Crooked Chicago Pol Endorses Bloomberg

If this was still the 1960's-- when Bobby Rush was a co-founder of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panthers-- you might scratch your head and wonder how he could have endorsed a multi-billionaire former Republican mayor of New York who instituted a stop and frisk policy aimed directly at African-Americans. But over five decades have gone by and selling his endorsement to the highest bidder is exactly what anyone who's been paying attention would expect from uber-corrupt Chicago Congressman Bobby Rush today.

Lynn Sweet covered the endorsement announcement for the Chicago Sun Times this week and noted that Bloomberg, whose only endorsements have been bought-and-paid for, named Rush a national campaign co-chairman. "Rush," she wrote, told her that he was "impressed by Bloomberg’s approach to the 'economic discrimination in the black community' [and that] he will serve as a surrogate for Bloomberg and have 'influence into strategies.'" Rush is the fourth House member to endorse Bloomberg. The others are ex-Republican Harley Rouda (New Dem-CA), Blue Dog chieftain Stephanie Murphy (FL) and Max Rose (Blue Dog-NY), exactly the kind of corruption-oriented, right-of-center money-grubbers you would expect to gravitate to Bloomberg.

Blue America has endorsed Robert Emmons, Jr., the progressive young reformer who is taking on Rush this cycle. We asked him how he sees the endorsement. "Congressman Rush, like many Democrats at the time," he reminded us, "voted in favor of the 1994 Crime Bill. Also like many Democrats who voted for the bill, he later apologized for doing so. But nothing about his apology rings true after endorsing a Chicago mayoral candidate who wanted to use drones to monitor black and brown communities around Chicago, and now the presidential candidate responsible for implementing stop and frisk, Michael Bloomberg."

Emmons continued: "For months we have called attention to Rush’s corporate loyalty, and his endorsement to Mike Bloomberg follows a clear pattern. If Congressman Rush were to support a candidate because he truly believed that individual would work to empower our community, I would have no issue with it. But he has a history of moving where the money moves, and this is business as usual. There is nothing that myself and my team are more committed to than actual reform in our community, and we’ll keep fighting for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal and Restorative Justice. We’ll continue to support Bernie Sanders, a presidential candidate who supports true progressive reform through an agenda with far more to offer our district than Bloomberg. #NotMeUs #WeAreTheSolution"

If you'd like to help Emmons raise money to combat the Bloomberg-Rush machine, please consider tapping on the 2020 Chicagoland thermometer above and contributing what you can to his campaign.

When Will Chicago Blue Dog Dan Lipinski Just Jump The Fence And Switch Parties?

Chicago's top political reporter, Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times, just blew up Blue Dog Dan Lipinski's reelection campaign by exposing an internal campaign document about how to appeal to Republican voters. The idea was to get Republicans to vote for him "by highlighting his vote against Obamacare while wooing independents by reminding them he opposed its repeal."

Other highlights from the strategy document suggesting messages to various voter demographics in the 3rd Congressional District:

• Hispanics were to be flagged about Lipinski’s “pro-Dreamer votes” while Republicans would be targeted with “pro border patrol” messaging.
• Lipinski is anti-abortion and that would be the emphasis for Republicans and Catholics, but not for outreach to other women, millennials, teachers, independents, union members and nurses.
• A drive to persuade Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary would include reaching out to GOP officeholders; getting letters from “GOP surrogates”; and through Facebook “ads targeting independents.”

Lipinski, from Western Springs, is in a three-way March contest against Marie Newman, from La Grange, who almost beat him in 2018, and Rush Darwish, from Palos Hills, who runs a radio and television production business. This is the biggest congressional Democratic primary in Illinois.

Details about Lipinski’s campaign strategy were contained in a Google document Lipinski’s political director Jerry Hurckes inadvertently sent to someone.

Screenshots of the Hurckes documents were shared with others, including Richard Rodriguez, a founding member of the Will County Progressives and a national board member of Our Revolution, spawned from Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign.

Hurckes has long ties to Lipinski, first elected in 2004. He served as chief of staff to his father, Rep. Bill Lipinski, who represented the district for 22 years. Hurckes’ wife, MaryAnn, also works for the Lipinski campaign, according to federal campaign finance records.

Lipinski told the Sun-Times there are “serious ethical issues” for whoever circulated the Hurckes document.

“I have never seen this document until today,” Lipinski said last week, “...I am still not exactly sure who in my campaign may have put this together, but I had not, so this is not anything that I have approved.”

Lipinski said the strategies “are not necessarily my thoughts.”

The district is heavily Democrat. Republican Will County Board Member Mike Fricilone, from Homer Glen, is making a bid, but he’s raised little money to run a viable campaign. He only had $775 cash on hand as of Sept. 30. There will likely be a pool of persuadable crossover Republicans.

Newman and Darwish are progressives; Lipinski is a social conservative.

Rodriguez, who backs Newman, told the Sun-Times the different messages in the document shows Lipinski “is willing to play two different acts to hold his seat. I believe he is talking out of both sides of his mouth.”

Rodriguez said the document makes it “very clear to me there is strategy to target Republican voters. And that is a problem to me, that the DCCC is going to support an incumbent that is relying on Republicans to vote in a Democratic primary in a strongly Democratic district.”

Rodriguez has been outspoken in his criticism of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee “blacklist.”

The DCCC, under chair Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., officially backs incumbents. Bustos ordered the DCCC not to do business with vendors who work for Democratic challengers. Newman lost several consultants as a result of that blacklist.

It’s not unusual for candidates to evolve on issues or to seek crossover support. What is not common, however, is touting old and new positions at the same time, depending on the audience. Here’s some background.

In 2010, Lipinski voted against the Affordable Care Act, nicknamed Obamacare, because of his anti-abortion related concerns over some funding provisions in the bill. Since then, Lipinski has voted against Republican attempts to repeal the law.

In 2010, he also voted against the DREAM Act, to give legal protections to youths in the U.S. illegally through no fault of their own. Through the years he has joined other Democrats in backing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to protect “Dreamers,” nicknamed DACA.

The Lipinski campaign document included talking points to describe Lipinski and Newman.

