* Press release…
Rep. Carol Ammons announced the formation of an exploratory committee at the Women’s March on Springfield to formally decide whether she will challenge Congressman Rodney Davis in 2018. This decision followed weeks of encouragement from constituents and conversations with her family.
Ammons said: “I’ll be listening to voters throughout this district, not just Democrats. I’m heading to small towns, university communities, and manufacturing cities. I’ll be listening to everyone: coal miners, students, manufacturing workers, service workers, professors, farmers, and more.”
“During this exploratory phase, I’ll learn about our district and its community member, as well as their expectations for their next Representative. I’ll learn about their jobs and their schools, their struggles and their successes,” Ammons added.
“Following weeks of listening, I’ll decide if it is in the best interest of the 13th District for me to run for Congress,” Ammons said.
* If she tries to step up to a federal office, this 2013 interview might come back on her…
SP: Would it be appropriate for any state of the union to fly the confederate flag?
Ammons: That’s an interesting question. I have an older son who’s 18 and who is attending Jackson State University right now. We often go to the South, which I enjoy. It’s a very different space. When we’re down there, we often see the confederate flag alongside the U.S. flag. And when it comes to African-American culture and history, neither flag has been very good for African-American people. For me, in my 40s, I don’t think the confederate flag conjures as much negative feeling as it conjured for me in my 20s. It doesn’t give me as much angst as seeing the U.S. flag flying coupled with lies and assaults against other nations.
Your thoughts?
*** UPDATE *** From the ILGOP…
“The battle lines have been drawn as Bernie-backed Carol Ammons announces her long shot bid for IL-13 in an attempt to bring her socialist views to Washington. Ammons will be facing off against Pelosi-backed David Gill in what is sure to be a race to the radical left. With candidates like these, Democrats are once again proving they are out of touch with Central Illinois values.” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Aaron DeGroot
Today, State Representative Carol Ammons announced her long shot bid for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District.
Bernie-backed Ammons makes no bones about her socialist sympathies. In Springfield, Ammons voted for Speaker Mike Madigan’s out-of-balance spending plans while supporting an extension of the 67% Quinn-Madigan tax hike with no reforms of state government. Even worse, Ammons gushed about her Communist hero who praised Vladimir Lenin and his violent Marxist tactics. Now she wants to bring her radical views to Washington.
Ammons’ announcement follows her unsuccessful attempt last year to help socialist Bernie Sanders win Illinois’ Democratic Primary in the race for President.
In exchange for Ammons’ support, Bernie Sanders fundraised for Carol Ammons shortly after Illinois’ 2016 March Primary. Now, Carol Ammons is running as Bernie’s candidate for Congress.
Ammons joins Pelosi-backed, five-time failed Congressional candidate David Gill in the race for IL-13. In 2012, Nancy Pelosi poured in over $3 million to unsuccessfully elect Gill. Last year, Gill was wooed by Bernie’s campaign to endorse his candidacy for president, but Gill said “no”. After taking Pelosi’s campaign cash and rejecting Bernie, it’s clear that David Gill is running as the establishment Democrat for IL-13.
The battle lines for the democratic nomination in IL-13 are becoming clear as Carol Ammons is running as Bernie’s candidate and David Gill is running as Pelosi’s candidate.
- Flip357 - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 12:20 pm:
==neither flag has been very good for African-American people.==
That will hurt her among white uneducated men, but they won’t vote for her anyway.
- Ok - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 12:31 pm:
We often go to the South, which I enjoy. It’s a very different space. When we’re down there, we often see the confederate flag alongside the U.S. flag. And when it comes to African-American culture and history, neither flag has been very good for African-American people.
——-
She told the truth and it still is the truth now. As a African American male I agree with her 100%. As the poster above stated that uneducated whites won’t vote for her anyway. That statement alone tells you why Carol Ammons even made those remarks.
- Ouch - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 12:33 pm:
She should spell check her press releases…
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 12:34 pm:
The truth hurts, and it can hurt gaining votes.
- OurMagician - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 12:34 pm:
She has a lot of things in her past that don’t help her and I would struggle to think of an accomplishment she’s had at the Illinois House. She has a chance but she’ll need to do better in Champaign County than past candidates to overcome Davis in other parts of the district.
- MissingG - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 12:54 pm:
Symbols matter, and while she’s absolutely right that the American flag has represented this nation through a history of oppression of minorities/women/fill in the blank, I think a savvy politician would avoid comparing America’s current (and historical) racial and political problems with an actual symbol of slavery. The American flag can represent deep patriotism and hope for America’s progress, but to many, “America” as a symbol has to reckon with a lot of things; that’s a totally legit point.
