Wave Goodbye To Our Pork
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in Republicans — Comments (12) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
My home state of Illinois may be about to lose a lot of clout in Congress:
Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert is in Asia, but he's scheduled a news conference in Kendall County for Friday.
CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports exclusively sources say that they expect Hastert to announce he will not seek re-election next year.
In personal terms, it's been a big year for him and wife, Jean. Denny Hastert turned 65, and the couple just welcomed their first grandchild, Jack Hastert, to the family. He also had to surrender the speaker's gavel to a Democrat.
While sources tell CBS 2 that he's leaving Congress after 22 years, he's ridiculed previous speculation along those lines.
Last January, he told CBS 2, "I just think that was wishful thinking on the part of some people. Some had me being an Ambassador some place, which had no founding at all."
But, the sources believe this time it's real, and they point to sure signs of his decision not to run again. Several key players in previous Hastert campaigns have already signed on with other politicians this time, including important advisors and a top fundraiser. Republican State Senator Chris Lauzen of Aurora said Hastert's political Web site is now out of action.
Not that we should miss excess pork. Still, it's a story worth mentioning; even as a former Speaker, Hastert has been able to steer a lot of project Illinois's way. A lot of people will miss him when he is gone.
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Wave Goodbye To Our Pork 12 Comments (0 topical, 12 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Or any pork for that matter.
Use that Alaskan "Bridge to Nowhere" money and hire a ton of bridge inspectors! 22 years in Congress is 14 years too long.
The rest of my comments on Hastert would get me banned...
Consensus doesn't prove anything, in science or anywhere else, except in democracy, maybe. - Reid Bryson, speaking on Global Warming
team leader for Kum Ba Yah on the Capitol steps...thanks for nuthin....
Theres hope people, don't give up on us.....we will be back.
" in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
Abe Lincoln
Didn't deliver as he should. He was the silent leader who you never saw. We need people who will go on TV and take the fight to the enemy.
Ineffective is the most positive word I can think of regarding his tenure as Speaker.
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"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
I agree that he was not as effective as I would like to see from IL. Are there any good candidates?
I'm in IL, and live/work in that area. I'm very interested in getting involved in campaigning this next election cycle.
He is supposed to announce retirement on Friday according to notes on....The Capitolist site.
Ive been monitoring a bulletin board that is used by the interns and flaks at the Sen. and House kiddies...
You can watch - but not post here.
Maybe we can get some Club for Growth Republicans in Hastert's and LaHood's seats?
I work for the Republicans in Springfield...
Aaron Schock has already announced a run to replace LaHood. He's young, charismatic, a strong fundraiser, and will be a major upgrade in terms of quality as a conservative. At this point, the race is his to lose, but he has performed strongly in three tough races. He first won elected office after uncovering financial corruption on the Peoria School Board, reporting it to the public, and defeating the longtime school board president with a write-in campaign. He won his Illinois House seat against a longtime incumbent with a ton of money and a district gerrymandered for her. He was targeted again by the Democratic Party of Illinois this year, but pretty easily beat back their challenge. He has pretty much gained rockstar status around Peoria.
The strongest potential candidate to replace Hastert, Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross, would likely win the race with little trouble. However, he has announced he will not be running. Cross is good on taxes, but he's a social moderate. Republican Senator Chris Lauzen has good conservative credentials, but he has a problem with going overboard in front of the media. While the area is pretty moderate socially, I think Lauzen would be able to pull together both conservative and moderate Republicans to pull out a win in that district against just about any Democrat. He may struggle in the primary, however, against Jim Oberweis. Oberweis is resented by the state party and has made alienating people his political trademark. The guy is a good businessman, but he has weak people skills, comes across as arrogant, and is a professional campaign loser. He ran for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2004 and was trounced both times. He made a somewhat respectable showing in the 2006 GOP Gubernatorial primary, but put a bad taste in a lot of mouths. He also had a meltdown in 2004 when speaking to the state party's central committee as a candidate for state party chair. I won't defend the state party, but his childish showing was unexcusable. The guy has a lot of money to blow on campaigns and appears to the far right, but he'll never be a general election winner. In conclusion, I would like to see another option emerge, but that is unlikely given that petitions will have to be circulated very soon.
knock the snot out of the dems in the election and continue to do so on the floor when he is actually on the job.
Keep me posted when someone starts organizing.
Dennis Hastert was a lousy Speaker of the House and not very impressive as a Congressman.
I don't remember Denny doing anything. Maybe we need all the Washington Elite to do nothing.
Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you. Washington Elected Elite
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This kind of liberty is, indeed, but another name for justice; ascertained by wise laws, and secured by well-constructed institutions.
-Edmund Burke