Schakowsky Visits Niles North, Criticizes Pollak

The setting may have been academic, but the air was filled with politics when Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) talked to students at Niles North High School on Wednesday afternoon.

While there may not have been many eligible voters in the room, Schakowsky continued to press for support as she seeks another term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Schakowsky spoke to an American Government and Politics class, taking questions from students and using the forum to promote herself by pounding away at her upstart challenger, Joel Pollak.

"This is an election of very stark contrasts," Schakowsky said.

Pollak, who has been trying to take full advantage of the expected solid showing for Republicans during the Nov. 2 elections, is trying to accomplish something that hasn't been done for 64 years. The 33-year-old candidate is trying to win in Illinois' 9th Congressional District, which hasn't elected a Republican since 1946.

Meanwhile, Schakowsky is seeking a seventh term in Congress. While she has consistently pulled in more than 70 percent of the vote in her district, she has been running a full campaign and raised more than $1.2 million.

Yet as the school bells quieted down, Schakowsky immediately rattled off a list of issues that contrast her from Pollak, including raising the minimum wage, improving fuel efficiency and the use of school vouchers.

The topic soon shifted to her position on Israel, as Pollak has attempted to drive a wedge by saying Schakowsky has been working in lock step with the Obama administration, which has been accused of being unfriendly to Israel.

"The importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship is something we agree on," Schakowsky said. "That has become a political football in this election.  He is accusing me of being insufficiently pro-Israel.

"Using that issue in a partisan way, which is happening around the country, is bad for Israel.  The reason that there has been such strong support is because it has been bipartisan from the moment the State of Israel was declared," she added.

But in a phone interview later on, Pollak refused to back down and once again took issue that Schakowsky received money from the J Street political advocacy firm that some view as too liberal or not friendly enough to Israel.

"People who have made a political football out of this are Schakowsky's friends on J Street who have decided anyone who disagrees with the Obama administration is an enemy of peace," Pollak said.

Another question raised was the issue of gays in the military, and in greater society overall.

Schakowsky told the students she wants to get rid of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the military policy on disclosure of sexual preference among armed service personnel. She thinks the president should issue an executive order to change the policy.

 The congresswoman also called for repeal of Defense of Marriage Act, which states marriages should be defined as a union between one man and one woman.

While staking out her position, Schakowsky also criticized Pollak for associating himself with people whom she described as "fiercely anti-gay," including aspects of the Tea Party movement.

Pollak later said he was for civil unions and would leave it to the individual states to define marriage.  He said he would like to see "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repealed after a review by the military.

Pollak countered Schakowsky's attack by saying, "I am running a campaign that respects a diversity of views in the 9th District."

The students, who had heard Pollak appear before them in September, peppered Schakowsky with questions that ranged from tax breaks to the health care bill to the plight of Native Americans over the course of an hour.

"I thought it was a great opportunity to hear a powerful member of Congress speak to a group that can't even vote yet," said sophomore Micah Beller. "I learned a lot about her stances on issues."