Illinois 11th – Weller vs. Renner

I’ve had the Weller/Renner race as a featured race on this site, partly because it’s a local race for me, and partly because the incumbent is so out of touch. I’ve clearly endorsed Tari Renner, partly because of his public support for medical marijuana and decriminalization (not legalization, but decriminalization).
They debated last night in Bloomington, and I would love to hear from someone who was there (work commitments prevented me from attending).
I’m particularly interested in this segment which was reported in today’s Pantagraph.

But Weller was booed by the audience when he accused Renner of accepting a campaign contribution from a “known former Communist member.” And he drew audible groans when he attempted to link Renner to a drug legalization group, which has endorsed Renner.

Renner reacted angrily to the accusation, saying the endorsement was similar to when the Ku Klux Klan endorsed Ronald Reagan in 1980. “You went over the line,” Renner said. “Don’t lecture me, Mr. Weller.”

Am I the drug legalization “group”? If so, was it my endorsement that was similar to the Ku Klux Klan?
The issue also came up yesterday on WGLT (NPR radio station), which reported that Weller was charging Renner with being in favor of legalizing drugs based on his National Political Awareness Test (NPAT) responses (I used the NPAT in my endorsement). Of course, that was a lie (Renner did not support legalization), and Renner appropriately responded that Weller wouldn’t even give his answers to the wide range of important issues covered by the NPAT.
Weller is clearly slime. He’s trying to attack Renner in any way he can, which may include the fact that I’m supporting Renner.
Tari Renner has never contacted me, nor has his staff. He and his staff have not asked for my endorsement, nor have they thanked me for it, yet I give it freely and highly recommend voting for, and supporting Renner. Weller’s charges are baseless. The only thing Renner is “guilty” of is having a better policy approach than Weller. It’s sad that candidates feel they have to distance themselves from proper policy discussions.
There are a lot of reasons to oppose Weller in this election. Those reasons include the fact that he wants to escalate the dangerous failed drug war in Colombia, and that he has twice voted to have the Federal Government harrass sick people in California who are legally (under state and local law) using medical marijuana with their doctors’ advice.
Weller has no moral standing to attack Renner on drug policy.