Tue 10/01/02 by Dean Myerson,
Doonesbury is a Green Party candidate for Congress ... Well, at least the man Garry Trudeau based the Mike Doonesbury character on in his political comic strip.
Charlie Pillsbury was Trudeau's roommate at Yale and inspired the Doonesbury character. Trudeau agreed to let Pillsbury, who was nicknamed Doone in college, use the Doonesbury drawing in his campaign for U.S. House of Representatives in Connecticut's 3rd District.
The publicity has helped generate interest in Pillsbury's campaign. Today, Pillsbury and the character he inspired are on different paths. Doonesbury became a Republican, and Pillsbury left the Democratic Party last year to join the Greens.
He was inspired to run for Congress as the nation's leaders increased their military stance.
"We must stop terrorism through effective law enforcement, enhanced intelligence and international cooperation, not by expanding an already bloated military-industrial complex," Pillsbury said.
He is one of 63 House and 10 Senate candidates who are generating coverage across the nation.
Here are a few of the other key Congressional races to watch on election night:
AnnDrea Benson, House District 3, Pennsylvania. Benson is the former executive director of the DFL caucus in the Minnesota state house. She is the only opponent on the ballot against U.S. Representative Phil English, R-Pa., in a majority-Democratic district.
"How can we casually discuss a war with Iraq that our allies don't support when so many of our children live in poverty?" Benson said. "Is this war Mr.. English's and the administration's idea of an economic stimulus package just before election time?"
Dave Chandler, House District 7, Colorado. No one is certain what will happen in this election. It's a new district added after the recent release of census numbers. It seems to be evenly divided between Democratic, Republican and independent registration numbers. Chandler is one of three people on the ballot. He has been a local environmental activist and has name recognition.
His top issue is campaign finance reform, because he says until that is fixed, it will be very difficult to fix anything else.
Ted Glick, Senate, New Jersey. Glick brings years of activism and coalition-building to a race in which a corruption-plagued Democrat is in free-fall.
His opponents are Democratic Senator Robert Torricelli and Republican Douglas Forrester. Glick was arrested when he tried to attend a debate between the two, to which he was not invited.
"When I explain that I'm a Green Party candidate because those two parties are dominated by corporate money, there isn't a single person who has argued with me otherwise," Glick said. "Most people who say something say words to the effect of, 'what else is new,' or 'it's been like that forever.' "
Elizabeth Shanklin, House District 17, New York. A lifelong activist, teacher, writer, editor, union leader and organizer in the women's rights and environmental movement, Shanklin brings commitment and experience to her quest for Congress.
Shanklin's work to close the Indian Point nuclear power plant near New York City has been featured in several published reports. She is running against a Democrat and a Republican.
Brian Merrill Vasquez Verdin, House District 4, Wisconsin. Verdin is the only other candidate on the ballot against a Democrat. The distict covers most of Milwaukee, an up-and-coming city for Green organizing.
