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*** UPDATED x1 *** “Downton Abbey” story was no random thing
Wednesday, Mar 4, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Washington Post’s Ben Terris was the guy who broke Aaron Schock’s “Downton Abbey” office decor a few weeks ago. Chris Cillizza interviewed Terris and he revealed something for what I think is the first time…
He said he initially declined to bite on the story, but then decided that Schock was “an interesting guy” and maybe it would be worth the trip. In any case, this wasn’t a self-motivated story. Somebody tipped him off. I’ve reached out to Terris on Twitter to ask who called him and whether that person was a political operative. As we’ve seen multiple times, this Schock story has been ginned up and even directed by somebody and/or some entity in or very near politics. The DCCC has their fingerprints on this as well. Finding out who was behind the office decor story might possibly help lead us to who’s really behind this and why. *** UPDATE *** He responded, sorta…
* Meanwhile…
Oof.
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- PublicServant - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:36 am:
Was the house called Highclere Castle? Just wonderin…
- Moist von Lipwig - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:38 am:
Why does it matter who the whistleblower was? Nobody claims these are dastardly lies about Schock, right?
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:40 am:
I was going to say something funny about what the invaders were trying to steal, but decided home invasion by armed intruders to be unfunny.
_____________________________________________
His shirtless cover shoots, Instagram postings, Twitter tweets and social media glamour seems to have generated a feeling among his critics that male model/congressman Schock could be an easy set up to frame and script into a political downfall.
I wonder how they got that idea?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:41 am:
===Why does it matter who the whistleblower was?===
It matters because this whole thing is being directed from above. If you’re unconcerned about the “why” behind stories, perhaps this site isn’t for you.
The media has been reporting all this without revealing who is spoon feeding them. If you find this acceptable, then perhaps this site isn’t for you.
If you are content with being spoon fed yourself, then perhaps this site isn’t for you.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:42 am:
Why does it matter who the whistleblower was?
As Matlock would say, motive is an important factor.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:42 am:
===Why does it matter who the whistleblower was? Nobody claims these are dastardly lies about Schock, right?===
The motive and intent is in question as some stories that are being fed are actual issues, some are optics, and some of bith of those issues have an undercurrent… of payback by some one/group seeing lifestyle hypocrisy…and these missteps are a method of punishment(?)
It’s not as intriguing as to the “why”, unless the “why” can also have a “who” attached to it.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:43 am:
Rich nailed it. Terris was no accident.
Now, if we only knew whether that call came from a ==friend== in Illinois or Washington.
- Team Sleep - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:43 am:
Thank you, Rich, for validating my previous concerns.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:44 am:
Or maybe even Ohio.
- South of Sherman - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:46 am:
The “why” is interesting.
But it in no way negates the “what,” which is far and away still the most interesting part of the saga.
- Illini97 - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:46 am:
=Why does it matter who the whistleblower was? Nobody claims these are dastardly lies about Schock, right? =
Why can’t we say that the excesses were wrong AND wonder how/why this is cat being let out of the bag?
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:48 am:
Of course this wasn’t random. Of course he got tipped off. The question is — did the tipster set it up so the communications person would flip his lid?
If it had just been a story on the decor, it wouldn’t have been nearly so newsworthy. At least it would have been survivable.
- Dance Dance Dance - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:52 am:
Um, last I checked most stories come from tips. I’m not sure it’s that big of a deal who the tipster was as long as the facts are true. Reporters are spoon fed quite often - whether or not they bite is a different story.
- Nearly Normal - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:53 am:
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/02/another-link-in-ohio-dark-money-network/
Could this be the reason for the recent spate of bad news for Schock? He brought it on himself but someone is directing the press to find them.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 11:55 am:
===Um, last I checked most stories come from tips===
Duh.
This, however, is a very special case.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:00 pm:
===I’m not sure it’s that big of a deal who the tipster was as long as the facts are true.===
Oh, to be footloose and fancy-free. A plastic bag, just blowing in the wind…
===Reporters are spoon fed quite often - whether or not they bite is a different story.===
Read the recent Politico article, yeah, just reporting facts there.
- G. Gordon Liddy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:05 pm:
Did the cops find tape over the door jam when they busted the burglars?
