March 23, 2006
IF YOU CAN WIN THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION YOU CAN'T WIN THE ELECTION:
Iraq War Vet Wins in Illinois Race (Eric Pianin, 3/23/06, Washington Post)
Tammy Duckworth, the decorated Iraq war veteran who lost both legs in a grenade attack, won a close race Wednesday in her bid for the Democratic primary nomination to succeed retiring Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R) in Illinois's 6th Congressional District.Duckworth, the most prominent and best-financed of nearly a dozen veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars attempting to launch careers in Congress, was vying with Democratic rival Christine Cegelis, a computer consultant who has been running nonstop since she lost to Hyde two years ago. [...]
Cegelis sought to portray Duckworth as a political carpetbagger in the congressional district, a traditionally GOP bastion west of Chicago in DuPage County. Cegelis asserted that many residents resented that Duckworth lives in a home three miles outside the district and that she raised most of her $517,747 campaign war chest with the help of her national Democratic allies. Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, helped Duckworth raise $139,000 earlier this month with an e-mailed fundraising appeal.
Angry parties oughtn't be expected to make good decisions.
Posted by Orrin Judd at March 23, 2006 8:32 AM
But she will be a media darling throughout the campaign season, so Roskam has to run a smart race, and go after her on specific issues on which the district's voters differ with the positions of the state and national Democrats.
Posted by: John at March 23, 2006 8:51 AMI admire her personally, and she has lots of support from military types, so she appears to be the real deal in that way, but ... all that national support and $ is very troubling for me. She got her legs blown off serving our country, and was invited by Dick Durbin to run for the seat occupied by Henry Hyde (or so he said on the radio Tuesday night).
You know, maybe I'm just being cynical today, but a dispassionate observer might conclude that she is being used by the likes of Durbin, Kerry, and Hillary to score anti-war points. Not sure how well a "poor crippled veteran" schtick will do here, and she better have "game" or it will become obvious real fast what is going on.
Posted by: Jeff Brokaw at March 23, 2006 10:46 AMJeff:
"maybe I'm just being cynical today"
No. I'm fairly certain you'll come to the same conclusion tomorrow. I know I will.
Posted by: Rick T. at March 23, 2006 11:10 AMI doubt that pathos is a sufficient basis for a campaign.
Posted by: jd watson![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://brothersjuddblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 23, 2006 1:21 PM
Duckworth lives in a home three miles outside the district
Anyone more familiar with this race care to explain why she's even able to run? Should that sentence read "used to live," or do petty things like "laws" have even less impact in Illinois than they do here in WA?
Posted by: Timothy at March 23, 2006 1:21 PMTimothy: In HI, Ed Case wasn't a resident of the House district he was elected to at the time of the election even. I can't remember how much of a grace period HI law gave him to move.
Posted by: b at March 23, 2006 3:35 PMThe GOP brought in Alan Keyes for the IL Senate race. Which party is the carpetbagger?
Posted by: Chris Durnell at March 23, 2006 5:10 PMChris:
Trick question. They both are. The Republicans got punished for it. I hope the Democrats get the same.
Posted by: Rick T. at March 23, 2006 5:22 PMTrackBack
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CHICAGO — Tammy Duckworth, a former Army helicopter pilot who lost both legs in a grenade atta [Read More]