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* The Peoria Journal-Star takes a closer look at some claims made in the three 18th Congressional District candidate bios. Here’s the first part of Aaron Schock’s biography that’s examined…
Claim #1: Graduated from Bradley University in two years with a finance degree.
Reality: Schock entered college with two years of college-level credits. He completed all his Richwoods High School credits by his junior year. As required, he took physical education his senior year, and classes during the fall semester at Illinois Central College totaling more than 20 hours. He also took more than 20 hours in the spring.
Before entering Bradley University, placement tests garnered Schock an additional 15 hours of credit. Therefore, he entered Bradley as a freshman with junior standing.
* Actually, in Schock’s biographical TV ad, it is claimed that the candidate…
“Earned his finance degree in only two years.
So, since Bradley University isn’t mentioned in the ad, he should change that to three years, not two. It’s still quite an accomplishment, but resume padding is always something to look out for in any candidate.
Go read the whole thing for more claims and counter-claims.
* More from a Peoria political columnist…
“I’m not running for President of the United States, I’m running to be a member of Congress and if our founding fathers would have designed it to be an old men’s club, they wouldn’t have set the constitutional limit at 25,” said state Rep. Aaron Schock, 26, about what to tell his detractors who claim he’s not ready for prime time in Congress.
The U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1787. At that time, the life expectancy was less than 38 years old, putting congressmen then at least above middle age. Today’s life expectancy, however, is approaching 80 years old.
To be fair to Schock, the life expectancy statistic used is a bit skewed because so many people died at birth or shortly thereafter back then. Thomas Jefferson lived to the ripe old age of 83. George Washington lived to see his 69th birthday. Ben Franklin was 84 when he died. And John Adams was 90 when he bought the farm.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 9:25 am
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Comment by Wumpus Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 9:28 am
What Mr. Schock fails to recognize is the issue for him is maturity, not credibility. The age issue isn’t about numbers or the Constitution, nor is it about old men running Congress, it is about maturity and experience. Finishing college in two years, as he claims, isn’t as impressive as having the maturity not to make this some kind of proof of his abilities to represent Peoria in Congress.
Mr. Schock doesn’t understand that this is not about his accomplishments as if one can earn a Congressional seat. What we are doing is selecting someone we can relate to enough to believe they can represent us in Washington. By running ads touting his accomplishments, he is assuming that we will understand that achieving these goals also means he can do the job - but he is failing to demonstrate that he is anything but an annoying ladder climbing political wanna-be lacking serious people skills as a human being.
The more he pushes this line of ad, the more he looks like some kind of freaky geeky kid with no life.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 9:35 am
He’s 26 - when is he going to start acting like it?
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 9:48 am
At the 2004 ILGOP convention, Schock was pumped up by Tom Cross like a motorist filling up a flat tire on the interstate. You would’ve thought he was the Second Coming.
When Schock announced, I was excited. I thought he would be a great candidate who could parlay his youth and accomplishments in a good way. So far, he’s pushed those two issues in the wrong direction and looked silly for trying to wear his foreign policy big boy pants.
Aaron should probably stop acting like he is already the incumbent and run like he is a candidate with something to prove.
Comment by Team Sleep Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 10:07 am
FYI, Journal Star isn’t hyphenated.
Journal-Register is.
Comment by Ditch the dash Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 10:15 am
Schock still dreamiest.
Is it this type of “in-depth” reporting that answers the question “why is circulation falling?”
And they only want $1 a day.
Comment by Peoria Parrot Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 10:33 am
I have to agree with VM on this. He completly misses the point that the age issue is about maturity and life experience to help guide decisions. Such as whetehr to put nukes in taiwan, then later backpedal it as a joke etc. Its nice to see him downplay the wisdom and knowledge of people over 26 as not worth his time, just some old mens club.
So far all he has deomonstarted is that at 26 he is whiney and without a clue. He needs to look at McCains approach and search for a more dignified and steady presence as a role model.
Comment by Ghost Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 10:59 am
You want to talk about resume “padding?” Has anyone seen Jim McCounaghey’s? He claims to have served on the Harvard Economic Council. Pretty impressive, huh? Well not until you do a little research. That was Harvard ILLINOIS. He clearly left the ILLINOIS part off to mislead people. Next he claims he got his MBA from NIU. I guess he means EXECUTIVE MBA. Big difference. Finally, he said he sold his Ohio hotel chain for “hundreds of millions of dollars.” Opps, you mean I have to file a financial disclosure which will show I have well under a million dollars in net worth? Jim, tell the truth. It will set you free!
