Today Is Election Day In IL-02

The top ad was the original ad Bloomberg put out against Halvorson and then someone got them to alter it in a way that forced Toi Hutchinson out of the race. This is it:



Technically, it's just a primary to pick the Democratic nominee to replace Jesse Jackson, Jr. But in a district where Jackson won reelection-- without even campaigning-- with 181,067 votes (63%) against a Republican opponent who got 67,396 votes (23%) and where Obama took 80.7% of the vote in November, the primary is the real contest. Whomever wins today will be the next Member of Congress for this Southland district. Blue America endorsed state Senator Toi Hutchinson primarily because she seemed like the strongest candidate who could beat self-described conservative Debbie Halvorson-- and, most important, not splinter the progressive and African American vote that would allow Halvorson to get back into Congress. We hoped to interest a nonplused online community in a race no one seemed to care about or understand. Eventually a few online groups and communities did get involved but decided that Toi was tainted because she filled in an NRA questionnaire badly-- even though she was a sponsor of the bill to ban assault weapons and high caliber magazines and even though she had never voted with the NRA. In fact, once the Bloomberg folks were persuaded to changed their TV ad campaign from just attacking Halvorson to also attacking Toi... well it wasn't a race Toi had the resources to stay in.

She immediately-- the next day-- withdrew and threw urged her supporters to back Robin Kelly, the other progressive candidate. Blue America respected that and endorsed Kelly. And then yesterday-- the bad news. New polling from WCKG shows Chicagoland voters so angry about the millions of dollars being spent by Bloomberg that his ads are backfiring and Halvorson has taken the lead (at least according to a poll by a Republican who was once convicted of manipulating numbers). Another poll shows Robin winning by double digits.

Pollster Rod McCulloch told The Daily Journal that negative ads paid for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Independence USA PAC “may have backfired.”

The ads highlighted Halvorson’s past alliance with the National Rifle Association. But conservative, pro-gun voters in Will and Kankakee counties may have taken the ads as an endorsement of Halvorson, and may be willing to cross over to the Democratic primary, because the Republican primary is meaningless. The Illinois State Rifle Association has sent postcards to its members declaring "A Vote For Robin Kelly Is A Vote For Michael Bloomberg" and "A Vote For Debbie Halvorson Is A Vote For AMERICA."

The Illinois State Rifle Association is the state lobbying version of the NRA and below are copies of what they've been sending out:

If you plan to vote today... bring a friend. If you have two friends, bring them both. If the NRA wins this one it will set back the gun safety movement gigantically. Let's hope that the liberal PACs, which played such a huge role in driving Toi Hutchinson out of the race on largely trumped up and hysterical charges of being an NRA candidate, can pull this off for Kelly. She'll make an excellent Member of Congress and Halvorson has already shown herself to be a shill for not just the NRA but for Wall Street as well. Chicagoland congressmembers Jan Schakowsky, Danny Davis, Bobby Rush and Mike Quigley took the unusual step of endorsing a challenger against a former colleague. That's because Robin Kelly really is good and Debbie Halvorson really is horrible.

Toi Hutchinson-- Knowing Where To Draw The Line

Keeping the focus on the bad guy, Debbie Halvorson

Yesterday, in the midst of the unraveling of Breitbart's Friends of Hamas silliness, a tweet flew by my feed making fun of some right-wing numbskull for accusing Chuck Hagel of being a puppy killer. No one likes a puppy killer. It reminded me of some distinctively non right-wing numbskullery from a couple weeks ago by some over enthusiastic Robin Kelly supporters who felt the best way to advance their candidate would be to destroy her primary opponent, not the self-described conservative Debbie Halvorson but the fellow-progressive Toi Hutchinson. I kept getting e-mails from a formerly trusted liberal SuperPAC claiming that the NRA, which was working to defeat Hutchinson, a co-sponsor of a bill in the Illinois state Senate to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, was backing Halvorson. They knew it wasn't true. But it fit their agenda... regardless of how ugly and Republican the tactic is.

One of them told me Toi was also a puppy killer. Just like she hadn't actually ever voted for anything the NRA wanted, it turns out she had never actually killed a puppy, at least not in front of any witnesses. In fact, she was the lead sponsor of a bill to ban puppy mills, the exact opposite of what she was being accused of, which came down to filling in a misleading NRA questionnaire. Another candidate who got that questionnaire, a gun-owner himself, told me when he read three questions, he laughed and ripped it up and threw it in the garbage. In retrospect, it's what Toi Hutchinson should have done instead. I think she knows that now and I think she knows that that's why Robin Kelly is probably going to Congress and why she withdrew from the race and endorsed Robin.

Endorsed Robin? Not Debbie Halvorson? How could she not endorse Debbie Halvorson? Their pictures are all over the TV together. And the NRA loves them both, right? No, that isn't true. The NRA is backing Halvorson and it has always been backing Halvorson. The NRA, which rated Halvorson an A-plus and Hutchinson an A-minus, changed its mind about Hutchinson as soon as they saw what she was actually up to-- fighting their agenda.

After Hutchinson faced the reality that staying in the race could only result in splintering the progressive vote and allowing Halvorson to slip into the seat, she withdrew and urged her supporters to get behind Robin Kelly. I know because the day before she announced it, she called me and asked Blue America to help Robin win. She told me how crucial it is to stop Halvorson. The next morning at 6AM, we endorsed Robin Kelly.

But the attacks on Toi, the puppy killing NRA backer, had been so passionate and so ferocious that she was marked in the minds of many non-right-wing numbskulls as someone worthy of scorn. Some refuse to believe she endorsed Robin or that she "meant" it. Great strategy for building a progressive movement! I know some former Republicans-- who even admit they voted for Bush-- who have seen the light and are now dedicated progressives. I'm not talking about opportunistic trash like Charlie Crist and Patrick Murphy; I mean real stalwarts out there fighting the good fight who saw the error of their ways. I welcome them and celebrate them. Even if Toi Hutchinson checked off some bad boxes on a bad questionnaire she should have tossed, she did all the right things when it counted-- as a legislator.

Not every progressive group has jumped into the same bag. Here's the message TruthBTold sent out to their members this week. I thought it was pretty savvy:

The 2nd Congressional race in Chicago, Illinois, had all the symptoms of a system gone a foul. With over 20 candidates in the race and hardly any of them with real political experiences, it looked as though the contested open seat would turn into a full-fledged circus. But with less than two weeks left, the contestants have swindled down to less than 10 after Patrick Brutus has withdrawn his candidacy and given the thumbs up to Robin Kelly, who appears to be the crowd's favorite now.

It seems that the many candidates who've taken themselves out of the race, mostly have endorsed Kelly. Front runner, Toi Hutchinson suspended her goal of being the next Congresswoman of the 2nd District from Illinois on this past Sunday, insisted her loyal voters support Robin Kelly as well. Toi has shown amazing professionalism and her family, friends and supporters have stood beside her during the last few months since entering the race.

