PeoriaStory

Race for the Cure chairman Schock supports atrazine, linked to breast cancer

PEORIA -- How ironic -- or stupid? -- that Cong. Aaron Schock, R-18th, just named grand marshall of the May 12 Race for the Cure in Peoria, also supports atrazine, with it's omnious link to breast cancer!

Here's a piece written by a PeoriaStory reader who wants to remain anonymous that details the links:

 

 

"U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock is honorary chairman of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, but his support for women in the fight against breast cancer does not extend to preventing breast cancer.

Last year, Schock introduced an amendment to the House Budget Bill to cut funding to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its reevaluation of the herbicide atrazine, an endocrine disruptor linked to breast cancer.

 Most of the 76 million pounds of atrazine used in this country are used here in the corn belt. The EU banned atrazine because it runs off farm fields into waterways and ends up in drinking water. However, even 10 years after banning atrazine, it was detected in the urine of 40 percent of pregnant French women who were tested. That means their fetuses are exposed, and prenatal exposure is linked with breast cancer later in life.

 Here in Central Illinois, atrazine is in our drinking water. It volatilizes and returns to Earth in rain, snow and fog.

 A recent study by the Institute of Medicine, with funding from Susan G. Komen for the Cure, was widely reported to have found few links between environmental exposures and breast cancer, but it found enough to warn women to avoid exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. That includes atrazine.

The report states childhood cancers, such as leukemia and brain tumors, have been linked to prenatal exposures to pesticides. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 89 to 100 percent of fetuses in the United States are exposed to pesticides in utero, and 95 percent of the population has measurable pesticide metabolites in their urine.

Syngenta, the corporation that manufactures atrazine, is headquartered in Switzerland, but Switzerland has banned use of the herbicide. While Syngenta earns big profits from the herbicide, it was able to further capitalize on its research by developing one of the most popular drugs to treat breast cancer.

Dr. Suzanne Fenton, a toxicologist with the National Institutes of Health, has studied the effects of atrazine on mammary glands and said all pregnant and lactating women, as well as adolescents who have not yet reached puberty, should be warned about potential sources of exposure to atrazine by health education teachers, pediatricians, obstetricians, lactation consultants and midwives. She’d like to see medical schools teach about the risks of cancer, infertility, inflammatory disease and miscarriage caused by exposure to pesticides.

 There is more than enough evidence from credible, independent scientists to alarm everyone. Congressman Schock should reevaluate his position on atrazine and start defending the rights of women and girls in Central Illinois and throughout the world to grow up without being dosed with atrazine.

 And the suggestion that atrazine is needed for the economy and for corn yields is unfounded. Dr. Frank Ackerman of Tufts University has published studies finding countries that banned atrazine do not experience decreases in yields.

 However, the agrichemical industry is a major supporter and lobbyist in Washington, D.C.  According to the Center for Responsive Politics, members of the U.S. House and Senate agriculture committees collected more than $11.5 million in contributions from the agribusiness industry so far in the 2012 election cycle. In addition, the industry spent about $117 million lobbying Congress last year.

 Review Congressman Schock’s own donations from the agrichemical industry by going to the Federal Election Commission.  

Look for Syngenta, Monsanto, Dow and others on the list of his supporters. Also, check out donations from the sugar industry, another major user of atrazine.

 Review donations to Congress from the agrichemical industry at the Center for Responsive Politics. "

 

MY TAKE:  Those participating in the Race for the Cure are being used and duped. The charity pays huge salaries to its executives, as revealed in the recent dust up over Planned Parenthood funding. It's just another business, frankly.

It should be advocating for environmental protection, but doesn't do that. It should be telling women to avoid pesticide use -- no lawn spraying, for example -- but doesn't do that either. I continue to be amazed at seeing people who should know better spraying their lawns with dangerous chemicals linked to cancer.

Komen's cheery message has been criticized, as it's part of the movement that implies that cancer will be OK if you think good thoughts. That's not true, and in the long run will make cancer victims feel worse.

I'd rather give money to charities that act like charities instead of businesses, and to political candidates who advocate for all women's issues, including reproductive health (Schock is anti-choice).

