As his supporter, I can’t but put Omar Lopez’s speech here.
Today we are announcing that I am seeking the Green Party of Illinois’ nomination for the position of Congressman for the Illinois 4th congressional district. Should the Party nominate me, my name will be on the ballot for the November 2008 general election.
Today, voters in the 4th congressional district need and deserve proper representation. My decision to seek the nomination responds to the need to bring a new direction, a new vision and new leadership to the already stale and ineffective position which the incumbent holds.
I have chosen the Green Party because it is the Party that today reflects the democratic principles embodied in the Constitution of the United States of America. The Green Party is the only viable alternative to the moral bankruptcy and lack of political will of the two parties in congress, and because the Green Party champions workers’ rights, just and comprehensive immigration reform, quality and accessible education for all and a comprehensive healthcare system.
Campaign Supporters
As a congressman I will fight to place the immigration debate within the context of pro-worker labor law reform, rather than to continue the current, myopic focus on national security and law enforcement. For as long as we define immigrant workers as criminals and ignore that their labor creates much of our national wealth, our conclusions will always produce a higher border wall with an ever growing military presence. As long as legislators ignore the intimate relationship between undocumented migration and workers’ abuse, they will not be able to see the need to advocate for living wages and to legislate proper labor law reform. Until our politicians recognize the link between globalization, the so called “free” trade agreements, and the deepening economic crisis, both at home and abroad, the conditions which forces millions to migrate will never be resolved.
The United States faces a global challenge; our involvement in the Iraq war and the Middle East crisis has forced our own citizens to question our government’s foreign policy; the value of the dollar is in decline world-wide. Several Latin American nations have democratically elected progressive presidents who are forcing a re-arrangement of regional economic power. In the face of these challenges we cannot afford to neglect the education of our children and their training in the new realities of world politics. Quality education must be available to all; it is a safeguard to our own democratic way of life.
A nation whose view is distorted by disease and clouded by denial cannot take care of itself. Our nation needs to retake the road to recovery and health. Our citizens must have access to quality healthcare in order for them to be able to contribute with their labor to the aggrandizement of our Nation; every single one of them must be healthy enough to be able to learn, and all need to feel free from discrimination and persecution because of their national origin or economic status.

Today, as I announce my intention to run for congress, I’m appealing to every able body to join me in our campaign. I want your help in bringing a new direction, a new vision and new leadership to the 4th congressional district. We need it, we deserve it!