Viva Tammy Duckworth

Morra Aarons Mele — Mon, 15 May 2006 19:56:20 -0500

It's rare in this ever-cynical political age and stage to feel truly moved by a political candidate. I had the good fortune to see Tammy Duckworth speak at the EMILY'S list annual luncheon in DC last week.

Ms. Duckworth is running for Congress in Henry Hyde's old seat in IL-6. She's Asian American (check out this post from Mixed Media week) for some added history. She had two legs and an arm blown off in Iraq. She spent a year at Walter Reade rehabilatating. She's a helicopter pilot and a hero.

She, with Barack Obama, spoke at the EMILY's List luncheon. EMILY's List has come under fire from Conservatives as a liberal bastion for femme-nazis out of touch with working Americans. Not with candidates like Tammy Duckworth, it ain't.

Tammy's power is apolitical. It's starkly real. I don't know if she's pro-Choice. Her issues transcend the kitchen table. Republicans often win on character, not issues. They send out appealing candidates and don't press platforms. Dems tend to do that. I think Duckworth (although her platform is strong) is a Dem candidate who is a person we want in office. She's not about her platform, she's about her mission. I sound naive, but her presence feels so true and powerful. Her speaking presence feels like Obama's did at the 2004 Convention: powerful, thoughtful, none too slick.

She came home from rehab, where she had to re-build her entire body, and she decided to run for Congress (with some help from Rahm Emanuel and the DCCC- ah well, it's still politics. Emanuel really pushed Duckworth in the Primary. Well, he's not stupid. He knows what people want).

Learn more about Tammy Duckworth on her site: http://www.duckworthforcongress.com.

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Viva Tammy Duckworth