Newman: “self absorbed”; “opportunist” and “Socialist.”

Lipinski: “vote conscience”; “labor unions;” “doesn’t check the wind”; “already on committees” and “character.”

Said Lipinski, “I think it’s a good summary, probably, of how I see myself, and I am not going to comment about Marie Newman.”

Newman campaign manager Ben Hardin said, “I think what is truly opportunistic is Congressman Lipinski’s willingness to mislead his constituents.”

Darwish communications director Andrew Patinkin said, “Lipinski is a Democrat in name only,” who “has to rely on Republican voters” while Darwish “represents the values and beliefs” of district residents.

After reading Lynn Sweet's piece, Marie Newman wrote that "The kind of cynicism displayed in the Lipinski campaign memo is why a lot of people are turned off from politics. Since he has not voted with the Democrats on critical issues, this memo suggests he is turning his attention to Republicans instead. This is why I am running-- because I believe this district needs a real Democrat who will fight for everyday issues and represent working people, lower health care costs, and fight for our Democratic values."

Newman continued that "We have a golden opportunity to make a change in our community this March. An opportunity to elect someone to Congress who will truly be an advocate for workers and working families. I am so honored to have the endorsement of Abe Matthew, and I know that with his help, we can make that change a reality."

Lipinski is one of the most reactionary of all the Republican-lite Blue Dogs in Congress often stands with the GOP against the Democratic agenda. ProgressivePunch has graded his voting record an "F." Progressive Marie Newman has been endorsed by presidential candidates Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Jay Inslee, Kirsten Gillibrand. Conservative Democrats who may back Lipinski-- namely Biden and Delaney-- haven't spoken openly about him and haven't endorsed him. Please consider contributing to Marie's campaign at the Chicagoland campaign thermometer on the right.

Members of Congress with the guts to stand up to Cheri Bustos and endorse Marie include Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Ro Khanna (D-CA) and AOC (D-NY). Other progressive members are preparing to. Marie has also been endorsed by Blue America, Indivisible, Planned Parenthood, MoveOn, DFA, NARAL, Justice Democrats, PCCC, PDA, the National Organization for Women, Our Revolution, Daily Kos, the American Postal Workers Union, and many other organizations, many of which do not normally endorse against Democratic incumbents.

The Good E-Mail Series: Robert Emmons, Jr.

Robert Emmons is running for the South Side Chicago seat (IL-01) occupied by entrenched, corrupt careerist Bobby Rush. A grassroots activist without a rolodex that rains money, Emmons is doing his best to raise campaign cash the old-fashioned way, explaining why he has something to offer to the voters in his district. He sent this one out yesterday, under the subject line The price of your zip code? 30 years of your life:

A recent Economist article revealed that a ride on the 23-mile, north-to-south “L” train Red Line in Chicago corresponds with a staggering statistic: life expectancy varies by 30 years depending on what end of Red Line you’re on. That’s how disparate our income levels are in Chicago-- a disparity that literally deprives people in the poorer areas of Chicago of 30 years compared to people in the more prosperous neighborhoods.

The statistics are no surprise to me. Our campaign focuses heavily on the disparities and injustices responsible for the struggles in our community. When Blue America, a progressive organization that’s endorsed us, asked me to weigh in on The Economist piece, I mentioned the loss of my best friend, who died of gun violence near the lower half of that Red Line route.

Don’t let any more people become a statistic.

As I told Blue America, his death was preventable: “It was preventable with a living wage, Universal pre-k, Medicare-for-All, and a Green New Deal. We must approach the epidemic that is gun violence as a public health crisis, and then eradicate the disease once and for all.”

Blue America sees what I see here in IL-01 and across the country: not only do we need to oust Republican lawmakers, we also need to oust apathetic Democrats who’ve let our communities suffer on their watch. That’s why Blue America has endorsed our campaign and three other Chicago-area progressives. And all of us are running against Democrat incumbents who aren’t getting the job done.

Folks, getting the job done is literally a matter of life and death. Help me dismantle the system that is literally responsible for the early deaths of people in our most vulnerable communities.

In solidarity,

—REJr

Short and to the point-- just the way a fundraising letter should be. Please consider contributing to Robert's campaign by clocking on the Chicagoland thermometer just above on the right.

Chicago Zip Codes Shouldn't Determine Which Side Of The City's 30 Year Life Expectancy Divergence You're On

This map of Chicago from The Economist shocked me as the magazine makes the point that if you take a ride along Chicago's red line-- a rail service running north-south for 23 miles-- life expectancy varies by 30 years from one end to the other! Thirty years! In a developed country! In the richest country in the world! And it's not all caused by the epidemic of opioid addiction and the NRA-GOP worship of fire arms.

In the last decade, Chicagoland stopped sending Republicans to Congress. But there are still worthless conservatives representing the area. And if Dan Lipinski is the worst and best known, he isn't the only one. Blue America has 4 strong progressive candidates running in primaries against 4 Democratic incumbents who are not part of the solution-- Marie Newman, Kina Collins, Robert Emmons and Rachel Ventura. I asked all four to look at the map and help me understand it. Marie-- who is running for the seat occupied by Lipinski-- was the first to respond. "Environmental, economic and racial injustices are clear and stark in the Chicago area. This affects my district, IL-03-- the southwest side of the city and suburbs-- dramatically and everyday. My platform was built on addressing the environmental crises in my district as well as the income divide and addressing hate head on. We need to create equality and we need to do it now."

That probably has something to do with presidential candidates Bernie, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker endorsing her-- not to mention congressional superstars AOC and Ro Khanna, despite warnings from the DCCC not to.

Kina Collins may not be as well known yet, but we've got to change that. In fact, even before The Economist published the map, she was the first to talk with me about the huge disparity in life expectancy and told me it went into her decision to run for Congress. "In IL-07 we have the largest life expectancy gap in the country from Streeterville with an average age of 90 years just 10 miles south to Englewood with an average life expectancy of 60 years. I am running on a healthcare reform platform to address this health inequity not only in Chicago, but across the country. Your ZIP code should not determine whether you get quality healthcare or not, and we must address the institutional racism and inequity that is built into the healthcare system. Before I announced my candidacy for Congress, I worked as the National Organizer for Physicians for a National Health Program, a national non profit of 20,000 doctors and medical students fighting to secure a single payer medicare for all system. Healthcare is everything, from the water we drink to the air we breathe. That's why when elected I will work to close the healthcare equity gap by supporting Medicare-For-All and a Green New Deal."

