RSR Meets with 6th District Democratic Candidate Ben Lowe

On December 21, 2009, in Ben Lowe, Congressional Elections, Healthcare, Peter Roskam, Peter Roskam's Corporate Agenda, by RSR
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I was pleased to have had the opportunity this past Thursday to meet face-to-face with 6th District Congressional Candidate, Democrat Ben Lowe of Wheaton. I sat down with Ben, and with consultant Kevin Spidel of Patriot Strategies, who, as you may remember, managed the 2006 primary race here in IL-06 for Christine Cegelis, another fine progressive candidate. In the picture above, Ben is signing my copy of his book, Green Revolution.

I have to say that I am very impressed with Ben. He is a warm, intelligent and articulate person with very progressive ideals coupled with a healthy dose of political realism. I think he has the potential to speak to the concerns of a wide variety of 6th district contituencies and bring them together to defeat Roskam, who caters to big corporations and offers nothing to help a district experiencing exceptionally hard times. Ben’s discussion of issues like healthcare and immigration reform and global climate change in terms like “justice” and “human rights” is music to my ears. I can’t wait to see Ben elected. (I kind of wanted to bring him home with me but Kevin intervened).

In the time before the primary, Ben says he will be heavily focused on getting out to meet folks in the district and listenening to their concerns. He is anxious to meet with groups, large and small, and encouraging anyone who is interested to host a coffee for friends and neighbors to get together with Ben.

Ben reports that he is also heavily focused at present on fundraising, a necessary evil when running against an opponent like Roskam who is well-funded by big corporations and extremist interest groups. Ben says that fund raising efforts are starting out well but he has a long way to go. Please consider making whatever donation you can afford through Ben’s website.

I am hoping that the more distinguished bloggers covering the 6th district who follow Roskam will getto know Ben and help to get the word out about his candidacy. Come on Progress Illinois, Prairie State Blue, Bridget in the Sixth, Wurfwhile, Heartland Progressive – this is a great progressive candidate. He deserves your support – or at least your consideration. Peter Roskam is the worst. Lets not allow him to coast to another re-election.

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AFL-CIO Endorses Morgenthaler

On December 4, 2007, in Congressional Elections, Jill Morgenthaler, Peter Roskam, by RSR
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Hiram Wurf at WurfWhile reports this evening that the AFL-CIO has endorsed Jill Morgenthaler in the Democratic primary for IL-06. Sure wish we knew as much about Jill as the AFL-CIO seems to know. From Jill’s sole press release, it is not entirely clear whether Jill is runing to the left or to the right of Peter Roskam. I am keeping an open mind. Perhaps the fact that the AFL-CIO has endorsed John Laesch, a true progressive, in IL-14, bodes well. Hopefully Jill will share more concrete information about her positions in the near future.

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Peter Roskam’s War on Immigrants is a War on Families

On November 20, 2007, in Immigration, Peter Roskam, by RSR
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In their efforts to distract voters from from their record of corruption and incompetence, the Republican Party has adopted the strategy of waging war against undocumented immigrants. Voters should beware. The destruction that the Bush administration’s politically-guided management has left in Iraq and New Orleans alone should be ample proof that politics, or at least Republican politics, makes bad policy. Real people’s lives, the lives of our brothers and sisters, our friends and neighbors, will be affected by the decisions made regarding immigration policy. We should reject any attempt to make changes in policy a tool for political gain, whether by Republicans or Democrats.

The New York Times ran a story on November 17th that highlights the effect that the Bush administration’s stepped-up enforcement is having on the children of undocumented parents, many of whom are U.S. citizens and are being forced to choose between remaining in their own country or being with their parents when the parents are deported. An estimated 3 million children with undocumented parents are U.S. citizens. More and more of them will be affected by parental deportation as the Republican war on immigrants heats up prior to the 2008 election.

It is my hope that citizens of the 6th Congressional district will reject Peter Roskam’s anti-family immigration policies and reject any Democrat who embraces them.

Kudos to John Laesch, who is running for Denny Hastert’s seat in IL-14 and is standing up to Jim Oberweis on his anti-immigrant campaign. It’s a shame about Jim Oberweis. I’ve always wanted to try his ice cream but he keeps running for stuff on the same hateful platform and I can’t bring myself to do it. Hope IL-06 Dems will follow John’s lead.

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