- A guy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:08 pm:
At the risk of being accused of wearing tin foil on my head, your having a story with the Office tip, the ginned up response…..and the home invasion; with a gun present, make me truly wonder if the home invasion is a dot to be connected with the rest of this stuff. If so, this isn’t a harmless little vendetta on a frat boy. Didn’t think of it this way until just now reading this.
- Dance Dance Dance - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:10 pm:
I just wish we did all this hand-wringing and scrutiny over every “anonymously” tipped story. I think people are reading WAY too much into this. Reporter gets an easy story — ready made that he knew would be a fun read - and prints it. Today it’s Schock, tomorrow it will be someone else. These are easy stories to get. But to gasp at the “horror” of an oppo group planting a story is kid stuff around here. We all know that’s the way to sausage is made.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:10 pm:
===I just wish we did all this hand-wringing and scrutiny over every “anonymously” tipped story===
Oh, please. If you can’t see the significance here, then you’re blind.
- Lovie - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:12 pm:
Rich, you’re wrong on this one!
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:13 pm:
===I just wish we did all this hand-wringing and scrutiny over every “anonymously” tipped story.===
The Politico article, that ain’t no hard hitting investigative piece. You may also be deaf to dog whistles too.
- Annon3 - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:15 pm:
The why will be very interesting as there could be so many targets.
If this can happen to Congessmen Schock what could happen to others, who ever did the research was very thorough.
- Team Sleep - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:15 pm:
There’s a difference between a tip and running an entire hit piece put forth by a competing organization or candidate.
- Educated in the Suburbs - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:23 pm:
A few times in comments, people have suggested the Schock story could have come from the Rauner camp. I guess I am not up on GOP infighting — why would Rauner’s camp want to hurt Schock?
(I know that’s not mentioned in today’s story but I’ve seen it a few times, can’t figure it out from context, and now I keep wondering about it.)
- Just Me - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:25 pm:
What kind of thought process does one go through where they decide that robbing a US Congressman is a good idea?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:26 pm:
- Educated in the suburbs -,
Hit the Google key.
- Nothin's easy... - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:27 pm:
A good friend frequently reminds me most “conspiracies” are more about incompetence than diabolical intent.
- Walter Mitty - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:27 pm:
No disrespect intended to anyone… But if you really don’t think it matters who happened to call and say… Hey, crazy office decor… Then all of a sudden… The drip begins. This matters to the story. I am sure to echo Word from yesterday, there is a real possibility that this was a former member of his inner circle. Some seems easy to find for an operative. Jet travel to the Bears game with the name of a pilot? That’s gotta be a real possibility this was from inside…
- Amalia - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:28 pm:
the sound keeps glitching on this episode of Congressional Serial. is the tipster revealed?
- A guy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:28 pm:
I don’t know Just You. I also don’t know why you bring a gun to a robbery. That trumps up the charge significantly and doesn’t help you steal stuff.
- Responsa - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:28 pm:
It’s good that you’re asking these questions Rich. Yes, juicy “tips” get dropped to reporters all the time. We all know that. But the architectural outline and then the escalating progression of building the blocks of this attack on Schock are so much more obvious than usual political op skulduggery that the who and why just absolutely begs to be asked and answered. The meticulous thoroughness and viciousness of the plan may, in the end, be its undoing. Of course maybe that’s what “they” wanted, but in the end “they” may have been too clever by half.
- Just Me - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:39 pm:
Speaking of Peoria: I have been absolutely amazed at the lack of news coverage that Caterpillar was staying in Illinois, and without any tax incentives.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:40 pm:
===I have been absolutely amazed at the lack of news coverage===
The company has been saying for over a year that they weren’t moving. Not news.
- What About.. - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:40 pm:
What about the sale of his house several years ago to the Cat. Exec. When will this resurface?
- Interested Observer - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:40 pm:
Rich said in response to : “Why does it matter who the whistleblower was?”
“It matters because this whole thing is being directed from above. If you’re unconcerned about the “why” behind stories, perhaps this site isn’t for you.
The media has been reporting all this without revealing who is spoon feeding them. If you find this acceptable, then perhaps this site isn’t for you.
