ICYMI, as the saying goes (In Case You Missed It), since not everybody reads Balloon Juice on the weekends. Heather Digby Parton, a/k/a Digby, in Salon:
… Way back in the day (a decade ago) when the Progressive Netroots were just starting to organize, the first “scalp” any of the left leaning movement activists took was that of a Democratic hack from Maryland named Al Wynn when they backed a progressive challenger by the name of Donna Edwards. Edwards defeated Wynn in 2008 and is now running to replace Senator Barbara Mikulski who recently announced her retirement. In each congressional cycle Netroots progressives have fought a number of hard-fought primaries, losing more often than they won (just like the Tea Party) but slowly managing to make the House of Representatives a bit more progressive than it was before…
But over time, it’s had an effect and not just because of the “scalps” they took, but because all of those hard fought races, whether won or lost, showed the incumbents that there was a restive group of activists out there who could challenge the status quo. And aside from primary challenges, progressives in congress from Keith Ellison and Alan Grayson in the House to Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Baldwin in the Senate were enthusiastically supported by Netroots groups like, Move On, DFA, PCCC and Blue America (disclosure: I am a principal in that group) among a number of others, a support which translates into small donor involvement, campaign volunteering and strategic advice as well as engaged in grassroots activism for progressive congressional initiatives. It’s made a difference. The House and Senate today have progressive wings that are active and vocal in a way they did not a decade ago…
And right now, in Chicago, a progressive is giving [Rahm Emmanuel] the personal challenge of his political lifetime. Political observers were stunned last month when a longtime Illinois politician by the name of Jesus “Chuy” Garcia forced Emanuel into a runoff for his second term as mayor. Perhaps stunned isn’t really the right word. Apoplectic is more apt. After all, Emanuel has a seemingly unending supply of money with which he tried to buy off every bit of institutional support and his network of elite friendships goes all the way up to the White House. But it turns out that his arrogance and corruption may be too much even for a city that is anything but starry-eyed about such things.
Garcia, on the other hand, is a local pol with a ton of experience in the trenches who is promising to do crazy things like stop closing schools and recklessly raid pension funds, both of which are among Rahm Emanuel’s big accomplishments (along with taking lots of money from Republican donors). Historian Rick Perlstein, a Chicago local, has been chronicling this election and in this piece for In These Times he lays out the case for Garcia’s experience and political know-how…
Needless to say, the national Netroots groups are happy to help Garcia any way they can. They are pulling out all the stops, including coordinating with each other for a “money bomb” [yesterday–Monday — & today] to pull supporters from all over the country to Garcia’s cause. It’s unlikely they will be able to match Emanuel’s immense war chest which is overflowing with Wall Street and Republican money. But they’ll certainly be able to help Garcia spread the good word to the people of Chicago and help Rahm Emanuel lose his job. It’s just one more step on the long road to a more progressive politics in America. But no victory could be sweeter.
RSR
New Poll: Chicago Latino Voters and the Race for Mayor
feebog
Going to be an uphill battle. But Rahm only got 45% in the primary. If that other 55% can unite behind Garcia, and more importantly, show up at the polls next month, there is a chance.
BethanyAnne
Ok, it’s off topic, but this was awesome. I haven’t seen it here yet. Have you seen the #GunsWithHistory video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nAfWfF4TjM It has the NRA pissed the fuck off, which pleases me mightily.
dnfree
The trouble is that Chicago has a massive debt and pension obligations, and just saying you won’t close schools isn’t going to solve the long-standing problems. Closing schools can also be seen as “making tough decisions”, especially when the number of students has declined.
The most recent Mayor Daley ran Chicago’s finances into the ground, with the help of the city council. It’s going to be a long haul out of that hole. Even Chuy’s supporters have been disappointed to hear no plan to deal with the fiscal crisis.
Punchy
@dnfree: The whole state of IL is a complete mess. IIRC, they’ve passed some crazy tax increases to help offset their massive debt, but with a Republican gubbnah, I’m not sure how many more “fixes” will pass, especially ones that help “blue” Chicago.
Relatedly, who wouldn’t vote for a guy named Jesus?
Belafon
@Punchy: Christians. He’s probably a Jew.
RSR
Also, I read yesterday that early voting in Chicago is now open.
Princess
Not a fan of Chuy (I don’t think he really is a progressive — just a typical Chicago ward politico) but I am going to repost this piece I posted on the end of the thread yesterday, because it is good on the budget issue, and how little Rahm himself has really told us about it:
Carol Marin: Pro-Rahm Stunt Just Makes Chuy’s Point
msdc
Thanks for the reminder! Just made a contribution.
shortstop
Her topic aside, Carol Marin is truly an awful writer. Just embarrassing.
Chyron HR
Maybe I’ll finally get to drink all these bottles of champagne I opened in anticipation of Andrew Cuomo’s crushing defeat.