While canvassing in New Lenox yesterday, Rachel Ventura told me that "One's life expectancy, chances of getting into college, or median household income should not be determined by the zip code you live in. This map underscores the need for a single-payer, improved Medicare for All system that provides high quality healthcare for every resident of the United States. Additionally, one might consider that life expectancy is negatively impacted in poor areas because of increased levels of pollution. While there are no multiple shades of red to parse out life expectancy in the 11th Congressional District, I am certain that residents who live near the Will County refineries (Citgo and Exxon Mobile) or coal ash pits have lower life expectancy rates. I'm sure that those who live in the more affluent parts of the 11th district retire earlier, earn more money, have access to higher levels of education and better healthcare. We need to close the wealth gap, pass the green new deal and win Medicare for All. This won't happen with a multi-millionaire representing the district who opposes these substantial changes."

Robert Emmons is the last of our Chicagoland candidates but he's running in the first district. Tragically, he lost his best-friend to gun violence in 2015. Robert told me "his death was (statistically speaking) predictable. It was predictable because he was living in a society that failed him-- and our community-- at every turn. Our economic system failed him, our education system failed him, our racist criminal justice failed him. Let’s be clear, his murder was 100% preventable. It was preventable with a living wage, universal pre-k, Medicare-for-All, and a Green New Deal. We must approach the epidemic that is gun violence as a public health crisis, and then eradicate the disease once and for ALL. Zip code should not define whether or not you live or die. When we elect progressives to Congress, we send that message loud and clear."

Can Robert Emmons Do For Chicago's South Side What Obama Was Unable To Accomplish?

In the 1960s, Bobby Rush, now a 72 year old establishment congressman from Chicago's South Side (and the only person to ever beat Barack Obama in an election), founded the Chicago chapter of the Black Panthers. He completely abandoned radical politics in 1974 after his ill-fated run for the city council-- and never looked back. By the time Rush got to Congress in 1993-- by primarying an incumbent-- he was a self-described "deeply religious born-again Christian" and closer to a conservative Democrat than a progressive. In 2015 he endorsed Rahm Emanuel in his primary against Chuy Garcia. He rates high on the congressional corruption scale, having long funneled campaign money to his family-- like paying his wife $50,000 as a "consultant." He was caught taking bribes from multimillionaire businessman Joseph Stroud in return for helping Stroud's business interests in the telecom sector overseen by Rush's committee. Starting last year 15% of Rush's congressional salary is being garnished to repay more than $1 million he owes on a delinquent loans. And today, in one of the bluest districts in the country, Rush has a mediocre 89.09 Progressive Punch crucial vote score-- and a "B" rating. He has refused to co-sponsor AOC's Green New Deal resolution. His status quo politics doesn't make sense in IL-01, a district that craves fundamental change. And now he has a serious primary challenger: Robert Emmons, Jr. Please read his guest post below and consider contributing to his campaign by clicking on the new Chicagoland congressional thermometer below.





Let’s Give Our Youth A Reason To Trust
by Robert Emmons, Jr.
candidate for Congress, IL-01

My job as a social innovator requires me to be curious about everything. In social innovation, the question, “why” or “how” become tools rather than barriers. Those questions allow the observer to begin to truly build an understanding. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in the design process is to allow guesses to guide decisions. That is why before deciding to run for US Congress in Illinois’ First district, I decided to spend three month asking questions and building trust with my community.

Last weekend, while collecting petitions in Woodlawn, I met a group of young people who were hesitant to provide their signatures. Most of those who decline to sign our petitions might be in a rush or simply not interested giving me their support. In most cases, trust doesn’t play a major factor in their decision.

When this group of individuals declined to sign my petitions, that wasn’t the case. They weren’t telling me they didn’t have the time or didn’t care for politics. In fact, it was the opposite. What they wanted was an explanation as to why I should be trusted. Simply telling them who I was, and what I hoped to achieve while in office, wasn’t going to cut it.

What followed was an extemporaneous town hall.

From healthcare (how to pay for it) to the Climate Crisis, I answered their questions and addressed their concerns, each of them as valid as the last. By the end of it, I found that I was able to alleviate much of the concerns they had about politicians. One of them had recommended a book to me on the interconnectedness of major issues in our communities. Another young woman happened to be the niece of one of our board members; she went went so far as to sign up to volunteer. Another offered to have me speak to his group at COAL. And the last individual wouldn’t sign the petition at all, but I believe she went home and donated $20.20 after listening in and perhaps googling my campaign issues page.

This event reminded me of my own behavior not so long ago. I saw the same level of distrust that I had myself for so many years. But at the same time, I saw hope in the absence of trust. While each of the individuals I spoke with was skeptical of politicians, they still believed that our political system could solve big problems.

Our youth aren’t lazy or apathetic towards politics, they’re skeptical of an unjust system.

It is upon us, those who seek the support of our youth, to regain that trust. Whether or not we are incumbents or challengers, we must acknowledge that this is a new time, a new moment in our country’s political trajectory. Saying that our youth-- those who comprise the very future of our nation-- are uninterested in politics is not only false, but disrespects legitimate grievances towards a system that has been built over generations.

In an uncharted political landscape, we now have the chance to renew that trust in our youth. We can show them that the vision we have for a better community is no different than their own. I’m proud of those who do not just sign our petition. They do not indicate a generation that is losing interest, but one that values accountability.

Prior to running for Office, I also worked in Civic Engagement with the Obama Foundation as a Community Leader (consultant). The key to the lessons that I taught was an orientation to civics that I had learned from my grandmother. She taught me that civic engagement wasn’t just about voting, it was about holding our elected officials accountable each and everyday; it’s about working to make our community stronger and more resilient.