If you are content with being spoon fed yourself, then perhaps this site isn’t for you.”
Almost every significant public corruption case I’ve observed often has a questionable motives lurking in the background. I once had a friendly interrogation by two FBI officers for about 3 hours about what I knew about public corruption in a particular jurisdiction. As I ticked off the list from what I viewed as being most important, I watched as their eyes glazed over. When they were about to conclude their interview with me and asked one last time, “you got anything else,” I gave them a throw-away item I received second-hand from a disgruntled former employee of a politician I personally viewed as the least important of everything I had discussed with them, and much to my surprise that’s what they jumped all over it. Within six months, a low-budget sting operation had been set up and the politician was recorded on camera taking money from an undercover officer. Were my motives bad, or does it really matter at the end of the day? A dishonest politician finally got his comeuppance.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:44 pm:
IO, your tip to the feds about a pol has nothing whatsoever in common with the way this Schock story has been so heavily orchestrated by clearly non-media political sources. It’s a hit job. An effective hit job, to be sure, but I want to know who’s behind it. That’s an intriguing mystery here, other than what the next dropping shoe will be.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:45 pm:
The posh office tip, while true, was just a setup to throw shade and innuendo about sexuality. The innuendo has been out there for a while but they could never plausibly get it into the mainstream. Former Senator Danforth gave an incredible eulogy yesterday on this type of nasty politics.
- Qui Tam - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:46 pm:
The stories do raise the question beyond the recent extravagances. - Does anyone know if the whistle-blower tips include(d) past years and if Schock paid taxes on any funds allegedly converted for personal use?
- Federalist - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:48 pm:
Whatever ‘whistleblower(s) did this should be proud to step up and say they did it.
Then let everything come out. Sunlight can be a very cleansing process and is particularly helpful for those with nothing to hide.
- Walter Mitty - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:50 pm:
At this point, if a goal was to get sexuality innuendo out, it failed miserably. Because, there is way too many issues of finance that everyone cares about.
- Just Observing - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:53 pm:
The “who” would be interesting, but not knowing doesn’t negate the substance of the stories. We may never know, but oh well.
- Dirty Red - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:54 pm:
= Schock was “an interesting guy” =
Hmmmmm….
- Undergrad Economist - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 12:57 pm:
In one of the first blog posts about this Schock controversy, a commenter mentioned how often this happens to young rising politicians who are getting into territory run by the old bosses.
Not to say that this is anything that should go unnoticed, but I imagine this happens more often than anyone would care to imagine or report about and Schock is just another one of the boys that is way too egocentric to not show off.
His naivety paired with someone (or a group) wanting him knocked down a few pegs is what is making this story interesting for a young impressionable mind like my own.
- Anonin' - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:01 pm:
Had not noticed anyone blamin’ BVR for the Schockapalooza
Most have nominated CommandoMakeItUp, Roskam, and “sources close to high rankin’ Midwest senator” as likely “sources”
Given the thininng numbers of the media look for anything more complicated than a speech to be handed to the media
- 60611 - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:03 pm:
I used to think this was just an organized effort to diminish Schock’s fundraising capability and embarrass House Republicans. I’m coming around to the idea that it’s a punishment for a voting record hypothetically at odds with one’s own conduct. Whether the Downton Abbey tip to the WaPo was the start of the effort, or the effort went into gear after the Downton article is still unclear. I think if I had walked into Schock’s office a month ago and seen it, I probably would have chuckled to a few people about it, including reporters if I knew any — without being part of a larger conspiracy.
On the plus side, though, it’s good to see that newspaper circulation in Peoria is still high enough that the PJS is read by the criminal element. Glad no one got hurt.
- Tippecanoe - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:03 pm:
I couldn’t care less about the “tipster” on the office. It was obviously open to anyone to see. No doubt dozens (hundreds?) of lobbyists and scores of constituents passed through the doors. It could very well have just been something that made someone chuckle and passed it on. I’m not even sure why people are convinced it was someone with an ax to grind.
The real story is the rest of the spending issues that were opened up with Downton Abbey. There’s no reason to believe that the two tips are related. The one was apparent to hundreds of people. Hell, more than a couple of reporters are kicking themselves for not doing the story when they probably had noticed it.