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

 

 

 

 

Schock's solicitation for campaign funds draws FEC complaint

PEORIA -- Here's a story about Peoria's own Cong. Aaron Schock, R-18th, out of Chicago: complaints have been made to the Federal Election Commission after Schock solicited a $25,000 donation to a superPAC that wants incumbent members of Congress defeated.  The legal limit is $5,000.

The member targeted by Schock's solicitation was a fellow Republican incumbent, who lost in the primary.

Apparently he has friends. Some of Schock's other fellow Republicans are furious.

It's not just another ethical violation apparently, but more serious, even illegal, according to Politico. We'll see whether Peoria media picks this up.

Schock has a good candidate as his opponent in November, Democrat Steve Waterworth. 

 

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Update 5/1/12:  Here are articles from the New York Times and  Crain's Chicago Business.  

And here's another juicy story from the Washington Post on Schock's upscale tastes, from campaign funds. 

Update 5/3/12:  Oops, Schock is in even more trouble, using 18th District GOP campaign funds.  From the Center for Public Integrity: "the $25,000 from Cantor — which came via his own leadership PAC — appears to have been matched by $25,000 from the 18th District Republican Central Committee, the local political party committee in Schock’s home district, which reported the expense as “committee advertising.”

Schock used $150,000 in campaign funds for vacations, etc.

PEORIA -- Hummm -- The watchdogs have caught up with Cong. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria,  who is said to have used $150,000 in campaign funds to pay for a high end hotel in Athens, Greece (what WAS he doing there to campaign?) and for other perks, including $24,000 to his mother. (How sweet!)

Is this illegal?  Here's a comment from the head of the group that found the information:

“A campaign account is not a personal slush fund,” said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan.  “It’s hard to fathom how a hotel stay in Greece could be a legitimate campaign expense, but that accounts for only a small portion of the money Rep. Schock pocketed from his campaign.  Conduct like this reinforces the widely held view that members of Congress are more interested in enriching themselves and their family members than in public service.”

Here are the details from the CREW report:

Campaign records show Rep. Schock’s campaign committee reimbursed him over $150,000 during the 2008 and 2010 election cycles.  More than $30,000 of these reimbursements were for hotels, including stays at high-end resorts in Athens and Miami.  Rep. Schock’s campaign committee also initially reported paying more than $300 to P90X, a fitness training DVD company, and classified it as a “health care” expense.  Additionally, Rep. Schock’s campaign committee reimbursed his mother, Janice Knapp, almost $24,000 for various expenses over the same time frame.

The full report states that records do not reflect any official trips to Greece or donors from Greece. 

Schock also spent $390 on airfare to the Virgin Islands, but that also was not a trip for official business.

The report states: Members of Congress are permitted to use campaign funds for fundraisers or official travel. Congressional travel records do not reflect any official trips to the USVI taken by Rep. Schock in 2009, and his campaign records reflect no contributions from donors with USVI addresses.

Read the full story, at the link above, where you can click through to the full report.  We'll remember in November.

(Hat tip to Bill Dennis whose blog first pointed out this investigation.  What a refreshing change from his usual 'eye candy.')

UPDATE:  The Journal Star's story has Schock's spokesman's explanations, however lame. (Mistakes were made...)

UPDATE 3/24/12:  WEEK-TV has this report, where Schock attacks the messenger, CREW, as a liberal site.  That's a way to deflect attention from himself, and CREW's unassailable documentation.  He never answers the questions about what he was doing in Greece, Puerto Rico, and what his mom spent that turned into $24,000.

Dennis also posted this flyer, full of useful information about Schock and his pal Rommey. Here it is:

This was distributed to get people to protest a fundraiser, where people  contributed money so Schock can stay at high end resorts.  Wonder how they feel today! 

 -- Elaine Hopkins

18th Congressional Democrats forum

MACOMB --The two Democratic candidates for Congress in the 18th Congressional District finally appeared together, at a Feb. 29 candidates forum sponsored by the McDonough County League of Women Voters. This was likely their only joint appearance, since all the primary excitement is directed toward the 17th Congressional District Democrats.

But these two candidates present an interesting contrast. The winner in the March 20 primary will face incumbent Aaron Schock, R-Peoria.

A recording is posted below.

