Illinois District 6: Cegelis 40.3%, Duckworth 43.7%

[IndianaGreen]

District 6 Updated: 10:38 p.m.
43.9% of precincts reporting

Christine Cegelis 5,571 40.3%
Lindy Scott 2,216 16.0%
Tammy Duckworth 6,048 43.7%

http://www.suntimes.com/elections/results/ushouse_dem.html#82511115

[JI7]

1. who is Lindy Scott ?

[incapsulated]

2. The designated spoiler, silly.

This is the link I'm using:

http://www.nbc5.com/politics/3851555/detail.html

[benddem]

3. Hotline

has it much closer with many more vote counted. http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/
neck and neck. I wouldn't want to be in either hq. tonight.

[greenbriar]

4. who do we want to win?

Duckworth right?

[incapsulated]

6. Oh, dear...

You don't want to start that fight, lol.

I'll just be glad for it to be over. But it won't.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

7. We want "NO FRAUD" to win.

That's the DU candidate :D

[benddem]

8. not me

Duckworth doesn't live in the district and never has. The DCCC chose her cause they thought the sympathy vote and the fact she is double amputee from Iraq war would make her a straight shot for the general. But they passed up Christine Cegelis who lives in the district and made a really good showing against Henry Hyde last election. Christine is against the war, Duckworth is stay the course.

[Ken Burch]

11. I'll support Duckworth if she wins this tonight.

Just so the DLC'ers don't start whining.
She's at least in our party. Maybe that's what we have to settle for.

[Orangepeel]

12. there are supporters on both sides

I don't live in Illinois, so what I think doesn't count. But, I'm pulling for Duckworth. Many others here are not.

[incapsulated]

25. I think they are both great, honestly

I would be happy with either of them, but it's not my State or District. It's their choice and I respect it, whatever it is.

[ProudDad]

31. Not if you're really progressive

[Freddie Stubbs]

40. The stongest candidate

[IndianaGreen]

41. Cegelis almost beat Henry Hyde

Duckworth, a globalist that supports CAFTA, was backed by the party machinery and the corporate money.

Published on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 by the Huffington Post
Stand Up to the Beltway Democrats
by Jonathan Tasini

Rather than line up behind a candidate who was poised to capture the district, the Beltway Democrats recruited a primary opponent to take on Cegelis. Why? Because Cegelis is precisely the kind of progressive candidate the Beltway Democrats are afraid of: she is a progressive, anti-war, pro-choice, pro-renewable energy, pro-universal health care and opposes NAFTA-like trade deals. She's called for a quick and safe withdrawal of troops.

The Beltway Democrats tapped Tammy Duckworth, a person who has never lived in the district. Her central asset: she is a member of the Army Reserves who lost both her legs in Iraq. She isn't even running against the war--she is simply a symbol of patriotism. While her personal story is moving, she is also precisely the kind of candidate that the Beltway Democrats love--centrist and pro-business.

Indeed, the Beltway Democrats have pulled out all the stops to raise money for Duckworth: two emails from John Kerry, an e-mail and fundraiser courtesy of Hillary Clinton, an appeal from Nancy Pelosi. And Rahm Emanuel, the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (and an advocate of so-called "free trade"), has crossed the line, mobilizing the official party machine into the primary fight on behalf of Duckworth.

Duckworth's recruitment is a sign of a party driven by spin, political calculation and fear, not strength or vision. The Beltway Democrats, who relieve themselves in their pants every time Republicans question their patriotism, have decided that a winning political strategy rests on rolling out a large pool of candidates who are military veterans. Veterans or any new face in politics is great--but not if their candidacies are created to prove that Democrats care about the country and its security, even if we have no idea where the candidates stand on other issues or have no connection to the communities they seek to represent.

Arrayed on Cegelis' side are, among others, Progressive Democrats of America, Democracy for America and the machinists union (which represents tens of thousands of United employees who have been screwed by the very pro-business policies promoted by the Beltway Democrats). At a recent rally in the district, 150 activists packed a hall, ready to hit the streets and go door-to-door to talk to voters.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0315-29.htm

[Freddie Stubbs]

42. She lost by 12%

Perhaps your definition of 'almost' is different than mine.

[Ken Burch]

48. Duckworth wouldn't have done any better that year, and you know it.

neither would any other non-liberal.

[incapsulated]

5. Thanks!

Better.

[incapsulated]

9. 66% Reporting: DUCKWORTH - 42.9% CEGELIS - 40.6%

[IndianaGreen]

13. It is a lot closer now! 42.9% v 41%

A nail biter to the end, and one more reason why we need runoff elections!

