On Tuesday, March 21st, the Republican Party went to the polls in Illinois to select a challenger to Democratic Congresswoman Melissa Bean (
http://www.melissabean.com) . The primary was nasty, with frontrunners David McSweeney and Kathy Salvi hammering each other with everything and the kitchen sink. Indeed, it was so nasty that the 3rd major candidate, State Rep. Bob Churchill has yet to endorse McSweeney, the primary winner. Now, thanks to the DCCC (from who I received an e-mail from), I have the "privilege" of introducing a right-wing nut job with a personal fortune, and willing to spend it to beat Melissa Bean. That's David McSweeney, and the video footage (all in his own words) should scare us all. `Cause that's who is going to get elected if Melissa Bean loses in November. Read on - if you dare!
First, let me make a couple of key points. The most important one is that while Melissa Bean is a centrist Democrat, she's still one of our party's Representatives. The House is going to be very close in November (we'll certainly gain seats, but enough to win the chamber? It's too early to tell), and if Nancy Pelosi emerges as Speaker of the House, it will be with the votes of people like Melissa Bean - who, incidentally, voted for Pelosi in 2005 as well. You can't say that about any Republican Representative, including David McSweeney.
My second point is that this article is NOT for raising money for Melissa. Yes, she's my friend, and I have supported her since late 2003. And of course, any candidate will take your money (Unless you're Jack Abramoff). However, I feel as if the threat posed by David McSweeney is too important to be ignored, or left to the national Democrats. If he is not discredited - and we, as a message machine, can discredit him with the power of the Internet - than this free-spending millionaire could sink Bean in the general election.
My final point in writing this is the threat posed by Bill Scheurer. He ran in the 2004 primary against Melissa and lost, and now is running as an Independent for the seat. His selling point is that Melissa "betrayed her base" by voting for conservative bills (Those familiar with the Bean saga online will know what I'm talking about). He is on record as saying that while he knows he can't win, he hopes to deny Melissa reelection by drawing enough liberal votes from her. In short, he is a Ralph Nader spoiler, and an anti-choice one to boot. That's right - the "progressive" choice to challenge Melissa Bean is pro-life. So if you live in IL-08 and his people come around to get signatures, please remember that fact. Thanks.
Now, onto the videotape. The DCCC is usually not a regressive organization (With a few unfortunate exceptions, such as L'affaire Cegelis), and in fact is usually quite good at getting good challengers and exploiting GOP weaknesses in individual districts. So it is with IL-08. The DCCC, by drawing on video footage of McSweeney at two different events (a GOP primary forum and an interview on "Public Affairs" in December) has uncovered various "pearls of wisdom" that McSweeney believes in. You can view the footage here:
http://www.dccc.org/...
Or, if you want the shorthand version, here you go:
Highlights of the David McSweeney Agenda:
McSweeney supports teaching intelligent design in public schools. He stated that local school districts should be allowed to teach intelligent design. ["Public Affairs," 12/21/05]
McSweeney supported legislation that would have harmed the environment in the Northwest Suburbs. He stated that he would have supported an Energy Bill that did not permanently ban oil drilling in Lake Michigan, the district's primary source of fresh drinking water. ["Public Affairs"]
McSweeney opposes embryonic stem cell research. He stated his clear opposition to this potentially life-saving technology. ["Public Affairs," and Illinois Right to Life Forum]
McSweeney said he supports a ban on abortions. McSweeney said he was "very supportive" of the South Dakota legislation banning abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest: "I hope it is the first case that will go all the way to the Supreme Court and hopefully overturn Roe v. Wade." [Northwest Herald Forum, 3/7/06]
In contrast, here are Melissa's positions:
*Keep evolution in the classrooms, and intelligent design out of it;
*No oil drilling in Lake Michigan (or in ANWR);
*Supports Embryonic Stem Cell Research;
*Pro-choice, and endorsed by Emily's List (who wouldn't back Bean if she wasn't a strong supporter of a women's right to choose)
So there you have it: key differences between how Melissa Bean would vote and how David McSweeney would vote. One of those two will be in Congress in 2007.
Now, what can we do about this? WHAT I WANT ALL OF YOU TO DO IS TO FORWARD THAT VIDEO TO EVERY BLOG YOU KNOW OF. Easy, right? This House race is ranked as one of just two "tossups" held by Democrats in 2006, according to Charlie Cook. If we can reveal David McSweeney as the right-wing nut job that he is, in enough places, then we will be able to get the media's attention. From there, the media can run with the video and hammer McSweeney across the district. And no amount of money can save a campaign that's been caught on videotape as unfit to serve in Congress. And by doing so, we can chalk up another notch on the road to a Democratic Majority.
So put that video on your own blogs, especially if you have an Illinois one. If you have Illinois relations, especially in IL-08, e-mail them that video. Again, http://www.dccc.org/... is the link. And if by some chance you might want to send some money Melissa's way, you can go to http://www.melissabean.com and do it there.
This election is too important to leave a single seat to chance. We can keep this seat Democratic, and we can do it NOW.