Dick Durbin says....Sheila Simon needs our help!!!

[DemKR]

Letter from Dick Durbin:

I met Sheila Simon more than 30 years ago. I was working for her father, the late Senator Paul Simon. Sheila was just a kid, but, even then, I could tell she was something special, a rare combination of compassion and guts. I've stayed in touch with Sheila, and her successes have surpassed my wildest expectations. Today, I am happy to say she's running to become the next Mayor of Carbondale, Illinois.

Please contribute to Sheila Simon's campaign for Mayor of Carbondale today -- before her April 17th election!

Over the years, Sheila's commitment to Carbondale has been unflinching. She served as the first attorney at Southern Illinois University's Domestic Law Clinic, worked as an Assistant State's Attorney prosecuting DUI cases, and has provided endless hours of pro-bono legal counseling to people of limited means.

Today, Sheila and her husband, Perry, have two teenage daughters, Reilly and Brennan. Sheila's a law professor at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and sits on the City Council.

Sheila has become the great mother, teacher, and civil servant we all expected her to become. And today, I couldn't be more excited about her decision to run for Mayor of Carbondale.

Sheila hasn't taken the easy road when it comes to her campaign. In an effort to stop the influence of special interests and big donors, Sheila has a strictly grassroots campaign. She's been running herself ragged knocking on doors and attending rallies. And most importantly, she has decided to cap contributions to her campaign at $50.

Recently, Sheila's opponent has been on the attack, with a professional Republican political operative running his campaign, sent down from Springfield. They are buying TV time, and the ads will be negative.

Sheila has her own ads, positive ads about the difference she will make, but she needs our help to get them on the air. Like her parents, Sheila's politics appeal to our better angels, not fear mongering, half truths, and scare tactics.

My wife, Loretta, and I have each sent our $50. If Sheila is going to prevail she is going to need more help and that is why I am writing today.

Help Sheila get her ads on TV -- please donate $50 or what ever you can afford today!

The election is just two weeks away, and with continued effort, you can ensure that Sheila will bring integrity, responsibility, and opportunity to City Hall.

Please check out Sheila's website -- www.sheilasimon.com -- and consider donating $50 today.

I'm honored to be on Sheila's team, and I hope you will join me. Leaders with Sheila's integrity, optimism and openness don't come around very often.



Sincerely,

Dick Durbin