Some local notes

They walk among us: I live in a blue state, but that doesn’t provide me a shield from wingnuttery, as this recent letter to the editor shows:

I thank God every day for a president who on that fateful day six years ago – Sept. 11, 2001 – had the courage and conviction to stand up for our democracy. I thank God every day that I am a true believer in the greatness of our country and that I have the mental fortitude to ignore the falsehoods that the mainstream media – both on TV and in print – jam down our throats.

We are fighting in Iraq against terrorists who hate our country and everything we stand for. We are fighting the terrorists there instead of here. President Bush has changed history. He had the conviction to do what Bill Clinton and other liberals did not, which is change the world for the better.

Our troops deserve better than the Peoria Journal Star and you other liberals out there who have forgotten why we fight. This is a tough fight and I know we will prevail. I believe in our country and I will never forget 9-11!

Ann Kauppi

Dunlap

Never mind that Al Qeda didn’t have an operational presence in Iraq until we went in. And no, I haven’t forgotten why we are in Iraq; that is why I want us out.

IL-18 race: it looks as if I won’t be spending any time with this, as this race appears to be as good as lost.

Former NBA and Bradley basketball coach Dick Versace hopes to add another win to his record with a bid for Congress.

“I’m all in,” Versace, a Democrat, said Thursday.

His confirmation ends several weeks of speculation about whether he would seek election for the 18th Congressional District seat held by Ray LaHood, who is not seeking re-election.

He said he’ll hold a news conference to officially announce his bid in the next couple weeks. After that, Versace will take off in a 38-foot motor home he will call “The Common Sense Express.”

“The Common Sense Express is going to visit all 20 counties in the district,” he said. “I’m going to go on a listening tour.”

Lovely. This probably means that Bill Edley won’t run. At least I’ll have more time to spend with other activities as I won’t touch this race with a 10 foot pole.

As far as the Republicans: Bill Dennis is going after Aaron Schock! It will be interesting to see how this unfolds; Mr. Schock ran a good campaign in a small, local area. It will be interesting to see how he plays in a much larger, more socially conservative district, and whether the rural types will have a problem with the questions about his sexual orientation (which aren’t a big deal in his state district).

So what of Shock’s soon to be vacant IL-92 house seat? There is a Democratic candidate that Peoria Pundit thinks can win

When Aaron Schock decided to abandon his spot in the Illinois House of Representatives months after winning re-election, there was already a very viable candidate being groomed to take him on in 2008.

Today, that woman announced her candidacy … without having an face an incumbent, and without any announced opposition in either the primary or general election.

Jehan Gordon, current member of the Pleasant Hill School District 69 board of education, announced she is running to replace Schock. She was surrounded by friends and family, as well as local political leaders including State Sen. Dave Koehler, former State Sen. George Shadid, County Board member Lynn Scott Pearson, Peoria School District 150 member Martha Ross and Peoria County Democratic Party Chair Billy Halstead.

She worked on the campaigns of both Koehler and Senator Barack Obama. She also attended a two-week camp run sponsored by Obama to encourage young people to get involved in their communities.

Koehler thinks Gordon’s a better fit for the district than Schock has been. Being a member of a minority helps her understand the needs of the entire district, as does her job as Diversity Retention Coordinator at Illinois Central College. She’s a 1996 graduate of Limestone Community High School, which sends a message that “it’s not just about Peoria. It’s about the whole district.” [...]

Having State Senator Koehler’s backing means something here. We’ll just have to wait and see.

All I know about her is that she is photogenic (which, unfortunately, means something in a political race).