With little (no) fanfare, this week single payer health care in Illinois took a giant leap forward.

In a week that included an appearance in Chicago by Rep. John Conyers speaking on HR 676, our national single payer bill, there was a contentious hearing in Springfield and dramatic movement forward on HB 311, Illinois' single payer bill.

It's on baby!

The State of Illinois is reporting minutes ago that IL Gov. Rod Blagojevich has named February 5th as the date for the special primary for IL-14th Denny-vacated seat,and March 8 for the special general to finish the term Hastert wouldn't.

Months before the November election, we'll have an election that will show the nation how far people powered, grass roots, net roots politics has come.

This is why the candidacy of John Laesch is just so damn important.State of Illinois

Denny Has Left the Building!

The Daily Herald  and the Chicago Tribune
have both reported within the hour that former Speaker Denny Hastert will resign effective 10:59 pm tonight, Monday November 26.

Silly of me, Ms. Winograd, I know you have.

I was a CA-36er when you decided you had enough last year,
and challenged Jane Harman.

I tabled, phone banked, stapled signs, posted diaries, and more importantly, met my neighbors, and found out just how deeply they were concerned about Bush's Iraq folly, eroding civil liberties, bankrupting health care costs, and the frightening power of corporatists in our political life.

Basically, I got my first glimpse of honest, grassroots democracy-

I just received an email from healthcareforallillinois.org, part of Physicians for a National Health Program publicizing a rally with Michael Moore this Thursday, June 21, at 4pm.

Yesterday, in a diary that was swallowed up by dkos' afternooon tech problems, Marcy Winograd officially endorsed Francine Busby, laying to rest the concerns of a few fellow Kossacks.

I Endorse Francine Busby
As I am dedicated to the proposition of taking back the House for the Democratic Party, I endorse Francine Busby for Congress in CA-50.   I hope when she wins that seat she will strongly oppose the Bush administration's war policies, help this country withdraw from Iraq, and help keep us from venturing into any other needless war.

I've been posting this last week on Marcy Winograd's primary campaign against Jane Harman in CA-36. Big event today in my neighborhood.

Cindy Sheehan joined Marcy Winograd in Mar Vista this afternoon for an 'Out of Iraq' rally and precinct walk.
Cindy also endorsed Marcy in her primary race.

I was able to speak with her briefly, and have a few mp3 links.

Jane, I know we've had our problems.  I remember our fight when you said you were the`best Republican in the Democratic Party'. (How your words still sting) But I forgave you, and let you into my Mar Vista home in 2000. Since then, I never hear from you.  Unreturned calls, letters, and you never come around my neighborhood.

Sorry Jane Harman, but I've finally moved on.

Boy oh boy what a week.  And it's only Wednesday.  If you caught my very first diary on Saturday, you know I've volunteered for Marcy Winograd in her June 6th primary. I had planned on posting again over the weekend, but things are changing quickly.

Since Saturday I've seen a groundswell of 'grass roots' support for Jane Harman.  

I took a walk around my Mar Vista neighborhood today, and this is what I found.  

 

Her name is Marcy Winograd.  The event was an afternoon meet and greet today in Mar Vista, my neighborhhod in CA-36. With a distinguished career in teaching, and a long, long record of grass roots activism and organization for progressive causes,  Marcy echoed the sentiments of a tremendous number of district residents (myself included) when she stated that she looked at Jane Harman's record and just couldn't take it anymore.  

And so she did something about it.