Now Hutchinson can immerse herself in continuing her efforts to be a terrific state senator, bringing real world results to her district. Hutchinson ran a great campaign and inspired the voters of the 2nd District to look carefully at the issues facing their far south side communities. Toi wanted to focus on jobs and economic development and equal housing, but her lack of funds contributed to her deciding to put her advanced political aspirations in the freezer for a later date.

Most people think the Bloomberg Super PAC, coming to Chicago and tossing over 2 million dollars to persuade voters is dirty and destructive politics. It's evil and very divisive. This is probably one reason why Hutchinson also decided to exit the race; it's very difficult for her or anyone to compete against millions of dollars being flooded into the state of Illinois, all for Kelly's election efforts only. And the PAC doesn't have to mention Kelly's name one bit, just keep beating down the leading contenders and voters will focus on the better of the political survivors. Toi should be admired for being smart enough to know right from wrong. Even though others do not!

The following are statements from Toi Hutchinson, Robin Kelly, Toni Preckwinkle and Jan Schakowsky:

• Senator Toi Hutchinson: “I am ending my campaign for Congress and throwing my support behind Robin Kelly. I urge those who have been supporting me to now work hard for Robin. I have said from day one that this campaign is not about me or any one person; it’s about moving America forward and standing with President Obama to create new jobs and safer communities."

• Robin Kelly: Today is a good day for the Second Congressional District. While Senator Hutchinson and I haven’t agreed on everything, we have a strong mutual respect, share a passion for public service and dedication to the people in Chicago and the Southland. I’m pleased to have her on our team.”

• Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President: “Robin Kelly and Toi Hutchinson are both very strong, independent woman and public servants. I consider them both friends of mine. During Debbie Halvorson’s one term in Congress, she opposed President Obama on dozens of issues including critical Wall St. reform and extending benefits for the long term unemployed. I’m proud of Toi for agreeing to put voters before her own ambitions. She is young and has a bright future ahead of her. I did not want to see her campaign close with negative attacks at a time when Robin is surging with momentum to capture the Democratic nomination for Congress.”

• Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky: “This election is too important for our party to remain divided. I’m thrilled that Senator Hutchinson has joined me today in supporting Kelly’s campaign for Congress. Senator Hutchinson is a strong leader with a bright future. I applaud her for doing what is best for the Democratic Party.”

Robin Kelly has also been endorsed by most of the old-school elected operatives, who's attempts to attach themselves to Kelly's appeared winning campaign, only to remain relevant and active a few more years, all while doing very little for the Black community they serve throughout Chicago's South and West side.

At least none of our liberal friends dressed Toi up like this

Robin Kelly For Congress (IL-02)

This morning state Senator Toi Hutchinson, back in Chicago from working to get the marriage equality bill passed in Springfield, made an inevitable decision. She's pulling out of the race for Jesse Jackson's old seat (IL-02) and endorsing the other progressive candidate, Robin Kelly.

From the first, Blue America's position has always been that the key to preventing self-described "conservative Democrat" Debbie Halvorson from worming her way back into Congress was to keep the non-Halvorson vote from splintering. Toi looked best equipped to do that but over the course of the last two weeks, momentum has shifted to Robin Kelly. Respected Chicago congressmembers Danny Davis, Jan Schakowsky and Bobby Rush have all endorsed Kelly and it became apparent that she would be the strongest non-Halvorson. Toi is urging her supporters to rally around Robin and make sure that Halvorson doesn't get back into Congress to work for Wall Street and the NRA.

Toi, on announcing her withdrawal this morning: “I urge those who have been supporting me to now work hard for Robin over the next 9 days. I have said from Day One that this campaign is not about me or any one person; it’s about moving America forward and standing with President Obama to create new jobs and safer communities. Robin is a friend, and has captured momentum in pulling our community together. I am simply unwilling to risk playing a role going forward that could result in dividing our community at a time when we need unity more than ever.”

IL-02 Special Election And The Gun Question

Last October no one thought California state Senator Gloria McLeod had much of a chance to defeat incumbent Blue Dog Congressman Joe Baca in the new CA-35. Baca raised over a million dollars and McLeod had only raised $302,550. But on election day McLeod wound up with 72,562 votes (56%) to Baca's 57,304 (44%). What happened? The big anti-NRA PAC, Independence USA, funded, in part by Mayor Bloomberg, dumped independent expenditures into the district to the tune of $3,296,583 (almost all of it in the last week) and that was the end of one of the NRA's most enthusiastic Blue Dogs. But McLeod wasn't exactly an NRA enemy either. She was a recent-- and sincere-- convert to an anti-NRA position and before the election they had given her a B- rating. They were happy that she had voted against AB-352 here in California, which called for microstamping bullets fired from semi-automatic guns. Had McLeod and one other Assemblymember voted for it, it would have passed. The NRA was happy with her; now it rates her a C... and Joe Baca, of course, was a solid A.

Mayor Bloomberg's group-- which is responsible for the ad above attacking self-described conservative and former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson-- backed McLeod because they wanted to get rid of Baca. I can only assume they also believed in the sincerity of McLeod's conversion away from previous support for NRA positions. Debbie Halvorson has stuck to her position opposing President Obama's proposal to ban assault weapons, which is why the NRA is so desperate to see her elected two weeks from today.

I hope you've already seen the video and read the guest post Illinois state Senator Toi Hutchinson did for us a month ago about why she had decided to sponsor legislation in Springfield that bans assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Right now she's a critical part of the effort to ban these weapons in her state. She’s co-sponsoring the legislation and negotiating with more conservative downstate members of the Democratic caucus here. Because of her previous A- from the NRA she has real credibility with these folks that long-time gun opponents do not have. If the goal is to elect someone who will pass this legislation, then it’s probably best not to attempt to torpedo the candidacy of the person who is going to be instrumental in winning crucial conservative votes in favor of the reforms.

Yesterday I asked Toi to clarify her position of guns, since there is so much distortion of her record going around by people who have never spoken to her. Here's what she told me:

I have moderated my views on gun safety reform over the past few years, but even before that I have never cast a vote to allow assault weapons on our streets or to prevent reporting of stolen weapons. I was profoundly appalled that in the wake of the shooting in Newtown, the NRA came out and said that the solution to gun violence was to allow more guns in schools. This approach is self-evidently wrong and demonstrates that the NRA is deeply out of touch even with its own membership. It is an organization more dedicated to ideology than practical solutions to the problems we face. While we need a comprehensive solution to the violence that plagues our communities, a key first step is to reform and limit easy access to dangerous guns. That’s why I’m a co-sponsor on legislation to outlaw assault weapons in Illinois, ban high-capacity clips and require that legal gun owners report any lost, stolen or transferred guns.

