PLEASE give her some love
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/...
here's what they have to say about Christine:
Christine Cegelis for Illinois's 6th District. A long-time resident of Rolling Meadows, Christine Cegelis lives and works in Illinois' 6th Congressional District. As a Dean Dozen candidate in 2004, Christine came within just a few points of toppling 30-year Republican incumbent Rep. Henry Hyde. This year Hyde is retiring and Christine's running again in a tough Democratic primary. The DCCC is behind another candidate, but Christine has earned the support of DFA groups across Illinois and the country. Please do whatever you can to help her win her primary on March 21st.
and here's what Christine has to say about this:
LOMBARD (IL) - Democracy for America (DFA), a national organization working to "rebuild the Democratic Party from the bottom up," today endorsed Democrat Christine Cegelis in her race for the 6th District Congressional seat being vacated by Republican Henry Hyde.
Cegelis, who came within a few percentage point of defeating Hyde in 2004, was one of only four Congressional candidates in the nation - and the only one in Illinois -- to receive the DFA endorsement.
James H. Dean, DFA chairman, noted that the four candidates "are running in districts that have formed the core of the Republican majority." He added, "If we can win these races, it will help us retake a Democratic majority in 2006 and move America back in the right direction."
Dean, brother of DFA founder Howard Dean, who currently serves as the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said Cegelis and the other endorsed candidates "are strong and will fight for change. Their positive visions will lead us in the right direction and restore the values that are important to Americans."
Cegelis was one of twelve candidates endorsed by Howard Dean - the "Dean Dozen" - in her 2004 grassroots campaign to unseat Hyde. That endorsement from a high-profile party reformer came at a time when the controlling leadership of the Democratic Party declined to support Cegelis, saying that the race was "un-winnable." Cegelis went on to land more than 110,000 votes (44.2%).
"Howard Dean's support was extremely helpful two years ago because it gave credibility to a bona fide grassroots campaign that was mobilizing and energizing Democrats who were being under-served and under-represented by the leaders of their own party," said Cegelis. "This time, the Democratic leadership is still going in another direction, which gives additional value and importance to the DFA endorsement. It's the everyday Democratic voters and Independents in this District who will make the decision, not the party leadership, and DFA represents the values and the hopes of those voters, just as I do. "
http://www.cegelisforcongress.com/
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Christine had already been endorsed by every local DFA group that makes endorsements. Once again, DFA proves that it's an organization that listens to its members.
Until the August primary in Connecticut, THIS is the race that most clearly pits the establishment against the grassroots. The residents of IL-6 are now being bombarded with glossy mailers and automated "robo" calls for Duckworth literally every day. Cegelis's campaign is based on the work of LOCAL people and organizations going door to door including:
* International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) [the district is next to O'Hare airport]
* Illinois Committee for Honest Government
* Independent Voters of Illinois - Independent Precinct Organization (IVI-IPO) [whcih conducted its endorsement session IN the district to get local input]
* Progressive Democrats of Illinois
* Schaumburg Area Democratic Organization
* Democracy for America of Elk Grove Township
AND many more local and national organizations.
Rahm Emanuel is raising $1 million for Duckworth for a PRIMARY in which only about 35,000 people will vote. The election is less than 4 weeks away (early voting starts next week). PLEASE show DFA they did the right thing and contribute through their link:
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/...
Thank You!