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Special Elections Draw Attention to Control of Congress |
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Two special elections for crucial U.S. House seats are coming up, setting up a preview of this fall’s congressional elections.
On March 8, an election will be held for the open 14th Congressional District in Illinois, and on March 11, a special election will be held in Indiana’s 7th Congressional District.
In Indiana’s 7th District, the Indiana State AFL-CIO has been active in support of city Councilor André Carson. A Democrat, Carson is running for the seat left vacant by the passing of his grandmother, Democratic Rep. Julia Carson. He faces off against Republican state Rep. Jon Elrod in the special election.
Last Saturday, Carson joined Indianapolis union members in a rally where he promised to fight for the issues that matter to working families. Carson pledged to support the Employee Free Choice Act in Congress. (Carson speaks about the Employee Free Choice Act and other important issues in this video.) After the rally, 85 union members took part in a neighborhood walk to let their fellow working families know about Carson and his commitments to the issues that matter.
In Illinois, the 14th District was left open by the departure of former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, who lost his position when the Republicans were defeated in the 2006 elections. The Illinois AFL-CIO has endorsed Democrat Bill Foster in this race. Michael Carrigan, president of the Illinois federation, says Foster would offer the right policies on key issues like trade, housing, health care and retirement security, while his Republican opponent, Jim Oberweis, is the wrong choice for working families.
In Congress, Foster will be committed to creating and protecting American jobs and to working toward all Americans having access to a basic level of health care at a reasonable cost. In short, Bill Foster knows that we need an economy that works for all Americans. Jim Oberweis supports privatizing Social Security and eliminating employer-based health care by moving working families into health savings accounts.
These two races are just the start of the campaign to ensure a working family-friendly House and Senate.
For more information on the 2008 elections, visit Working Families Vote 2008.
3 Comments
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While we’re at it let’s send a few dollars to Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH). He has always been a friend of labor and of working people.
The same cast of characters who embrace NAFTA, who oppose national health care, who are making a killing on the war on Iraq, and who champion the neoliberal agenda are trying to unseat Kucinich.
Corporations are pouring big dollars into the warchests of his (Democratic primary) opponents. They hope to silence Kucinich and replace him with a compliant “Republicrat”.
I have contributed to the Kucinich re-election campaign. It’s the least I can do. After all, aren’t we supposed to help people who have always championed the cause of working class families?
Take the time to send a few bucks to his re-election campaign.
Let’s hope Pelosi can come up with with something comparable to the 100 HOURS plan that the Dems managed to put together in 2006. The raise in the minimum wage was just one of the many fulfilled promises. That’s the kind of thing that can take over all the branches of government.
Link for those unfamiliar with the 100 Hour Plan -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-Hour_Plan
Jack
John the Elrod–got his ass spanked this election. If he wants to bring it again in the primary we will spank his ass again!