If you see an e-mail from a group calling her an NRA-backed candidate, they have that wrong. She's not an NRA-backed candidate. Debbie Halvorson is. The NRA wants very much to defeat Toi Hutchinson and elect Debbie Halvorson. The only one way to do that-- which we've been talking about since the beginning of the year-- is for the African-American and progressive vote to splinter. That looks like it could well happen now since several other sincere progressive groups have decided to back another decent candidate. It's precisely what I hoped wouldn't happen when we jumped in and tried helping Toi early on. Hopefully, the voters in the Southland will figure out which candidate will be best for them and turn out and vote. If you'd like to help Toi beat Halvorson, you can do that here.

There's a great deal of misinformation circulating about Toi being an NRA candidate-- that's flat out false; the NRA is working to defeat her because she's sponsoring the ban on assault weapons-- and being in favor of school vouchers-- also patently false and twisted-- and even a puppy killer... a puppy killer... the woman who pushed through the legislation to ban puppy mills in Illinois? Nice one! I can understand someone wanting to help another candidate win, but twisting bits and pieces of information to smear a progressive for that win isn't a good long-term strategy.

Wall Street Whores In DC (I.E., Conservative Politicians) Still Fighting Against Protecting Bank Customers

Miss & Debbie-- On Feb. 26, don't feed the troll

It was close, but on December 11, 2009, the House passed, 223-202 the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, better known as Dodd-Frank, which, among other things, established Elizabeth Warren's brainchild, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to protect baking customers from financial industry predators. Every single House Republican voted against it, of course-- and so did 27 Wall Street-bought Democrats. Eleven months later, almost all of those Democrats had either been forced to resign rather than be defeated or were actually defeated. One, Arizona corporate shill Ann Kirkpatrick managed to get back into Congress in November and she is currently the only Democrat in the House who has voted with the GOP 100% of the time on crucial roll calls. 

Another Democrat who voted against Dodd-Frank in 2009 and was then turned out of office by her constituents, Debbie Halvorson, is fighting to get back into Congress in a special election three weeks from tomorrow. The seat is open because of the resignation of Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Halvorson is freaking out because Dodd-Frank has come back to haunt her. Last week, the president of the Cook County Board, Toni Preckwinkle, endorsed Halvorson's progressive opponent, state Senator Toi Hutchinson. Her statement was a nightmare for Halvorson, a self-described "conservative Democrat," who has hoped to win the seat flying under the radar: "In just one term, Halvorson managed to vote against President Obama's agenda on 88 separate occasions. Debbie Halvorson voted against tough reforms on Wall Street and against extending unemployment benefits. And she even sided with the Republicans to give huge tax breaks to the wealthiest one percent of the population."

But IL-02 isn't the only place where the battle over Dodd-Frank is in the news again. For conservatives and their bankster allies, the loss on December 11, 2009 triggered a war to disable and destroy the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If not for their machinations Elizabeth Warren would be running it now and their favorite senator, Scott Brown, would still be carrying their water in Washington. Instead, Warren is a U.S. Senator and member of the Banking Committee and Brown's political career is-- at best-- on hold.

But Republican Party obstruction in the Senate is alive and well-- and threatening to weaken the Bureau once again. As Pat Garofalo reported for ThinkProgress, the Republicans said they would block any nominee to head the CFBC-- "regardless of that nominee’s qualifications for the job-- unless the Bureau was weakened and made subservient to the same bank regulators who failed to prevent the 2008 financial crisis." Although the November elections dealt Miss McConnell a weaker hand, his success in hoodwinking Harry Reid on filibuster reform have left the GOP in a position to continue their obstruction on behalf of Wall Street. Obama has again nominated former Ohio Attorney General Rich Cordray, who he gave a recess appointment that ends next December, to be director. But the Republicans still insist on watering down the agency before they agree to allow a vote on Cordray. Miss McConnell (R-KY), who has taken $7,410,797 in legalistic bribes from Wall Street since 1990, and Mike Crapo (R-ID) who has accepted over $2 million in bribes from the banksters since being appointed the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, sent a letter sent to President Obama on Friday, co-signed by 43 Republican senators (all but Bob Corker and Rob Portman), committing themselves to obdurate obstructionism unless they get their way on undermining the Bureau.

Republicans want to see the top of the bureau changed so it is run by a bipartisan, five-member commission, as opposed to a lone director.

They also want to see the bureau’s funding fall under the control of congressional appropriators-- it currently is funded via a revenue stream directly from the Federal Reserve, and its funding levels cannot be altered by Congress. Republicans also want to give other regulators greater power to veto CFPB rules that could pose a threat to the safety and soundness of financial institutions.

...Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) dismissed the latest GOP pronouncement as "just politics at play."

"The CFPB enjoys overwhelming public support, and there is no evidence that the bureau is unaccountable and that structural changes are necessary," Johnson said. "The market needs certainty, and blocking Richard Cordray's nomination is a disservice to consumers and industry alike."

Debbie Halvorson isn't running for the Senate; she's running for the House. But a big defeat for her in the February 26 primary will help make it clear to conservatives inside the Beltway-- and on both sides of the aisle-- that if they vote against the interests of their constituents and kiss up to their financiers on Wall Street, their careers are in jeopardy. Please consider helping make sure DC gets that message by supporting Toi Hutchinson here at the ActBlue special election page Blue America set up.

And since we're discussing how conservatives are determined to continue wrecking the country, it's worth watching how Krugman eviscerated Carly Fiorina's tired right-wing dogma on TV yesterday.

Toi Hutchinson-- The Best Candidate For The Job

Over the last few weeks, we’ve written a lot about the special election in the 2nd District of Illinois. We’ve sounded the alarm: there’s a good chance that if we do nothing we’ll send the corporatist Debbie Halvorson back to Congress. Just to refresh your memory, Halvorson is the same congresswoman who proudly describes herself as a “conservative Democrat” and sided with big Wall Street banksters against her own constituents every chance she got. She voted against Wall Street Reform. She voted against cramdown measures that would have helped homeowners underwater on their mortgages. And now, after Newtown, Aurora, Tucson and countless other shootings, Debbie Halvorson is continuing to carry water for the NRA. She’s unrepentant about her support for assault weapons and has made it clear she will stand against President Obama's gun control efforts in Washington.

Fortunately, we have a great progressive choice; Toi Hutchinson is a state Senator who has worked hard since getting to Springfield to look out for regular working families. She’s helped to pass legislation that will create thousands of union friendly jobs by investing in infrastructure projects like road construction and public transit expansion. She passed a tax on strip clubs to fund rape crisis centers while the rest of the states were cutting the safety net. Toi voted for campaign finance reform that transformed Illinois, a place that previously allowed unlimited corporate and individual contributions, into a place with contribution caps and mandatory 48-hour reporting cycles for contributions over $1000 (more stringent than the federal system). She voted against a massive $1.2 billion Illinois Medicaid cut. She worked with local businesses to buy backpacks full of school supplies for 1500 struggling children who couldn’t afford what they needed otherwise. She voted to cut her pay four times and end lifetime healthcare for legislators (that both Debbie Halvorson and Robin Kelly received). And she’s now a co-sponsor on legislation that will ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in Illinois.