I love earning the trust of my future constituents. That constant curiosity keeps me honest and authentic. So when I tell folks that I am a Gun Violence Prevention Advocate, Social Innovator and nonprofit leader who is running for congress to make this the last generation to be faced with everyday gun violence, I pray that I continue to hear the question “why.” And I will continue to be honored to answer that call.

Marie Newman: "Robert Emmons is a truly perfect fit for his district: compassionate, bright, incisive and in complete alignment with the residents on top issues. I've campaigned with him side by side and believe in him 100%"

First Contact: Robert Emmons, Jr. (IL-01)

I'll have to ask Mr. Emmons how he thinks that turned out

Blue America is at the very beginning stages of getting to know-- sounds so much better than "vetting," right?-- Robert Emmons, the progressive Democrat challenging longtime Chicago Congressman Bobby Rush. When he first e-mailed and asked for our endorsement, I was super-slammed with the whistleblower papers being released so I responded with this e-mail, thinking it might give me some breathing space to postpone a phone conversation by a few days so I could catch up. "Nice to hear from you, Robert.," I wrote. "Before we talk on the phone, can you tell me the case you're making against Rush and how you sense that is going over in the community?" The other possibility with a request like that-- a telling one-- is that a candidate doesn't have it together to respond at all. Almost half the candidates who request endorsements don't have what it takes to carry out a simple task like that. It saves me a lot of time and energy because then I know right off that bat that there's nothing we can do to help them.

But not Emmons. He was ON IT-- and FAST! Here's his response:

Here is a sample of our case:

We respect Bobby Rush, but he has failed our community for far too long. When Barack Obama ran against Bobby Rush in 2000, he said that Bobby Rush is out of touch and represents a reactive politics. We couldn’t agree more, and 20 years has made the situation even more dire.

I want to point out that we have a vision for the district that goes beyond politics. We want to make this the last generation to be faced with everyday gun violence by addressing the root causes. This is not an issue that Bobby doesn’t care about. This is an issue that we have disagreements on how to solve. Militarizing and criminalizing our community is not the answer. Addressing poverty and environmental racism’s is the answer. Our campaign is predicated on the belief that we are the solution together; that the solutions to our community’s most pressing needs are in the minds and hearts of those who have been hurt by the laws designed to hold them down.

  Issues:

• Bobby Rush voted for the disastrous 1994 crime bill. This further exacerbated the vicious cycle of poverty and hence violence in communities of color across the nation.
• 25 years after the Crime Bill passage, he still supports local policies that are “tough on crime”. For example he supports proposals of 50 million dollars on drone surveillance on the Southside of Chicago. Evidence has proven this strategy to be ineffective and a terrible use of resources. This means that even though he has apologized for the 94’ crime bill, he hasn’t learned from the impacts it has had.
• He has always taken money from the fossil fuel industry. This is while we in the First’ have some of the highest percentages of people with asthma in the nation(including myself).
• He sits on the committee on Energy and Commerce. He called the Green New Deal a smash and grab. This isn’t surprising due to his relationship with the fossil fuel industry.
• He has one of the poorest run constituent services. Electeds around the district have said that they can’t work with him.
• He has spurred division in our district. More recently in the Chicago Mayoral elections.
• Our District is ready for reinvigoration. We have felt an energy in the district that we haven’t felt in our lives.
• We have built a multi-generational coalition across the district.
• Our campaign has 40xs more small dollar contributions than Bobby Rush. We have proven to be about the people.
• We received endorsements from public officials, YoungPac, People For Bernie Sanders, and more recently Brand New Congress.
• We have already started working with elected officials to make our district stronger. 

Our campaign has received support from folks in 43 states.

I hope this helps to begin. Please let us know if you’d like to discuss these points further. 

And that was good enough to set up a phone call so we can begin the process of making sure Mr. Emmons will make a member of Congress we know we will be able to count on to do the right things for IL-01 and for the country. After all, these congressional candidates wind up as senators and governors and cabinet secretaries and even presidents. We have to make sure we're not going to wind up with some fast-talking crook like Joe Biden. I promise to let you know how it goes. So far my gut is telling me, we have a good one here. Here's the video he released on his campaign site; sounds good, right?

Congress Needs More Activists In Its Ranks-- Meet Chicago's Kina Collins

I have a hard job at Blue America-- figuring out how a candidate is going to behave once they get into Congress. It's less about looking into a crystal ball, though, and more about looking into their hearts. With some of the candidates we vet, it takes weeks or even months. With Kina Collins, it took a couple of days-- really just a couple of hours. Blue America will never have to push Congresswoman Collins on anything-- anymore than we ever have to push AOC or Rashid Tlaib on anything. Like them, the Kina Collins I've been talking to is a natural-born leader who will be fighting for the issues that motivates Blue America-- including issues years from now that haven't even come up yet. She made my tough job easy.

Kina is running for the downtown Chicago congressional seat occupied Danny Davis (going on 78 years old and first elected in 1996). IL-07 is a solid blue district with a PVI of D+38. Trump didn't even hot the 10% make there and whoever wins the Democratic primary will be the next member of Congress. A minority-majority district, just 27% of IL-07 residents are white. It stretches from tony lakefront neighborhoods through the Loop and the Near Northside into the Westside, the heart of the district, and out into Cook County suburbs like Oak Park (home of American Chicago icons Ernest Hemingway and Frank Lloyd Wright), River Forest, Maywood, Broadview and Hillside. Danny Davis isn't a "bad" congressman and he has served his district. Kina Collins has the ideas and the energy of the 21st century that folks in IL-07 will benefit from. The status quo is not the answer for these communities. I asked her to introduce herself in a guest post that goes into her background as an activist as a way of showing what she brings to the table. Please give it a read (and watch the iPhone video she made for us above)... and if you like what you see, please consider contributing to Kina's all-grassroots campaign by clicking on the Blue America 2020 congressional thermometer on the right. It's not just IL-07 that needs her; Congress does and America does.

From Activist to Policymaker
-by Kina Collins

Three and a half years ago, I was standing on the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago linking arms with other activists and organizers across the city, protesting the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. People mocked us, they spat at us, they pushed us, but for 12 hours straight they couldn’t move us. We stayed the entire day outside businesses from open to close enacting an economic boycott, and at the end my toes and fingers were frozen and I couldn’t feel my face, but my heart and soul were full. I knew we had done something special, and we did it peacefully and in solidarity. That day, we collectively changed the course of history in Chicago.

