Aaron Schock gave his farewell speech in Congress on March 26 to a mostly empty House. Long in platitudes and short on substance, the speech he gave sadly reflects that he has little insight into what he did or why. The speech he should have given is this:
“I did many illegal things that I should not have done. I betrayed your trust and abused my power. I regret any loss or distress those mistakes may have caused you. I want to do whatever is necessary to minimize, and perhaps even to repair, the harm I may have caused.
“I resolve to explore the reasons for my transgressions and plan to do everything I can to become and remain curious about why I did what I did. I maintain realistic hope and sincerely believe that my history does not imply my destiny.
“I have learned that it is easier to look out the window than into the mirror and that suffering is optional. I know that some of you will be able to forgive me but not forget what I have done. I am grateful for your understanding and forbearance. I plan to learn to observe and respect my boundaries.
“Thank you.”
Leon J. Hoffman, Lincoln Park
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Obama saves economy while GOP dithers
The last two Republican p[residents created about 2 million private-sector jobs. And the last President Bush gave us the Iraq war and the Great Recession. The last two Democratic presidents have so far created almost 29 million private-sector jobs — this despite the GOP’s refusal to approve an infrastructure bill or raise the minimum wage. So while the Republicans criticize Obamacare as “a job killer,” President Obama has saved the economy and lowered unemployment to 5.5 percent. Meanwhile, Republicans are investigating Benghazi again, trying to eliminate health care and clamoring for military intervention in Syria and Iran (why wait on diplomacy).
Tom Minnerick, Elgin
