Congressional Candidate (Cegelis IL 6th) May Get Boot (by Dems)

[Chicago Democrat]

Lynn Sweet
Congressional candidate with cash shortage may get boot

October 18, 2005

BY LYNN SWEET SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Democratic congressional candidate Christine Cegelis delivered anemic third quarter fund-raising numbers, which means Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) will be shopping for another candidate to challenge her in the March primary.

Cegelis is running for the west and northwest suburban seat being vacated by Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) in territory heavily Republican but with Democratic potential for 2006.

(snip)

Emanuel, as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee -- the political arm of the House Democrats -- faces the awkward prospect of trying to pull the carpet out from another local Democrat. Emanuel has been sending signals for months that if Cegelis' fund-raising did not improve, he may try to recruit a wealthy contender who could self-fund a campaign or find someone with better fund-raising potential.

Between January and Sept. 30, Cegelis -- currently the Democratic front-runner -- raised $159,885 and has $48,973 cash on hand, according to reports filed over the weekend.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sweet/cst-nws-sweet18.html

[Chicago Democrat]

1. This is now the DLC keeps 'People freindly' candidates OUT

You can't run unless your rich. The Dems have NO ORGANISED NATIONAL FUNDING MECHANISM! This is so incredibly disappointing. Any liberal interested in taking back the house needs to help Christine today.


Do you have megabucks? Are you interested in supporting a candidate who is a REAL LIBERAL. Doesn't support the new Bankrupcy bill. Understands the concern of a MIDDLE CLASS PERSON! Why must it ALWAYS BE THE RICH MAN?!!! I don't trust rich Democrats as much as I trust a poor one. We're more honest and more 'Democrat'. Please consider giving today or just write a note of support to Christine. I'm sure she'll need it today.

http://www.cegelisforcongress.org/


Tell Rahm Emmanuel what you think about his 'plans'.

http://www.house.gov/

[Chicago Democrat]

2. Rahm Emmanuel's office Phone # [phone]

Tell him what you think about his 'plan'. Seems this only helps the Republicans.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. National funding? If a candidate can't convince her prospective

constituents to donate to her campaign then perhaps her campaign is not a good investment. The DCCC does provide financial assistance to campaigns, but only those campaigns that have shown themselves to be viable. This is a Republican-leaning district, so it doesn't make sense to pour money into it unless there is a strong campaign.

[Chicago Democrat]

6. that's a crap argument....

Comparing a NEW CANDIDATE to and ELECTED CONGRESSPERSON

Republican leaning? She got 44%last time... Massive influx of poverty in the last two years. Massive foreclosures of homes. The only reason she lost last time was money. Democrats are DEAD with attitudes like yours. Any democrat who dares to challenge her is going regret it. She is NOT BACKING DOWN!

She has 600 volunteers. We had an equal amount of people show up at the July 4 parade as the Republican jerk. Yes we are poor. SO ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS and their getting poorer every day.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. If the reason she lost last time was lack of money

She sure isn't demonstrating that she has figured out how to overcome biggest weakness.

Campaigns require money to get their message out. If you can't get your message out, your opponent may be able to set the agenda of the race and define what the voting public thinks about you.

[Chicago Democrat]

10. Nay nay nay... GET THIS STRAIGHT... She IS the ONLY

CANDIDATE now...

She got 44 percent last time DESPITE being outspent 25 to 1. How much will 6 percent cost? Not much. NOT MUCH AT ALL!


DESPITE THIS TRACK RECORD. ASSHOLE RAHM EMMANUAL AT THIS LATE DATE IS TOTALLY STABBING HER IN THE BACK, DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE HAS NOONE TO RUN IN HER STEAD!!!!


This is ABSOLUTELY OUT FUCKING RAGIOUS!


So, in your brilliant opinion, is having "SOME RICH DEMOCRAT" better that one that...

1) Has an office, a full staff and 600 volunteers.
2) Has completed position papers and is RIGHT on all the issues
3) CAME IN #2 in the DFA contest of 'most promising democrat'

Just because SHE HAD A BAD QUARTER?!!!!


Keep in mind, RAHM has NOONE! So NOBODY is better than an already ready to go candidate?!! Rahm Emmanuels opinion of Cegelis gets press and kills a fellow democrat who was withing 6 points of winning!!! SCREW YOU RAHM! ELITIST!