[gristy]

14. You mean Instant Runoff Elections. Right?

[IndianaGreen]

15. Yes

If no candidate gets 50%, a runoff should be held between the top two candidates.

[gristy]

19. There is a better way...

http://www.fairvote.org/irv/

[IsItJustMe]

10. Looks like Blagojevich will run against Topinka for Gov of IL.

IL GOV (R) 54% Reporting

Judy BAAR TOPINKA 37%
Jim OBERWEIS 32%
Bill BRADY 19%
Ron GIDWITZ 11%
Andy MARTIN 1%

[IndianaGreen]

16. How close does it have to be in order to have a recount?

Anyone knows?

On edit:

Atlantic's Josh Green: "More worrisome voting technology news from Illinois: a precinct judge got her finger caught in the new electronic voting machine. Will finger-chomping Diebold machines be the hanging chads of '06?!"....

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/

[PetraPooh]

17. Seems every vet that gets elected as a Dem helps

I'm not in Illinois so I understand the desire to have Cegelis from what you say about her stance and where she lives, AND the fact that I don't have a valid position for an opinion. But nationwide, every vet that gets elected as a Democrat puts Repubs at a disadvantage, and I feel nationwide is more important view right now.

[ProudDad]

33. What's so damn good about a "vet"?

They were stupid enough to lend themselves to the capitalist war machine. They've been brainwashed all to hell and gone and most can't possibly envision a world without war.

Sorry, but their sh*t stinks too. Just because someone was in the military doesn't mean they're better than everyone who wasn't...in fact, I'd argue the reverse.

I'm really sick of that stupid myth! I'm sick of "vets" being held up as something special!

[cherokeeprogressive]

53. You don't know me, yet you call me stupid

I take GREAT offense at your words, sir. "stupid enough to lend themselves to the capitalist war machine"? WTF do you know about me that you would call me stupid? How do you pretend to know my motivation for serving my country? Generalizations like that make you seem stupid, sir. Notice I said "seem", because I know nothing about you. I'm not willing to make the leap from non-knowledge to mind reader.

I was never brainwashed. I joined the service to have the opportunity to hang out with some fine European Ladies, which is exactly what I did when I wasn't working. I came back from my two tours of duty to become a teacher. And, unlike some, I kept my personal views out of the classroom 100% of the time.

"Just because someone was in the military doesn't mean they're better than everyone who wasn't...in fact, I'd argue the reverse." What an amazing belief. In fact, I don't even have a response for that kind of thinking.

I hope to God that someday you need help from a vet. For any reason. The vet would help you. The vet would probably put his/her life on the line for you. He/She is used to that kind of thing. I hope when that day comes, you feel shame for your opinion of "Vets".

[1932]

18. Why is this one so close? I haven't been following closely, but

didn't Duckworth have much more money and supprt from the party?

[IndianaGreen]

20. There is a disconnect between party hacks in the Beltway

and the people at the grass roots.

Duckworth is a Beltway creation, she doesn't even live in the district she is trying to represent, while Cegelis has been in the political trenches...plus she is antiwar not one of these "stay the course" types.

[wndycty]

23. Durbin, Emanuel and Obama

. . .are all from Illinois, a lot of Cegelis' net roots are not, so lets not be hypocritical. I stand ready to support Christine should she win, and for that reason I have no desire to throw mud her way.

[IndianaGreen]

26. None of those 3 will get us out of Iraq

they follow the DLC line of not offending the GOP by talking about things such as troop withdrawals or censure or impeachment.

As to IL-06, any Democrat is better than a Republican, even one like Duckworth that was endorsed by the rightwing Chicago Tribune.

[1932]

27. What did Obama say about this race?

[incapsulated]

28. He's endorsed Duckworth

Along with Durbin.

[JI7]

29. didn't he do some ad for her also

anyone have a link to it ?

on edit, here is an article iwth mention of it and a quote from the ad :

"Every so often, you meet someone in public life who's truly extraordinary, someone you know will make a difference," Obama says in the 30-second spot. "A person of conscience and proven courage, Tammy Duckworth's a leader we can count on."

http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-cong24.html

[incapsulated]

30. Here

I think it's the second one.

http://www.duckworthforcongress.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=9&id=27&Itemid=50

[JI7]

32. "masters degree in international relations"

i didn't know this. partly because i haven't been paying attention to the race . but it shows she certainly does have knowledge and acheivement in an important area for a congressmember.

from what some were saying, the only thing she had going for her was being a Vet. as if they just found someone who was a vet and would agree to run.

of course it remains to be seen how she (or anyone) would do if they actually became elected.