But over the last few days, I’ve been asked again and again why we would choose Toi Hutchinson over Robin Kelly. The first part of the answer is simple-- we have to beat Debbie Halvorson, and Toi can do that. Several different polls, including Robin Kelly’s, show Toi running second behind Halvorson with Kelly in third. Toi’s geographic base in the 40th Senate District means she cuts into Halvorson’s votes in Will and Kankakee counties and prevents her from running away with this election.

But these last few days, Robin Kelly has accepted some endorsements that should cause any good progressive to question whether she can be trusted. Yes, we should sometimes judge people by the company they keep. Let’s take them one at a time:

Senator Donne Trotter: Trotter was briefly a candidate for this race before being forced to drop out after carrying a gun, by accident he says, into O’Hare International Airport. Fine-- he forgot he was packing when he walked through security. To err is human. But how did he get that gun? Illinois right now is the only state that outlaws concealed carry, but Trotter somehow had a concealed carry permit. See, he was registered as a security guard with AllPoints Security-- a politically connected firm that does business with various governmental agencies. Unfortunately, there are a few problems with that story. First of all, the gun Trotter was carrying, a .25 Beretta, isn’t used by any security guard anywhere. Second of all, not a single one of Trotter’s colleagues knew that the 63-year-old was moonlighting as a security guard, nor did he disclose to the state any income from AllPoints. He’s currently awaiting trial in March. Robin Kelly has been claiming for the last few months that she is an avid crusader for gun reform, yet she just accepted the endorsement of a man who not only flouted the very gun laws she claims to support, but used his clout to get himself a concealed carry permit that regular citizens can’t have?

Senator Napoleon Harris: The newly elected Senator Harris is a dangerous voice within the Democratic Party. I’m shocked that he’s even a Democrat, but probably in the district he ran in it wouldn’t look good to run as a Republican. Anyway, Senator Harris is most famous for being a linebacker in the NFL. He was also a candidate in this race before dropping out and endorsing Kelly. But not before making some insane pronouncements on the record. Senator Harris is opposed to the Equal Rights Amendment. He is a supporter of the Illinois Abortion Law and would refuse to vote to repeal it. The Abortion Law says that as soon as Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion will become illegal in Illinois even in cases of rape and incest. He is an opponent of marriage equality. And, though an African American, he is a proponent of voter ID laws that depress turnout among the poor and minorities. Maybe he took one too many hits to the head in the NFL. So Robin Kelly-- the self-professed progressive-- just took an endorsement from a sexist, anti-choice, homophobic racist.

And here’s the thing. Anyone who knows anything about Illinois knows that it is a state that has been plagued with corruption. Citizens of that state have suffered under machine politicians and establishment figures whose first loyalty is to themselves and their pocket books. That’s why three members of the Illinois General Assembly are currently under indictment, including Donne Trotter who we talked about above. But with Robin Kelly, this isn’t just a game of associations.

Robin Kelly served as Chief of Staff to then-Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (a questionable figure in his own right). While she and Giannoulias were running Treasury, they failed to oversee the Bright Start college savings fund, losing $160 million that 65,000 parents across the state had counted on for their children. The money was lost by a fund that was reported to parents as a lower-risk investment that was intended to place money in government bonds and other generally safe bets. Instead the fund was investing in mortgage-backed securities and kept the money there even as losses mounted. And while the fund tanked, Giannoulias and Kelly refused to fire the fund manager, eventually losing 38% of the fund value before finally pulling the plug (other funds in the Bright Start portfolio actually gained). And while all this was happening, Robin Kelly enjoyed the use of a state car purchased for her benefit using taxpayer dollars.

And her illustrious career in the state house included votes to raise her own pay and votes against fulfilling pension obligations to public employees, an unfortunate counterpoint to Toi’s record of giving back. And in contrast, several dozen prominent pastors from across the district announced their support for Toi Hutchinson’s campaign at a prayer breakfast Thursday morning, calling her the strongest candidate in the race with a deep commitment to serving the needs of the South Side and South Suburbs.

“There is no question in our mind that Toi Hutchinson is the candidate who will take our voices with us to Congress,” said Bishop Simon Gordon of Triedstone Full Grace Baptist Church. “She has the kind of commitment to anti-violence, education, and job creation that we need so desperately right now.  I’m excited to have her fighting for us in Washington.”

“As community leaders on the South Side and in the South Suburbs, the pastors got together because we know we have to send a leader to Washington who will always put us first,” said Pastor Walter Turner of New Spiritual Light Missionary Baptist Church. “Toi Hutchinson is absolutely that candidate. Her record of reform and hard work for economic development in this area is what motivated me to throw my weight behind her, and I’m confident the voters will agree on election day.”

One thing is clear: if we keep electing flawed, mediocre candidates, we get flawed mediocre government-- regardless of political party. Listen to this interview Toi did last week with Nicole Sandler on her radio show and you'll get an idea of why Blue America endorsed her. It's worth listening to-- and when you're done, please consider making a contribution at the ActBlue special election page we set up here. The election is less than a month away. AFSME just endorsed Toi this morning! And Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle passed over Robin Kelly, one of her own staffers, to back Toi.

"In just one term, Halvorson managed to vote against President Obama's agenda on 88 separate occasions," said Preckwinkle. "Debbie Halvorson voted against tough reforms on Wall Street and against extending unemployment benefits. And she even sided with the Republicans to give huge tax breaks to the wealthiest one percent of the population."

Preckwinkle’s endorsement may be the first sign that Cook County’s black leadership is closing ranks around a single candidate in order to stop Halvorson, who Sunday announced she opposes President Obama’s proposed ban on assault weapons.

NRA Assaults Congress

Yesterday the Senate Judiciary Committee-- one of the most divided and partisan committees in the Senate, which includes NRA shills and gun fanatics like Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Jeff Sessions (KKK-AL)-- held the first Congressional hearing on gun violence since the Sandy Hook school massacre-- or as the far right extremists like to call it, the Sandy Hook Hoax. Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords started the hearing with a simple and pointed statement:

"Thank you for inviting me here today. This is an important conversation for our children, for our communities, for Democrats and Republicans. Speaking is difficult, but I need to say something important. Violence is a big problem. Too many children are dying. Too many children. We must do something. It will be hard but the time is now. You must act. Be bold. Be courageous. Americans are counting on you. Thank you."

Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president, told the senators that new weapons restrictions are not a "serious solution" to the problem. "We need to enforce the thousands of gun laws that are currently on the books," he said. "Prosecuting criminals who misuse firearms works. Unfortunately, we've seen a dramatic collapse in federal gun prosecutions in recent years... That means violent felons, gang members and the mentally ill who possess firearms are not being prosecuted. And that's unacceptable... We need to look at the full range of mental health issues, from early detection and treatment, to civil commitment laws, to privacy laws that needlessly prevent mental health records from being included in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System."

Sounds familiar? Those are the NRA talking points being endlessly repeated by the Members of Congress they own and, of course, by Fox and Hate Talk Radio hosts. And Sunday we heard those same words coming out of the mouth of a "Democrat" running for Congress in Jesse Jackson's old Southland seat. Debbie Halvorson, a self described "conservative Democrat" who has twice been rejected by voters in the district in the past two years, is the NRA candidate in the race. She's running on a platform opposing President Obama's proposal to ban assault weapons. Sunday she told voters at a candidates forum that "I refuse to take a look at these wide ranging gun bans and pass one more law against a law abiding citizen until there is something done against those who get their guns illegally or criminal." She has an "A" rating from the NRA, which is backing her in the race.

State Senator Toi Hutchinson is one of the sponsors of a bill in the Illinois legislature banning assault weapons. She's Halvorson's top-rated opponent, the stalwart progressive in the race-- and an across the board contrast to Halvorson's pro-gun posturing. If Halvorson manages to divide the vote and slip back into Congress, she'll continue voting with corrupt conservatives, like she did last time she was in Congress. If Toi Hutchinson is elected she'll be working for common sense solutions to gun violence with President Obama and with Members of Congress like independent-minded New Hampshire Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, whose message on gun violence is very much like Toi Hutchinson's. Shea-Porter sent this column, "Time for Action," to her constituents.

As I write this column, the news is covering still another shooting, this time on a college campus. We will learn who was involved, who was standing where when it happened, who witnessed it, who was hurt, who the hurt people’s friends and families are. Students-- reportedly 10,000 students attend the college-- will say how terrified they were. And then… the story of this shooting will be dropped from the news cycle, only to be replaced by another shooting story. And Americans will wonder why we can’t seem to stop the violence. Or can we?

When the children and teachers were executed in a mass murder at an elementary school, right before Christmas, while we were talking about love and faith and family and peace, everyone thought that this time, politicians would take action. It did seem for awhile that we had reached our breaking point, and that we would finally be ready to pass responsible gun legislation that would give us both the freedom to hunt and protect our families and the freedom to go about our daily lives without fear of being gunned down in still another act of violence. There was encouraging talk about passing legislation as quickly as possible, and President Obama did sign some Executive Orders with the families of the murdered six and seven year olds and the slain staff in the room.

The fight was already ugly, but that’s where it got uglier. The head of the National Rifle Association said that President Obama was “attacking firearms and ignoring children.” There was a sea of outrage that President Obama had children at the event. Children were at the site of the massacre-- I think it is appropriate that children who knew it happened and wrote about it should be in the room when grownups say we are going to try to stop this from happening again to children, or anyone else. The NRA leadership also dragged the President’s own children into the fray, as they falsely warned that President Obama was going to take guns away from law-abiding citizens.

Some in Congress were upset at even the mildest suggestions, such as doctors asking if there are guns in the house so they can talk about safety issues involved when there are children in the residence. Doctors ask if somebody smokes around children. They talk about being safe and careful with candles and stoves, but apparently, they should not ask about a huge killer of children-- guns.

It’s time to stop the fighting and work on the solutions here. It is time to stop bowing to special interests and yes, the money they bring to campaigns, and talk about how we are going to protect both the right to have guns for sport and for protection, and the right to be safe from gun violence.

The easiest step should be to require background checks for gun sales. This means gun sales involving most private sales also. The majority of Americans support this plan. We also need to make sure that critical information is available when there is a background check. Records right now are too often incomplete, and do not identify a buyer’s criminal history or a dangerous mental illness.

It is time to end high-capacity magazine sales. It used to be that citizens had a chance to get away from a shooter when he had to stop to reload. But with high-capacity magazines, the killer can just keep firing away a lot longer, murdering many more innocent folks. Hunters do not need to fire 30 rounds. Neither do citizens exercising their right to defend themselves. I support banning magazines holding more than ten rounds. This will help law enforcement and the public to disarm a mass shooter, and it will give people a better chance to escape a madman.

I support President Obama’s call to close loopholes in gun trafficking laws, and to beef up law enforcement in communities. Let’s also step up mental health services, and work together to encourage a reduction of violence in video games and television and movies. All of these ideas should be the easiest to enact. There is another step, an assault weapon ban, that will require more political debate, but these ideas listed here are common-sense ideas that should have no political test of courage attached to them. Can’t we at least get this done now? Let’s get it done now. It already has been a long and deadly wait.

While the banksters and Wall Street interests on whose behalf Halvorson worked while she was in Congress, funnel cash into her campaign, Toi Hutchinson is running a people-powered grassroots effort. If you can help, please go to the ActBlue special election page here. This election is less than a month away.

In Chicagoland, Exactly One Month From Today...

Residents of the IL-02-- Jesse Jackson Jr.'s old Southland seat-- will decide who's going to Congress on February 26, 4 weeks from today. And although there are nearly two dozen candidates running, polls show only two in the double-digits, progressive state Senator Toi Hutchinson and self-described "conservative Democrat," ex-Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson. They're neck and neck but Chicagoland voters who haven't been paying close enough attention to see the difference got a big jolt today from a headline in the Chicago Tribune: Halvorson says she won't join Democrats on assault weapons ban.

It certainly isn't the first time Halvorson has been more in tune with right-wing Republicans than with her own party and with the constituents who sent her to Washington. She was one of only 27 right-wing Democrats who opposed Wall Street reform and voted against Dodd-Frank, almost all of whom, including Halvorson, were subsequently defeated when Democratic voters boycotted their reelection bids. She worked with the GOP to water down the tough provisions that were meant to protect investors and bank customers from the financial predators who have nurtured her own tawdry political career.

Halvorson has been a consistent darling on the NRA and refuses to back President Obama's common sense, moderate approach to putting an end to the NRA's reign of terror in American streets and schools. In stark contrast, a few weeks ago Senator Hutchinson did a guest post at DWT laying out why she's sponsoring a ban on assault weapons in the Illinois legislature and why she backs President Obama's approach.

There is no question that in America we have a problem with guns. The Newtown tragedy, the Aurora shooting, Columbine. These are places-- events-- that all of us will remember for the rest of our lives. And for me there is no question that there are certain kinds of weapons soldiers should have, and other kinds that civilians should be allowed to own.