IS MONEY THE ONLY IMPORTANT QUALIFICATION?! Iknow, lets just kill all the poor folks, we can take away all their Medicaid. I know, lets only allow people with 1,000,000 in personal assets to run! I GOT IT, ONLY MOVIE STARS, WAR HEROS AND MILLIONAIRES ARE ALLOWED TO RUN IN OUR TOTALLY FUCKED UP SYSTEM!





YOU THINK THOSE 600 volunteers are gonna work hard for some rich, yet unknown democrat?!!!

Rahm can stick his opinions up his ass!

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. Coming in 2nd in a DFA contest isn't going to win an election

You don't need to be rich or famous to be a successful candidate. But you do need to be able to raise enough money to compete.

[madfloridian]

43. A lot of DFAers like me are waiting to donate to her.

We donated to her recently, but would have given more if we thought they were going to do these games.

There will be support for her, trust me. DFA will back her again, and there will be donations.

Getting tired of the DSCC and DCCC deciding who can and can not run.

[WCGreen]

3. 160 k six months out is pretty darn good...

Except she will need major media... She needs at least 1.5 to 2.0 million just to compete with Hyde...

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. Not that impressive when you also spend $113,000 during that same period

http://www.politicalmoneyline.com/cgi-win/x_state_district_candidates.exe?DoFn=&sYR=2006&cid=H6IL06117&district=06

[Chicago Democrat]

14. SO MR STUBBS. whose gonna run? YOU?

No?


Oh well guess the Republican wins..


SEE ... Democrats always lose because they attack one and other at a drop of a hat. Republicans are a real party. Democrats are like arguing children.


CHRISTINE CEGELIS ALL THE WAY! BRING IT ON! War loving DLC.

[Freddie Stubbs]

18. Where in the article did it mention anyone 'attacking' any Democrats?

:shrug:

[WCGreen]

16. Well, that is up front money...

A campaign always spends more at the beginning to raise money..... It is also the time to do comprehensive polling...

there is a lot of expenses this early on...

But, the DCCC probably set a fund raising goal to reach before the candidate could be considered serious...

I know when I ran for State Senate, the caucus said they would support me financially if I hit a certain goal money wise...

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. You can bet that less that $40,000 cash on hand is far below that goal

It is pretty early in the campaign to be spending a large amount on polling.

And this is not a first time candidate. She should already have a fund-raising structure in place from the last campaign.

[WCGreen]

22. It costs money to make money....

The cost of fundraising out of season when you aren't the incumabnt is high...

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. But she should already have an established donor base

as she had already ran just last year.

[WCGreen]

25. Well then, that is different......

If she can;t get it up when it looks like a bad year for oncumbent republicans, when will she be able to....

[Chicago Democrat]

5. My email to Rahm..

I am a Christine Cegelis campaign volunteer. Thank you for totally shooting a promising Democrat in the back! Everyone in this race is unknown! The district is wide open. You have done nothing to help and everything to hurt.

Since when are only rich folks allowed to run? You don't think her TRUE middle class status gives her bonefides that money just can't buy. Go ahead put up some DLC me-too, Melissa Bean Democrat and we will defeat her in the primary! All Christine needs is some press, which has been piss poor. That's your job. But you are working for the other team.

You have failed. You have failed us. You blinked. Damn you.

[brentspeak]

7. The quality of candidates is based on the amount of money they can raise?

What are they, real estate agents, whose job is made or broken by the number of houses they can sell?

[Chicago Democrat]

8. Thank you, freind! She has gotten ZERO press until this

stab in the back. I have just talked to the campaign.


WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE A PRIMARY CHALLENGE! This will at least force the local press to cover the campaign. Then we will get our money because the people will see whose got their back and who is a DLC HACK!


ALL local papers are GOP owned and refuse to allow Democrats access, yet they constantly bray about GOP candidates. THIS ACTION BY RAHM IS TOTALLY UNFAIR!

[MaineDem]

15. "She has gotten ZERO press until this"

This might be a problem in and of itself.

[Chicago Democrat]

17. Hello? GOP owned local press is UNBELIEVABLY BIASED

And how did she get 44% of the district in 2004?


Because she's right and she overcame this press BLACKOUT FOR ALL DEMOCRATS in the Western Burbs. Remember the 6th district covers Wheaton, a Bible bastion. Its hugely Catholic as well.