The other info had to be searched out. That’s the tipster that would certainly be interesting.
- anonymoose - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:03 pm:
Now that you mention conspiracy, seems a little too coincidental the interior decorator is present and accounted for on the day the press drops by. Anyone suspect some insider really familiar with the congressional office schedule and visitors and the visitors’ comings and goings?
- Illini97 - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:04 pm:
=Former Senator Danforth gave an incredible eulogy yesterday on this type of nasty politics.=
One key difference here is that, this drumbeat of revelations isn’t “implying” anything. It’s straight up uncovering how he’s spent money. Not a lot of innuendo in a reimbursement for a trip to a Bears game.
What transpired in Missouri is not yet entirely clear, but it certainly doesn’t appear to be about outright catching anyone with their hand in the cookie jar.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:06 pm:
===Not a lot of innuendo in a reimbursement for a trip to a Bears game.===
Oh, please. Snide innuendo has been ham-handedly plastered all over just about every story about Schock for the past few weeks.
- Interested Observer - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:07 pm:
I could be wrong, Rich, but I strongly suspect someone had already been talking to the feds about Schock, and it’s probably someone who was once very close to him. Et tu, Brute? The media stories just lay some good groundwork to support a criminal case. The case I mentioned–the story was leaked to the media the day after the undercover bust–even though it was months later before a criminal indictment was filed in the case.
- Veritas - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:08 pm:
My guess is that Mr. Barrow knows something about this!!
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:08 pm:
IO, I find it difficult to believe that the Dept. of Justice is engaging in a smear campaign.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:09 pm:
===There’s no reason to believe that the two tips are related.===
Except for the curious timing of each story rolling out in a concerted and orchestrated way, with the Politico piece being brazen with its undercurrent…
Other than that…
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:12 pm:
- Interested Observer -,
The Justice Department is dropping the dime on decor and and who is traveling with who?
The Feds like things quiet, till they don’t.
Plus, why would the “G” list the pilot’s name? They want answers, not shaming.
- Annon3 - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:21 pm:
Is it innuendo if it’s true? Which goes back to the earlier poster who said it was payback for his votes.
My tinfoil hat points to fratricide.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:37 pm:
==but I want to know who’s behind it==
Given the attempted break in I’d say somebody ought to see where G. Gordon Liddy was on that day.
- MrJM - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:38 pm:
Annon3,
I’m pretty sure I know “the truth” what your mom let your dad do to her to make you, but regardless of “if it’s true” it would be “innuendo” for me to to hint about it in a suggestive or derogatory manner.
– MrJM
- Qui Tam - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 1:43 pm:
=Whatever ‘whistleblower(s) did this should be proud to step up and say they did it.=
- Downright creepy. Inviting the whistleblower(s) to reveal their identity so lives can be ruined in retaliation.
- Jamie - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:07 pm:
Based on the WP article, Schock had not yet seen the redecorated office. If that’s the case, I think that would suggest the possible number of people who could have provided the original tip is a fairly short list.
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:08 pm:
We still never got official confirmation on who ran the TV ads to stop his governor run did we?
Also I am somewhat confused like others about the why of all the Schock oppo matter in so much in particular on this story if this is a dccc thing. Seems obvious then this is a fundraising thing as dems have no hope of getting his seat.
If rich was implying some gop faction was after him that would be interesting. Or just dems in general to stop a Senate bid. That I’d get.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:08 pm:
just say it.
Enough with the rumors, say why the “who” is important.
But instead, we’re all tiptoeing around it.
- Dirty Red - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:13 pm:
= I think that would suggest the possible number of people who could have provided the original tip is a fairly short list. =
You’re assuming the tipster saw the office for him or herself first.
- Nick Naylor - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:23 pm:
As to the question “why” I ask “why does it matter?” For all the innuendo, whispering, winks & nods, about the Congressman, it doesn’t negate that the fact that he was caught with his hands in the proverbial cookie jar. Saddling taxpayers for personal trips is a “no-no”, as well as pawning off personal expenses to his various PACs, like travel and pop-star concerts.
Maybe the real motive is to take a congressional rising star (who has a high opinion of himself) and knock him down a few pegs.
