Ultimately, this diary will be a KosAbility Diary - with a twist:
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There are 3 Congressional districts which are contiguous where incumbent Republicans are about to lose their seats. Those Congressmen are
Paul Ryan, Bobby Schilling, and Adam Kinzinger. The districts are WI-1, IL-16 and IL-17. For most of my life I have lived, worked, shopped and gone to college in that area. I have also been politically active in all 3 districts.
In all 3 districts automobile industry jobs have been exported to China and Germany. All 3 have Republican Congressmen who have not done one damn thing about it. Currently, Bainsport [Freeport] is front and center, but previously when Chrysler was sold to Mercedes-Benz, Bellvidere, IL watched as the Chrysler patents were sent to Germany. Janeville, Ryan's hometown, lost it's Chevrolet assembly plant because GM moved those jobs to the South and to Mexico.
All 3 Congressional districts share these and other problems. All 3 have Republican Congressmen who have done nothing to address these problems. Two of the 3 have support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The Opportunistic Opposition and the soap opera that surrounds him
Tonight I want to focus on
IL-16 where I grew up. This is the one district the DCCC has not gotten involved. The district is basically new in that 1/2 was represented by
Republican Don Manzullo, and the other half by
Republican Adam Kinzinger.
Most of what is important in this district originates from the Republican primary. Since 1992 Manzullo had been the most conservative Republican in the Illinois delegation. Kinzinger was once a tea party favorite, but got dumped by them to support Manzullo. It remains a bitter split. Kinzinger won the primary with the support of Eric Cantor and the Koch brothers.
Woven through the Republican fabric is a plan supported by Kinzinger to create an airport in Peotone, IL - population 3,385 [ 6 miles north of home town of Manteno - population 9,224 ]. The plans for the Peotone - airport call for 5,800 acres with room for thousands more acres. While O'Hare airport covers 7,000 acres and is land-locked, it is the Rockford, IL - population 152,222 [ airport [ covering 2,900 acres ] that will be most affected. Rockford is home to one of UPS’s seven domestic air hubs where it owns and operates the 9th largest airline in the world. Employing 1,600 employees . . .UPS is Rockford's most important employer.
In today's Chicago Tribune, as expected, Kinzinger got their endorsement. That mean a lot to Kinzinger, but little to anyone else.
Meet Wanda Rohl - Democratic Candidate for Congress in Illinois-16
Here is Wanda in her own words:
I learned the hard way that none of us is immune from potentially serious, life-threatening injury or illness that can turn our lives upside down in the blink of an eye. We all know someone who has been injured or become seriously ill and has lost their medical insurance, and maybe even lost their home trying to pay exorbitant medical bills.
As a “pull-myself-up-by-my-bootstraps” kind of person, I worked my way back from a tragic ATV accident that left me a T-6 paraplegic, to earn a Masters Degree in Social Work, and I’m ready to go to Congress to continue my fight to bring the same kind of freedom, opportunity, and security to everyone in Illinois.
I didn’t need a bailout or handouts, but hands at my side to help me rebuild my life, till I was able to return to independence. No one who is willing to work hard should be denied the chance to take charge of their life, to recover and rehabilitate from devastating injuries and illness. I am eternally grateful for all the programs that helped me get through, and I’m determined to fight for a country where those services continue to be there for our friends, family and neighbors when they need the same help.
Everyone deserves the freedom to live their lives to the fullest. Everyone deserves the opportunity to contribute to their families and their communities in meaningful ways. And everyone deserves the security that comes from a system that’s designed to catch us when we fall and help us navigate that uphill battle to pull ourselves back up.
After my injury I received physical therapy through the Department of Rehabilitation; my doctors’ visits were covered by Medicare and Medicaid; my kids didn’t have to go hungry; and I had the opportunity to retrain for a new career with Pell grants and scholarships.
Through Service Learning programs, I acquired hands-on, real-world experiences: working at a domestic violence/sexual assault shelter, a year as a substance abuse counselor, and then a year as a social worker on the Behavioral health unit at Provena St. Joseph Medical center in Joliet. These experiences gave me valuable insight into the value of these vital taxpayer-funded programs that literally save lives.
And we can’t afford to lose them, which is what’s at risk in this election, and why I’m running to be your voice in Congress! Without these programs, a single illness, injury, or job loss can leave friends and family in financial ruin. Eventually whole communities can be decimated when individuals don’t have the resources to return to productive lives.
Some of you know the fight that Wanda has lived through. It's a fight to be recognized for our talents vs being marginalized for our physical challenges. While Wanda lost her first battle for recognition fought with the villagers at the Democratic Congressional Committee [ DCCC ] she has persevered. No one has polled in IL-16 and Kinzinger hasn’t spent a dime or much time getting to know people.
Meanwhile, Wanda is out meeting and greeting everyone. She is a liberal Democrat willing and able to work with Tea Party Republicans who hate Kinzinger for becoming a turncoat, as far as they are concerned, the minute he met Eric Cantor. Wanda has waded deep into moderate Republican territory, made friends with a lot of former supporters of Don Manzullo, and has gained their respect. How this translates to votes is anyone’s guess.
The odds of Wanda winning in Illinois' 16th Congressional district are about the same as a destitute mother completing both a college degree and then a Master's degree while confined to a wheelchair. On November 6th I think Wanda is going to be very happy.
*IL-16 (Adam Kinzinger)- 50-48% (Progressive candidate Wanda Rohl - my personal choice) Please contribute to Wanda through her Act Blue page.
IL-17 (Bobby Schilling) - 47-42% (Progressive Candidate Cheri Bustos - Bustos is currently in a 46/46 tie according to We Ask America's poll. Bustos has DCCC support. Cheri's Act Blue page.
WI-01 (Paul Ryan)- 51-48% (progressive candidate Rob Zerban my personal choice) Unless you've contributed to Rob Zerban through this link,you really haven't earned your stripes as a Kossack. Zeban has DCCC support.
There are Progressive Candidates ignored by the DCCC who need your help right now.
CA-25 (Buck McKeon)- 49-48% (progressive candidate Lee Rogers) Lee's Act Blue Link. This is an expensive market.
CA-49 (Darrell the peril Issa) (Progressive Candidate Jerry Tetalman Here's Jerry's Act Blue link.
FL-13 (Bill Young)- 51-47% (progressive candidate Jessica Ehrlich) Here's Jessica Ehrlich's Act Blue link.
MI-07 (Mike Rogers)- 52-46% (progressive candidate Lance Enderle)
MI-11 (open)- 50-48% (progressive candidate Dr. Syed Taj)
NY-23 (Tom Reed)- 50-49% (progressive candidate Nate Shinagawa)
PA-16 (Joe Pitts)- 50-49% (progressive candidate Aryanna Strader)
TX-16 (open)- 64-35% (progressive candidate Beto O'Rourke)