Can The GOP Hold Onto Denny Hastert's Seat?
In a possible sign of trouble for the GOP, the National Republican Congressional Committee has poured more than $1 million into this Saturday's special election for the vacant seat of former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), who resigned last year.
Democratic candidate Bill Foster, a businessman and physicist, has received the active backing of Barack Obama, who in the midst of the presidential campaign cut an ad just for him. Meanwhile, Hastert led the GOP establishment in giving their early backing to dairy businessman and big-time GOP donor Jim Oberweis, who previously ran three unsuccessful self-financed campaigns, losing the Republican primaries for Senate in 2002 and 2004, and for governor in 2006.
Despite being a historically Republican district that voted 55% for President Bush in 2004, a new SurveyUSA poll shows Foster ahead of Oberweis 52%-47%.
The cash-strapped National Republican Congressional Committee has been forced to invest over $1.2 million, dumping $800,000 into the race last Friday alone. The Democratic Congressional Committee has also thrown over $1 million into this election, according to the latest FEC filings.
Has Clinton offered to stump for the Dem candidate?
March 6, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
No way, she is toxic, like the king. No dem will want to be within 100 miles of her in any close districts.
It really is sad that dems are actually on their way to putting her on the ticket. What are they hoping for president mccain to start another war so that they can make up all the congressional and senate seats lost by the clintons running again? I just can't believe that so many dems are so blind to facts. It is really depressing.
March 6, 2008 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
this is EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR HILLARY!!!
March 6, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Watching this one closely.
It'd be nice to see if Obama has coat-tails. Helping a relative unknown beat the RNC machine in a heavily Republican district would be pretty convincing evidence.
Partisanship aside, all Democrats need to pray that we pick up this seat. Either Hillary or Barack need a super-majority to get anything done in DC. This would be a great start...
March 6, 2008 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed.
March 6, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
if Foster wins, thats another super delegate for Obama!!!
March 6, 2008 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
dairy businessman and big-time GOP donor Jim Oberweis
You forgot anti-immigrant bigot and all-around hateful a$$hole who has used fake newspaper headlines in TV ads.
March 6, 2008 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just figured that was implied by "big-time GOP donor."
March 6, 2008 6:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
The thing is that Jim Oberweis has a fantastic ice cream and milk business. But he is a far right wing gas bag and the people of Illinois dont really like him. He got crushed when he ran for governor. As long as Foster doesnt come across as a hippy freak, he stands a good chance at beating Oberweis in the race. Oberweis may make great ice cream, but nobody wants him in Congress. Yuck.
March 6, 2008 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was just about to say the same thing when I read your post. If Foster were to hang win this one, I am not sure he would be able to hold it in the fall against a republican opponent that wasn't a complete buffoon.
At some point you would think that Jim Oberweis would get the hint. If you are a republican running in that Hastert's district to fill Hastert's seat and you can't even get the endorsement of the conservative Tribune editorial board, you have a problem.
Oberweis' stores do make excellent shakes and ice cream, though.
March 6, 2008 6:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hear really good things from folks on the ground; I do believe we're going to win this one, which will be sweet not only because it's Hastert's seat but also because Oberweis is a hard-core right-winger in the mold of Tancredo.
March 6, 2008 6:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
On the other hand, I'm worried the GOP could steal the Indiana 7th in next week's Special Election, though I haven't seen any polling in that race.
March 6, 2008 6:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.news-tribune.net/local/local_story_056160830.html
I was nervous about this one too for a little while, but I think the fundamental dynamics are settling out pretty well in our favor. The Dem establishment is coalescing behind Carson and Elrod's been on the defensive over Campaigning-out-of-the-State-House-of-Reps-Gate, to say nothing of his paltry lack of funding.
March 7, 2008 9:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Taking a totally unrelated topic and turning it into yet another platform to rant about your obsession is the sign of an unhinged mind. And yes, I voted for Obama.
March 6, 2008 6:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
As a child of Illinois I have to say that Jim Oberweis is and always has been an ultra-conservative moron. But damn does he sell good dairy products. Their chocolate milk? Delicious.
March 6, 2008 6:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oberweis ice cream and chocolate milk are sinfully delicious. There is an Oberweis dairy store a stone's throw away from where I am now sitting - yet I won't go there and have not bought his wares since learning his politics during his past few runs for power. Foster comes across well in his ads, no hippy problems there. I'm surprised the GOP could not find someone other than Oberweis.
March 6, 2008 6:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I met Mr. Foster at the close of Patrick Murphy's successful campaign in PA in 2006. He is an amazing fellow: a brilliant guy who up and decided late in life that politics was too important to neglect, put his professional life on indefinite hold, and headed straight off to work for someone he believed in, many states away. Someone like that, who isn't a lifelong politician but rather who jumped into politics late in life because they cared so much about making a difference, is my idea of a perfect candidate. I really hope he wins. We need more Congressman that have some actual expertise in science, as opposed to just blathering on about it without any idea what they are talking about.
For anyone keeping track, the folks the DCC has out there to fight for him are many of the same people that worked on Patrick Murphy's campaign. It's an extremely tough race, demographically, but from what I understand they've really kept pace, and it's anyone's guess at this point how it's all going to play out.
March 6, 2008 6:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rahm Emmanuel did a good job in picking Foster over Laesch who was a Kucinich style democrat without the intelligence and charisma.
I live in that district and am totally shocked that Foster is doing so well. This is a district that went for Bush something like 58-42.
I actually just started bying Oberweis products though. They are much more expensive but they use non hormone treated cows and only sell the milk in reusable glass jugs. It is quite good.
March 6, 2008 9:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good, let em continue making great ice cream while Foster serves as Congressman. The perfect solution!
March 6, 2008 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not.
Think about it; stick your neck out for a party that's run America into the third world, have all your private life ransacked, probably go into debt personally and tap a couple million out of the pockets of your dwindling supply of fat cat backers, to have the district repudiate you for the letter in parentheses behind your name.
Now I know how the evil horde felt in 1994.
March 6, 2008 11:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Despite being a historically Republican district that voted 55% for President Bush in 2004, a new SurveyUSA poll shows Foster ahead of Oberweis 52%-47%.
Call me a cock-eyed pessimist but having only a 5% margin after almost 8 years of a disastous Republican reign depresses me.
March 8, 2008 2:01 PM | Reply | Permalink