As a State Senator I represent a district that straddles the landscape of South Suburban Chicago and the rural counties of Will and Kankakee. And if I win this race for Congress in the 2nd district, I will cover even more rural areas. I have a lot of constituents that are hunters. These people firmly believe that they should always be allowed to own guns that they need for recreation, and I’m with them. But I know, and they agree, that no one needs an AR-15 to bring down a deer. And no one needs a 100-round magazine on that semi-automatic for recreation or self-defense. So while I always will stand up for the hunters in my district, I also am a cosponsor on two bills in Illinois that would outlaw assault weapons and high capacity clips.

Halvorson is the only serious candidate who refuses to back the President and the Democratic Party-- and grassroots public opinion-- on an assault weapons ban. She's sticking with the NRA. She read off a list of Republican Party talking points written by the NRA at a candidates forum on Sunday at Trinity United Church of Christ on W. 95th St. "For her part," reports The Tribune, "Halvorson was adamant against looking at a gun ban. 'I refuse to take a look at these wide ranging gun bans and pass one more law against a law abiding citizen until there is something done against those who get their guns illegally or criminal,' she said after the forum."

She doesn't sound anything like Toi Hutchinson, who told us yesterday that "Many across the country were hopeful that the NRA would moderate their position after the profound tragedy we experienced at Newtown, but unfortunately their prescription for the epidemic of gun violence that has gripped our country has been not only distributing more guns, but also letting them into our schools. Their response angered me. This kind of ideological, single-minded approach to our problems isn’t acceptable to me and it’s why I am a co-sponsor on legislation here in Illinois to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines."

Blue America is eager to help Toi respond to the barrage of misleading campaign mail Halvorson has been sending out. We have four weeks to make a difference. Please consider making a contribution at the Blue America special election page here.

UPDATE: Mayor Bloomberg Has A Surprise For NRA Shill Debbie Halvorson

The Chicago Tribune just reported that Halvorson may not get away with her bullshit politics much longer. Half a million dollars is the first installment to make sure Debbie Halvorson's miserable political career stays as dead as it has been since her back-to-back defeats in 2010 and 2012.

The first TV ad in the special primary election to replace ex-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. comes from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s super political action committee and targets Democrat Debbie Halvorson’s support of gun owner rights.

A spokesman for Independence USA, Bloomberg’s gun-control backing super PAC, said it will launch what it called a “significant” TV and cable ad campaign on Wednesday to inform Chicago-area voters about Halvorson’s past support from the National Rifle Association. No details on the size of the ad buy were disclosed.

...In the TV ad, a narrator says, “In the race to replace Jesse Jackson, watch out for Debbie Halvorson. When she was in Congress before, Halvorson got an A from the NRA. The NRA: against comprehensive background checks, against banning deadly assault weapons, against banning high capacity ammunition clips.”

...On Monday, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle endorsed state Sen. Toi Hutchinson of Olympia Fields for the Democratic nomination. Preckwinkle contended Halvorson was too conservative for the South Side and south suburban 2nd Congressional District.

Hutchinson, who replaced Halvorson in the Illinois Senate when Halvorson was elected to Congress, also has gotten NRA backing in the past. But Hutchinson noted she is a co-sponsor of state legislation that would ban semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity clips in Springfield, though the measure is unlikely to go anywhere.

The Bloomberg super PAC is not endorsing a candidate in the ad. But the ad said Halvorson co-sponsored a measure that would allow some criminals to carry loaded, hidden guns into Chicago.”

That was a reference to unsuccessful federal legislation to legalize public possession of firearms across state lines, if the gun owners had a permit and were not barred from carrying a concealed firearm by federal or state law. Halvorson was among 209 sponsors for the 2009 bill.

Halvorson has said she could not “in good conscience” place additional gun bans on law-abiding citizens until current gun laws were more strongly enforced, though she does support universal gun checks and an upgrading of the database to ensure criminals and the mentally ill do not get guns.

Blue America Welcomes Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-IL)

We all often talk about how crucial it is that our political leaders have some kind of inbuilt empathy system for the ordinary working families whose interests they're supposed to be serving. The alternative, as we've seen, is a kind of self-absorbed Ayn Rand Republicanism or, closer to home, the Blue Dogs and New Dems. That's why Blue America is so vigilant about congressional races wherever and whenever they happen. And the next congressional race coming up is for the seat Jesse Jackson, Jr. resigned from, IL-02, with a primary on February 26 and a general election April 9. The second district is very Democratic-- Obama beat Romney 80.7-18.5% and Jackson, who was hospitalized for the entire campaign, was reelected with 63%-- and the winner of the primary next month is all but assured a seat in Congress. Although there are nearly two dozen people running, the two front-runners are progressive state Senator Toi Hutchinson and self described "conservative Democrat" former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson. It's a majority African American district and Halvorson's hope has been getting as many African-Americans as possible to run and split the vote so she could sneak back into Congress.

Seeking to gauge exactly what kind of empathy we could expect from a Congresswoman Hutchinson, she told us about her grandfather who passed away a few months ago. "He started his career as a door-to-door World Book Encyclopedia salesman. He worked hard, and saved his money so he would have something to leave his children, but he lost almost everything in the financial collapse of 2008. It’s critical that we hold people accountable for our current economic collapse, but I’m grateful that he was able to stay in his home because of his veterans’ benefits and Social Security. I know how important those programs were to our family when my grandfather was passing, and I’ll never support any kind of cuts to programs like Medicare and Social Security that are so critical to so many people."



That's exactly the kind of Representatives we need in Congress. That kind of core attitude manifests itself across a wide spectrum of issues that Members of Congress have to deal with. Let's take the gun safety issues roiling the political elites right now. Sen. Hutchinson is on board with Obama's proposals, of course, but she knows that isn't the solution to a very real problem. "I am a cosponsor," she told us this week, "on two bills in Illinois that would outlaw assault weapons and high capacity clips, but that’s not enough. I know that kids on the South Side of Chicago aren’t being shot by AR-15s. We need to have a larger conversation about how our politics and our government are letting down poor communities that suffer every day under the yoke of violence. The source of crime and violence is hopelessness-- it is a generation of young people that doesn’t see a future, and view crime and gangs as the only path to supporting themselves. It is a generation of young men that can’t find work or a place to live, and crime becomes their only option."

Last two times Halvorson ran-- first against Republican challenger Adam Kinzinger who beat her 58-42% and then, after redistricting, in a primary against Jackson last year she lost 71-29%, voters telling her they weren't interested in her kind of corporately-oriented conservative politics. Fellow corporately funded New Dems in DC are pushing her candidacy again this year. Blue America has endorsed Toi Hutchinson and she will be joining us today for a live chat at Crooks and Liars at 1pm (CT). If you'd like to help us raise some campaign money for her, please go to the special election page we set up on ActBlue.

