IRAQ OCCUPATION BECOMES THE BIG ISSUE IN TWO ILLINOIS CONGRESSIONAL RACES-- ONE DEMOCRAT AND ONE REPUBLICAN

Manzullo using false GOP talking points to bankrupt America

By now DWT readers should be very familiar with at least one aspect of electoral politics in Illinois, the grassroots movement to defeat ex-House Speaker Denny Hastert who represents IL-14. Blue America strongly endorsed John Laesch (D) last year and has endorsed him again this year. (Take a look at the archived vlog session from 2 weeks ago over inside the lifeguard station on the right.) But adjacent to IL-14 there are two other corporate shills who also have been big Bush backers when it comes to the Iraq occupation-- and to his reactionary agenda. Between Laesch's district and the Wisconsin border is IL-16, home of 8-term right-wing loon Don Manzullo, whose voting record reads like a definition of the worst kind of lapdog rubber stampism anywhere in the country. And just east of Manzullo's district, in the extreme northeastern corner of the state is CD-08, home to the of one the most reactionary Democrats in the House, Melissa Bean whose reord in Congress, while not nearly as disgusting as Manzullo's, is far from what people expect from a Democrat interested in the values and principles of a party purporting the represent the interests of ordinary people. Both Bean and Manzullo will get challenges next year from activists who are eager to end the disastrous occupation of Iraq.

The Northwest Herald is reporting that a husband-and-wife team and a village president are planning to challenge the 2 congressmembers from the area.

Barrington Hills Village President Robert Abboud says he is “fairly certain” that he will run as a Democrat against 16th District incumbent Don Manzullo, R-Egan. And while third-party candidate Bill Scheurer, of Lindenhurst, plans once again to run against 8th District incumbent Melissa Bean, D-Barrington, his wife, Randi, plans to run against Bean in the Democratic primary.

All three challengers said they were running because the nation needed a change in direction, particularly regarding the Iraq war.

“I’m concerned that we’re not going in the right direction as a country, and I’m at a point in my life that I can no longer sit back, throw things at the TV and complain,” Abboud said.

Abboud’s stances share similarities with the Scheurers, such as opposition to the Iraq war and eliminating the national debt. Abboud, a nuclear engineer who co-owns RGA Labs Inc., also wants to pursue alternate energy, because he said  dependence on foreign oil was dominating foreign policy.

Last year Manzullo won re-election (67- 33%) in a low profile, under-financed challenge from Richard Auman. Bean had a closer call against a right-wing Republican nutcase, David McSweeney, who managed to garner 44% of the vote in a high profile election and after outspending Bean $5,058,734 to $4,293,167. Scheurer, who ran as a third-party candidate, spent less than $50,000 and took 5% of the vote.

Bill Scheurer, who ran as a third-party candidate against Bean last year, plans to run again, while his wife, Randi, is preparing to run against Bean in the primary. They have a joint website, Honk for Peace.org