Geoghegan Countdown
by digby
As Dday reminded us the other day, we are in countdown mode for Tom Geoghegan’s campaign to fill Rahm Emmanuel’s seat. It’s looking very winnable, but they still need some help financially and on the phones this week-end. If you have some time or a couple of bucks, now’s your chance to help this true progressive make his stand.
Geoghegan’s a very interesting politician, in that he’s an unabashed, in your face, populist with a lifetime as a lawyer and writer standing up for workers and pensioners. It’s almost as if this moment were made for him.
When he was out in LA a couple of weeks ago and spoke to bloggers, he talked at length about the broken retirement system in this country. I’m somewhat aware of the problem, being of a certain age myself, with elderly parents and a close friend who works in the field. I don’t think people recognize just yet what’s happening on this issue and how acute the problem is about to get. The baby boomers have had a huge chunk of their wealth wiped out in this meltdown, in both the real estate and in the equity markets. The promise of the self-financed retirement is looking very shaky at the moment — to the biggest demographic cohort in American history. I don’t think it’s hyperbolic to say that this may be the issue of the next decade.
Tom Geoghegan is an expert in pensions and a believer that we have to begin to look at our system with fresh eyes. He speaks of expanding social security rather than cutting it. He talks about completely revamping the retirement system across the board. It’s so outside the box that when I heard him talk about it I realized that this side of the argument hadn’t been heard in a very long time.
Even if you believe that the state can’t afford to provide more than a minimal safety net, it’s important this side of the argument get into the mix. We are in a time of great economic stress and unless all sides are being debated, political compromise ends up consisting of a compromise between saving rich people and helping rich people. And that spells serious political instability.
We need voices like Tom Geoghagen’s in the congress. We need people who are looking at these problems from all angles and who have the guts to speak in terms that fall outside the accepted village or wall street parameters. We desperately need fresh thinking on these big problems.
On a conference call the other night, Tom and his campaign manager said that they are feeling very confident among the 55 and over crowd, which also happens to comprise the largest cohort in the district and who also happen to be the most likely voters in this special election. I am not surprised that his message is resonating with them. He’s speaking directly to their issues at a time when they are feeling great insecurity.
These special elections in off years often portend the coming coming trends. And I would not be surprised at all if retirement security is an issue that will rise to the top of the agenda. If Geoghegan’s in congress, the Democrats will have someone who has immense credibility and knowledge of an issue that’s of grave importance to the biggest, single voting bloc in America.
As dday wrote:
Geoghegan is the real deal and he can win. You can help.
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