Will Halvorson vote with the Democratic leadership on most bills? Sure... but will she fight for progressive values and issues? She never did when she was in Congress before and there's no reason to think she's any better now. She has a record; it isn't very good. Toi has a record too-- and it's a lot better. She worked with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to make their state "the first state in the country to mandate the testing of rape kits within 10 days of submission so that survivors of sexual assault can build their case in court. And while the State of Illinois was shredding the safety net in the name of fiscal discipline, I fought to pass a new tax on strip clubs that directed proceeds to help victims of domestic violence get back on their feet."

Tomorrow's Blue America Candidate: Senator Toi Hutchinson

Today Nicole Sandler interviewed state Senator Toi Hutchinson and tomorrow she'll be our live guest at Crooksandliars.com at 1pm (CT). She's the progressive candidate for the seat that Jesse Jackson, Jr. gave up. New Dems and the DC Establishment are trying to force their crony, self-described "conservative Democrat" Debbie Halvorson, into the seat. Please join us tomorrow to meet Toi live and listen to the awesome interview Nicole did with her this morning. If you like what you heard and you'd like to help us make sure this seat stays a progressive bastion and doesn't slip into the hands of corporate-oriented shills, here's the special ActBlue page we set up for Toi.

If you've already listened to Nicole interviewing Toi, you understand why Blue America is so enthusiastic about her candidacy. She's one of us, not some distant out-of-touch multimillionaire who will never understand real people's real problems. Listening this morning to Inaugural poet Richard Blanco, I thought he captured the same spirit of hope that's behind Toi Hutchinson's campaign. Here's the poem, written especially for today: ONE TODAY

One sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,
peeking over the Smokies, greeting the faces
of the Great Lakes, spreading a simple truth
across the Great Plains, then charging across the Rockies.
One light, waking up rooftops, under each one, a story
told by our silent gestures moving behind windows.

My face, your face, millions of faces in morning’s mirrors,
each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our day:
pencil-yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights,
fruit stands: apples, limes, and oranges arrayed like rainbows
begging our praise. Silver trucks heavy with oil or paper--
bricks or milk, teeming over highways alongside us,
on our way to clean tables, read ledgers, or save lives--
to teach geometry, or ring-up groceries as my mother did
for twenty years, so I could write this poem.

All of us as vital as the one light we move through,
the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day:
equations to solve, history to question, or atoms imagined,
the “I have a dream” we keep dreaming,
or the impossible vocabulary of sorrow that won’t explain
the empty desks of twenty children marked absent
today, and forever. Many prayers, but one light
breathing color into stained glass windows,
life into the faces of bronze statues, warmth
onto the steps of our museums and park benches
as mothers watch children slide into the day.

One ground. Our ground, rooting us to every stalk
of corn, every head of wheat sown by sweat
and hands, hands gleaning coal or planting windmills
in deserts and hilltops that keep us warm, hands
digging trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands
as worn as my father’s cutting sugarcane
so my brother and I could have books and shoes.

The dust of farms and deserts, cities and plains
mingled by one wind-- our breath. Breathe. Hear it
through the day’s gorgeous din of honking cabs,
buses launching down avenues, the symphony
of footsteps, guitars, and screeching subways,
the unexpected song bird on your clothes line.

Hear: squeaky playground swings, trains whistling,
or whispers across café tables, Hear: the doors we open
for each other all day, saying: hello, shalom,
buon giorno, howdy, namaste, or buenos días
in the language my mother taught me-- in every language
spoken into one wind carrying our lives
without prejudice, as these words break from my lips.

One sky: since the Appalachians and Sierras claimed
their majesty, and the Mississippi and Colorado worked
their way to the sea. Thank the work of our hands:
weaving steel into bridges, finishing one more report
for the boss on time, stitching another wound 
or uniform, the first brush stroke on a portrait,
or the last floor on the Freedom Tower
jutting into a sky that yields to our resilience.

One sky, toward which we sometimes lift our eyes
tired from work: some days guessing at the weather
of our lives, some days giving thanks for a love
that loves you back, sometimes praising a mother
who knew how to give, or forgiving a father
who couldn’t give what you wanted.

We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight
of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but always-- home,
always under one sky, our sky. And always one moon
like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop
and every window, of one country-- all of us--
facing the stars
hope-- a new constellation
waiting for us to map it,
waiting for us to name it-- together

Can ConservaDem Debbie Halvorson Be Stopped?

Former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson wants back in

"Ex"-Blue Dog Steve Israel is quietly encouraging big money to back self-described "conservative Democrat" Debbie Halvorson in the primary for the IL-02 congressional seat that has opened up because of Jesse Jackson Jr.'s resignation. From Day One Halvorson's strategy to win in the minority-majority district-- after being soundly rejected by primary voters last year-- was to hope that lots of African Americans would jump into the race and split the vote so she could slip in with her pro-corporate agenda. A new poll, however, doesn't bode well for her. She's ahead, but only very, very narrowly and opposition has started to coalesce behind progressive state Senator Toi Hutchinson. (There are 22 candidates running as of now, 17 Democrats and 5 Republicans.

Halvorson sits at 16 percent, according to the poll, with Hutchinson at 12 percent. Former Cook County Administrator Robin Kelly (D) sits at 8 percent, while [crackpot right-wing] state Sen. Napoleon Harris (D) and Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale (D) pull 7 percent apiece. Former Rep. Mel Reynolds (D-Ill.), who served time for sex-related charges in the 1990s, takes 5 percent support. Approximately 40 percent of voters remain undecided, a sign of how unpredictable this low-turnout primary's results are at this point.

The race in the district is likely to split along racial and geographic lines, as a slight majority of voters hail from outside of Chicago's city limits. [Actually about 66% of the electorate lives outside of Chicago.] Halvorson, the only white candidate in the race, who represented part of the district from 2009 to 2011 and ran against Jackson in 2012, starts off with 64 percent name identification.

...According to Hutchinson's poll, she stands the best chance at doing so: After voters are presented with positive and negative statements about each candidate, she jumps to a 22-to-16 percent lead, with Kelly in third place at 10 percent. The poll doesn't provide which questions were asked, however, making it impossible to tell if the questions were equally worded for each candidate.

Hutchinson, whose state Senate district covers much of the suburban portion of the district, has 53 percent name identification. Reynolds has 77 percent name identification, showing he has almost no room to grow. The other candidates' name identification numbers are not given, suggesting they're likely lower than Hutchinson's. Most of them hail from the city or the inner suburbs.

If you'd like to help Toi win this one-- and the polling is very clear that she's the only candidate who can stop Halvorson-- you can do it here through ActBlue

Replacing Jesse Jackson, Jr In IL-02

Just when we thought the off-season was starting, there’s another critical race on the horizon. After getting caught up in some unfortunate dealings, Jesse Jackson Jr resigned his seat in Illinois’s 2nd district before Thanksgiving last year, setting up a crowded special election in Chicagoland—on the south side of the city, in the south suburbs and Will and Kankakee counties.

