On Saturday, I attended a rally given on behalf of David Gill who is running against the Republican incumbent, Tim Johnson. Gill reminds me of something NYT's David Brooks wrote
yesterday (or least the positive part of the Op-Ed):
Today's most prominent Democratic candidates are more Mines and Mills than Towns and Gowns.
I'll explain why below the fold why I believe Gill, the son of a single mom and who started working at 13 washing dishes and busing tables, is a solid candidate for Congress.
Gill pointed out that as an Emergency Room physican, he sees the underinsured or uninsured.
John Edwards often talks about 47 million were uninsured, but when Gill told us another 100 million are underinsured, and often from 2-income families, gosh, that blew my mind. He said it's been a moral failure that our Congress and current adminstration have done nothing to help our people who go into bankruptcy because of health insurance costs. (I might add that Tim Johnson voted for the bankruptcy bill last year.)
He gave an example of a man in his 40's who died in the Emergency Room because he waited too late when he had warning signs of a heart attack. The family later told Gill that he waited because they didn't have enough insurance for emergency care, let alone a regular doctor's visit. And this poor man became a statistic, in which another 180, 000 Americans are likely to die for that same reason this year.
UAW member Rob Fustin, VP of the Local 751, was there to speak on Gill's behalf. He said that unions appreciate David Gill because he wants to raise the minimum wage and supports unions. Middle class was built today because of the unions, although he didn't say it literally that way.
Fustin was a really nice guy. He lives in the southern part of our district--one that is a Republican stronghold, and he is an important canvasser, especially among retirees who vote.
Gill and his wife Polly of 19 years are "green" citizens. Polly buys only "green labels" and they are avid recyclists. They would like for us to be less ME energy dependent and given that IL-15 is mainly an agrarian stronghold, Gill would like to see less giveaways to the oil companies (who are big contributors to his opponent) and more to farmers and other entrepreneurs who want to work on production of biofuels. Gill reminded the crowd that while gas prices have eased for the moment, Tim Johnson and George Bush would never change their energy policy because otherwise they would be biting the hand that feeds them.
Gill is very much in the camp Brooks said yesterday
..the Democrats were once a free trade party. But Sherrod Brown wrote a book called "Myths of Free Trade: Why American Trade Policy Has Failed" and most of this year's strong Democratic candidates rail -- like John Edwards -- against outsourcing and trade agreements. Their core issue is the economic resentment of the struggling middle class. Brown recently explained the political strategy to a gathering of liberal journalists: 'I know that trade issues work with white male, nonunion, culturally conservative voters because they know how anxious trade issues have made them and their families.'
Gill believes that we need to include some safeguards for labor and the environment when making these agreements.
Of course Brooks doesn't think the rest of the American electorate (meaning himself) will buy into that, but that's another matter.
So why haven't you heard much about this candidate--yes, he's been on the Kos a time or two, but compared to Tammy Duckworth or Melissa Bean, the IL-15 race has been completely ignored by the DLC--or DCCC, take your pick. He has received no money from the DCCC. They don't think Gill can win it. Well, Dick Durbin thinks it's possible, and Shelia Simon, daughter the late senator of IL, Paul Simon, endorses David Gill.
As I mentioned earlier, Gill has received no money from the DCCC to date. He could use a fiver or ten if you have one to build a small stash for some radio and TV ads--even more signs--especially in rural areas that who aren't big readers of issues that we talk here at the Kos. Speaking of the web, Gill supports Net Neutrality.
David Gill convinced me at this rally the reason he wants to be in Congress: America deserves a change. And we do.
Here's a link to his site if you wish to make a donation.
I will post pics in the comment section.