Before the Black Friday shutdown happened in November 2015, there had been an immense amount of strategic organizing going on behind the scenes. Seeing the video of Laquan being shot 16 times, I physically felt a burning sensation in my back as I watched Officer Van Dyke pull that trigger. I remember feeling like time had stopped. Within 24 hours of the video being released, we had a plan. We knew what we were capable of, and that we did not want our rage to result in burning the city down because that would not further our collective movement.

In order to take bold action and put the power back into the hands of the people, we wanted to stop the city from doing business on the biggest financial day of the year. We knew that direct action would not suffice on its own; we wanted policy changed, laws rewritten, and we wanted elected officials to be held accountable. We had no idea on that day that this was the spark that would eventually lead to Chicago getting a new police superintendent, electing a new state’s attorney, ousting the mayor responsible for the cover up, and actually seeing a police officer convicted of murder-- something that no other major city has accomplished in the Black Lives Matter era.

It was the activist community in Chicago that showed me that we have the collective power to fight for what is right in this country, and to keep pushing until we can put an end to corrupt, immoral, and unjust systems. Organizing alongside other powerful movement leaders, I have seen that not enough people are being brought to the table. The voices of the most marginalized in our community are being left out of policy making, and it is time for the Democratic party to elevate new leaders with fresh perspectives to be on the front lines in Washington.

Since that cold day in November, I've turned my activism into action, I've written and passed state policy, and I’ve organized on a national scale for a single-payer Medicare for All plan. Now I am ready to take this same energy and coalition building all the way to Capitol Hill. The most important actions we can take are not just focused on resistance but focused on solutions, and putting in place accountability measures to prevent what happened to Laquan McDonald from ever happening again. There are real life battles going on in small towns and big cities across our country, and we need fighters in Congress who will bring the spirit of their community with them.

At the national level, this is the same bold action we need to take to abolish ICE, to support Dreamers, to preserve reproductive freedoms, to protect the rights of transgender folks, and to get real about the climate crisis. I will bring a new approach to the Illinois 7th Congressional District, speaking up for the concerns of everyday citizens and not shying away from difficult political fights. That is why I am running for Congress - to bring a new voice to Washington, and to directly confront the most pressing issues of our times.

We are running a people-powered grassroots campaign, and we’re not going to win with big money-- we’re going to win with big organizing. I will not be taking any corporate PAC money related to the fossil fuel industry, pharmaceutical or insurance companies, nor from any groups associated with private prisons or the gun lobby. I know that with your help, we can work together to bring about change in our country. Find out more at KinaForCongress.com and @Kina4Congress on social media, and thank you for your support!

An Opportunity To Replace A Reactionary Homophobic Blue Dog With A Chicagoland Progressive-- Meet Marie Newman

Gay equality used to be a contentious issue for Democrats. The DCCC and leadership assholes like Hoyer used to quietly counsel Democrats representing-- or running in-- swing districts to vote against equality-- and the Blue Dogs mostly did just that. That was then; now Democrats proudly embrace the LGBTQ community and there are more openly gay and lesbian members of Congress than ever before. As far as I can tell, the only overtly homophobic Blue Dog left in the House is Chicagoland fake Democrat Dan Lipinski.

And Lipinski has a primary again. Marie Newman, a strong progressive Democratic businesswoman and community leader is running again. Last week, she told her supporters that "234 House Democrats re-introduced the Equality Act-- a bill that would finally ban discrimination against LGBT Americans. It's legislation that's been kicking around Congress for over four decades-- and it’s never gotten a vote. That will change this year." Sounds good, right?

"But there’s one House Democrat-- one in the whole country--" Marie reminded Chicago voters, "who doesn't support this civil rights legislation: Dan Lipinski. Once again, he’s bucking the Democratic Party to stand against equality, something he’s done consistently throughout his 14 years in Congress."

In her first run, in 2018, Marie fell just two percent short of defeating Lipinski and, she said, "I’m gearing up to run again in no small part because of positions like this. It’s a sad reality that we still need the Equality Act."

Blue America endorsed Marie in 2018 and we're endorsing her again this cycle. Please consider contributing what you can to her campaign by clicking on this link or tapping the Blue America Primary A Blue Dog thermometer on the right. Last cycle Marie was on the path to a clear victory when a flood of right-wing sewer money, organized by No Labels, came gushing into the race in the form of ads smearing Marie. Let's make sure she can respond if Murdoch money gets spent in IL-03 again this time.

Marie: "In more than half the country, it’s still legal to fire someone because of who they are or who they love. While some states have passed their own legislation, our federal civil rights laws simply don’t apply to LGBT Americans nationwide. Most Americans agree we’re overdue in updating our civil rights laws. Every single Democrat in the United States House of Representatives is ready to take action. Every Democrat except for my representative. As a constituent, as a Democrat, as a mother, as a human being, I think it’s outrageous."

And this is not just a civic matter for her; it's also personal. Her daughter is a member of the LGBTQ community and, like any normal parent, she doesn't want to see her child-- or anyone's children-- discriminated against. And, by the way, in case you're wondering, when we say Marie Newman is a progressive fighter, it's not just because she's fighting for women's rights and racial equality and gay equality. She's also backing Medicare-For-All, the Green New Deal, a livable minimum wage and the other kinds of cutting edge policy that defines progressivism in the Age of Trump.

Bernie Endorses Marie Newman In Illinois' Hottest Congressional Primary

Reminder: today is March 9, The Illinois primaries are Match 20. And unlike the Texas primaries Tuesday, there are no runoffs. These are for keeps. The other day, we ran a guest post by Tony Sterbenc about a young progressive, Ryan Huffman, running in the crowded IL-06 primary for the Democratic nomination to take on vulnerable Republican Pete Roskam. We haven't gotten to know Huffman enough to make an official endorsement yet, but he sounds like the best better in that Chicagoland district.

