Battles are usually won or lost before they begin

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

For Karen Lewis, it's not just about a single election campaign but about laying the foundation for a movement. Ah music to my ears. Before she formally announces her candidacy, she wants to make sure she has enough troops in place behind her and a core group of progressives to run in city council races.

I've got a good one for her out in the 35th Ward -- solid, young, progressive Carlos Sosa who has the backing of State Sen. Willie Delgado and State Rep. (elect) Will Guzzardi, two guys who know how to beat the machine.

Forgive the war metaphor, but Karen should expect nothing less from Rahm Emanuel and his gang. One thing we've learned from many campaigns is that battles are usually won or lost before they begin, sometimes without firing a single shot (metaphorically speaking, that is).

While big money usually wins elections, it can't match the power of an energized popular movement fighting for a just cause. That said, I'm glad to see that the AFT has pledged $1 million to Karen's campaign, should she formally announce. Thanks Randi. Thanks rank & file. That's a big improvement over IEA leaders pouring money into the losing campaign of ALEC boss Kirk Dillard, the supposed "lesser-evil" opponent of Bruce Rauner.