I just read in James Fallows's blog that Chicago labor lawyer, author, and all-round good guy Tom Geoghegan is running for Rahm Emanuel's seat in congress.  I know Tom a bit--a friend of mine used to work for his law firm (Despres, Schwartz, and Geoghegan)--and I don't think there's a person more committed to labor rights than Tom, nor can I imagine a better person to send to Congress.

Here's some of what Fallows has to say about him:

To the extent Tom is known publicly, it's mainly because of his books, like Which Side Are You On?, The Secret Lives of Citizens, and In America's Courts. These really are masterful and original pieces of thinking and writing, which most writers would be content with as their entire contribution to the human endeavor during the period Tom has turned them out. Which Side, which was published in 1991, begins this way:

'Organized labor.' Say those words, and your heart sinks. I am a labor lawyer, and my heart sinks. Dumb, stupid organized labor: this is my cause.

The remarkable thing is that in Geoghegan's case writing has been a sideline. Day by day for several decades he has been a lawyer in a small Chicago law firm representing steel workers, truckers, nurses, and others employees whose travails are the reality covered by abstractions like "the polarization of America" and "the disappearing middle class." Geoghegan's skill as a writer and an intellectual are assets but in themselves might not recommend him for a Congressional job. His consistent and canny record of organizing, representing, and defending people who are the natural Democratic (and American) base is the relevant point.
 

It has often been said you can judge a person by the company he keeps. With that in mind, it's worth mentioning that the senior partner and founder of Tom's law firm, Len Despres, was the long-time alderman from Barack Obama's Hyde Park district and, for many years, the only Alderman with the courage to oppose the elder Mayor Daley. Back in 2005, the University of Chicago awarded Len the Benton Medal for Distinguished Public Service. Here's an excerpt of the University's description of Len's accomplishments: 

Despres, considered the liberal conscience of Chicago politics for decades, was born in Chicago in 1908, attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and graduated from the College in 1927 and the Law School in 1929.

In addition to attending school at the University, Despres also taught classes at the Law School . . .

In 1955, Despres was elected to the Chicago city council to represent Hyde Park as 5th ward alderman, the same year that Paddy Bauler famously uttered that "Chicago ain't ready for reform." But that is exactly what Despres delivered. One of the few independents on the council and the most liberal alderman in the city, Despres ushered in 20 years of reform efforts. His demand to cut out the corrupt sale of city driveway permits made him enemies from the very beginning, particularly among the administration of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley.

Over the years, Despres, 97, has crusaded to ban discrimination, preserve Chicago landmark buildings and gain equality for African-Americans. After serving for 20 years with great distinction as alderman, Despres worked as a parliamentarian for the Jane Byrne and Harold Washington administrations, as well as as an attorney, teacher and lecturer.

He is also the author of the recently released Challenging the Daley Machine: A Chicago Alderman's Memoir. In his political memoir, Despres offers a first-person account of the corruption and cronyism that defined Chicago politics, and his efforts to stand up to the machine, frequently facing 49-to-1 defeats in the city council.

I believe Tom would bring to Congress the same spirit of independence and reform Len brought for so many years to the Chicago city council.  If you are committed to progressive politics, this is a candidacy you should support.