring.” I think that at least 60% of the comments made on this blog are useful and I enjoy reading them. Sure, plenty of folks get to personal attacks – it comes with the territory, even you yourself have done so, I’ll provide more examples in a sec. Just skip over those and try to get to the meat of the debate.

“Quite frankly is the continued attacks from these armchair quarterbacks that stiffle more good candidates from coming forward.” armchair quarterbacks sound a lot like a personal attack to me.

“You will be attacked, your family will be attacked, each decsion angers one group or another. Why the hell do people put up with the nonsense from those who do so little to make their own community better. ” Well, running for office comes with public scrutiny. It’s a hell of a hot kitchen, and if you can’t take the heat, don’t run. I would survive a minute, based on rather a number of indiscretions in my background, so I won’t. But don’t you dare accuse me of not getting involved. I am a member of Peoria Families Against Toxic Waste, the board of the local ACLU (which is sponsoring a debate in late Sept), and the board of the UU church. I teach religious education classes at the UU Church. I have volunteered in Callahan’s office and marched with her in parades. I help organize for my son’s cub scout den and pack. I take as much offense to your “armchair quarterback” comment as I did when Sarah Palin totally dissed “community organizers” around the country. No, they have no legal responsibility, but it was community organizers that got women and black people the vote, that desegregated schools, that strive for equal pay for women. I hope you volunteer for things yourself, Paul. I’m proud of all my efforts, for sure.

“Complaints without solutions are worththeless. If nothing else, the challenges in McCain’s speech are valid. get up and make change happen or run for office yourself.” as I just stated, I am. Big time. And I have every right in the world to complain if I disagree on theory and principle. That is the beauty of what our founding fathers created and the awesomeness of blogs. If you don’t want to read it – instead of calling us all “whiners” – just don’t read this stuff. I think I have yet to tell anyone around here to stop whining. I have disagreed with their arguments and disputes their facts. But I enjoy it all quite a bit.

If you want to learn about Callahan, the best way is to visit her website or go meet her at an event. There’s quite a bit about her on her website. Or look for newspaper articles about her. Watch the news. I can tell you that I’m voting for her because I think she understands what the big issues are – that, as I believe, we need to get out of Iraq and allow Iraqis to build their own democracy. That global warming is serious, and cellulosic ethanol and clean coal are two of her big goals (though I have my doubts abuot clean coal). She has listened to our concerns about the amount of pollution in the Peoria area (we are only slightly better off that the Joliet/South CHicago industrial areas), and I have hope that she will do something about it. I think she knows and understands the entire district, from South Peoria to rural Manito, both urban and rural concerns.

And Aaron Schock has modeled himself very, very much in the neo-Republican mold. Trying to tell me what my morals should be (that gay marriage is wrong, very specifically. I’ve actually met with Aaron personally on this issue, and was not impressed at all. Same meeting, Dave Leitch was extremely open and honest and surprisingly supported our efforts. Thanks Dave!). I also met Aaron at the most recent March of Dimes Walk for Babies, and he was very distant and aloof, not social, not chatting with the moms and kids at all. I was pissed off by that frankly. He is anti-abortion – something I believe must remain as a medical option for women. Legislation a woman’s womb is no one’s right – it’s a personal, and usually grueling and awful, family decision. Just like Terri Schiavo, another point of contention I have with neo-republicans. Get out of my bedroom and hospital room, thank you.

SO there you go. I think those are some pretty good reasons why I won’t be voting for Schock and will be voting for Callahan.