In a post last weekend, Prairie State Blue's "bored now" noted that the campaign websites launched by the current contenders for the 5th Congressional District seat were largely bereft of concrete priorities.  This morning, Tom Geoghegan set himself apart by announcing his entry into the race with a statement chock full of specific, progressive policy proposals.  He wants to expand Social Security, move towards a single payer health care system, better regulate the financial industries, and pass the Employee Free Choice Act.  Here's his introduction:

I’m running for Congress in the Fifth District of Illinois. As a Chicago lawyer for thirty years I have fought for working people in this District and throughout the city. I have represented unions as well as people with no unions to protect them. In plant closings I have helped them recover health and pension benefits. I obtained health care for the uninsured. I’ve been pressing the State of Illinois to crack down on payday lenders.

In my life as a lawyer I have lived out a commitment to one cause above all – to bring economic security to working Americans, in our District, in our country. That’s the same commitment I will bring to Congress. We’re deep in an economic crisis unlike any other we’ve known. It may last years. We need new and creative ways to protect working Americans, especially our older working people who have no real pensions to live on.

For years we’ve heard the doomsayers: “We can’t afford Social Security.” “We can’t afford ‘single payer’ national health.” One thing we all learned from the $700 billion bailout: We’ve got the money to do all of this and more. At the moment, the Federal Reserve is literally printing money, to give not billions but trillions to banks and financial firms. To the people of this District, the banks and others have gotten their money. Now it’s your turn.

Read the whole thing here. And be sure to peruse Geoghegan's full issues page.  For more background on Tom, check out this piece by Gaper's Block's Ramsin Canon as well as this endorsement by The Atlantic's James Fallows. To stay in the loop with Geogheghan's campaign, bookmark his website. 

UPDATE: That national progressive blogosphere is going to be all over this race now that Geoghegan is in.  Digby writes: "If you want to know what a real progressive candidate looks like, this is the guy."  Michael Tomasky calls him a "man of unfailing integrity."  And Henry of Crooked Timber adds: "I can’t imagine anyone more likely to contribute more to American political life than Geoghegan."