Two Illinois candidates we have gotten to know well enough to make strong endorsements for are David Gill downstate and Marie Newman right in Chicagoland. And we've been trying to share our enthusiasm fro each regularly since last year. Please consider contributing to their get-out-the-vote efforts by tapping on the ActBlue congressional thermometer on the right. Yesterday Bernie Sanders weighed in on the IL-03 race, joining several progressive members of Congress who made the unprecedented move of endorsing a challenger to a sitting member. That's how bad right-wing Blue Dog incumbent Dan Lipinski is! Bernie hasn't endorsed many candidates for the House this cycle-- as far as I know, just Chuy Garcia and Randy "Iron Stache" Bryce. And now Marie Newman. This is what Bernie had to say to his supporters in Illinois yesterday morning:

Marie Newman has made it clear that she will be a champion for working families in Illinois, which is why I am proud to support her campaign. In Congress, Marie will fight for Medicare for All, a $15 an hour minimum wage, and providing workers with benefits such as paid sick leave, while protecting Medicare and Social Security. She will defend women’s rights, LGBT rights and ensure immigrants have a safe path to citizenship. I am proud to stand with Marie and look forward to continuing to fight alongside her on these and other critical issues once she’s elected to Congress.

Marie was buoyed by the support, just as she had been when Illinois congressmembers Jan Schakowsky and Luis Gutierréz-- as well as Ro Khanna (D-CA)-- announced their endorsements last month. "The tides," she wrote, "are changing here in the Third district of Illinois. For far too long, Dan Lipinski has lost no sleep over ignoring the needs of hardworking families--but that stops now. I will be the unabashedly progressive champion that women and families across this district and beyond deserve, never compromising on the values they work hard every single day to achieve. I could not be more proud to have the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders who has been the leading champion for working families in our nation. I look forward to working alongside him to ensure that when you work hard and play by the rules, you will have a shot at the American Dream."

As Larry Sabato explained yesterday, "As of right now, the most endangered Democratic incumbent in either a primary or general election is probably Rep. Dan Lipinski (D, IL-3), a cultural conservative and one of the only anti-abortion Democrats in Congress. Lipinski faces a seemingly stiff primary challenge from a more liberal Democrat, Marie Newman, in a district that the eventual Democratic nominee will hold in the fall (that nominee better, given that the only Republican who filed is a perennial candidate and an actual Nazi)." Keep in mind, the virulent Blue Dog organization in Washington and the pustulent DC Democratic establishment-- Hoyer has been funneling lobbyist money into his campaign-- are backing Lipinski. Bernie and progressives everywhere are working to help Marie replace him. And the way you win in a district like IL-03 is not expensive and wasteful TV ads in one of the country's most expensive media markets. It's FIELD and that's exactly what Marie Newman (and David Gill) need help with for the next 11 days. 

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board Meets With Marie Newman And Blue Dog Arch-Villain Dan Lipinski

The Illinois primaries are just around the corner-- March 20. In a safely blue Chicago districts like IL-03, where Hillary beat Trump 55.2% to 39.9%-- that's the day the next member of Congress is determined. It's a big deal this year on IL-03 because the extreme right incumbent Democrat, Dan Lipinski, has his first-ever primary challenge. Marie Newman, a progressive who represents an entirely different set of values from Lipinski, is the candidate endorsed by Blue America and almost every progressive organization in Illinois and the nation.

IL-03 voters have never seen anything like it before. This week the Sun-Times tried to get to the heart of what's happening in the district and why Lipinski, who's been in Congress since his father suddenly retired from Congress in 2004 and brought him back from Tennessee and sneaked him into the seat. Lipinski is a classic anti-Choice, anti-gay, anti-immigrant Blue Dog and votes with the Republicans more than almost any other Democrat in Congress. So far this cycle Lipinski has raised $466,831-- and is sitting on a $1.5 million war chest-- while Newman has raised $269,128. But IL-03 has changed-- drastically-- and Lipinski hasn't kept up.

The Lipinski family formula for political longevity, now spanning 36 years, has always been built upon hewing to the conservative side of the Democratic Party, finding peace with Republicans as protection for general elections.

LaGrange businesswoman Marie Newman thinks that formula has passed its expiration date for U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, who followed his father Bill into Congress 14 years ago.

“I don’t think he understands the district has changed beyond dramatically since his tenure,” Newman told the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board Wednesday in a joint appearance with Lipinski, their first of the campaign.

The 3rd Congressional District, which represents much of Chicago’s Southwest Side and the southwest suburbs, is now solidly Democratic turf that deserves a solid Democratic vote in the House, not a “squishy situation where you don’t know how the congressperson is going to vote,” Newman said.

Lipinski, 51, countered that the “pragmatic” voters of his district want a like-minded representative willing to reach across party lines to solve problems, not someone who would add to the “bickering and gridlock” in Washington.

Throughout the Editorial Board session, the 53-year-old Newman sought to portray Lipinski as someone who has been out of step on many of the hot button issues that define today’s Democratic Party-- abortion rights, immigration and gay rights.

She also took Lipinski to task for votes through the years in which he rejected the party’s position on high profile matters, including votes against Obamacare and the DREAM Act.

Lipinski spent most of the hour on the defensive.

“On abortion, yes, I’m pro-life. I think science shows that life begins at conception, and that is a value that I think as a Democrat who believes government has a role in protecting those who are vulnerable that we should protect,” he said.

Newman argued Lipinski should set his personal beliefs aside to support abortion rights because 70 percent of the district’s voters do. He said it’s a matter of principle that should not be dependent on his constituents’ views.

Lipinski tried to walk a middle ground on gay rights, saying he supports same-sex marriage “because it has been declared the law of the land,” then adding: “Personally, I don’t support it, but that doesn’t matter in how I vote.”

Newman noted Lipinski co-sponsored the First Amendment Defense Act, regarded by gay rights activists as an attempt to legalize state-sanctioned discrimination against same-sex couples.

Lipinski cast the issue as one of religious freedom and said he sponsored the bill out of concern churches would lose their tax exempt status.

Asked about the Colorado court case involving the baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple, Lipinski called it a “very difficult question” of the baker’s free speech.

Newman said it was a “horrific” case of discrimination against the gay couple.