[incapsulated]

34. She's also testified before Congress

On Veterans Healthcare issues. It seems that is what brought her to Durbin's attention.

Both women are impressive and it's sad that this race has gotten so ugly. I do wish the DCCC would stay out of primary races, though, and just endorse the winning Democrats that they like. As for politicians, like Durbin or Obama, that is their right like any other individual.

[IndianaGreen]

39. Duckworth's endorsement by the Chicago Tribune is a clue

that she is a globalist and not a progressive:

Published on Friday, March 3, 2006 by CommonDreams.org
Cegelis vs. The Machine
by Cindy Sheehan

I am beginning to wonder what it is that such "Democrats" like Rahm Emanuel (IL), Chuck Schumer (NY), and Nancy Pelosi (CA) are protecting in Iraq. What is it that they have at stake in keeping the occupation of Iraq going? Their constituents in every case are solidly anti-war and anti-Bush. They all come from the bluest of states and/or districts. Yet when faced with the chance to defend and promote antiwar candidates who agree with the majority of Americans that it's time to get out of Iraq this year, they go into overdrive to try to destroy their candidacies.

Take the case of Christine Cegelis. Cegelis opposed the war before it started. She supports single-payer health care and a strong transition to renewable energy.

She's pro-choice, and anti-CAFTA. And she has a strong grassroots following in her district. In short, Christine Cegelis is exactly the kind of candidate that the Democratic Party needs.

On top of that, in 2004 Christine took on the thankless task of running against arch-conservative Henry Hyde (R-IL). You remember Henry Hyde—the man whose name is on key right-to-life, the man who led the impeachment fight against Bill Clinton, the man who now chairs the International Relations Committee in the House and routinely buries antiwar Democrats' attempts to investigate the lies that took us into the Iraq War that then took Casey.

Surprisingly, Christine racked up 44% against Hyde, despite being outspent by 4-1. She immediately announced that she would run again, and faced with her continuing strong grassroots opposition, Hyde decided to retire.

What was her reward for this service? Not an infusion of money to help her win an open seat against a former Tom DeLay aide—No! Instead, DCCC head Rahm Emanuel went out and found a candidate to run against her, a woman who did not even live in the district. Then, led by Emanuel, almost all the prominent Democrats in the country—John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and many others—have weighed in on behalf of Cegelis' opponent.

http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/views06/0303-20.htm

[wndycty]

43. She is a Democrat running against a Republican. . .

. . .whom do you support? She might not be as "progressive" as you would like but she can turn this seat blue and give us Speaker Pelosi.

[400Years]

44. and what diff will it make

if it is the same policies but done by a D instead of an R.

I just don't get into the "party" mentality.

[IndianaGreen]

54. A Speaker Pelosi that won't consider impeachment or censure of Bush

and who turned her back on John Murtha's call for a troop withdrawal.

Some of you are under the misguided notion that we will put our protest signs away the moment we elect a Democrat. Think again! We will just as easily demonstrate against a prowar Democrat as we would against a prowar Republican. Any member of Congress, regardless of party, that entertains any notion of giving Bush a pass on his lawbreaking will meet with our utter contempt.

Ending the war and defending our Constitution is more important than party labels or preference over economic models.

[Ken Burch]

49. Obama was obeying Durbin.

nt.

I'll forgive him though, since he's a Democrat on other issues.

[PassingFair]

45. I ran across this today, Indiana...

"I'd rather vote for something I want and not get it than vote for something I don't want, and get it."
--Eugene V. Debs

Kinda makes me sad.....

[IndianaGreen]

55. That's a great Debs quote!

Thank you, PassingFair!

[wndycty]

21. I'm a Duckworth supporter and here is my pledge

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=150x11945

[incapsulated]

22. 83% Reporting: DUCKWORTH - 42.8% CEGELIS - 40.9%

[incapsulated]

24. 89% Reporting: DUCKWORTH- 43.0% CEGELIS- 40.8%

[incapsulated]

35. Well, this looks like it won't be decided tonight

Will Pitt is saying there is a mess in Cook county:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x722299

Oy vey, just what this primary didn't need.

[snowbear]

36. What will happen if there's no clear winner tonight?

for the info.

Sorry.. I tuned in late, so I'm not sure what's going on.

Go TammY! :patriot:

[incapsulated]

37. I don't know..

It seems like there is a problem with.. you guessed it.. "voting machinery". Optical scan and touchscreen. Some were not tested. Lots of anecdotal reports of chaos. Who knows? What a mess. :(

[snowbear]

38. This is a complete DeJaVu of what happened in TX a cpl weeks ago!!

I mean.. the SAME FRIGGIN THING...

