Just a little aside to Jane. No one can know the pain that anyone else has on the loss of a loved one, but many of us have had a similar experience. I think that most get through by concentrating on the good that the loved one brought to your life. Instead of mourning, the time is turned to a celebration of that life.

John Laesch’s campaign has been very grassroots-oriented from the beginning – he spends an enormous amount of time talking with people on the street, as do his campaign staff. People underestimate him and his chances, based largely I think on Hastert’s carefully crafted “just one of the farm boys” persona. The problem with personas of course is that they can be broken in just a few days by a couple of angry reporters. Until DeLay left, Hastert was able to keep out of the jaundiced media limelight – that has officially changed. And Hastert is making things worse for himself by going head-to-head with the Senate Republicans over a punitive immigration law. I think he really believes he is the king of the Congress. He should remember the fate of the second-longest-serving Republican Speaker, JG Cannon.

Add to that the fact that the 14th District now, for the first time in a long time, has a really excellent alternative, and I think we can say a Dem win in IL-14 is definitely coming within reach.

Re the candidate John Laesch, in my impression of him I’d say he is perhaps a bit more restrained and thoughtful than some of his colleague candidates. I think he comes from a background that values listening and community consensus. However, he is definitely a guy who takes risks in stride. He is not afraid of running against the Speaker or taking a stand for what he believes is right. I think both of these qualities bode well for his ability to resist the “siren song” of Denny-style pay-to-play politics. Whereas I think Hastert came from a “we take care of our own” classic Chicago-style machine background, John’s was (growing up in a multicultural West African mission) more “we take care of each other.”

TIA!

I’d like to be able to help in a way that frees up your time, but what I can do and will do today is contribute.

Jamie is absolutely the most Progressive, and has been really hitting the grassroots support network hard. Jamie spoke to the students at my school and really made an impression. He was the only candidate of the three to actually appear at the ‘hospitality room’ he rented at the state convention.

Nancy would appear to have much of the “establishment” support as well as high name recognition due to her time in office. She helped my wife out in ‘04. My wife was our county Vets for Kerry coordinator and was quite nervous before starting a big Kerry rally. Nancy joked and talked with her as we were hustled around by Secret Service agents. It helped my wife quite a bit, as she has a fear of public speaking and she was in front of thousands of people that night.

Kagen has been running commercials for months now as well as getting out to meet the people. There are very few times when I appear somewhere and there isn’t someone from his family or campaign there – if not Steve himself.

I’ll be seeing all of them again tomorrow at our local Dem Unity picnic. I need to get back to work on my speech for tomorrow, thanks for everybody to listening. :)