The Schocking Fall of a Conservative Darling

Aaron Schock didn't see his Congressional career ending like this. To be fair, no Representative envisions resigning in disgrace amid a mountain of scandals they just can't dig out of, but this is especially so for the young gun from Illinois 18th District who had delusions of grandeur for as long as I can remember. I feel confident in saying this because I grew up in the district Representative Schock lived in. And trust me--Aaron Schock had delusions of grandeur more than anyone I have ever known.

Hardly a day went by from the day he mounted a successful write in campaign to sit on the district school board that this boy wonder wasn't lavished with praise in the local media. They followed his rise from school board member to state representative to United States Representative as only a local media could. This boy wonder was going places and, by golly, they were going to be there for him every step of the way.

Central Illinois, the area Schock represented, is usually not the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Illinois. The state has always been a solidly blue state, but that is only because Chicago dwarfs the rest of the population who lives outside of the city. The further south you drive from Chicago, the more red the state becomes. Peoria, my former home town and the town Schock represented, is about as conservative as a town can get. It's a town filled with good people who are undoubtedly in mourning over the spectacular fall of the man they adored. I'm sure they are asking themselves if he can be so easily corrupted then who wouldn't be?

Schock has only himself to blame for the mess he has found himself in. He took advantage of the good people of Central Illinois and is now paying the price for it. Instead of doing the peoples business, he chose to go on lavish vacations, have his office modeled after British aristocrats, and bill his constituents for 90,000 miles he didn't drive, just to name a few.

In the end, Aaron Schock allowed his greed to get the best of him. He fell prey to the same thing countless politicians have before him, but his story is unique because he fell prey to it so quickly. He took advantage of the people who put him in office and is now paying the ultimate price for doing so. Schock knew he had a safe seat in Central Illinois and figured he could do any and everything he wanted without fear of reprisal from his constituents. He very well have been able to do such a thing had he not become so greedy, falsify a mileage invoice, and pocket the hard earned money of the taxpayers he was sworn to represent.

Good riddance, Representative Schock. The good people of Central Illinois deserve someone far better than people like you.