[KharmaTrain]

46. Duckworth Was/Is No Cuellar

This was a hard fought battle in an area that has been red forever and could be a Democratic pick-up. There aren't any pictures of Duckworth having her head "shined" by booosh like the Repugnican in sheep's clothing in Texas.

If there's a lesson here, it's how far the netroots has to go to really start making some real noise in the political system. Let's see what lesson are learned.

Peace...

[Ken Burch]

47. What Duckworth needs to remember is that the MAJORITY of 6th district Dems

Wanted a nominee to her left. She has no right to run as an anti-liberal in the fall. She must endorse the progressive Cegelis/Scott agenda, or she'll make her candidacy pointless.

[wndycty]

50. No she must do what is necessary to win . . .

. . .if the Cegelis/Scott agenda is too far to the left she will lose. She is pro-choice, supports stem cell research, supports a timetable for withdrawl, etc. She is a good Democrat. Do you realize that this district has been represented by someone from the far, far right. She will do what is necessary to win while staying true to Democratic principles. She is running to win, not just to make Cegelis/Scott supporters happy.

[Ken Burch]

51. She needs their votes to win. She can't just demand they vote for her

by default.

And there is nothing in this result to prove that the Cegelis/Scott Democratic Majority agenda is unacceptable to 6th district voters.

Duckworth just barely scraped through, after all. The people ALMOST beat the hacks.

[wndycty]

52. Considering the 56% that Hyde got last time. . .

. . .they are still in the minority. Duckworth has to reach out to the Cegelis/Scott supporters but they have to meet at least halfway if not more, she won and they didn't. Obviously she can win without them, however if they sit there in the corner with their arms folded until they get their way WE WILL DEFINATELY LOSE!

And while you are grouping Cegelis/Scott as a block you do realize that Scott is pro-life. So if Duckworth were to give Scott supporters what they want should she become pro-life?

[IndianaGreen]

56. "what is necessary to win . . ." Like anti-abortion, anti-LGBT?

I smell the stench of the morally bankrupt ideology of the DLC!

[wndycty]

57. She is pro-choice. . .

. . .I'm not sure of her LGBT positions.

[IndianaGreen]

58. She is pro-PATRIOT Act extension, Cegelis opposes it

The three candidates in the Democratic Party primary election for the 6th Congressional District were recently interview by the *DailyHerald in an endorsement session. All three were asked if they would have voted in favor of the compromise bill reauthorizing the Patriot Act.

Christine Cegelis said she agreed with Sen. Russ Feingold, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Library Association, and others who opposed the reauthorization as embodied in the compromise bill. "I would have voted no. Period," she said. She also said that one of the problems with U.S. intelligence gathering is that agencies "have too much information -- they're overloaded with information" and their computer systems can't effectively process it all or coordinate it between agencies.

Tammy Duckworth said she, too, had reservations about privacy issues, but she would have voted for the bill and then would push for additional changes in the future. She also noted, however, that if information derived from electronic eavesdropping or other forms of intelligence gathering would have prevented 9/11 or "saved the life of a single soldier," that benefit would outweigh privacy concerns.

http://www.mydd.com/tag/Tammy%20Duckworth

I guess Duckworth won't be joining John Conyers's call for an investigation of the Downing Street Memo and the lead up to the war to determine if Bush committed an impeachable offense.

[IndianaGreen]

60. Duckworth: abortion shouldn't be a federal issue

Duckworth told the Washington Post she thinks abortion shouldn't be a federal issue. That's not exactly a ringing defense of abortion rights, since unfortunately it IS a federal issue.

http://www.mydd.com/tag/Tammy%20Duckworth

Sure, repeal what's left of Roe v. Wade and abortion ceases to be a federal issue, it goes back to the states where it used to be prior to Roe.

Wow, in listening to this radio interview, Duckworth is waffling on parental notification. It's odd that Emily's List endorsed her for the primary.

http://wbez-od.streamguys.us/848/2006/02/848_20060217a.m3u

http://www.mydd.com/tag/Tammy%20Duckworth

[KharmaTrain]

59. If They Wanted A Nominee On The Left, Cegelis Would Have Won

Sadly, it didn't happen. To the victor goes the spoils and it's time to move on.

This isn't an area with long Democratic traditions or a strong party...this is/was the home of Henry "Pantload" Hyde...one of the most conservative asshats ever to stain a seat in the house.

Here's hoping that one day there is a Progressive majority or a sizeable population that can alter the outcome of elections...in the meantime, it's back to work...there's a lot to do.