I originally wrote this as a long comment to demondeac's "Party Takeover Underway" recommended diary. Upon reflection, I believe it is worth posting as a separate diary. I hope you'll agree:
demondiac writes about how we need a Party that encourages individual participation and is responsive to those at the grassroots.
This is why it is SO important that the progressive netroots get behind Christine Cegelis in her primary race (IL-6) NOW.
explanation on the flip....
In 2004, Cegelis forced Henry Hyde to actually defend his seat for the first time in decades. Despite being massively outspent and despite Hyde's popularity in the district (his constituent service has always been excellent), she took over 44% of the vote. Hyde found really having to run for his seat exhausting and decided to retire after this term.
Meanwhile, Christine has been slowly building Democratic party organizations in an area (mostly DuPage County) that never had them before. 5 days before the filing deadline for the 2006 primary, Chicago Congressman, and head of the DCCC, Rahm Emanuel sends in his own workers to circulate petitions for his handpicked candidate to defeat Cegelis.
While Tammy Duckworth has an inspiring personal story, she doesn't live in the 6th District, she doesn't know anything about the 6th District, she was heretofore unknown in the 6th District, she doesn't know the issues (when recently asked about the Bankruptcy Bill, she commented that companies should not walk away from their pension obligations -- really!), and 97% of her financial support is coming from outside the district.
Christine has a network of local grassroots activists, mostly from within the district, who are knocking on doors and making phone calls for her. This is the kind of one-on-one communication that his helping build a real Democratic Party in the Western suburbs of Chicago. It is what the Republicans have been doing for decades out there.
Emanuel is raising $1 million so he can blanket the district with mailers and TV ads right before the primary. That is NOT how to build a Party and it will not create the base of volunteers the Democrats will need to take on Hyde's handpicked sucessor (a former Tom DeLay aide named Peter Roskam).
Defeating this attempt by Rahm Emanuel and other Chicago politicos to tell the residents of the 6th District who they should choose will send a LOUD message to the people who are resisting change in the Party. It would be a tremendous victory for grassroots democracy.
The Illinois primary is on March 21, but early voting begins on Feb. 27. PLEASE consider giving to Christine Cegelis to help us fight the good fight here:
http://www.cegelisforcongress.com/...
And if you live in the area, please volunteer. We need boots on the ground. That's how we're going to beat the money machine:
http://www.cegelisforcongress.com/...