Some updates from the IL-06 where Tammy Duckworth is fighting tooth and nail to take retiring Henry Hyde's seat away from the Repubs for the first time in history.

We need boots on the ground folks, volunteers going door to door and working the phones. It's the only way we're going counter the massive lying mail campaign being waged by the NRCC attacking Tammy in favor of truly reprehensible DeLay disciple Peter Roskam.

Read on for the latest news from suburban Chicago to see how we're doing.

When last we left you I wrote about washed up newspaper hack Dennis Byrne's rant against Duckworth, Bean and Rosie O'Donnell in the Chicago Tribune. The Trib of course gives equal time in their comments so we'll never know how many wrote them objecting to his story vs. wingnuts.

But apparently on his own blog Byrne is more generous or just too lazy to check his comments. Anyway the score there is 24-5 against his equating O'Donnell's criticism of Christian wingnuts with all Christians. A good sign and probably more responses to post than he's gotten in years.

Anyway tomorrow promises to be a crummy day weatherwise here in Chicagoland. Rain is predicted all weekend. No matter, as I said above we need to get out and ring those doorbells and make those phonecalls to counter the huge mailing campaign inundating the district by the NRCC. To date they've dumped over $400,000 on his campaign mostly in baldfaced lies about Duckworth's positions on immigration and taxes.

In speaking to people door to door last night I got a lot of #3's = uncommitted. Maybe it's the walk list I was given, maybe we're going after more undecideds now after Labor Day, I don't know.

What I do know is people would tell me they've been getting his flyers and would say they're sick of the campaign already. Voters invariably say they hate negative campaign ads, especially in their mailbox. Well I hate Poppin Fresh the Pillsbury Doughboy and that cuddly little teddy bear from the fabric softener commercials. I'd like to see them duel to the death as a matter of fact. But I remember what they're advertising and that's the point of it even if it annoys you. The don't care if you want to punch Mr. Whipple in the nose they just want you to vaguely remember Charmin is a nationally advertised toilet paper brand. And in Peter Roskam's case he wants you to vaguely remember something bad you heard about Tammy and forget it was sent by the same people who told us Iraq was building a bomb.

That's why we need real people on doorsteps across the 6th explaining what Duckworth's position is on immigration. Roskam calls it the Kennedy bill when in fact it's McCain's. I'm no fan of McCain but his bill is light year's more sensible than Sensibrenner's. We're not gonna deport or imprison 12 million Mexicans anymore than 147,000 US troops are gonna stop 26 million Iraqis from killing each other.

Duckworth's position on most issues is at her website under issues. Bone up on them, so when somebody crosses their arms and gives you that skeptical look and asks what's her position on immigration or taxes you'll have the info to correct the lies.

http://www.duckworthforcongress.com/...

You can find some good articles this week explaining what a lying charlatan Roskam is by Eric Zorn of the Trib yesterday and Eric Krol of the Daily Herald today in her pressroom. Just send people to those articles on the web and they'll see what a sleazebag he is. It makes it so much easier when the press actually does it job. Take advantage of it when you can.

As an added bonus tomorrow at 10am Senator Dick Durbin will be at the Field Office just west of Rt. 53 on North Ave. to rally the troops. If you've never met him this is your chance to rub shoulders with the Senate Minority Whip and we hope Majority Whip come January. He's one of the generally nice guys in politics which is amazing considering the great job he's doing as Whip, a job that usually requires more vinegar than honey.

Sunday night at 9:30 on WBBM radio (780AM) is the first debate between Duckworth and Roskam. It was taped today at 11am and while nobody at HQ will give me any juicy details I understand it is a must listen. Most of the reporters present today will be writing about it for tomorrow's papers. Tell your friends and neighbors to tune in.

I gotta run. Hundreds of phonecalls to make before I knock off tonight. I look forward to seeing another SRO crowd tomorrow at the Field Office.