Steve Waterworth, 64, is a local official in Mason County, serves on a variety of boards and commissions, is a retired Air Force Reserve master sargeant, and grew up on a farm.  He's also a life long, FDR Democrat. 

Steve Waterworth

Matthew Woodmancy, 28, of Pekin is well spoken but carries heavy baggage:  he's on probation for offenses in McLean County including a felony, and owes nearly $50,000 in fines and court costs there. 

Matthew Woodmancy

This baggage was not mentioned at the forum, but Woodmancy referred to it. "I've made mistakes.  I'm back on track.  I believe everyone deserves a second chance.  I've wondered if I'm stupid or brave to take on this challenge.  I'm brave," he said.

The two Democrats answered a series of questions and agreed on most of them. One difference:  Woodmancy believes in term limits for members of Congress. Waterworth does not. "Term limits gives power to lobbyists," he said, who already write too many laws for Congress now, and would take advantage of new members of Congress.

Both support the Obama Affordable Health Care Act, want to expand high speed rail and improve Amtrak, would not sign any 'no tax' or other pledges if elected, and oppose the Paul Ryan fiscal plan that Schock voted for.

Waterworth, with years of living and experience, is able to present vivid stories about how he came to his knowledge of the issues, many involving his family's struggles during the Great Depression of the 1930 and his military experiences.  

Woodmancy told of caring for his mother with cancer, and said he had to drop out of college to run for Congress -- apparently not a great idea, as he has no money to finance the run.

Waterworth, with his farm and military background, and his years of experience has character to serve in Congress with distinction.  Woodmancy may be well intentioned, but even without his baggage lacks the experience to hold down the job.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 Here's the recording.

Cong forum 18th Dist

Here's the story from the Macomb daily newspaper.

 

 

 

Schock's voting record

PEORIA -- Apparently Cong. Aaron Schock, R-18, has been given a 'safe' Republican district in the newly created  Illinois Congressional District map.

But his voting record is awful, according to the Alliance for Retired Americans, which has compiled it on the group's website. The information covers the 111th Congress, 2nd session, so does not include the newly elected, tea party guy Shilling of the 17th District.

Of ten key votes that greatly affected seniors, Schock voted for their interests only once.  He voted against their interests six times, and apparently skipped the other three votes. (Guess he was too busy posing for magazine covers.)  You can look at the complete list here.

The issues included: health care reform, (including better drug coverage under Medicare), Wall Street reform, affordable housing for seniors and Medicaid funding (Medicaid pays for nursing homes for indigent seniors).  Schock voted no on these.

Schock skipped votes on funding key retiree programs for low income elderly, on food safety and senior fraud.

He voted in a pro-senior way only once, to provide a $250 stimulus payment to seniors to make up for the lack of a cost of living increase under Social Security.  The bill failed, but Schock was ready to increase the deficit on that vote.

So will Schock be safe in 2012, with this terrible voting record?  Time will tell.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

 

Love Aaron Schock? Hate Aaron Schock? Read this!

PEORIA -- Our half-naked Congressman on the cover of the current Men's Health magazine has garnered loads of publicity for the photo, ostensibly promoting physical fitness.

A columnist for the Guardian in London sees through the ruse.  Read this: 

Here's the title of the article:

"The soft underbelly of the right's hard abs."

Don't neglect the comments, as well.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

 Comment via email:  I read the Amanda Marcotte article and the first page of comments.   I've head some of the stuff over time about Aaron Schock, and so far,  he may may just be a vain glorious product of the self obsessive culture.   Traits shown that he shares with some others give pause to think.   Many preachers and politicians have been gay bashing and women bashing individuals that have turned out to be gays or having affairs, hiding out their own lives.  It could be interesting to see what turns out. 

I've met Arron Schock and did not like him personally.  I certainly dislike the politics of mythical values that are not consistent with peoples lives or the well being of our country.
Regards,
Ed Dentino

A tale of two incumbents, Schock and Hare

PEORIA -- How distressing that two incumbent members of Congress from neighboring downstate Illinois districts, Phil Hare, and Aaron Schock, are so different in their campaigns as well as their ideology. And that the public puts up with Schock, even when he votes against their interests.  

