If you, like me, are in one of the Congressional districts facing a contested Democratic primary, and having some trouble deciding between various well qualified candidates, there is one particular issue I think should take precedence.
Now I am not normally one for a litmus issue, but this is time for an exception: Ask this of your Dem primary candidates: If the Dems retake control of Congress this November, will you support bringing Conyer's resolution to open a committee of inquiry for impeachment of President George W. Bush?
More below...
I posed this question to the three contenders in Illinois' Sixth Congressional District, Lindy Scott, Tammy Duckworth and Christine Cegelis.
All three have excellent, though varied, credentials. The party establishment is throwing its weight behind Duckworth, and I can understand why, though I think that Cegelis has stronger progressive credentials and was willing to get into the fray when no one thought there was a chance. And Scott is exactly the kind of evangelical, faith-based progressive the Democratic party needs to show that the religious right nuts aren't the only face of faith in American politics.
I could support any of these candidates, and I will vote for the nominee. But which one should I vote for in tomorrow's Illinois primary vote?
I emailed all three and asked them the above question. At this writing, only Lindy Scott has replied. Scott states "I entered the race because I believed Bush misled us about the war."
He also cited his book 2004 book, Terrorism and the War in Iraq.
The amazon.com review describes as:
This prophetic book analyzes the events of 9/11 and the War in Iraq in the light of Christian ethics. The authors draw upon their many years of ministry in Latin America to issue a serious invitation to North American Christians to re-examine their support for military action in Iraq.
Now I know there is some unfairness in asking this question one day before the primary vote, but I reviewed as much available info on all three online as I could for statements on the impeachment question.
I am sick of overcautious whimpy Democrats who tremble at the rants of Limbaugh, who thinks the censure vote on NSA spying "is a gift".
As all of you surely know, recent polls by both Zogby and Pew show at least a plurality of Americans support an impeachment inquiry.
This is not a conservative/liberal issue. If anything, a true conservative would recoil at a president of any party seizing this kind of unchecked power.
Lindy Scott, if he remains the sole candidate in my district publically supporting such an inquiry, will get my vote tomorrow.
If any representatives from Cegelis' or Duckworth's campaigns would like to reply during the course of the day, my ears and inbox are open.