Borling Snubs Manzullo, Endorses Abboud
2 comments July 14th, 2008
John Borling, a retired Air Force general and John McCain delegate who resides in Rockford, declined to support local U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo — a fellow Republican — for re-election. Instead, Borling endorsed Manzullo’s Democratic opponent, Robert Abboud.
In some regards, the endorsement is not as surprising as it might seem. Borling and Abboud’s father are longtime friends, both of whom work in the energy industry and share a military background. Moreover, Borling ran against Manzullo as a write-in, independent candidate in 2006.
That, said Manzullo spokesman Rich Carter, sufficiently explains Borling’s endorsement snub of his boss.
Still, such crossing of party lines - a Republican convention delegate endorsing the Democratic congressional candidate in his own district - is unusual. Such a move goes a step beyond that taken by state Sen. Kirk Dillard last year. The Hinsdale Republican and McCain delegate raised eyebrows and some hackles among party colleagues by appearing in a campaign ad for Barack Obama that aired in Iowa several weeks after Obama launched his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Borling, who described himself Friday as a “Republican-leaning independent,” praised Abboud as “a fiscal conservative and a social moderate” with “extraordinary judgment and intelligence.”
He also took a swipe at Manzullo, serving his eighth term by saying: “The nation suffers from career politicians who believe they are owed lifetime appointment.”
More background here.
