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The Hardest Working Man in Illinois Politics

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Posted over at Prairie State Blue

On Monday, October 29 I filed for the upcoming primary elections with 3250 signatures from nearly 60 volunteers collecting in their own neighborhoods, train stations, and local shopping centers. I reached this goal through a strong team of supporters and a personal ground game. I was able to speak with voters from nearly every corner of the district. I heard from people who were concerned about their property taxes, education, soaring health care costs and the dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in Springfield.

I understand these concerns. I come from a background of finding creative ways to solve problems despite the obstacles. That is why I decided to run for State Senate and why I am running for re-election. Because it is not just about connecting with voters at the door or at a train station, it is about providing them with results, in the district and in Springfield.

Ten months. That’s how long I have been a State Senator. In that short span of time I have been the chief sponsor of 18 bills in the Senate, nine of them are now law in the State of Illinois. I have been a sponsor of another 86 bills and 51 of them are now law. I am proud of these accomplishments and I hope to be able to share with you these results and some of my goals in future posts.

Kotowski is a machine in the good way. He raises his own money (making him more independent) and works his tail off for his constituents.  He’s also pushing for a sales tax cap on Cook County:

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois State Senator Dan Kotowski (D- Park Ridge)
says Cook County should be as responsible as other counties regarding
sales tax increases.
Kotowski says, “Sales tax increases should be limited to 0.5 percent,
and any increase larger than that should be put to the voters.”  He
added, “Communities can thrive under a responsible taxing structure, but
a prohibitive system will choke Cook County’s economic growth and place
an undue burden on residents and price hard-working business owners out
of business.”

“Other counties in Illinois have sales tax increases capped at 0.25
percent.  A half percent cap for Cook County is not only a reasonable
compromise, but it is also important for our economic viability.”
Kotowski says.

Senator Kotowski plans to introduce legislation to cap Cook County’s
taxing ability and to require a voter referendum for any additional
sales tax increase.
Senator Kotowski has made it a priority to protect the pocket books of
taxpayers.  He was a chief co-sponsor of a government transparency bill
that requires real-time online postings of all state contracts.  He
refused to take his per diem during the overtime session, and will give
his raise to charity.  Kotowski also fought for the 7% cap on property
tax assessment to keep people from being priced out of their homes.

Illinois Congressional Races

Oops

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Schock Admits Mistake

Schock held steady, though, on his stance to stop the Iranian regime from getting nuclear weapons. He wants to provide training and assistance to the majority of Iranians who oppose the ayatollahs who rule them and pressure China and Russia to live up to their responsibilities on the UN Security Council and vote for a third set of economic sanctions on Iran.

“We must get China’s attention that preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear terrorist nation is one of our utmost national security concerns,” he said.

And all credit for standing up and saying I goofed.

But let’s make something clear, it wasn’t just one policy that was a problem in the *27* page speech.  His strategy for Central and South America is to lecture them more.

His strategy in the Middle East is based on some sort of idea that if you argue long enough with them, Arabs will change their mind (let’s not even start on Persians/Afghans, etc)

He misrepresented Iran’s history with WMD’s implying they had used them before. They have not, they have been the victims of chemical warfare.

He said that Iran is likely to have a nuclear weapon within a year, something no one has claimed who is familiar with their program. Most estimates range from 3-10 years.

He completely butchered the ethnic background of Iran.

He endorsed a doctrine not of preemptive war, but of dealing with eventual threats immediately.  This is a radical and dangerous concept that would destroy nearly all international norms.

And that is just in the foreign policy section.  I don’t expect Members of Congress to be experts on foreign policy, but I prefer they know what they don’t know. And there Schock fails miserably.

Illinois Congressional Races

Flippity-Floppity, Schock Has a Consistency Problem

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He voted against the State of Illinois divesting pension funds for Iran with the argument while voting for divestiture from Sudan:

“I don’t believe that state government ought to be getting involved in foreign policy,” Schock told me later.

He also said his local police and fire pension boards told him that a previous bill banning pension investments in Sudan had required them to unload good investments in large, well-known companies.

“With each additional restriction that’s placed on a pension fund in Illinois, it further prohibits those pension managers’ ability to make wise decisions, to keep those pension systems solvent,” Schock said.

The final version of the Iran bill applies only to the five state pension systems, not local police and fire pension systems.

Though he said the General Assembly shouldn’t delve in foreign policy, Schock said that doesn’t mean he would vote against all resolutions in that field.

“Ultimately, you have to make a decision based on what you’re presented with,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s wise for us to get involved with foreign policy, as a rule of thumb.”

This is all very baffling because US law has far stricter rules on doing business with Iran–US Companies cannot (well, except that Halliburton company that violated the law under Dick Cheney) do business with Iran and even international businesses are limited with how much business they can do with Iran and operate in the United States. Divestiture would be far easier in the case of Iran than Sudan, and as Bernie points out, the Iranian bill only applied to five statewide pension funds. So, perhaps this is one of those things he pulled out of his pocket.

Via Rich,  Bill, and Yellow Dog 

Illinois Congressional Races

Oh, and Schock Would Violate the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

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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.

Illinois Congressional Races

Screw Divestment—Send in the Nukes!

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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.

Illinois Congressional Races

Deeply Thought-Out Policy

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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.

Fundie Fun

Mike Damone: A Man’s Man

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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 

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