And Rich, unless you think this is a conspiracy of sorts to damage his reputation it would have to be a conspiracy to damage his reputation at home with the voters. I say this because no one in DC cares about Schock’s personal life. It is a town known for secrets.
- moby - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:25 pm:
Story is that he did it. Just assume cutthroat politcs.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:29 pm:
===it would have to be a conspiracy to damage his reputation at home with the voters===
It doesn’t have to be so. I’ve shown time and time again how these planted stories are leading the coverage. I’m amazed that people don’t care about who did the OR and who pushed the OR. If you wanna be sheep, then fine. I’d like to know.
- Qui Tam - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:30 pm:
=As to the question “why” I ask “why does it matter?” For all the innuendo, whispering, winks & nods, about the Congressman, it doesn’t negate that the fact that he was caught with his hands in the proverbial cookie jar.=
Agreed. It’s troubling to see the outrage on the way the wrongdoing was revealed as opposed to the actual wrongdoing.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:32 pm:
===as opposed to the actual wrongdoing. ===
Stop it.
There’s plenty of outrage out there. Much of it valid, much of it manufactured. Go use the Google and you’ll find plenty of sites to vent your blind partisan rage.
Again, somebody’s pulling some mighty long strings out there. I’d like to know who it is. If you don’t, move along.
- Roscoe Tom - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:38 pm:
It ain’t beanbags folks and other than his selfies as a pretty boy jock of sorts, we never see him with a glove which he is going to need to get back into the game.
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:39 pm:
Rich, it’s not that I wouldn’t like to know who is pushing this or am a sheep. I’m just having trouble coming up with a source of the oppo research that would make me feel bad for Aaron or otherwise view his conduct with government finances more sympathetically. And I’m drawing a blank here. Granted I’m biased as one of his constituents who didn’t vote for him yet embarrassed to see the people of central Illinois mocked as rubes in every comments section for having elected Aaron.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:42 pm:
===that would make me feel bad for Aaron or otherwise view his conduct with government finances more sympathetically===
That’s not the goal here. And if you think it is, then you’re part of the problem.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:48 pm:
@Educated in the Suburbs www.sj-r.com/article/20130117/News/301179939 Good reading.
@Tippecanoe These hits are as spontaneous as the call to Mr Terris was. This looks coordinated, maybe even too smart for its own good.
@Interested Observer Yet the feds kept Jesse Jackson Jr’s fund investigation quiet, as frequently do. Those coordinating this want to hurt Schock, not convict him imho.
- Annon3 - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 2:57 pm:
MrJM you are correct unless he says the words and by now that’s really the side side show. The “who” is the most interesting part of this whole debacle.
- Wensicia - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 3:09 pm:
We may not know “who”, but Schock does.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 3:14 pm:
If Schock knows the “who”…
He’s keeping it quiet.
He knows how much more is yet to roll out.
He hasn’t done a stellar job getting ahead of it, or anticipating the next move.
Seeing how reactionary they are to revelations, I don’t think Schock knows “who”, what they may roll out next, and Schock hasn’t moved ahead of anything even up to today…
- A - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 3:37 pm:
Shades of Watergate Batman! Could it be some ones future Ex?
- Nick Naylor - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 3:41 pm:
=and Schock hasn’t moved ahead of anything even up to today…=
That’s a tricky wicket. If he starts to make moves to clean up messes before they are exposed, isn’t that a tacit admission that he knew what he was doing was wrong?
- Sangamo Sam - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 3:43 pm:
==Schock hasn’t moved ahead of anything even up to today==
Could it be that there’s so much more that could be revealed that he doesn’t know what to get ahead of next? If he got out ahead of say Issue A, whomever this is may go to Issue B instead.
With this much emerging it has to be someone in his inner circle either professionally or personally and smacks of retribution to me. The why (if it’s retribution) then gets you to the who.
- Anonin' - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 3:51 pm:
Knowin’ there could be several who’s
GOPies who fear Sen. Kirk (aka ComandoMakeItUp) does not gets the startin’ gate and gets replaced
All the Ds busy tryin’ to con other Ds to make the Senate race.