But a symbol that says “we miss slavery” HAS to be worse than a symbol that doesn’t inherently have a negative meaning. #FlagTakes
- A guy - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 12:55 pm:
I bet Rodney hopes this is true. Just sayin’
- just maybe - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 1:16 pm:
I don’t think being tied to Bernie is a bad thing. Especially on college campuses.
- jim - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 1:17 pm:
“For me, in my 40s, I don’t think the confederate flag conjures as much negative feeling as it conjured for me in my 20s. It doesn’t give me as much angst as seeing the U.S. flag flying coupled with lies and assaults against other nations.”
Way to go, Carol. It’s about time we had candidates with the nerve to say how disturbed they are when they see the American flag.
The time for the unvarnished truth is now.
- Downstate - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 1:20 pm:
“UNEDUCATED”? Really? We are comfortable using that language now?
What an indictment on the our US Educational system, that we blithely refer to someone who graduated from high school as “uneducated”!
Some of the largest employers in our area were started and are owned by people you so casually refer to as “uneducated”.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 1:20 pm:
–Even worse, Ammons gushed about her Communist hero who praised Vladimir Lenin and his violent Marxist tactics.–
Huh?
- Grand Avenue - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 1:41 pm:
The fact that the ILGOP feels the need to throw out stuff other than Madigan! Madigan! Madigan! is very telling.
- aspects - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 1:55 pm:
“…out of touch with Central Illinois values.”
No, that would be Rodney Davis, who represents a moderate district, yet runs as if it was a far-right district. It would be nice if Davis would hold a town hall meeting, but maybe we were spoiled by Tim Johnson.
- Downstate - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 2:04 pm:
Regarding Central Illinois Values -
The DNC Chair didn’t do any favors for his party when he announced that there was no room for pro-lifers in the party.
Nancy Pelosi wisely rebuffed that statement on party identity.
- Quiet Sage - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 2:09 pm:
Bernie would never make a statement like that. How can you equate the flag of the Confederate slavocracy and the flag of freedom the Union troops fought under when they defeated the Confederacy at immense cost?
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 2:24 pm:
Websters. Un-ed-u-cat-ed,n. Someone who doesn’t agree with anothers way of thinking. This catch-all was popularized by progressives after 2016 presidential campaign.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 2:34 pm:
–Websters. Un-ed-u-cat-ed,n. Someone who doesn’t agree with anothers way of thinking. This catch-all was popularized by progressives after 2016 presidential campaign.–
You’d prefer “poorly educated,” like this guy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vpdt7omPoa0
- Franklin Delano Bluth - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 2:43 pm:
Curious strategy trying to tie Ammons to Bernie as being a bad thing.
Every single county in the 13th except Macon went for Bernie in the primary.
- Put the fun in unfunded - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 2:57 pm:
Franklin Delano - well, in the general Trump won the district by 5.5 pts versus Romney who carried it by 0.3 points.
- Franklin Delano Bluth - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 3:03 pm:
Put the fun in -
Seems as if the district has a penchant for outsiders, perhaps this will play to Ammons advantage
- walker - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 3:06 pm:
Wow. A coherent, rational response from the ILGOP.
- Colby jack - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 3:54 pm:
That NRA F rating should work well for her in the 13th /s
- filmmaker prof - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 3:58 pm:
She’ll do much much better in Champaign-Urbana than any of the past Democratic candidates. Will that be enough to carry her? Don’t know.
- blue dog dem - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 4:05 pm:
Word. Trump,like Sanders and Clinton, are exactly what I am talking about..I am thrilled you and I are starting to think alike. If I can just convert you on that statewide bobcat limit….
- Anon - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 4:46 pm:
I don’t think “Bernie backed” does as much damage as they think.
They’re just not a very creative group of folks.
- akh - Tuesday, Apr 25, 17 @ 4:54 pm:
The Confederate flag is part of history. Are we supposed to erase every part of our personal/state/national history that we don’t like. Look at European countries. Most have had some good times and bad but it makes them who they are. The point is learn from the past so we don’t repeat our same mistakes.
I am 42. My family fought on the side of the Union. There are many noble men & women who fought and died for the Confederacy and what she stood for. How can we as a nation deny half a country its history because of the scars it has.
If you get down to brass tacks, at some time or another each denomination/gender/race/ethnicity has been the minority somewhere.
- bob dole - Wednesday, Apr 26, 17 @ 2:00 pm:
Carol Ammons would win the primary for sure, but she would never defeat Davis in rural Illinois