What a weekend for the Cegelis campaign! The past weekend showed that people are starting to see Christine Cegelis for the candidate she is. With a major endorsement, two exciting campaign events, the senior most woman in Congress singing Christine's praises, an interview with Walter Jacobson on Fox Chicago, and a wonderful post by Stephen Yellin, the weekend showed the excitement the Cegelis campaign is building among district residents and the Democratic activist base.
Details from the exciting weekend after the jump...
On Friday, the
Progressive Democrats of America endorsed Cegelis:
The political beliefs of Christine Cegelis combine broad, progressive ideals with the kind of pragmatic wisdom that the people of her district need. Her elevation to the House of Representatives would be a tremendous boon not only to the Sixth District of Illinois, but to the entire country. Progressive Democrats of America warmly and enthusiastically endorses Christine Cegelis in this race.
In PDA's email announcing the endorsement, they call on they called on their PDA activists to support and defend Cegelis:
The reason Party bosses are opposing Cegelis is they fear another independent progressive in Congress. Cegelis is a progressive Democrat: she's anti-war, pro-choice, pro-renewable energy and opposes NAFTA-like trade deals. She supports a definite timetable for the quick and safe withdrawal of troops. The DCCC prefers candidates who are centrist and pro business, and they want their recruits to be veterans who are moderate on the war.
PDA members should not tolerate this insulting and counterproductive attack on Cegelis. It is an attack on the progressive potential of the Democratic Party. Cegelis has a realistic chance to add another Democratic seat to our Congress. We urge you to go all out for Cegelis. Yesterday PDA officially endorsed Cegelis, and the most helpful thing we can do right now is give to Cegelis generously and immediately to propel her to victory in the March primary.
Then on Saturday, the Cegelis campaign hosted a luncheon in the morning and town hall event at the International Association of Machinists Union Hall in the afternoon with
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), the senior-most Democratic woman in Congress. And Congresswoman Kaptur though
Christine Cegelis should be in the Congress with her:
Christine Cegelis is the type of person we need in Congress. She is already asking the right questions. Her focus and understanding of issues key to your community is what will enable her to win the primary and in November.
Congresswoman Kaptur went on to praise Cegelis for her first hand understanding of the issues vital to the district:
Christine understands health insurance. The nation and state governments could do something about this issue if people like Christine who started a business and understands what it takes to pay for it or who have been have been without it, have a genuine understanding of the issue.
Our dependence on oil is a problem and the automotive industry is hemorrhaging jobs. What can America do to make our country energy independent? In my family we have an oil furnace and are converting it to bio diesel. This then puts money in the pockets of the local farmers. The whole area of new fuels that Christine talks about is part of our future. She understands the issue and is leading the way to bring this future industry to her district. We need to empower every American again through energy independence. Christine has focused on the use of alternative sources of energy as America's future is in alternative energy. Christine is on record supporting it. Maybe when Christine is elected to Congress maybe we can work on this together.
Then on Sunday, major media coverage on Fox Chicago Perspective hosted by Walter Jacobson & Jack Conaty. The show aired LIVE from 8-9am on Fox Chicago. From the
Cegelis blog:
Sunday morning I had an early morning interview on Fox Chicago Perspective, a news and opinion show with Walter Jacobson and Jack Conaty. The show gave me an opportunity to talk about our campaign to all of Chicagoland. I told Jack of my view that this is a local race, based on local issues. All of the insider candidates Washington can bring my way won't take away the value of the grassroots network we've built from scratch here in District 6. I enjoyed getting that message out on Fox.
That afternoon, "MrLiberal" wonder student Stephen Yellin, decided
it was time for bloggers to fall in line - with Christine:
In short, Roskam can be beaten. The district is winnable, and especially so with the wind at our backs for 2006. More importantly, the district can be won by Christine Cegelis. I'm not going to go and criticize the DCCC for backing Tammy Duckworth over Christine in the primary; too much typing has been done on that subject already. Rather, I want to present a couple of key reasons why we should positively support Christine, and why she can and will win with our support. It boils down to this:
Christine is one of us
"One of us" can have many different connotations; in Christine's case, it is definitely so. She is a progressive, an average American and a blogger - in short she fits the profile of so many of us here who write our hearts out online. She has written 12 diaries here and elsewhere, and has made sure to answer questions herself.
[...]
Christine can truly become "our candidate", one that as a Congresswoman will remember that it was the average American - people like us - who got her to Congress.
Imagine having a Representative speaking the same words she's said before on C-SPAN, and having them in the Congressional Record.
Imagine have a Representative from the "Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party" as a freshman, a citizen-legislator who will fight for the future of this country with nothing to lose.
And imagine a Representative who took a chance, made a leap and reached the stars, all because she cared about the future her children would have.
If you care about that dream, that future, then you should care about Christine Cegelis. I hope you'll support her as I have, and help her get into Congress in 2006.
People are beginning to see the potential of Christine Cegelis. As Congresswoman Kaptur noted:
When you have a person like Christine asking where will the jobs of our future come from, someone who had to struggle, who's worked, who knows what is means to make a budget work, knows what it's like to raise kids, start a business, you know she understands the issues. This is the type of person we need in Congress.
Christine is one of us. With our help - either through volunteering for her campaign or your
donation - she will be someone who truly represents us in Congress.