If Schock gets knocked out the GOPies are left with Roskam, Bost and Munger ( that group just cracked us up)
So now you know why the concerted effort to take Schock out
all that splain’ wore us out
- Wensicia - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 3:53 pm:
==Schock hasn’t moved ahead of anything even up to today==
Could be who or what’s ahead may be worse. And I agree with Sam. It’s personal and does seem like some kind of retribution. We won’t hear about the why from Schock either.
- Bored Chairman - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 3:54 pm:
Why do I get the sense the Rich, Willie and others only care about this because they somehow see Rauner behind it all.
- Sangamo Sam - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 3:57 pm:
==Why do I get the sense the Rich, Willie and others only care about this because they somehow see Rauner behind it all.==
You’re new hear aren’t you.
- Sangamo Sam - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 3:57 pm:
*here
D’oh!!!
- Amalia - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 3:59 pm:
meanwhile, another other Cong pols under a hot lamp for allegations? answer, yes. bring all the allegations and all the motives behind those who bring out the facts. he is not the only pol whose financial and other mistakes have come out. and not the only Cong Pol in Illinois.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:04 pm:
- Sangamo Sam -, lol.
To the Comments,
Yeah, maybe Schock doesn’t know “where to begin”, or doesn’t want to admit any more mistakes, however…
…at some point, ya gotta eat it, gotta own it. You’re always chasing until you get ahead of it.
The waiting and wondering has got to worry Schock, because he’s hopefully done an “audit” of his memory.
- Anonin’ -,
That’s a heck of a list. Thanks.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:07 pm:
list of Cong pols under investigation…..Rep from Kentucky, Sen. Menendez, Bobby Rush, and now Schock. there may be others, but those come to mind.
- walker - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:10 pm:
Trolls are easier to handle than those who would not see.
This is a political blog. Those who would pull such long strings are the news here. Not Schock.
- Anon 2 - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:11 pm:
Katherine Brooks of Huffington Post did an interview with designer. Looks like it was all used furniture and garage sale finds.
- anonymoose - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:12 pm:
I’m still playing the “is it a staff insider?” cards.
Congressman Peter Roskam was looking for a leadership slot. Congressman Schock was strongly against against Mr. Roskam. Any former Peter Roskam staffers/supporters in Mr. Schock’s office? Is this an internal effort/revenge to take away/de-rail leadership plans for Mr. Schock? I would believe that before I’d believe some Kirk/Rauner take down.
- Juvenal - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:13 pm:
Bored Chairman:
I blame Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus.
- Toure's Latte - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:16 pm:
This smells like a preemptive strike either by or at the behest of Team Durbin to knock out a potential GOP opponent for Senate. Schock is a problem millennial for Dems to run against. Best to FIGURATIVELY kill him now before its too late.
- Toure's Latte - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:18 pm:
And yes I know it’s six years from now. It’s called strategic planning.
- Anonin' - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:35 pm:
BVR does not need to be involved. CommandoMakeItUp’s staff is now runnin’ state govt and have plenty of time to run the steam roller over Schock a few times
- Nick Naylor - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:35 pm:
=This smells like a preemptive strike either by or at the behest of Team Durbin=
I hate to burst your bubble, but if you’re suggesting that Sen. Durbin is worried about Schock running against him in 2020, you’re sorely mistaken. Durbin is on his victory lap.
- A guy - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:41 pm:
We’ve already seen that the DCCC was involved in some of this. They don’t cooperate or play with the GOP. I’d look there for the who and the why.
- Nick Naylor - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:42 pm:
=Durbin is on his victory lap.=
I meant to write farewell tour.
- Just a Reader - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:50 pm:
I’m late to the party here, but New York Magazine had an online piece last week that tread some of the same ground, including talking to Ben Terris. It was interesting.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/02/how-office-dcor-sparked-a-dc-spending-scandal.html
After reading that piece, I was pondering whether the tip to Terris was connected to the tips / plants since the Washington Post Downtown Abbey story.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 4:52 pm:
===I’d look there for the who and the why.===
They’re not the brightest bulbs in my party, but even they know they can’t flip the seat from R to D. At best, if Schock goes, we’ll get a more conservative Rep.
Yes, clearly the DCCC played a role in this, but this is unusual, even by DC standards. Like Rich, I’m dying to know who’s behin this attack. I think I know why, but who is the biggest mystery.
