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Unsolicited advice

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Illinois

* Dear newly appointed State Police Director Monken,

Don’t do interviews like this…

Sneed is told new State Police chief Jon Monken, 29, who now has more than 3,600 people under his command, may undergo State Police cadet training.

You look silly, especially since you didn’t really say that you’d do it…

The upshot: “That’s certainly something I’d be interested in,” said Monken –who claims he will definitely go through State Police weapons training.

And take your own advice, please…

Monken has no plans to make immediate waves: “Some of the best advice I got in the military was, ‘When you are a new leader coming in, the best thing that you can do is go in and observe.’ And that’s what I plan on doing.”

OK, so commense with the observing and shut your trap.

* Dear Congressman Schock,

Have you lost your freaking mind?

* Dear former Gov. Dan Walker,

It’s too late. You’ll never be rehabilitated. We’re just not that into you.

* Dear MSM,

Please, read this.

Your turn.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 9:44 am

Comments

for those who can’t access TMZ at work, can we get a summary?

Comment by Joe Kotlarz Fan Club Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 9:48 am
Well, that would make for an interesting caption contest..

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tmz.com/media/2009/03/0323_aaron_schock_ex.jpg

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 9:51 am
I’m sure the Congressman was interested in that woman because of her wit and charm.

Summary for “Joe” — Congressman sitting on chair by pool, with woman in bikini leaning over his face with large chest nearly in his face.

Rosanna Pulido is NOT going to like that at all!

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 9:52 am
Rich,
Did you really need to post the Schock link? Who cares if he was photographed at a pool in 2007 with a woman in a bathing suit? Please don’t copy the gossip of the MSM!

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 9:57 am
You know, if it was me in that photo instead of Aaron Schock and my wife caught a glimpse of it, I’d be a whole lot smarter than Gary Skoein and make darn well sure I stayed miles away from any guitar hero setups!!

LOL

train111

Comment by train111 Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:09 am
Come on, Rich.

It would be one thing if Congressman Schock put up that photo himself, but I would be willing to bet that it was some “friend” who took it and sold it to TMZ. He’s a young man, doing what young men do.

Rich, you and I are about the same girth, so suffice it to say, there are probably no “Rich Miller beside a pool in bikini picture” out there on the internet. I know there are none of me.

He was being a 20-something. Big deal.

Comment by trafficmatt Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:09 am
I’m wondering why there hasn’t been widespread outrage over the fact that we just appointed a 29 year old with no law enforcement expereince to head one of the largest State Police operations in the nation.

Jon Monken may be a great, sharp person. But there is no way he is properly equipped to manage the State Police.

Comment by ILPundit Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:12 am
Deep breaths, please Rich.

You are jumping pretty hard on Mr. Monken. How about we give him a chance?

Hehe..I remember not too long ago we were tearing Alexi Giannoulis a new one on this blog because he was young an inexperienced. Now he is almost god-like.

Maybe Mr. Monken will turn out the same. I know his last name isn’t Madigan or Daley or Stroger, and he didn’t lose any limbs in combat like Tammy Duckworth, but maybe we should give him a chance, non?

Comment by Leroy Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:13 am
“He was being a 20-something. Big deal.”

And, there you have your answer right there.

Comment by George Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:13 am
Also for what it is worth if I were the new state police head I wouldn’t be doing early media with sneed.

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:18 am
Mr. Schock. For a twenty-something guy, you have the body of a twenty-something guy. Very nice. Could you beat Mr. Obama at a beach contest? Yes, you could - as long as Mitt Romney didn’t show up.

That guy has both of you nerds beat, and win that girl too.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:18 am
Also I would be more concerned the congressman was hanging out with blurry faced women when he was a state rep…

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:18 am
The photo was taken in 2007 when he was 25, single and doing what 25 year old guys are supposed to do at pools.

In 2007 Ted Kennedy was doing the same thing.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:24 am
Trafficmatt,

The problem is that he wanted to be a Congressman.