Lipinski said he voted against Obamacare because he didn’t believe it would work, but pointed out that he’s never supported Republican efforts to repeal it.

Newman said she supports “Medicare for all” proposals promoted by Sen. Bernie Sanders and other Democrats. Lipinski said he doesn’t.

Newman portrayed Lipinski as a Johnny-come-lately on immigration reform who voted against the original DREAM Act legislation to protect young immigrants brought here as children. That legislation later served as the template for President Barack Obama’s executive order offering similar temporary protections, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Lipinski said he opposed the DREAM Act because “at the time, I thought we should not just deal with one group of immigrants.“

“That’s not my position right now,” added Lipinski, who said in November that he would support legislation to extend the DACA protections if it comes to a vote.

Newman said she wants Congress to approve a “clean” no-strings-attached DACA bill without funding for a border wall, but understands Democrats may need to compromise.

Still, she said that if she were in Congress she would vote to shut down the federal government again in three weeks if no solution has been found to protect the Dreamers.

Lipinski said it’s too soon to say, but that he generally opposes government shutdowns.

Chicago Magazine was far harsher on Lipinski, calling Newman "the perfect person (at the perfect time)" to take him down. After pollsters gave IL-03 respondents a rundown of Lipinski’s record on LGBT issues and immigration, Newman beat him 39% to 34%, indicating that "many voters don’t realize how conservative Lipinski is. Often referred to as a 'Trump Democrat,' he voted with the president’s agenda more than 30 percent of the time last year." If Newman can get her message out to the voters, she's going to win on March 20. Clicking on that Primary A Blue Dog thermometer on the right can help her do just that.

Newman’s best shot at showing voters the difference between her agenda and Lipinski’s is through a debate, but he’s yet to agree to the series of five to which she’s challenged him. Lipinski says he has debated his opponents in the past and insists he’ll do so this time, as well. If the debates happen, he’ll likely present himself as quasi-progressive Dan 2.0, an image he began rolling out last year. Democratic consultant Tom Bowen, who briefly helped Newman launch her campaign, says the congressman has “clearly seen the light and understands that national progressive groups are trying to topple him.” Last year, Lipinski, one of three Democrats still in the House who rejected the Affordable Care Act in 2010, voted against repealing it. He’s also changed course on immigration, supporting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the successor to President Obama’s DREAM Act, which he voted against in 2010.

Chuy Garcia For Congress-- IL-04

Hopefully you remember Chuy Garcia from his run for mayor of Chicago in 2015. He stunned the political world by forcing Rahm Emanuel into a runoff. Last week we mentioned that Chuy, a Cook County Commissioner, is running for the IL-04 congressional seat that Luis Gutierrez is giving up. Originally we figured we'd just let it play out because the other candidate in the race is city Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, who's also a good solid progressive.

Since then-- alarm bells. Rahm, the corrupt sack of conservative shit, has waded into the race to defeat Chuy. So... Blue America endorsed Chuy and so did both Gutierrez and... wait for it Bernie.

Garcia’s wing of the Democratic Party helped Sanders, the Vermont Independent, come close to beating Hillary Clinton in the March 2016 Illinois presidential primary-- in part by attacking Emanuel.

Garcia went on to become a key Sanders’ surrogate targeting Hispanic voters, traveling to key states during the campaign.

Sanders has kept his political movement alive with the creation of his “Our Revolution” nonprofit. The leaders of Our Revolution Illinois in Chicago include Garcia and Cook County Clerk David Orr. The chair is Clem Balanoff, who led Sanders’ Illinois presidential drive.

The seat has a history.

This incredibly gerrymandered “C” or earmuff shaped 4th District was created in 1992 to comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The idea was to consolidate Hispanic voting strength by linking the North Side largely Puerto Rican neighborhoods with the Mexican-American communities on the South Side.

Gutierrez became the first Hispanic House member from Illinois, holding that seat since its inception. Why Sanders endorsement is a big deal for Garcia in a Democratic primary:

• Sanders resonates with the non-Hispanic parts of the district — the hipsters and millennials and traditional liberals and progressive in the city.
• The district also takes in Cicero and some other suburban territory as it snakes it way west all the way to the 294 Interstate. And in the suburbs, Sanders has influence among the newest generation of activist Democrats who are loosely banded together in the “Indivisible” movement born after the election of President Donald Trump.
• This gives Garcia a fundraising edge if Sanders asks his backers to donate to Garcia. It’s highly likely Sanders would, if needed, fly to Chicago to stump for Garcia.
• Garcia now has a ready-made Sanders national organization to bolster his House bid.
• Sanders’ backing of Garcia gives him standing outside Chicago political fishbowl.

“Chuy Garcia is the right person at the right time for the work we have ahead of us,” Sanders said in a statement.

“He is ready and willing to stand up and fight for the working families of Chicago and our nation and take on the powerful special interests who have far too much power over the economic and political life of our country. He is also an experienced legislator who has risen up the ladder of Chicago’s brawling politics. That makes him well groomed for jumping into the House’s rough and tumble political battles.” Sanders said.

So Rahm stuck his own friendly-faced shill into the race, Sol Flores, who most recently served on his transition team and is likely to benefit from a ton of murky corporate financing. If you'd like to help make sure Chuy Garcia is the next super-progressive in Congress, please click on the thermometer above.

Blue Dogs Flipping Out As Marie Newman Gathers Momentum In Her Battle Against Conservative Dan Lipinski

When Kirsten Gillibrand first ran for Congress, I used to talk with her frequently. She had me fooled that she was a progressive and Blue America helped her raise money and even got Rickie Lee Jones and the Squirrel Nut Zippers to help us make an ad for her campaign. Once she got into Congress she joined the Blue Dog Coalition, started voting with the Republicans, exhibited ZERO backbone, became a poster child for the NRA and an outspoken campaigner against immigrants rights. Blecchhhhh. And then Hillary Clinton picked her as her replacement for the Senate when she abandoned her seat to become Secretary of State. Gillibrand dumped her Blue Dog outfit and reinvented herself as a Wall Street-loving liberal. No one-- NO ONE-- knows what the hell she really is other than a political opportunist.

