That's it. I've had it. Last Sunday I sat at a candidate forum in Lombard and watched Tammy Duckworth answer a question, given to all the candidates but obviously directed at her, that asked where the candidate's fundraising was coming from and how residents would know that they weren't beholden to any outside big-donor interests. She answered forcefully, if not a bit defensively, that no one got her to run and that she would be beholden to no one but district residents.
Then I read this:
When the invitation went out, Tuesday's fund-raiser for Democratic House candidate Tammy Duckworth was to be held in the office of a Washington lobbying firm. On Monday, the location was switched -- after I mentioned where it was going to be in a column that ran that morning. Sunlight, the saying goes, is a strong disinfectant.
[...]
The new locale for the Duckworth funder was Democratic National Committee headquarters, where the Democratic House political operation is based. Emanuel decided to switch venues. Duckworth spokesman Billy Weinberg said "in this current atmosphere ... it was the right thing to do."
In the immortal words of Popeye: "That's all I can stands. I can't stands no more." Progressive Democrats, Reform Democrats, Liberal Democrats, Residents of the Blogosphere, lend me you ears (eyes?). It's time to put our donations where our mouths are and support one of our own:
Christine Cegelis.
Cegelis is gaining momentum in the district. Last night she earned the Independent Voters of Illinois endorsement. This past weekend showed me that she is the candidate to beat, and the candidate who sees building the party as an important part of her campaign. As I wrote last weekend:
In a county like DuPage where there is little in the way of Democratic infrastructure and not one office is held by a Democrat, Cegelis knew she was blazing a trail. She was running to win, but also running to attract other Democrats into the process. She was walking point and not only did she know it, but she was inspired by it. If others could see the groundswell of Democratic fervor for her campaign in traditionally Republican DuPage, she knew others would follow and run for County Board, Coroner, Sheriff, and school board.
So I'm done waxing eloquently. I'm personally asking for you to donate to the Cegelis campaign.
There's a whole lot of printing going on right now. Flyers, door hangers and yard signs cost money. Money that could pay for more staff, more phone banking, and more GOTV come the primary. Cegelis herself and scores of volunteers are out in the community every day knocking on doors and meeting their neighbors. Let's put something in their hands to give them.
I'm guessing between yard signs, flyers and door hangers the printing bill for the campaign is going to be around $8,000. That's not much for a few hundred small donors. So I've set up an ActBlue page to chart donations to the printing of materials. And I'm asking you personally to help me elect a person I know will represent me and the residents of my district, as well as work for the reforms we are always railing for here in the Blogospheres.
Please donate to the cause. Support Christine Cegelis today.