Tree Delights, Sheyman Recites and Brad Screws Up, But Wins the Vernon Township Endorsement, Part II

I think it's safe to say that if a candidate has started off by comparing himself to Bobby Kennedy, he's starting to dig himself a hole. Brad Schneider did that at about 2:10 pm yesterday afternoon in Vernon Township. Then, he failed to take Dan Seals regular advice about holes, and kept digging, particularly when he confronted the usual question about his Mark Kirk donations.

He's answers this question in various ways in the past, but always kept his cool and the words sounded good, even if the substance was not. However, everyone has bad days,and this one was Brad's. He didn't get upset or angry, but he got flustered. He accidentally said that 90% of what he contributed was to Republicans and of course that is not accurate. He has mostly give to Democrats, he's just given $3,300 to Mark Kirk and $250 to Bob Bennett in Utah, $250 to a group called Americans United in Support of Democracy that in turn donates to both Democrats and Republicans (likely based more on issues relating to Israel than actual democracy) with similar donations to similar pro-Israel groups, $250 to Republican Michael Johanns, and $250 to Joe Lieberman. A whopping $1000 to Mike Rogers of Michigan. Let me know if I missed something of note.

Brad went on to say that he was a single issue donor. He didn't say, but it's a safe guess that the issue is Israel. He then said he is not a single issue voter, but if he has a litmus test, it's choice. Bennett and Johanns wouldn't exactly call it choice, they'd call it abortion and vigorously fight against it. In 2003, Bennett got a score of zero from NARAL. A summary of Bennett's choice voting record can be found here. Rodgers is a big anti-choice guy and an anti-LGBT hatemonger with a zero rating by HRC. Mike Johanns' has a shorter, but similar voting record on choice issues. He also introduced something called the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, which requires doctors to emphasize fetus pain to women seeking abortions after 20 weeks. Brad must have been out of litmus the day he made those campaign contributions.

His defense of these contributions was that it was 2002 and Israel was facing intifada. But most of these contributions were made much later than that, as late as 2009.

Brad also said that Mark Kirk made his first anti-choice vote in 2008. That comment fails to take into account Kirk's procedural votes to bring anti-choice legislation to the floor for a vote. It also fails to take into account Kirk's less than enthusiastic support for choice measures as set forth in the prior link.

Then, Brad touted Kirk's environmental votes. This neglects Kirk's early work for CEI, the group that funds ignorance on global warming and that Kirk kost the endorsement of both the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club in 2006.

Schneider concluded that Mark Kirk was a "plausible moderate", "he changed, I didn't". Problem is that Kirk changed long before Schneider stopped giving. Frankly, I think Brad would be better off to just be honest and say that he'll support anyone who supports military funding for Israel no matter what else that person does or supports.

Vernon Township Democrats then posed the question to the other candidates, in fairness, but it got odd because what were the others to say on something they had nothing to do with? John Tree answered that he didn't want to speak to Brad's question and used the time to talk more about his candidacy, finding common ground where possible and opposing those who refuse to find the common ground. Sheyman chose to go point by point on what he supported while Brad donated to Mark. Ilya said "elections come down to choices". I'm still waiting for a good reason Ilya chose to preside over our local MoveOn while it's people attacked single payer health care reform advocates.

Vivek asked what we really want from our member of Congress, substance over style, the small, little things we can do to make a difference in the lives of everyday people. He does not think our race can be about the "rhetorical ideas" or we'll have the same problems they have in Washington. Huh? I thought we were trying to elect someone to handle the great "rhetorical ideas" under debate in Washington. Vivek wants our support because he's talking about things that can really happen.

Vivek, I have a tip for you. Read a book called Death of the Liberal Class by Chris Hedges. Hedges argues that conservative ideas are winning out in DC in large part because Democrats provide long-winded explanations of discrete policies while Republicans make emotional arguments about core values. While a lot of your ideas are good, Hedges would have a field  day with your small success argument. I also have problems understanding how a few small successes would make a difference or even happen unless tied to something larger.

More later.