Rep. Tammy Duckworth plays it safe in U.S. Senate bid
Outnumbered by TV cameras and campaign staff, the dozen students who'd been plucked from the ranks of hundreds of teens at a Navy Pier college admissions fair sat in a cramped room and listened to U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth.
Asked to give some life advice, the Democratic congresswoman talked about her time as a teenager. Back in the day, she was a "perfectionist" who "wanted to make sure everything was right before I moved forward with something."
The personal story set up a piece of wisdom Duckworth said was drawn from her experience as a wounded war veteran turned politician: "Don't be afraid to fail."
While she urged the students to take risks, Duckworth herself hasn't had to take many during her U.S. Senate campaign against Republican Sen. Mark Kirk. Seeking a promotion in a year when the political advantages are stacked in her favor, Duckworth has employed a play-it-safe approach marked by photo ops and stage-managed events like the one at Navy Pier that have allowed her to stick to a carefully crafted campaign message.
Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-tammy-duckworth-us-senate-met-20161103-story.html
