[Peace] I endorse Betsy Dirksen Londrigan in IL-13

[Niloofar Shambayati]

Robert,

I'm surprised by your endorsement. She's totally an establishment
candidate. She has a big smile and no real agenda, except the generic
"caring for families". Like her mentor, Durbin, she doesn't even support a
national health care system (improved medicare for all). I hope to hear
stronger arguments in her favor. Thanks!


Niloofar

On Mon, Mar 19, 2018 at 7:57 PM, Robert Naiman via Peace <
peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote:

> https://www.facebook.com/robert.naiman/posts/10157099169132656
>
> I endorse Betsy Dirksen Londrigan for Congress in IL-13.
>
> I like all four serious candidates. I met with all of them. I went to
> every forum I could. They're all thoughtful, knowledgeable, and
> progressive, their intentions are pure, and they're in it to win it. I will
> vigorously support whoever wins the primary, in order to defeat Rodney
> Davis in November.
>
> But in the primary, I have to choose one. I choose Betsy Dirksen Londrigan.
>
> First: I engaged the four candidates about our campaign to end
> unauthorized U.S. participation in the catastrophic Saudi war in Yemen. Of
> the four candidates, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan listened to me the best. It
> wasn't close, actually. I explained how this war is different from the
> other wars, and she got it. The first time I engaged her, she didn't really
> understand what I was talking about; but none of them did. Betsy Dirksen
> Londrigan said: send me something to read. So I did. The next time I saw
> her, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan knew *exactly* what I was talking about.
> Because she read the thing I send her and she understood it.
>
> I don't need a know-it-all representing me in Congress. Know-it-alls are a
> dime a dozen. I need someone who listens to what I have to say and tries to
> understand it. By that criterion, it's Betsy Dirksen Londrigan in a walk.
>
> Second: I like the fact that Betsy Dirksen Londrigan is endorsed by Dick
> Durbin. It's not that I think Dick Durbin is the alpha and omega. I've had
> frustrations with Dick Durbin. But as a practical matter, on my issues, if
> we don't have Dick Durbin, we're not even on the field. But if we do have
> Dick Durbin, then we can get all the Dick Durbin people onside. Today was a
> perfect example. I was very frustrated that on the eve of the Senate vote
> on the Sanders-Lee-Murphy resolution, I didn't know where Tammy Duckworth
> was. So I engaged Durbin's people and said: *where's Tammy Duckworth*?
> Within an hour Tammy Duckworth's staffer, who had been dodging me and other
> peace activists, got back with me to confirm that Tammy Duckworth would
> vote yes on the Sanders-Lee-Murphy bill. So the fact that Betsy Dirksen
> Londrigan is a Dick Durbin person is a big plus for me, because it gives me
> great confidence that I can rely on Betsy Dirksen Londrigan when I need
> her.
>
> Third: all else equal, I like the fact that she is endorsed by Emily's
> List. Not that I'm totally in love with the politics of Emily's List in
> general. But they are also in it to win it, and I'm confident that if Betsy
> Dirksen Londrigan wins the primary, Emily's List will be all-in to help her
> win the general, and she's going to need a lot of money and help to beat
> Rodney Davis in November.
>
> Fourth: I strongly support increasing the diversity of our Illinois
> Congressional delegation. Obviously that doesn't mean I have to support
> someone whose politics are diametrically opposed to my own. But if it's a
> jump ball, if it's close enough, "the tie goes to the runner." And, in
> fact, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan is my best candidate anyway. She points out
> that only three members of our current delegation are women, and says
> that's unacceptable and we should change that. I agree. She's right about
> that. So while I certainly wouldn't make the decision on this criterion
> alone, and I wouldn't want anyone else to, I think it's perfectly wonderful
> to have this criterion in the mix. Given everything else that's true, I
> count this as a strong plus.
>
>
>
>
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