A couple weeks ago she endorsed solid progressive Chicago congressional candidate Marie Newman against sleazy Blue Dog Dan Lipinski. But was that because Newman is a progressive and Lipinksi is a right-wing Democrat? Or was it for something less ideological-- that Newman is a woman and Lipinski is a man?

One of the worst of the Blue Dogs, Oregon conservative Kurt Schrader, came to Lipinski's defense and denounced Gillibrand. "It’s bullshit," snarled Schrader about Gillibrand's endorsement. "She used to be a Blue Dog, and then miraculously turns around? C’mon, man."

To Schrader, the endorsement smacked of political opportunism-- especially given that Gillibrand, while a representative of a moderate upstate New York district, was once a Blue Dog herself.

Meanwhile, this week, a quartet of progressive organizations-- NARAL, MoveOn, DFA and the PCCC-- jointly announced that they will help Newman defeat Lipinski. (Note: Lipinski is virulently homophobic and consistently votes with the GOP against LGBT equality, prompting a centrist gay group, HRC, which has no interest in progressivism, to also announce they would help defeat the Chicagoland congressman.)

Lipinski, who won his seat after his father stepped down in 2004, has made no secret of his anti-choice views, though they break from the Democratic Party’s plank on abortion rights. He co-chairs the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus and sits on the federal advisory board of anti-choice group Democrats for Life of America.

“For too long, Dan Lipinski has ignored the needs of working families across Illinois, by pushing his fringe ideological agenda at the expense of women and families across the state,” Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said in a Tuesday statement. “Congressman Lipinski is way out of step with his constituents and with Democratic party principles when it comes to women’s rights, LGBT equality, and the basic freedoms that Americans hold dear.”

Charles Chamberlain, executive director of Democracy for America, said in a statement that his organization was supporting Newman “because Illinois voters deserve a Democratic congressional delegation that is as unflinchingly committed to fighting for abortion rights and LGBT equality as they are to standing up to any other racial and economic injustice.”

Lipinski is one of only two Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives to sign on to a GOP-backed measure this year to restrict abortion beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy, based on the false claim that a fetus can feel pain at this point in a pregnancy. He has co-sponsored other anti-choice measures such as a permanent ban on federal abortion funding, voted to defund Planned Parenthood, and has questioned evidence-based guidelines for medication abortion.

Newman in April announced her intent to challenge Lipinski. Already, Lipinski’s views on reproductive health care have been a contentious issue in the primary race.

Her campaign platform includes calls to expand access to health care through “Healthcare-For-All solutions” and criticizes Lipinski’s opposition to reproductive rights. “Consistent with the Roe v. Wade decision, I believe that reproductive decisions belong with women and her right to choose, not with government or politicians,” her campaign site says, noting that Lipinski “has voted consistently to defund Planned Parenthood and eliminate a woman’s right to choose.”

Lipinski’s district is rated as “Solid Democrat” by the Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales/Roll Call ratings, meaning the seat is likely to remain in the hands of Democrats no matter who wins the March 20 primary in 2018.

How horrible is Lipinski? Back in April, Lipinski endorsed and campaigned for grotesquely corrupt Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar in his re-election bid after Claar endorsed and started fundraising for Trump. With Lipinski's help the Trump candidate won 6,425 to 6,274 against an actual Democrat, Will County Board member Jackie Traynere.

When Blue America endorsed Marie 7 months ago, she explained in a guest post why she's running and what her priorities will be in Congress.

First, we must fight to protect and extend health care for all Americans. I believe the best way to do that is through phased-in approach to include some of the key proposals out there currently such as the Medicare for All initiative, introduced by Congressman Conyers and Senator Sanders. Until we have a President and Congress that will pass such a measure, we must fight to protect the Affordable Care Act from repeal. This includes retaining the elements of that law focused on women’s healthcare and reproductive rights, protecting Planned Parenthood and the millions of women it serves, and requiring insurance companies to cover those with pre-existing conditions.

Not only is my opponent the only Democrat from Illinois to vote against establishing the Affordable Care Act; he has voted repeatedly with the Republican majority to defund Planned Parenthood. This is an unacceptable assault on the rights and health needs of millions of women across our country.

Second, we need to put the needs and concerns of small businesses ahead of the big corporations who use their campaign money and lobbyists to turn the tax code to their advantage. It is our small businesses that create most of the new jobs in our country and that make up the majority of the businesses in the 3rd Congressional District.

In any restructuring of our tax code, we need to close the loopholes and special privileges that enable the wealthiest corporations to avoid their fair share of the tax burden and use some of those resources to help small businesses and entrepreneurs. We must also reverse the Citizens United decision, which has given a handful of right-wing billionaires a hugely disproportionate role in our elections and government. I believe every person’s voice and vote should matter the same.

My opponent takes three-quarters of his campaign money from Washington PACs and lobbyists, which is why he’s ignored the needs of small businesses without that kind of political clout. As a Member of Congress, I’ll reverse those misguided priorities and focus on promoting small business growth.

Third, too many students in our country are leaving college with huge debt but without employable skills. We should encourage the development of high school and college curriculums that actually lead to real jobs. For example, creating more cost-effective entry to community colleges and to create one and two year certifications with designated paths to well-paying jobs that will promote both job and community growth. This should apply to federally supported job retraining and career redirection programs, as well-- many of which could be administered through our community college system.

Finally, I’m eager to fight against discrimination due to race, religion, gender or sexuality-- because respect, appreciation and equal rights are American values that we hold dear. My opponent has voted consistently against gay marriage and has sponsored legislation that would enable businesses to discriminate against the LGBTQI community on “religious” grounds. And he shares Donald Trump’s aggression toward immigrants-- even though first- and second-generation immigrant families make up much of the 3rd District. We must rededicate ourselves to the basic, American principles of welcoming refugees and promoting a welcome environment for all.

I am excited by the grassroots energy and commitment of thousands of people across the 3rd District who believe with all their heart that it’s time to take a stand for our values and our future. I know that defeating an incumbent whose family has held this seat for 30 years is a very difficult assignment. But I also know the power of everyday people when they join together in a common cause because I’ve been a part of it many times before.