The Legislative Director is in the DC office. but once I identified myself as someone who would be writing a diary for a blog, the person I spoke with, Elizabeth, said that I should not be speaking not with the Legislative Director, J.D. Grom, but with Jonathan Lipman, the Communications Director.

His email address is jonathan.lipman@mail.house.gov.

I left a message in which I was clear explicitly in stating that I need information, and so implicit in my insistence that I’m not interested in and will not use bizarre talking points or bizarre explanations.

I’m sending this email to him later tonight (contact me via my email provided to the site administrator if there is anything that I should change):

Dear Jonathan Lipman,

I just spoke with Elizabeth at Congresswoman Melissa Bean’s office. Because I will be using the information that you provide to write a diary for a blog, she directed me to you regarding my questions about Congresswoman Bean’s role in amending the reform bill establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

I need the Congresswoman to provide a list of consumer protection issues that show just how strongly she is on the side of the consumer.

I am concerned that some might think that she wants to minimize consumer protection in the financial services industry.

Surely, not only as a Democrat, but also as an American who witnessed the financial services industry last year finally drive itself and our entire economy to near collapse, Congresswoman Bean will be able to indicate strongly that she stands with consumers, who, of course, are the American people who had to bail out the very corporations that have been abusing us, their customers, for many years now and that last year nearly drove themselves into financial ruin in the process.

Furthermore, in order to show that Congresswoman Bean is on the side of consumers as she works to amend the reform bill establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, I will need a list of every bank and mortgage lender who has made a campaign contribution to Congresswoman Bean and the amount of each contribution. Such a disclosure will surely prove her sincerity and desire to work on behalf of consumers in this matter.

Please communicate to Congresswoman Bean that I appreciate her efforts as a representative of the people in our House of Representatives to ensure that I and millions of other Americans are afforded the fullest possible protection when we make the largest purchase of our lives.

I spent several years earning an advanced degree at a public university and hope to buy my first home sometime in the near future. Like millions of Americans, I will need the kind of protection that only strong regulatory legislation and a Consumer Financial Protection Agency with the power to protect consumers from the often immoral and predatory practices of the very wealthy and powerful corporations of the financial services industry, can afford us.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Brc
http://www.firedoglake.com

I especially loved your last paragraph . . . very true.

Unfortunately, some of the Dems who would have the best chance against Bean, because they are known in statewide politics, are located in IL-10, Mark Kirk’s district, not in IL-08. As long as the Repubs keep running someone who wants to drill for oil in Lake Michigan (yes, they are that crazy), they’ll never regain the seat.

(Prior to the redrawing of the districts to make this IL-8, much of the district was part of IL-13.)

Yes, it has been Republican for a long time. But this is the land of Lincoln, Republican roots go deep here. It is not Chicago, but it is not the southern part of the state either. That is why a woman, running as a Democrat, beat out a long time Republican incumbent, and has had it pretty easy since then. (Donald Rumsfeld once represented this district — when it was Il-13 — before he went insane.)

(Another important thing to understand is that an important chunk of the district is gerrymandered out to help another Republican representative, Mark Kirk. If this were in IL-8, it would lean more Red than it does.)

The Republicans have run crazy-ass conservatives against Bean since she beat Crane and have never had a chance. If, on the other hand, the Republican can find someone who is not a lunatic, they can win this seat back — good luck with that. Unfortunately, if they find that candidate, this district might be red for a long time. Bean, in other words, is sitting pretty. She is, in essence, the ideal Republican.

A “progressive” candidate is not necessarily what is needed here: what is needed is a candidate that doesn’t see their interests only in campaign funds — that looks at the district and sees that the one thing that ties it together is the need to protect the middle class. One look at Preforeclosure.com is all that is necessary to see that there are real issues here, and that Bean’s protection of the banking industry and the interests of the hyperwealthy are not consistent with the needs of the district. (By the way, the Democrats in Illinois would never support such a candidate — way too independent for the power brokers of the Democratic Party.)

Locals who oppose Bean she her as protecting the “Barringtons”, the wealthy communities in the district, to the detriment of the other 90% of the district.

Finally, many see this as a Red district. I’ve never understood that, but I think it has to do with the fact that the district looked very different before it was redrawn. Before the redraw, the district had Crane and Rumsfeld, two very conservative representatives. But that is ancient history now. A better way to look at the districts is to look here (http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/4161/presidential-results-by-congressional-district-20002008) and see which districts went for Obama but have Republican representatives, or went for McCain and are represented by Democrats. That gives you a clue who may be vulnerable.

The net charge-off rate rose to 9.41% in Q3, and JPM expects charge offs to hit 11% on the non-Wamu portfolio in Q1, Wamu losses could approach 24%!

I agree with numediaman that this district will have to go back to the repubs before she can be replaced. Maybe a good libertarian will run against her

wiki:

She is the first Democrat to represent the district since its formation in 1935

although you masaccio, know better than most of us the depth and breadth of misery the current economic climate, let alone her proposals are causing these folks – a moderate, non blue dog type could easily have a shot running against her record, fortified by AFR’s backing – recall how close the non-DCCC, progressive came against Hastert in 06 with similar district demo