Comment by Sleepy Jim Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 11:05 am
If Schock is fudging on facts while he’s running, we can expect more of the same IF he’s elected. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I DON’T TRUST HIM and would vote for a yellow dog first (no insult to YDD). OK, now y’all can come back with “don’t all candidates lie?”
Comment by Little Egypt Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 11:11 am
John Adams father was a farmer — so he actually inherited the farm
Comment by JQA says Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 11:17 am
Does his resume include his recent central Illinois comedy tour?
Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 11:35 am
I was struck by how lame the whole article was.
Three items critiqued for each candidate. Including a description of McConoughey’s childhood on the farm, which I’m not sure was meant to support or refute the claim.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 12:40 pm
[…] Finally, Rich Miller notes more immaturity from the Aaron Strangelove campaign. Apparently, though Mr. Strangelove is a pretty bright kid (academically speaking), he’s not above fluffing his resume to try to make it sound more impressive. Here’s some advice for Mr. Strangelove. If you graduate from High School early (except for phys ed), and graduate from college in 3 years, that is quite impressive. You don’t need to lie and say you did the college thing in 2 years. Plus, your ad doesn’t state that you graduated from BRADLEY. Some may assume that you graduated with an Associates Degree from ICC, not a bachelor’s degree from Bradley. […]
Pingback by Dan Seals and Mark Pera News Round-up (oh, and a little more dirt on Aaron Strangelove) « Illinois Reason Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 1:05 pm
Hehe…I remember when Alexi Giannoulis used to be the ‘young guy’ whipping boy who didn’t have any experience.
Comment by Leroy Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 2:24 pm
Who would have thought that graduating early should be considered a qualification for office? Why would anyone want a candidate to show signs of being smart and a hard worker? By all means, support a candidate who is not going to emphasize his personal accomplishments as a reason for voting for him. Let me know when you find one.
Comment by Another Pro-gunner Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 2:54 pm
Someone should look at Stanely Moore who is still on IDOT payroll doing political work on State time
Comment by Who is watching Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 3:16 pm
” Why would anyone want a candidate to show signs of being smart and a hard worker?”
Smart like offering up the idea we sell no longer in existance nuclear weapons to taiwan? perhaps he missed the education part of college in his rush to show how smart and hard a worker he is. He needs high school history before his high speed degree carries substance.
Comment by Ghost Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 3:37 pm
No, smart (or hard working) like getting his degree faster than normal. The point was regarding his touting his education, which some seem to think is wrong. Whatever statements or mistatements he may have made is not part of this particular equation, but I appreciate your ability to rehash something that has been already discussed ad nauseum. One presumes his HS diploma indicates he has already taken high school history, but I guess trying to be clever outweighs trying to be relevant.
Comment by Another Pro-gunner Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 4:27 pm
Talk about splitting hairs.
Somebody should tell Miller that Schock is not the only candidate running for this seat.
Anyone else notice this obsession with finding problems with Schock to the extent of entertaining an absurd critique of his resume?
Or, actually questioning a Congressional candidate’s prerogative to comment on U.S. Foreign Policy?
Or the insinuation that his arming policy is somehow radical when even liberal foreign policy think tanks, such as the Brookings Institute have discussed the nuclear option and that the Bush administration has hinted more than once at its desire to withdraw from tenants of the non-proliferation treaty.
Miller is about form, not substance.
But, heck, Miller has been spinning his wheels in this dump of an elite/democrat controlled fiscal nightmare called Illinois politics for way to long. He is part of the system he pretends to narrarate.
If it looks like a hack
If it talks like a hack
Walks like a hack……..
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 6:16 pm
You Schock people sure do cry a lot when you get bad press. I see it all over the web.
Please, drop the Chris Crocker routine. It’s really unbecoming.
Also, threatening to arm Taiwan with nuclear missies is not form, it’s substance. Lying about how it was a joke is also not form. (Obfuscating with goofy parallels and red herrings in your post is truly weird.) Padding a resume is generally considered a campaign no-no.
In sum: Bite me.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jan 14, 08 @ 6:23 pm
I tend to give him some leeway on the 2 years bit. Getting college credit while in high school is still being in high school by most university rules.
That said, many of the experiences college should expose you to take more than two years to settle in and it sort of shows in this case.
Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Jan 15, 08 @ 12:13 am