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 5:00 pm:
Furthermore, as the leader of the Illinois Republican Party, unless he’s in on it, Gov. Rauner needs to use his bully pulpit to smack this homophobia down.
But guess what? Based on his track record,
Rauner and crew are the prime suspects in bankrolling this homophobic sickness.
Rahm, Di,and Bruce, you and the horses you rode in on. Just go make your money and feed your egos. You bring no “gravitas” to the table,
Phonies. Malignant phonies.
- someone who never loses - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 5:00 pm:
who would be wantin’ to do such a thing?
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 5:00 pm:
I dunno, Rich. This feels more like a family feud to me. Granted that Schock is high-profile. But he doesn’t demonstrate the same level of “hypocrisy” — if it is hypocrisy — that others are. And if this were motivated by a desire to embarrass him for hypocrisy, that would be the focus.
This looks like an attempt to take him out. I think it’s bare-knuckle politics from his side of the aisle.
When was the office reno completed? I’m guessing that Schock is combing through his visitor logs pretty tightly right about now…
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 5:12 pm:
Gosh this is interesting. The NY Mag piece was written by a friend of the WaPo reporter — who said
a) that he initially asked to meet with Schock’s comms guy off-site, and the comms guy insisted that he come to the office and
b) That he hadn’t planned to write about the office at all. “This entire torrent of career-endangering stories might have been avoided if they hadn’t freaked out about the office. “Writing about somebody’s office is the least important thing I could imagine doing. It seemed so silly that my instinct was not to write about it at all in the first place,” Terris says. “It wasn’t until it became, in their words, ‘a crisis’ that I had to write about it, because it became funny.”
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 5:13 pm:
And here’s the end of the article:
Terris, meanwhile, got another tip in his inbox. “Ben, I enjoyed your recent article and the accompanying photos,” it read. “I was surprised to see the long tail pheasant feathers in a government office since I thought it was illegal to keep such feathers.” The plot thickens.
- Soccermom - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 5:16 pm:
Whew. Schock catches a break at last…
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/about/faqs/birds/feathers.htm
- Ann - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 5:53 pm:
Thanks for the list Anonin’. This is the sort of thing I’d be totally unaware of if it were not for Rich. There are lots of grown-ups in this room who clearly know a lot more than I do, but I appreciate the opportunity to sit under the table and try to figure out what everyong is talking about.
- Sangamo Sam - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 6:03 pm:
==the comms guy insisted that he come to the office==
==I was surprised to see the long tail pheasant feathers in a government office since I thought it was illegal to keep such feathers.==
That sounds like someone who feels personally wronged, really angry and looking to extract a pound of flesh. They seem to be trying anything (i.e. the feathers) to get revenge.
Why do we humans feel we need to retaliate? When we’re angry because we got fired, we feel that someone destroyed a relationship, promises to us were broken, we were wrongly punished, etc. Those may be the why’s that lead to the who.
- Anon-Partisan - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 6:56 pm:
So maybe if Schock resigns in disgrace, that opens an upward mobility appointment slot, possibly filled by a reluctant GOP vote in the General Assembly… Which in turn opens up another spot for a more Rainer friendly vote in the GA?
- Just Me - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 8:08 pm:
I’ve come to the conclusion that this can only be an effort to make him less attractive to raise money for other Republicans. Now if Schock goes to another Congressman’s district, there are all sorts of questions the reporters in that town will ask. He would become a distraction.
- Large Mammal - Wednesday, Mar 4, 15 @ 10:35 pm:
When a member of Congress decorates his office in such a fashion, it’s bound to attract attention, whether anyone calls it to the attention of a Washington Post reporter or not. I’m not ruling out the idea of an anti-Schock conspiracy, but there could be a simpler explanation.
- The Equalizer - Thursday, Mar 5, 15 @ 4:09 am:
I understand the curiosity of the “why”, but too often it does end up overshadowing the “what”…
- Annon3 - Thursday, Mar 5, 15 @ 7:24 am:
As long as there is a sincere belief that this was started with BVR’s opposition research and he has $20 million more to spend on this type of work many members of the GA has reason to pause.