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Hastert Makes It Official: He's Retiring
Former GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert was set to announce his retirement today at a public event in his district -- but as it turns out, he already said this morning that he's retiring, in an appearance on a local talk radio show, the Sun Times reports.
Hastert's seat is likely to remain in GOP hands. However, it should be noted that he is one of three Republicans to have announced their retirements from the House this week, along Deborah Pryce of Ohio and Chip Pickering of Mississippi.
This trend may be a result of the widespread feeling among House republicans that they won't get their lost majority back in 2008, thus causing some members to look for opportunities other than serving in the minority.
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He announced his decision shortly after a Krispy Creme location was opened in Hastert's hometown of Yorkville, Illinois.
August 17, 2007 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm so pissed off . . . Hastert just lost me a crap load of cash. I bet just about everyone I know that he was not going to cut and run . . . Instead I was sure that he was going to take up Huckabee's diet challange.
Sigh.
Perhaps he read the wriitting on the wall . . . Although he won the election last year by an almost 55-40 margin . . . It was against a complete unknown union guy with less than zero support from the National Dems. Additionally, his fellow jackboots abandoned his stellar leadership . . . The donut shop thingy is probably looking really good to him.
August 17, 2007 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wait a minute, so are we seeing a pattern of "Cut and run" Republicans? They're too scared of some Democrat beating them in the next election that they're running away?
What cowards!
And these are the people who say we need to stay the course in Iraq.
So it's OK to retreat, cut-and-run, and whatever other euphemism is used when someone's pride and pocketbook are on the line. But, it's defeatist if we want to bring our soldiers home and protect American lives.
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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
Come visit PROJECT: Lucidity
Where everybody knows your name...
unless you use a pseudonym
August 17, 2007 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Eric I don't why you keep insisting the seat will probably stay in Republican hands. We've got a guy Bill Foster, who is not only a Fermilab physicist but also a multimillionaire from the stage lighting business he started with his brother willing to put up his own cash. If you've ever been to a Broadway show or a Stone's concert you've seen his handiwork. That district is changing demographically and politically. Lot of new housing out there, lotta new faces in those houses.
Denny was still probably their strongest candidate and he saw the writing on the wall. It'll be a tough fight but I think we're gonna see a lot of changes in the Chicago suburbs next year.
August 17, 2007 1:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tony Snow just announced he will be leaving the White House soon, too.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
Come visit PROJECT: Lucidity
Where everybody knows your name...
unless you use a pseudonym
August 17, 2007 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink