29 thoughts on “Schocker”

  4. It must be time for more B.S. smoke and mirrors campaign commercials. He always seems to cut and run from where he has been elected when things start getting tough – will the voters ever learn?

  7. You need to be 30 to be a senator. I used to think that age restrictions were unfair. I underestimated people’s attraction to youth. Helpful for keeping our cavemothers from tossing us aside, not so helpful in trying to select the best political canidates.

  9. I don’t think his age should be the issue. I’m more interested in character. Which is formed through work, adversity, life experiences. There are plenty of Congressmen and Senators who never worked a day in their life, and are, therefore, in my view, totally unqualified for public office. Mr. Schock, it seems to me, has spent way too much time in government (and campaigning for office) compared to the amount of time he has put into a real life. I’d like to see him get a real job for a while.

  10. Isn’t working in government a “real job”. Don’t they have degrees in politicial science for people who wish to pursue this career. Isn’t it normal for professionals to seek higher levels with more responsibility. I would rather have someone available full time to represent our needs than someone who works part time or less for the same needs. If you want to run for a higher office, you’re a climber? or “You’re not qualified”. I am confused.

    I guess I would rather have someone in the office that truely wants to be in the office, rather than half-hearted attempts at leadership, or completely ineffective, or uninvolved leadership. Aren’t their people who want to be president?

    Don’t doctors go to school to get degrees? don’t they serve as interns and residents? If one becomes a hospital administrator, are they a climber?

    I know some of these guys, including aaron, work long hours, have frenzied schedules that would wilt many other people. I also know some of these guys that ask for your vote every few years and then you never hear from them. These folks get re-elected and few complain, but then everyone gripes that things are not changing. We have representatives that are not returning constituent requests for information, meetings, etc or putting off involvement for a particular season, where is the outrage for these folks?

  11. NO, Paul, working in govt. as an elected representative is not a real job. You can play word games all you want, but the truth is they really have no boss, no chance to get fired, no production quotas, and their “industry” has no competition. Despite the rhetoric about “down-sizing govt”, this is an “industry” that has experienced nothing but growth for two centuries. Know any other industries like that? They live in a fantasy land where they decide how much money they “need” to spend, and then they get it from the taxpayers, at the point of a gun, if need be. Their “job” is to decide public policy. Based on what? If they have no base of knowledge as to the state of the real world, and the problems real people face, there judgment is flawed at best. No, I don’t want professional politicians deciding important issues. You can plaster your wall with all the degrees in the world and they aren’t anything but wallpaper if you don’t have good judgment and good character, and that comes, like I said, from real jobs, adversity, a wide base of experience.

  12. Mouse, Schock has a real job. He works for Alexis Khazzam at Junction City. If this employer intends to back his run for LaHood’s office money is no object.

  13. “Don’t they have degrees in politicial science for people who wish to pursue this career.”

    Majoring in political science has absolutely zilch to do with being a politician. Political science is the study of political systems, governments, regime change, political philosophy and theory, etc. It’s NOT the study of how to be a politician.

    It’s a social science degree, not a pre-professional or professional degree. The comparison to medicine is a false analogy.

    (Besides, people major in poli sci so they can go to law school when they have nothing better to do when they graduate with a liberal arts degree in an area that doesn’t have actual jobs attached unless you’re lucky enough to get hired by a think-tank. Law school, on the other hand, is definitely a prep school for politicians.)

  15. Actually, I don’t believe Schock works for Khazzam any longer. He’s not listed as an employee on the Junction Ventures website.

  16. Schock earned a normally four year degree in Finance from Bradley in only two years.

    So all the talk about poly sci doesn’t apply to him.

  17. There is a difference between a full time politician and a career politician. I’d rather have a full time politician that steps down before they become a part time career politician.

  18. Schock may not work for Khazzam but he still traveled to Mexico and stayed at one of Khazzam’s homes filled with servents to wait on Aaron. Schock and Khazzam need to realize Cental Illinois is a small place and what they do in private is talked about in public. I think they make a great couple…neither one of them completes what they say they are going to do.

  19. Peorian-on-prospect…..
    So what if he went to Mexico….or Iceland, Hawaii, Sierra Leone, or Russia for that matter. What he does on vacation is really none of our concern….unless you are of the opinion that public servants should have no public lives. I’m more interested in rating my representatives based upon their performance in office than on their personal lives.

  20. peoria-on-prospect, while I may disagree with Alexis on some subjects he does put his money where his mouth is. He is definitely trying to improve his little corner of the world. You can say all you want about Schock, but he hasn’t been in office long enough to be corrupted yet and that is a good thing. He and Alexis are drivers and that is what we need around here. Sometimes they drive a little too hard but at least they get in there and get it done, or at least make the good old college try. And as for Aaron visiting Alexis’ house in Mexico, so what. He’s a free citizen and can be invited to enjoy a few luxuries if someone offers them. I think you are jealous because you weren’t invited.

  21. Oh, you are going to start seeing the whispering campaigns begin about Aaron. I expect Willy Nilly to be posting soon. I just can’t figure out if these whispers originate from the Dems or GOP, both hoping to play on the fears of “traditional” Republican voters.

  24. I know Alexis well. and i know that his house is not in Mexico.. its in the Bahamas. Aaron visiting the house… news to me.

  25. Sorry, Peo Proud, wrong again. Where public officials go on “vacation” does matter if the “vacation” is provided by someone seeking favors. If Schock “vacationed” at the overseas home of someone the Propaganda Star didn’t like, it would be all over the front page and you know it.

  26. Sorry, Mouse but you’re assuming that there was some favor asked. First we don’t know that he even went (it’s an unfounded whisper). Second, if he went who has stated that any favors were sought or given?? No one…it’s pure and simple made up out of whole cloth speculation.

    While I think our public officials should be held to a higher standard, I don’t think that means they have to either give up their right to a private life. I’ve noticed an interesting observation over the last several years (this comment is in general and not directed at you mouse) that those who criticize politicians the loudest over issues involved in the politician’s personal life are the ones that scream the loudest about any “perceived” infringement on their own privacy – especially if the government is involved.

  27. Favors? Nobody said anything about favors. Schock works for Alexis and if Alexis choose to reward his employees with a trip to one of his vacation houses I see nothing wrong with that. Again I believe jealousy is rearing its ugly head over this. And this happened before Schock had said anything about running for LaHood’s office.

  28. Alexis Khazzam has NO house in either Mexico or the Bahamas and he never ever had one before in either place. The fiction here just keeps building on itself propelled by no facts at all.

  29. Come on people get real- I nearly want to puke every time I read comments on this blog about how wonderful Schlock is. He is an opportunist- and he sits around and laughs at the stupid “little” people. Yes Paul, I’m sorry to say, you too.
    Here are the facts:
    1. Alexis has a house in Jamaica.
    2. Alexis is going to need IDOT help for his future project north of town. He has talked to Schlock about this and Aaron is tripping over himself to satisfy Alexis.
    Time will tell- you will see.

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