While the district is generally considered a reliably Democratic seat, the choice voters face there is a stark one. Only one poll has been released in the district, and it shows former Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson leading the race. Halvorson represents the worst side of the Democratic Party. In her one term in office she nurtured a reputation as a fiscal conservative and a corporate Democrat. She voted with the anti-family/pro-Business New Dems and the now almost-defunct Blue Dog caucus, Democrats who seem to think that what the middle class needs and wants is more pandering to Big Business and multi-national corporations.

Halvorson was elected in 2008 on the coattails of President Obama. Her first year in Congress, the National Journal rated her as one of the most conservative Democrats in the House. Probably her most shameful vote was against the Dodd-Frank reform package that was intended to limit the “too big to fail” mentality that sent taxpayer dollars to bail out the inveterate gamblers on Wall Street. She spent two years proving to the country that she’s a corporate shill more focused on cutting taxes on the rich and protecting the wealthiest Americans from regulation, and now she wants the 2nd District to send her back to the Beltway.

She ran in a primary against JJJ last year, and thankfully was soundly defeated for that seat. But in a crowded special election where most of the other candidates are greener, fresher, and don’t have a record of standing up for the big boys, she jumps to the head of the pack.

Fortunately, we have options. The same poll that showed Halvorson out front, showed a young state senator from Illinois’s 40th district within striking distance. Toi Hutchinson is 39, joined the state senate in 2009, and since then has worked hard to protect the good guys. She’s fought for labor friendly investments in infrastructure and public transportation, and passed a tax on strip clubs that generated funding for domestic violence and sexual assault programs while the rest of the state was cutting the safety net. She’s also a co-sponsor on the marriage equality bill making its way through the Illinois General Assembly, and her website indicates that she’s a strong supporter of banning assault weapons and high capacity clips. Blue America is in the middle of the vetting process for the February 26 primary right now but if you want to jump aboard, you can help Toi here.

Badge Of Honor

In 2005 I was trying to explain why I was drawn to the Cindy Sheehan protest outside of the Bush "ranch"/stage set in Crawford, Texas. I told the story of the first time I ever went to jail.

I remember in 1966 I heard about the first big draft board rally in NYC. I was living a couple hours away and I was really just a kid. But I somehow managed to get into New York and I somehow managed to get to the front of the rally which started out as a protest by 10 people and ended up with tens of thousands. An agreement was reached between the police and the organizers that the 10 leaders would get arrested as a symbolic gesture of nonviolent protest and everyone else would sing a few folk songs and go home peacefully. Well, no one consulted me. As the police ushered the 10 under the barricades I attached myself to Dr. Spock (not the Vulcan, the baby doctor) and claimed I was his aide and he might have a heart attack and die if I wasn't with him. The cop who challenged me-- he knew the difference between 10 and 11-- looked puzzled but Spock laughed and agreed and in I went-- to jail. It was my first time, though not my last. But the first was the best. It was a cell filled with the coolest people in NY: Allen Ginsburg, Tuli Kupferberg, Ed Saunders, Benjamin Spock... Eventually the rest of the crowd got pissed off and everyone wanted to be arrested so the police started arresting everyone until there was no more capacity. And then they let everyone go. It was all kind of good-natured.

I marked my territory. For other people at other times it was far less "kind of good-natured." Saturday night dozens of Occupy protesters were brutalized by the NYPD and many were arrested. I remember when I was interviewing a candidate for a Blue America endorsement once we were going through all his bona fides and his positions on our issues and I was still trying to get a bead on who he was. Then he revealed he had been an SEIU organizer when he was younger and had been arrested 5 times. Interview over; we endorsed him.

This week, in helping to explain to his supporters why he was backing Jesse Jackson, Jr. in a tough primary fight against a dull, conservative Democrat, Alan Grayson explained why some people, political leaders included, feel it's important to get arrested sometimes.

For most people, prison is punishment. For a few, it becomes a badge of honor.

One Member of Congress told me that every few years, he gets arrested. So that people can see whose side he's on.

Eugene Debs was sentenced to ten years in prison for protesting against United States involvement in World War I. Debs ran for President from prison, and he received almost a million votes (3.4% of the total).

And on March 11, 1986, on his 21st birthday, you would have found Jesse Jackson, Jr. in jail, for protesting at the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C., against apartheid in South Africa.

Both before and after that, if you wanted to find Jesse Jackson, Jr. at lunchtime on Thursdays, you wouldn't go looking for him in a diner or a fast-food joint. You'd find him at 444 N. Michigan Avenue, in Chicago, in front of the South African Consulate, protesting against apartheid. Week after week after week. The protests at the Consulate started in 1977, and they went on for more than a decade.

The protests ended only after Nelson Mandela was released from his 27 years of incarceration – another badge of honor. On the day of his release, Mandela made a speech that was broadcast around the world. Mandela called for peace and reconciliation. On the stage with Mandela that day was Jesse Jackson, Jr.

For the past quarter-century, in one way or another, Jesse Jackson, Jr. has devoted himself to the causes of justice, equality and peace. He is the kind of Democrat that Democrats always ask for: tough, fearless, compassionate and unstoppable.

He faces a serious challenge in his primary on Tuesday, from a former Democratic Member of Congress.

He needs our help. He deserves our help. Let's help him.

Remember, we don't just need more Democrats. We need more Democrats, and better ones. We can't let one who is this good slip away.

We've been writing a lot about the primary in Illinois tomorrow, mostly in terms of the progressive vs ConservaDem battles in IL-10 (Ilya Sheyman's race) and IL-13 (Dr. David Gill's race). But there are other important races around the state as well, and Jesse Jackson, Jr. should be able to crash Debbie Halvorson. Besides Grayson, Jackson has been endorsed by President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Pat Quinn, Raul Grijalva, Aretha Franklin... and he's ahead in the polls. But the NY Times explained some of the problems-- even beyond the ethics investigation involving Blagojevich-- that Jackson faces.

Like Congressional districts across the country, Mr. Jackson’s territory morphed last year in a statewide remapping process and now includes parts of Ms. Halvorson’s previous district. The new boundaries may have created another vulnerability for Mr. Jackson, altering the racial makeup of his district enough-- from about 68 percent African-American to only 54 percent-- to raise questions about whether Ms. Halvorson has a chance to become the first white candidate to win the seat in three decades.

Ms. Halvorson, a former Illinois state legislator and one-term congresswoman who lost her seat in 2010, is also getting some unsolicited help from Campaign for Primary Accountability, an anti-incumbent “super PAC” that helped defeat Representative Jean Schmidt of Ohio, who was widely thought to have a safe seat, in a Republican Party primary this month.

The group says that it is aiming at both Republicans and Democrats in races where “there is high unfavorable ratings for the incumbent,” and that it plans to spend six figures against Mr. Jackson.