Challenger is no centrist

After your erroneous endorsement of Hillary Clinton in 2016, you repeat the error by endorsing Lauren Underwood over Randy Hultgren in the 14th District. You have labeled Underwood as a centrist, which suggests no one on your editorial staff has paid attention to the disgraceful actions of the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee over the past two weeks.

There are no centrists remaining in the Democratic Party, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin being the only possible exception, and he is being vilified by his party and the mainstream media. Recent polls have suggested that a majority of likely Democrat voters prefer socialism to capitalism, and her political history suggests she belongs in that category. Hultgren's vote on the repeal of Obamacare is a lame excuse to withdraw your support for him. The problem of pre-existing conditions would have been addressed in the replacement of Obamacare.

There are no longer any nuanced differences between the Democrats and Republicans, and the gulf between them has never been wider or deeper. Your endorsement of Underwood simply amounts to the addition of one more marionette to Nancy Pelosi's puppet show.

Robert C. Haase

St. Charles