All the local papers are INSANELY GOP. The Chicago papers political columnists don't lift a finger to help and anyway .

[Freddie Stubbs]

20. The press isn't likely to change ownership between now and election day

If the press is as biased as you claim, any Democratic candidate is going to need to have adequate funds to get her message out.

[cascadiance]

41. Illinois, time to get Clean Elections laws in place there!

Then you would worry more about getting wide support from your *constituents* not heavy monetary support from "contributors"! Then you'd get back to having politicians that really do their jobs of representing people again and not corporations!

[Chicago Democrat]

13. Letter to Barack OBama

Dear Senator,

Christine Cegelis is being attacked by Rahm Emmanual for the sin of not being a millionaire. While her opponent takes 2000 a plate dinner contributions from Tom Delay, she has raise 150,000 in average of $72 contributions.

It is wholly unfair, bad form and just bad politics to do what Rahm Emmanuel has done. The only reason she hasn't raised money is visability. No she is not famous. No she is not rich. Since when is the US House open to only millionaires?

If Rahm does find some millionaire to challenge her, we are not going to back down. In fact, we feel a primary challenge will help us with visability.

Please rein in Rahm Emmanuel and if you cant, please consider doing a fund raiser for Christine SOON! We need money. We already have a full campaign stafff and 600 volunteers.

She got within 6 points! That has to count for something. Apparently is all money,money, money for Rahm.

[Freddie Stubbs]

21. Barak Obama wasn't rich or famous when he started his Senate campaign

I don't seem to remember him having trouble raising money.

[mopinko]

40. he had the grassroots

in fact, he had the support of the same people who have been helping christine. but since it was a statewide race, he tapped into the rich dems on the north shore. the dems in christine's district are poor and working class. yet they dug into their pockets to support her. so far, she has an average contribution of $72!! this is the kind of campaign that howard says we need. i agree. we have to find a way to measure support besides money. she got 44% last time with nothing but guts and chump change. rahm should be pushing her forward, not out.
and he should find someone to run against manzullo. :wtf:

[Demeter]

23. Has She Got The Support of Emily's List?

If not, why not? Emily's List support is a good marker for candidates who are actually good for the country.

[Freddie Stubbs]

26. No.

https://secure1.emilyslist.org/Donation/index.cfm?event=initiative_showOne&initiativeID=12&mt=146

Perhaps they feel that there are more viable candidates running in other districts. :shrug:

[Chicago Democrat]

27. Hmmm... well I just emailed them and asked..

She is pro-choice. Will report on it when I find out why.

[Chicago Democrat]

28. Basically this is mysogyny and elitism....

Because she doesn't have a trust fund.

Because she was against the war.

Because she is a single mother.

Because she is a SHE.

Its sucks.. Oh well let's have a primary and waste what little money we have. At least someone might pay attention.

[Freddie Stubbs]

29. What proof do you have that this has anything to do with her gender?

:shrug:

[MaineDem]

30. What proof is there that any of those things are true?

I second your :shrug:

[Chicago Democrat]

47. Divorcee mom, liberal... Are you kidding me?!

Its both liability and a strength. Mothers will totally relate to her. Fake liberals use false arguments like "a bad quarter".


So called liberals can also be mysogynistic and homophobic.

Examples: Mayor Daley.

[salin]

31. Hyde is retiring? YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!

So he finally realized his days of acting as prime "moral arbitor" via the GOP in congress were up? That noone will buy that GOP is moral about anything come the next elections? I am so GLAD to hear his presence on the hill is soon to be over.

[mopinko]

32. don't celebrate yet

i will only be really happy when that asshole is DEAD!! but his hand picked successor is every bit the corrupt blowhard. and with emmanual's help, the opponent will be the same.

[mopinko]

33. fuck you rahm

find somebody to run against god damn manzullo!!!!!
44% with jack money against the money machine, and they can't support her?!!?
fuck you rahm!!!

[Cocoa]

34. a thin Lynn Sweet gossip piece

for entertainment purposes only.

[mopinko]

35. nope

this is the way it is.

[Cocoa]

37. entirely based on this very thin Lynn Sweet column?

or because of something else you know. If there's something else, please post a link.