Helmut Monotreme
I get that elections have consequences that reach far outside of the municipal borders. I get that a mayoral election for a city as big as Chicago is, can mean financial shakeups that reach across the country. But it still irritates the crap out of me, that spending from groups outside of the municipality can spend so much to alter the course of a local election. As a Wisconsin resident I have been more than a little angered by the out of state money being spent to influence our state elections. To big money donors that money just means a tax break or exemption from local laws and regulations, but to residents, those concessions close schools, shut down infrastructure projects and pollute the environment. Grr.
rikyrah
Went to vote after work.
Cast my vote for Chuy and to replace my Alderman, who has done nothing but rubberstamp Rahm’s agenda.
japa21
Rahm will win, and probably easily.
Tripod
@shortstop:
I believe that’s the long time Chicago news reader.
I just have to look good, I don’t have to be clear.
The Moar You Know
For the teachers of America; as goes this election, so go your careers.
WaterGirl
@BethanyAnne: That video is very powerful. I got goosebumps watching it. Literally.
thanks for the link
delk
People who actually know Chuy, supporters and detractors alike, both agree that he is one of the most amiable guys around.
But man, his first, and still running TV ad is just beyond dreadful. He’s like a piece of wood standing in front of a brick wall.
Sadly, this kind of stuff counts.
shortstop
@Tripod: Of course it is. And she’s always been a royal pain in the ass. Sadly, in this town “traditions,” including journalistic icons who can’t spell cat (much less have an original thought), count for more than competence.
KXB
While Rahm is still likely to win, there are still some positive outcomes to the runoff. One – it means Rahm will have to look beyond just appealing to CEOs and corporate types in order to determine what is “good” for Chicago. He may decide that instead of nickel and dime-ing ordinary people with red light camera tickets, he may have to take back some goodies and TIF funds from developers.
But whoever becomes mayor – the city pensions are a mess. Add in the state level pensions, and one wonders what discretionary spending will remain.
patroclus
@delk: As bad as the ad is, Chuy’s debate performance was worse. The best ad I’ve seen is the Rahm ad where he admits that he talks too much and doesn’t listen to anyone – that’s about as spot on an ad as I’ve ever seen.
Chuy is certainly amiable, but so was Ronald Reagan in his 2nd term. I agree that being amiable is endearing, but it doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence. I’m still probably going to vote for Chuy, but at this point, I have no idea what he’ll do with the budget or who he’ll hire/appoint to actually run the city.
The main reason I don’t want to vote for Rahm is because he went through this period where he went ballistic on the schools and the teachers. But they did, in fact, ultimately reach a settlement which the union approved and the schools are open. I just don’t want to take the risk that he’ll do it again – is he like Bill Clinton with the license tax in Arkansas (he’ll never do it again) or is it endemic with Rahm?
Tripod
@delk:
I’m assuming that is the only one you’ll see, and the last few days have been about a bit of free media and positive spin for a campaign that otherwise looks dead in the water.
WaterGirl
@Tripod: I can’t quite tell if you are stating that as your own position, or if you are suggesting that as your understanding of delk’s point of view.
Apologies if I am being dense.
Another Holocene Human
@dnfree: Nobody made Rahm do all that extra stupid, cruel, and nasty stuff. That’s what the anger’s about.
He’s acted like a Republican. “Oh times are tough, let me sell public assets to con artists, give public funds away to my buddies, wreak havoc on communities of color, and name call.”
WaterGirl
@Another Holocene Human: I was never a Rahm hater, but I completely agree. This wasn’t Rahm having to make hard choices, though I’m sure there are an awful lot of hard choices that have to be made as Mayor of Chicago.
Deciding to redirect resources from the poor and otherwise screwing low income people – and giving to the rich – does not count as a hard choice.
A lot of what Rahm did appears to be gratuitous screwing of regular people, and that’s what I find unforgivable.
delk
Willie Wison was the only one that when mentioning schools in a TV ad said, honestly, some of them did need to close down.
That was probably the most courageous statement from any of the candidates.
I will bet that EVERYBODY will agree that Rev Meeks wins the award for worst person in both a state and city election.
NobodySpecial
Disappointed in the lack of pony jokes around this thread. Oh well, I guess it’ll be made up for at the Emanuel victory party thread.
shortstop
@KXB: I remember explaining the rampant abuse of TIFs to you, a suburban dweller and non-property taxpayer who didn’t even know what a TIF was, years ago. I remember you breezily pooh-poohing whether anyone cared about them. I’m really heartened (sounds sarcastic but is not) to see you’ve learned about them since then.
@Another Holocene Human: This. We all get that Daley left a giant dung heap and hard choices must be made. What’s galling is the gratuitous poor-bashing and middle-class screwing Rahm’s doing via the enrichment of his buds.
Ben
@rikyrah:
Voted for Tara Stamps? She’s great.