If he wanted to act like a 27 year old, he shouldn’t have run for Congress.

27 year olds are allowed to act like 27 year olds, but Congressman need to show some judgment and restraint.

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:26 am
Dear Sen. Brady — Just in case anyone notices you’re running for governor and asks, you might want to put to paper your plan to cut the state’s deficit without raising taxes.

Dear Mayor Daley — As your Olympics sideshow/pipedream will undoubtedly be over in October, you might want to come up with another distraction so people will forget to ask how it is a hands-on CEO like yourself can repeatedly be unaware of criminal acts committed for your benefit by loyal subordinates.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:27 am
Skeeter….

I would have to second VM’s comment, considering Sen. Byrd’s involvement in some organizations I would say being photographed like that isn’t so bad.

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:28 am
Circa June, 2007…roughly four months before Schock formerly announced his bid for Congress.

Not. Smart. At all.

All you have to do is read the comments at TMZ.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:28 am
Oneman,

Let me understand your argument:

A United States Senator, now in his 90s, engaged in repulsive conduct 70 years ago. As such, according to you, we should accept a lack of judgment by Schock?

Is that really the standard?

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:33 am
Rep. Schock: When did you know her, and how long did you know her for?

Comment by George Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:33 am
VM -

If I were on Team Schock, I’d keep in mind that the MSM loves to build you up just to tear you down.

The heightened MSM interest in Congressman Schock’s “sex appeal” is not good news.

About all we heard of JACK! Ryan when he first ran was what an “attractive” candidate he was. Look how that panned out.

Other names to remember:
John Edwards
Bill Clinton
Gary Hart
David Vitter
Elliot Spitzer

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:42 am
I recall that a few years back Ken Dunkin had a fundraiser where he had a picture of him and bikini clad women on the invitation. That was a worse transgression than Shock’s photo because Dunkin deliberately used his photo in appeal for donation. Here, Schock let someone take a photo of him that made it out into the MSM. Unless Schock deliberately sent this one out, I’d agree with the posters who say “lay off.”

Comment by phocion Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:55 am
Umm Skeeter,

I would argue the Byrd’s actions were infintely more shocking, offensive and reflect poorly on his character than what Schock did.

So if you want to argue getting photographed infront of some woman is poor judgement and calls into question his judgment to be a congressman.

I guess I would say that being a former member of some of the organizations that Byrd was a member of is an issue too…

Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:56 am
YDD –

The big difference is that all the guys you named were married.

The Schock photo is much ado about nothing.

Comment by ILPundit Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 10:58 am
OneMan,
Of course Byrd’s affiliation and lack of judgment as a relative youth is, and should remain, an issue.

But from your comments, I wonder about your standards. One elderly Senator showed poor judgment. Because of that, according to you, a 27 year old is excused from being accused of poor judgment? Things were bad in the past, so we should now tolerate things that are bad?

I still wonder what he Schock was thinking (somehow, I doubt he had much on mind at the time) when the photo was taken. This is part of a pattern for him though. He doesn’t seem to think things through. It is like watching a 28 year old George W. Bush.

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 11:05 am
ILPundit -

When positive or fluff pieces about your “sex appeal” start appearing in the Huffington Post or even TMZ, it creates a market demand for scandalous stories about your sex life, and makes those stories more “newsworthy”, even for more main stream media outlets.

Aside from that, Schock is battling a credibility gap, and perpetual stories about your sex appeal — as opposed to your legislative accomplishments — don’t help close that gap.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 11:38 am
Speaking of which, the “I HEART Aaron Schock” Facebook Group’s 51 members currently include:

- Four high school girls
- Eight guys

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 11:46 am
This is just the beginning of a new era. There will be few politicians of the next generation that will be free of personal pictures surfacing due to Facebook, etc. I’m not saying this picture came from Facebook, but the younger generation takes pictures like this all the time, circulates them around and thinks nothing of it. If his “poor judgment” is not what he was doing, but only that a personal picture was taken and is being circulated, we need to get over it.