[mopinko]

38. based on conversation with the candidate

actually, i think there is already someone else trying to get on the ballot. i talked to her at an early event, and she acknowledged that she might face a primary challenge. this has been rumored for a while.
not proof, i admit. but it is the way things work in this party, sadly.
she has so much grass roots support. she has volunteers, staunch supporters. she did so much with so little. and there is such a tiny party presence out there. they should be out there building the party that they have, but they are not.
with a little help from the party, she could win easily. her opponent is a typical bushbot. and the district is changing, a lot!! she is exactly the kind of candidate that we need.

[Cocoa]

42. thanks for the info

there's about ten times as much substance in your post than there was in the Sweet column.

I think we all can agree that winning Hyde's seat would be sweet. (no pun intended).

[mopinko]

44. thanks

are you around here?

[Chicago Democrat]

46. We HAD one opponent and that person dropped...

if there is another person, i dont know about it.

[mopinko]

50. ok, i did not know

a challenger is one thing. publically declaring someone a loser? fu.
really, why doesn't this ass find someone to run out in the 16th? whose side are you on rahm?

[Chicago1]

36. Lynn Sweet is a flying BITC*. DONT' BELIEVE ANYTHING SHE WRITES

I heard from someone that they had a horrible horrible conversation with Lynn Sweet and she's a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE journalist and person. She's arrogant, NASTY AS THEY COME and her verbal communication skills are ATROCIOUS. She yells and screams on TV shows at other panelist and certain shows on WTTW Channel 11 DON'T INVITE HER BACK BECAUSE SHE YELLS AT EVERYONE.


DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING LYNN SWEET WRITES OR SAYS. HER CREDIBILITY IS HORRIBLE.

[Chicago Democrat]

45. Thank YOU!

Hey Chicago1


go White Sox!

[Chicago1]

49. I was born and raised a Cubbies fan

I CAN'T STAND the White Sox but I want the Astros to LOSE LOSE LOSE simply because Dumb Dumb and Co are from Texas!!


GO WHITE SOX!!!

[mopinko]

39. my e-mail

i called, but also e-mailed this to my congressperson, jan schakowsky, emmanuel, and the dnc-

i just want to follow up with an e-mail, although i left a message on your comment line.
there is a story in the chicago sun times this morning, by columnist lynn sweet, claiming that rahm emmanual is trying to push christine cegalis aside because she has not raised enough money. if there is even a grain of truth to this story, he should be stripped of his position. christine is exactly the kind of candidate that we at the grass roots are looking for. the dupage democrats are my heroes. the party should be supporting them, not interfering with them.
tell emmanuel to find a candidate to run against manzullo, not cegalis. this shit MUST STOP!!!

[Chicago Democrat]

48. Letter to Rahm Emmanuel, Chairman of DCCC

Subject: Rahm Emmanuel attacks liberal candidate Christine Cegelis
To: [e-mail]


Dear Rahm Emmanuel,

Why do you hate liberal women who are experienced candidates? Or do you just hate liberals? Or just Women? What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you know not to attack a Democratic candidate? Your slimey attacks in the Sun Times should never have been aired in public. IT IS ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT NOW IF WE LOSE THIS SEAT!

You have completely sabotaged, probably beyond all repair, Christine's fund raising ability. You have insulted the donors who have already given to the Cegelis Campaign. Why would anyone give now? You have basically given this seat to a Delay hack, because now we will have to fight twice as hard for dollars. You have divided us. If the Republicans win, it is because you have done nothing to help and everything to hurt! In Buddhism, the only rule is "do no harm". The harm you have done is your Karma from now on.

Listen, I don't even know you. This is the first I have ever heard of you. But the people of the sixth district who are real Democrats know Christine Cegelis. The sixth district is a land of haves and have nots. A corrupt district with total GOP control of the media. May I remind you that Christine was outspent 20 to 1 in 2004 and came within 6 points. Money is NOT the only factor. If money is the problem, it is your fault. What have YOU done to help? What has the DCCC done to help?

As one of Christine's 600 volunteers, I can say that you have also succeeded in destroying our morale. We had the crazy idea that an experienced female, anti-war, with a 'one of the people' candidate with bona fides that money can't buy would be welcomed and assisted by incumbent Illinois Democrats. We thought the attacks would come from the Delay-candidate. We were wrong. How can you undo the damage you have done? I have no idea, but I suggest you think of ways of salvaging wreckage you have just made of the Cegelis Campaign.

Sincerely,



Tim Johnson