EVERYONE HAS A MOST IMPORTANT RACE AND TUESDAY MINE IS IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS

Let's build a better America by electing a union carpenter to Congress

I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who's managing a congressional campaign. He seemed grateful someone was willing to talk with him. "You just can't break through with all this Super Tuesday presidential stuff." I know what he means; even I find myself a little swept up in it all-- although just a little. I even endorsed Obama today, surprising some of my colleagues, my readers and myself. But there's a race I'm far more interested in. Tomorrow I can vote for Obama-- and I intend to-- but I can't vote for the candidate I want most to vote for, John Laesch.

Hopefully if you're a DWT regular you already know who John is. If not, briefly, he the grassroots, progressive candidate running for Congress in northern Illinois, in the district Denny Hastert has abandoned to pursue staying out of prison. Before John can take on whichever right wing sociopath the GOP decides to run (tomorrow), he first has to beat a self-confessed Blue Dog multimillionaire the Chicago Machine and Inside the Beltway Establishment has decided they want, Bill Foster.

Tomorrow's double-primary in IL-14-- first to fill out Hastert's unexpired term and then to see who will represent the Democratic Party in November-- is the race I wish I could be voting in. John Laesch was a guest on BlogTalkRadio today (you can listen here) and a local Illinois enthusiast and Kos diarist, Downtowner, posted a long and well-reasoned piece yesterday about why a victory for John is crucial for a coherent progressive coalition.

Like myself, Downtowner, is frustrated that the mainstream media has, at the behest of a venal Democratic Insider Establishment, dubbed reactionary Democrat Bill Foster the "frontrunner."

Bill Foster, the DC insider-backed, self declared Blue Dog candidate, and newborn politician, is widely touted by the mainstream media as the "frontrunner" in IL-14.  How did he get to "frontrunner" (as defined by no poll or fact-checking on the ground but rather MSM parroting official party talking points) from zero history of involvement in the local Dem party and zero enthusiasm on the ground for his candidacy?
 
The short answer is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

It’s a given to the MSM that a candidate who can self finance to the tune of a promised $1 million in the primary (he’s already given himself $1.4 million, $370,000 in the last week) and $1 million in the general, is, by default, the "frontrunner."

...By and large, with the exception of writing checks-as-calling-cards, Foster is not working with or for any local Dem candidates or organizations.  He isn’t meeting with local rank and file, much less voters.  His public appearances are few and far between – and strictly controlled.  People in the western end of the district like candidate for Sheriff, Dem volunteer and official Tim Wise, complain they can’t even get a callback from his campaign when they are trying to invite him to a candidate forum.  The western end is very far from where I (and Foster) live, but Dem rank and file people like Tim tell me the voters out there are dismayed that Foster spends no time in their part of the district, except in their mailboxes and on their TV screens.

And Foster’s campaign is largely and primarily being conducted by mailer and TV advertising, produced by the aforementioned usual suspect DC insider consulting businesses.  His campaign manager, a former employee of one of them, Rahm Emanuel’s friend Pete Giangreco’s The Strategy Group, is beginning to look like a token with a lot of time on his hands.  Foster’s "ground troops" are hired guns, almost all reputedly brought in from Iowa where they were paid staffers of the Dodd campaign.  He’s been able to generate virtually no enthusiasm from the crowds at the local debates he has appeared at and his reading of prepared responses from note cards he shuffles through has been remarked upon frequently.

John Laesch is a perfect fit for this district and, especially for this district's Democrats and independents. He's a union carpenter who served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy in the Middle East. He's the son of a family of missionaries-- he grew up in Africa-- and speaks with authenticity about people working together in the same boat. John is politically savvy, attuned to the special needs of his own district and to a broader, national, progressive, value-based coalition. Most congressmembers who get elected are happy to get the new job, service their constituents and do whatever they need to do to get elected over and over. John Laesch has far grander plans to help build a coalition for real change in our country. He's a big picture guy who wants to start the long and difficult process back from the divisive and disastrous policies of the Bush years.

Today, many of my younger friends are biting their nails over the first race they've ever really cared about: Barack Obama's bid to do the impossible. I'm there with them. But my heart is in IL-14. I cut my nails this week so I won't bite them. Since there's so little media coverage of this race, I've taken to reading letters to the editor in the local Illinois papers. Here's one from Stephen Foust of Batavia (in the Daily Herald:

The only candidate in either primary who guarantees advocating major change in our government is John Laesch.

The Herald is correct when it says there is scant difference between Jim Oberweis and Chris Lauzen. And Bill Bob Foster is simply Republican Lite.

More than any other candidate, Laesch reaches out to the middle and lower middle classes. He is the only candidate who demonstrates an understanding of the catastrophe that is our health care system in this country, and the only one advocating a single-payer system.

His background as a soldier (including extensive experience in the Middle East), as a "working man," as an environmental advocate, as a community activist, is the type of background that an excellent representative of the people needs.

Last night I blew off a little nervous energy with this video I hope you enjoy: