Released from SoapBlox/Chicago
Well the George Stephanopoulos interview went off this morning. Good for ABC, they made me get up and watch it when I never would have otherwise. Overall, I thought Duckworth came off well. She does seem like a nice person and her positions seem plausible, even if not as far left as I would like.
But then you take a guess and sure enough http://www.duckworthforcongress.com/ is up and running. First we'll take a look at the content then a little bit of geek-speak below the fold.
Issues: Duckworth's four major issues
- Education
We need to change our priorities and make the investments that will benefit our nation in the long-term. And that begins with a strong commitment to better schools and access to a higher education.
- Iraq
The fact is we are in Iraq now and we can't simply pull up stakes and create a security vacuum. It wouldn't be in our national interest to leave Iraq in chaos and risk allowing a country with unlimited oil wealth to become a base for terrorists.
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To bring our troops home, we need a much more aggressive plan and timetable than the Bush Administration has offered for training the Iraqi police and armed forces, and transferring to the Iraqis the responsibility for securing their own country.
- Economy
There are places to reduce the tax burden on middle-class families. For example, I would support expanded education tax breaks and childcare tax credits. We also need to provide relief from the Alternative Minimum Tax, which is unfairly increasing the tax liability of thousands of families across our district. By helping middle-income families, these tax cuts will boost our economy. But with a record federal debt, cutting taxes that primarily benefit millionaires is bad fiscal policy.
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We also ought to support the small businesses that create most new jobs in this country, and promote entrepreneurship. Rather than doling out billions in new subsidies to hugely profitable oil and drug corporations, we could provide tax breaks and loans to people struggling to launch new enterprises.
At the end of the day, this debate is all about choices. And just like a family trying to balance its household budget, we have to be smart about what we can and cannot afford. Can we afford more tax cuts for the wealthy? Or would we rather provide a quality education for every child in this district, better access to health care for working families, and a down payment on a balanced budget? I think the vast majority of Sixth District voters, Republican and Democrat, think our current fiscal priorities are out of order. If elected to Congress, I'll work to change them.
- Healthcare
We can't afford to ignore this national crisis any longer. Congress must step up and work together to provide access to affordable health care to those who need it.
Providing health coverage for all children is a good place to start. The S-CHIP program, begun under the Clinton Administration, has reduced the number of children without health insurance even while the ranks of uninsured adults have expanded. I support Governor Blagojevich's initiative to provide health coverage to every child in Illinois, financed largely through administrative changes in the state's Medicaid program. As a Member of Congress, I will work for a similar initiative at the federal level.
I will also work hard to ensure that the medical care we have promised to those who defend our nation is delivered. A strong and responsive VA health care system is absolutely essential - both in fulfilling our pledge to our nation's veterans, and in recruiting men and women for future service. There will be no stronger voice in Washington than mine on behalf of veterans' healthcare.
Overall, the platform is still more simplistic and basic then I would like, but I don't fault Duckworth for this. It is still early, but it is something that clearly needs to be expanded upon in the future.
Regarding the people behind the page:
The website is paid for by "Friends of Tammy Duckworth".
The press contact person is Joe Shafer. A google search for ""joe shafer" democrat*" suggests that a man by the same name has been the campaign manager for New York state senate campaign of David Valesky in 2004 and Leslie Byrnes' successful campaign in 2005 for Virginia's Lt. Governor.
Bryan Bowlsbey registered the domain name November 9th. Bryan is Tammy's husband.
The same IP address that hosts Duckworth's webpage also hosts webpages from CommonSenseCourts.org , IllinoisBillofHealth.org, and others. Those websites are registered by Jasculca/Terman the Chicago area PR firm that is working on Duckworth's campaign.