In an amazing upset, the Democrats have won the special election for the House seat of former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), a district that has long been in Republican hands and voted 55%-44% for President Bush in 2004.

With 99% reporting, Democrat Bill Foster, a physicist and businessman, leads Republican businessman and perennial candidate Jim Oberweis by 52%-48%, and has been projected the winner by the Associated Press.

Prediction: The Obama campaign will shop this around to uncommitted super-delegates, as evidence that they can expand the electoral playing field. One thing that helped Foster greatly was a well-organized get out the vote machine that the state party had organized to beef up Obama's totals in the Super Tuesday primary, and Obama himself took the time to cut an ad for Foster's campaign.

And at the very least, Obama can probably count on the support of one particular super-delegate: Congressman-Elect Bill Foster (D-IL).

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.

A new SurveyUSA poll, conducted for Roll Call, shows that the usually-Republican Illinois district of former Speaker Dennis Hastert may well switch to the Democrats in this Saturday's special election.

The poll showed Democratic candidate Bill Foster, a businessman and scientist, ahead of Republican dairy magnate Jim Oberweis by a 52%-47% margin.

The district voted 55%-44% for President Bush in 2004, but Foster has been helped by such diverse factors as Oberweis' past failed campaigns for governor and senator, the endorsement of the conservative Chicago Tribune, and this ad starring Barack Obama:

Former Speaker Dennis Hastert's (R-IL) is a member of Congress no more. Hastert sent his letter of resignation yesterday, officially taking effect late last night.

The resignation was timed so that the special primary will take place on February 5, coinciding with the presidential primary — and more importantly, so that the general election couldn't take place on February 5, which would have given an edge to Democrats in light of the candidacy of favorite son Barack Obama.

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) is expected to announce his resignation today, and has scheduled time on the House floor to give his farewell speech. However, an exact date for his departure has not yet been set.

Hastert did not seek a position on the GOP leadership team after they lost the majority in 2006, and had already announced that he would not seek another term in 2008. The only question left had been whether he would serve out his full term.

GOP sources are telling Roll Call that former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) will resign his seat in Congress effective later this year, triggering a special election to succeed him.

The exact date of Hastert's departure remains unknown, as a retirement announcement that he was expected to delivery today has been postponed.

Depending on Hastert's timeline, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) could align the special election with the state's February 5th presidential primary. If that were the case, and if Barack Obama were still competitive in the presidential race by that date, some Democrats hope that having his presence on the ballot could boost the turnout of Democratic voters in the special election to replace Hastert.

Dennis Hastert is dismissing rumors that he will resign early and trigger a special election to coincide with the presidential primary. Hastert suggests that while he is still undecided on whether he'll complete his term, his resignation would be timed in such a way as to make a special election unnecessary. "I don’t see a primary before the primary," Hastert said.

An early special election in this district would give an advantage to self-funding candidates Jim Oberweis, a Republican dairy magnate who has run unsuccessfully in several statewide Republican primaries, and Democrat Bill Foster, a physicist and businessman. While the district has tilted Republican in the past, Democrats are hoping that an exodus of Chicago voters to the suburban 14th district could provide the right conditions for an upset.

Former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) officially announced today his retirement from the House in 2008, and prospective candidates are already lining up to make the race.

Republicans expected to get in: State Senator Chris Lauzen, Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, and dairy businessman Jim Oberweis, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nominations for Senate in 2002 and 2004, and for governor in 2006. If Oberweis runs it could be entertaining indeed — his Senate campaigns were characterized by a Tancredoesque focus on illegal immigrants.

And on the Dem side? Dems appear to be lining up behind retired Fermilab scientist Bill Foster, who would be able to use his personal wealth to fund a healthy chunk of his campaign. The Democrats' original preferred candidate, state Representative Linda Chapa LaVia, has already said she won't run.

Bottom line: The GOP is favored to keep this suburban Chicago district, which voted 55%-44% for George W. Bush in 2004. However, Illinois Democrats might benefit from a coattail effect if Barack Obama were nominated for president, making the seat a potential pickup.

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.

Looks like GOP House leader Denny Hastert is set to announce that he's not seeking reelection next year -- or so reports the local Illinois media here and here. More confirmation here.

Meanwhile, the Beacon News of suburban Chicago has a rundown of the Dem and Republican candidates jockeying for the seat right here. Despite Dem pleasure at Hastert's imminent retirement, however, the GOP is favored to hang on to this safely Republican district, which voted for Bush by 55%-44% in 2004.

Foleygate has seriously eroded support for Speaker Dennis Hastert in his own district, the first post-Foleygate poll of his race shows. The poll — which is in the new batch of polls from Constituent Dynamics released today — finds that Hastert is leading Dem candidate John Laesch 52%-42%. It's a sizeable lead, of course. But remember that the Speaker got 69% of the vote in his last election. So his support's plunged some 17 points. Assuming Hastert is re-elected come November, it's a safe bet that it will be by his lowest majority ever.