Once upon a time, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (IL-04) went along with the corrupt Chicago machine and endorsed Bush Dog Lipinski in IL-03. This was a bad mistake by a good Representative.
Hispanics and immigrants are a large part of IL-03, and a large majority of Gutierrez's district. Lipinski is horrible on immigration, but most politicians see immigrants as useful scapegoats, so there did not seem to be much downside to the endorsement.
Until ...
Until Mark Pera, a consistent progressive challenging Lipinski and his twin masters, the Chicago machine and President Bush. Hispanics and other immigrants are a large part of the voting universe and they are breaking strongly, and actively, for Pera.
It is wonderful to have a good candidate, and Mark Pera is quite good.
But when the candidate becomes the standard bearer for a movement that transcends the election campaign, amazing things can happen. He can open a second office, funded by the local community.
The Mexican and Muslim communities have collaborated on fundraising for the Pera Campaign, bringing in thousands of dollars locally and using the money to open a second campaign office and to hire two experienced immigrant organizers to mobilize Mexican and Muslim voters.
And together they can make a Congressperson unendorsean neighboring congressman of his own party!
So it came as quite the shock in Chicagoland politics today when Gutierrez officially withdrew his endorsement of Lipinski.
Mark Pera has become the standard bearer for women's rights, for the anti-war movement, and for universal health care. But being the standard bearer against scapegoating of immigrants could be what wins him the election.
The place to be the next five days is IL-03, working for Mark Pera!