McCain delegate snubs Republican congressman

John Borling would seem the perfect Republican.

The retired Air Force major general is a national convention delegate for John McCain. A member of the Republican nominee's national finance team. In 2004, he sought the Republican nomination for U.S. senator from Illinois.

Yet, with all these GOP ties, Borling this week endorsed Democrat Robert Abboud, of Barrington Hills, in the 16th Congressional District race. In doing so, he chose not to support a sitting Republican: Don Manzullo, of Ogle County, south of Rockford.

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."

Borling faulted Manzullo for his key role in importing Alan Keyes from Maryland to carry the Illinois Republicans' banner in the 2004 U.S. Senate race, a move that Borling said "was and is an outrage."

Borling, who supports abortion rights, said Manzullo exhibits a "lack of toleration and moderation on certain social issues."

"I believe very much in the political middle, that what often is required is compromise, which has tended to buoy the nation in good times and bad," Borling said.

For his part, Abboud said it is "wonderful that the general has decided to endorse us publicly." But he added that several Republicans are aiding his fundraising efforts and that he thinks many voters routinely cross lines to cast ballots for candidates from both major parties.

"I don't really understand what a lot of these party labels mean anymore," said Abboud, a nuclear engineer. "I'm running my own campaign, putting ideas out there. I want people to look at the ideas and make a decision for themselves based on 'Are these ideas that represent me?'"

Carter shrugged off any negative effect for Manzullo of Borling's endorsement.

"He's not a Republican," Carter said of Borling, who was held as a North Vietnamese prisoner of war alongside McCain. "He disavowed the party when he ran against us. It doesn't bother us; we're moving along, doing our thing."