Comment by Keep Smiling Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 11:57 am
–Mr. Schock. For a twenty-something guy, you have the body of a twenty-something guy. Very nice. –

I guess you’d call that a Vanillman Crush.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 12:29 pm
Schocking, huh? Nope. Really inquiring minds don’t really care.

Comment by Captain Flume Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 12:33 pm
I doubt if Schock’s photo getting into the media was an accident. He’s pretty savvy when it comes to publicity. While some may find it offensive, most will say he’s young and cute, which are two of his main selling points. I’m sure another point in the photo’s favor is that it might help counter the persistent rumors that seem to percolate around his personal life & preferences. I don’t see the downside of this photo, expect among a small group of curmudgeons who probably won’t be voting for him anyway.

It’s a bit ironic that the attention is more on the photo and less on his policies. As long as voters are attracted to the flame of politician’s personal lives, they’ll continue to get burned by their policies.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 12:46 pm
“It’s a bit ironic that the attention is more on the photo and less on his policies.”

I’d be happy to discuss his policies. Maybe we should start with China/Taiwan. Let’s hear his wit and intelligence on that issue.

Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 12:48 pm
I agree with pot. With the Republican party largely viewed as the party of old cranky white guys, having this photo floating around doesn’t hurt Schock or the party image. If anything, it helps the Republican brand appeal.

Comment by HoBoSkillet Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 12:51 pm
I suspect taking State Police Academy classes with cadets probably won’t make up for Mr. Monken’s complete lack of law enforcement experience. It is nice to know he wants to get his firearms training in so he can carry a gun. That’s what being a cop is all about right?

Comment by Freezeup Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 12:57 pm
Aaron Schock theme song:

I’m too sexy for my school district
Too sexy for the legislature
Too sexy for my notary stamp
Too sexy for my parents
Too sexy for my church
Too sexy for Congress

Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 12:58 pm
It reinforces an image and when you are young that’s not one you want to have. The old saying about acting and dressing for the job you want, not the one you have.

Comment by Shore Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 1:04 pm
Give it up, Skeeter. He won, Callahan lost. Fair and square.

Comment by Schock Won Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 1:08 pm
As a former Army Captain, Mr. Monken knows how to handle a weapon, I suspect. He was also a police trainer in Kosovo and Iraq. Try dealing with facts, Freezeup. Still, Mr. Monken needs some PR lessons.

Comment by Stuck with Sen. CPA Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 1:54 pm
During JFK’s first Senate campaign in 1952 there were pictures being circulated of him on the beach with a very shapely and very nude woman. His only reaction to the pictures, reportedly, was to say “Yes, I remember her, and she was great!” He was one of the most eligible bachelors in Congress at the time, and it obviously didn’t hurt his political prospects then; so I don’t foresee this photo hurting Schock’s prospects now.

Comment by Secret Square Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 2:10 pm
Nice goin, Shock!
CANNONBALLLLLL!

Comment by Bill Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 2:16 pm
The photo poses no risk to Rep. Schock, but the smoke from comments does.

Comment by David Ormsby Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 2:59 pm
looking long and hard at the Schock photo, I think everything about it is real…everything…

Comment by Downstate GOP Faithless Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 3:02 pm
Stuck- Forgive me for my skepticism since I have been “policing” four times as long as Monken was “training police officers” in the military. In Kosovo. A common misconception is that there are many similarities between being a soldier and a cop- they really aren’t very similar at all. Kosovo? Yeah, that should be just like policing in Illinois. How is that for facts?

Comment by Freezeup Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 3:06 pm
I had a few ideas for captions….

But I don’t want to be banned….

The photo for anyone, of any age, to me is not really a big deal. Saying you want to send nukes to taiwan to set diplomatic policy with china… that keeps me awake at night!

Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 3:17 pm
Downstate GOP Faithless—

Don’t be so hard on the guy.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, Mar 24, 09 @ 4:35 pm