Phil Hare, 60, has represented the 17th District, which includes the Quad Cities, Macomb, part of Quincy, even Decatur, for four years, and is seeking a third term. 

A Democrat, he's in a tight race against an apparent Tea Party Republican, a pizza parlor operator with no political experience, whose campaign has engaged in smears and character assassination against Hare including a notorious YouTube video which took what Hare said out of context, a dirty trick.

Aaron Schock, 29, the youngest member of Congress, represents the 18th District which includes Peoria, Jacksonville and parts of Springfield.  A Republican, he faces two opponents, Democrat D.K. Hirner of Springfield and Green Party candidate Sheldon Schafer of Peoria. (Schafer's website soon will post the only major joint appearance of the three candidates, a TV event on WTVP, Channel 47.)

Both of these candidates are running low key, grass roots races. They have little money to spend but instead appear at community forums where they meet and greet anyone who shows up and speak to the public.  They are well informed on the issues and either one would make a good member of Congress.

As a candidate, Schock has shunned community forums where he meets the public, stiffed the Peoria League of Women Voters, a non-partisan group which always runs candidate forums, (see story below) and is flying around the district in a helicopter apparently owned by a wealthy backer. 

He has held several high profile, expensive private fund raisers and has acquired millions in his campaign chest.  Speculation has it that he plans to run for US Senate as soon as he's old enough.

On this date, Oct. 29, five days before the Nov. 2 election, Schock is in Kentucky backing a Republican candidate there, instead of campaigning in his own district.

In Congress Schock has followed the GOP line, voting against the stimulus bill, then taking credit for the spending and jobs it has generated.

He voted against extending  medical coverage to all children without it, voted against extending unemployment benefits, including to 50,000 people in his own district, voted against Wall Street reform, and supports a host of other Republican ideas that favor the rich.

Phil Hare could not be more different.  He is open, friendly, appears at community events large and small, and vigorously defends the Obama administration's efforts to improve life in the USA and save the nation from a 21st century Great Depression.

On Oct. 28, Hare appeared at an event on the Western Illinois University campus, where he talked with suppporters and discussed his campaign.  He said his opponent, Bobby Schilling, wants to privitize Social Security, and said a better solution is slightly increasing the cap on which Social Security taxes are levied. Experts agree with him.

"If we raise (the cap) up 25 percent,  that will keep it solvent and increase benefits," he said.

"He (Schilling) wants to give $100,000 more to millionaires."

If he's reelected, Hare said, he will introduce a bill to forgive student loans for college grads who work in low income areas.  The line generated applause.

The program would allow young adults to stay in their home towns and reinvigorate them.  It likely would pay for itself in increased earnings and productivity, he said. "You've got to try something different," he said.

The government should be investing in people, he said, instead giving of $28 billion to "big oil."

"This election is so important," Hare said. "There's a lot at stake."

Hare said he has friendly relationships with some Republican members of  Congress who are people of integrity.  But GOP leaders are not friendly to them, because they have Democratic friends. He told stories of how the leadership snubs them.

Some campaigns this season "play off people's fears and anger," he said.

If Congress "flips" to the GOP, he said, "their agenda is tax cuts, cuts in Social Security, more money for the Afghan war" and roll backs of financial reform and health care coverage.

Voter turnout is crucial, he said. 

Amen.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Let them eat cake...

PEORIA -- Here's a clever stunt.  It will be interesting to see if any of the local media cover this. And there's some news value here -- the statistics on poverty in the 18th District.

From the news release:

Deirdre “DK” Hirner, Democratic congressional candidate for IL’s 18th District, will be at the West Mark Food Pantry, at 1504 West Moss Ave., Peoria, at 10:00 a.m., on Monday, September 13th, to serve cake.

Hirner is angry that the incumbent, Rep. Aaron Schock, has turned his back to the glaring needs of his constituents. In the 18th District, more than 50,000 people are unemployed and more than 25,000 people live in extreme poverty. Demand on food banks has risen 30 percent.

“Schock appears on TV on Top Chef, sampling elaborate hors d’oeuvres, when people in his own district are forced to go to food banks to survive? His callousness and shameful legislative record tell the real story here. Clearly, he is content to have his constituents ‘eat cake’,” Hirner said.

