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Dem Fighting Dems

Still, Democrats know their credibility on security remains suspect. Thus, they’re fielding what they call the “fighting Dems” to challenge Republican incumbents. They include dozens of veterans, such as Tammy Duckworth, a helicopter pilot who lost both legs in Iraq and is now a congressional candidate in Illinois, and Joe Sestak, a retired Navy admiral […]

Still, Democrats know their credibility on security remains suspect. Thus, they’re fielding what they call the “fighting Dems” to challenge Republican incumbents.

They include dozens of veterans, such as Tammy Duckworth, a helicopter pilot who lost both legs in Iraq and is now a congressional candidate in Illinois, and Joe Sestak, a retired Navy admiral now running in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

“You’re not going to get anyone tougher than me,” Duckworth said in a recent interview. “But as far as I’m concerned, our national defense is more than just continuing to spend money without oversight in Iraq.

“I will try to find a diplomatic solution. But when the fighting is necessary, I will be there. That’s why I stayed in the National Guard. I want to make sure that when that vote is cast in Congress, that it’s my butt that’s on the line.” ~Biloxi Sun Herald

I earlier drew attention to Joe Sestak’s challenge to Curt Weldon, who has never had much serious opposition in his previous re-election fights and has found a formidable adversary in Sestak, a retired admiral who has made great strides on a strongly anti-war platform.  It also came to my attention today that there is an Iraq war veteran challenging Pete Roskam for Henry Hyde’s old seat and, according to a recent Evans-Novak poll (via the surprisingly titled blog Republicans for Duckworth), she has pulled ahead.  She has probably done this with her immigration position and by calling for a better policy to stabilise Iraq, while specifically not calling for withdrawal.  With candidates as different as Sestak and Duckworth running, the Democrats may be able to have it both ways on the war. 

This race has particular interest for me, since I have family who live in DuPage County and my church is located in one of the suburbs in the district, so I am more than a little familiar with the area she will be representing.  Intriguingly, Ms. Duckworth is strongly opposed to amnesty and says control of the borders should be the top priority on immigration, which allows her to paint the current majority–and her opponent–as having failed to do anything on the issue.  Not being an Illinois voter, I haven’t paid very close attention to local races in the Chicagoland area, but this one looks to be a real chance of surprising Dem pickup in a part of Illinois that ought to be a lock for the Red Republicans.  If they are struggling in DuPage County, they are in bigger trouble than anyone thinks.

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