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LaHood takes issue with Schock campaign practices

Posted December 13, 2007 10:00 pm

Beranrd Schoenburg

Republican U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood said Thursday that a candidate to be his successor, state Rep. Aaron Schock, has been using LaHood's name without permission in campaign materials.

He also said the fellow Peoria Republican showed immaturity as he committed a "terrible, terrible blunder" by suggesting early in the campaign a foreign-policy scenario that included the possible sale of nuclear missiles to Taiwan.

Speaking from Washington, D.C., LaHood, who is not seeking another term representing the 18th Congressional District, said he has told all three candidates in the Feb. 5 Republican primary - Schock, John Morris and Jim McConoughey - that he will not make a public endorsement.

The congressman noted that his son, Darin LaHood, is running as a Republican for Peoria County state's attorney against incumbent Democrat Kevin Lyons, and "I don't want to do anything to hurt Darin's chances."

Schock said later Thursday he has "tremendous respect" for LaHood and considers him a friend.

"I don't think any of the pieces (sent out by the Schock campaign) suggest that he's endorsed me," Schock said, "but I certainly want to respect the congressman's wishes, and if that includes letting him see anything that has his name on it before we mail it out, then that's what we'll do."

In a Nov. 5 letter to Schock, which LaHood said mirrored letters to the other two GOP candidates, he said: "In order that we do not send misleading signals to Republican voters, I am asking that you and your campaign seek permission from me personally before using my name, my picture, or quotes from me in any written campaign materials or any material that will promote your candidacy on radio or television."

LaHood said Thursday "there's been at least seven references" to LaHood's name in Schock's materials, and within the last week, he asked his district chief of staff, Tim Butler, to call Schock's campaign manager, Steven Shearer.

"He hasn't called back," LaHood said.

Shearer responded that he has not received any recent call from Butler, and if a phone bill shows he's wrong, "I will apologize profusely."

Butler said he may have called a wrong number when he left the message, but added that the Schock campaign has continued to use LaHood's name without contacting Butler or LaHood.

Butler said he received an invitation in the mail Thursday to a Schock fundraiser this weekend in Springfield in which LaHood's name was mentioned.

A 12-page newspaper-style Schock campaign piece, titled "Downstate Illinois Republican," also includes statements about Schock from state Reps. Jim Watson, R-Jacksonville; Jil Tracy, R-Mount Sterling; and Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, each mentioning LaHood.

After his letter went out, LaHood said, he received calls from both McConoughey and Morris, asking if they could use his name in speeches, saying they want to "'continue the Ray LaHood tradition' or something like that. I said, 'Of course you can.'"

McConoughey in October was running radio ads saying that the area of the 18th has been represented by people including Everett Dirksen, Bob Michel and LaHood. That ran before LaHood's recent letter to the campaigns, and LaHood said, "I have no objection to that."

Matt Bisbee, McConoughey's campaign manager who did campaign work in the past for LaHood through Victory Enterprises, said his campaign asks even before using LaHood's name in a news release where it is noted that he is the incumbent.

"Ray is very well respected," Bisbee said. "He's a close friend of our campaign, and we certainly want to honor his wishes."

In his announcement address in late October, Schock said that if China didn't work to persuade Iran away from development of nuclear weapons, "we will sell Pershing nuclear missiles to Taiwan for their defense. Non-proliferation will either be enforced universally or not at all - it is their choice. The Chinese will come around, I have no doubt."

"My advice on that is that he should have done his homework, and I think it's an outrageous statement to be making," LaHood said, "particularly when you have as your No. 1 employer in the Peoria area, Caterpillar, that has developed many, many relationships with the Chinese, including establishing facilities in China.

"To make a statement that you're going to arm one country with nuclear weapons to attack China I think shows a fairly high level of not doing your homework, and … immaturity and not using good political sense."

Shock had said the missiles would be for defense, not an attack. And after his comments were publicized in newspaper articles and criticized by his opponents, Schock initially issued a news release saying it was "naïve for my opponents to sit still while Iran builds nuclear weapons."

But within a week, he revised his stance, saying "knowledgeable people" continued to say he was on the right track for a plan for the region, but "I overstated the remedy with regard to telling China we would sell Taiwan nuclear weapons. … I regret saying that."

Schock said Thursday that some reaction to the news stories about his stand were "completely blown out of proportion," in part because some people thought he merely wanted to sell weapons to Taiwan. In fact, he noted, his proposal really dealt with Iran, and seeking China's cooperation, and would include the arms sale only if needed.

LaHood also said Thursday that Morris' statements this week that millions of illegal immigrants should be deported once the nation's borders are secure is a "silly solution."

"You're not going to send 12 million people back to Mexico," LaHood said.

While Morris said at a Springfield news conference that once the borders are secure, illegals should be deported, he noted Thursday he also said there's no "magic wand" to make it happen immediately.

Bernard Schoenburg can be reached at (217) 788-1540 or bernard.schoenburg@sj-r.com.

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