Walking in lockstep with his party, Schock has voted against more federal funds reaching the district,  against legislation that would extend unemployment benefits, assist small business, make health care more accessible, allow first-time home buyers tax credits, and keep jobs from going overseas --- all measures designed to improve the lives of his constituents in a practical and concrete way.  

And to top this all off, Schock moves about the district taking credit for public works and programs funded by legislation he voted against. With 16 of the 20 counties comprising the District on the poverty watch or warning list, Hirner intends to travel throughout the 18th speaking out against poverty until Election Day.

On Monday, September 13th, former First Lady Laura Bush will be appearing at a high dollar fundraising event in Peoria on behalf of Schock.

“He has almost half a million dollars in his campaign war chest. He doesn’t need more money. The right thing to do would be to take the proceeds of this event and walk them over to the food bank,” said Hirner.  -30-

Schock talk

PEORIA -- Here's a very insightful post from Burt Raabe:

I went out to Toulon on Saturday (Aug. 14) to see Aaron Schock preach to the choir at a small town restaurant.  He seems to have lost weight since the last time I saw him. 

He gave about a half hour talk of the work he has been doing in Washington, fighting the evil Democrats and looking out for the people in his district, or so he says.  The audience was made up of about 20 local people, most of whom were seniors.

Then he took questions.  There were the usual Republican/Fox news concerns about immigration, taxes, health care.  It is sad to see people who are comfortable, safe, and on Medicare so concerned that no one else share that condition.

Congressman Schock is a highly skilled politician.  He can take a question and start with what sounds like a non partisan explanation and carefully lead his train of thought into Republican talking points.

He does not challenge the fear mongered assertions of his constituents.  Rather, he sort of gives a wink at them.  At one point, a man asked what was going to be doing about immigrants, claiming that they use “our” health services, schools, and don’t pay for anything.  Schock smiled and said he shared the frustration and went into a rather esoteric discussion of immigration legislation and what Mexican immigration law was like (I could not understand how that is relevant) but somehow ended with the image of a foreigner walking across the Rio Grande with a bomb strapped to their chest.  It seems like a terrorist would wait until they got into the US to build and strap on a bomb, but I digress.

I used to think Schock would be the next Roy Cohn, but seeing him in more intimate settings,  I see a resemblance more to Matt Hale.  His elderly, fearful, confused followers project their desire to understand onto him and he responds by reframing what they want to hear into a seemingly reasonable argument. 

Driving out to Toulon, I saw many pumpkin fields.  Almost all canning workers are Mexican -  American, almost all are native born from Texas who work here seasonally, although a few might be here illegally.   I thought of this when the man asked about immigration.  Of course Schock went with the fear.     -30-

More Schock hipo-cracy

PEORIA -- Peoria's own Republican Congressman, Rep. Aaron Schock, appeared on Meet the Press today, Feb. 14,  where he was thoroughly chewed up by MSNBC host Rachel Maddow. 

Here are some links about the show:

Huffington Post.

Gather.com.

Think Progress blog, includes video.

 -- Elaine Hopkins 

Here's an e-mail comment  from Dick McDonald:

Watched Meet the Press with Arron Schock, my Congressman, being corrected and made a fool of by Rachel Maddow.  I don't think the US House GOP Leadership will ever let Arron on Meet the Press again.  Rachel asked him why the Miranda Rights were detriment to our legal system and why while voting against the Stimulus Bill, Rep Schock took credit for the 300K grant from the bill to our Jr College just last week.  Great TV. See on Huffington Report.  Both segments at top of Huffington news for Sunday Valentine's Day. Interesting to see if Schock will go on Rachel's show as I am sure she will offer an invitation. -30-

2/15/10: Here's an e-mail comment from Burt Raabe:

All of us who abhor Schock agree that Maddow made sense.  But I disagree that Schock was chewed up and spit out by her.  He stuck to Republican talking points, called her Rachel as if they were old buds, and never acknowledged the cognitive dissonance in the Republican world view.  Plus he presented a youthful face of a party that often shows angry old men to the world.

As I watched the logical and erudite discussion of the rest of the panel, I realized that Aaron Schock, the most dishonest and cynical member, was the only one who actually has a vote in congress. -30-