What happens in Podunk shouldn't stay there. Or at least if it does, the Democratic Party Establishment, the corporate wing of the Democratic Party, the Blue Dogs among us, will have won one more unrecorded battle against those of us who want real change.
What's happening most immediately in the IL-14 corner of Podunk (a term I use here to describe anything not directly inside the DC Beltway) is a primary and a special primary on Tuesday, between the DC insider "pick" for our district, an attorney who is a relative newcomer to both politics and our area, and John Laesch, the nominee against Denny Hastert last time out, and the only progressive in the race.
At this point, I'd call it a significant bellwether for the upcoming Congressional elections that virtually no one outside of IL-14 is paying much attention to in the glare of the presidential race, as well as a bellwether event in the battle for control of the party. So while I don't expect this diary to get much attention, I want to leave a record of what has happened in this primary. Bellwethers, however unobserved at the time, sometimes have a way of becoming useful history for those who follow.
Just found this late-breaking set of endorsements on the Laesch for Congress website. I say late-breaking, not just because of the time of day, but because we are a mere four days out from the both the primary and the special primary to replace the retired (i.e. completely gone and no longer my congresscritter - Yay!) Hastert.
I just learned today that the primaries in Illinois this year are special for this reason: unlike other super Tuesday states, Illinois is also conducting our Congressional primaries on this date, making them not just the earliest in the nation, but the earliest Congressional primaries in national history, per Congressional Quarterly.
I bring this up because events are happening at a wicked pace here: on March 8, this district will send a new Congressperson to the House, and we need to make sure it is the only real Progressive in this race.
The League of Women Voters held a forum last night for all the candidates running for the open seat in Illinois' 14th congressional district, which was formerly held by Dennis Hastert. The debate will be put up on the League website, and we'll link to it on our campaign website when it goes up.
Excitement and interest in this race are high, and this showed in the number of people who came out to see the debate. We were told the LWV expected about 200 hundred people but today's papers report the crowd was 600.
The most interesting part of it to me were the alliances that formed on the stage. Two of the three Republican candidates were there, as well as three of the four Democrats. The interesting thing was, even though they were at two tables, seated by party, Republican Chris Lauzen made this race not about Democrat vs. Republican, but about grassroots vs. big money. Bill Foster was compared to Jim Oberweis many times last night, and Jim Oberweis stated agreement with Bill Foster on issues more often than with Lauzen, his fellow Republican. I'm not sure if this says more about Bill Foster or Chris Lauzen... you can be the judge of that.
First off an announcement. I am the new blog team coordinator for the Laesch for Congress campaign. Or should I say new-ish? That's right, I have my old job from the '06 cycle back. So, as my first duty, I am writing to give you all a general update on the Laesch campaign. Included in the update are a great article on John in the Sun-Times, plenty of new endorsements, and our big event for tonight.
Not long ago, I ran across this comment from a dedicated Foster volunteer and supporter:
This will be unpopular... (0.00 / 0)
...but you know I'm going to say it anyway!
I am much more interested in what goes on in Northern IL than I am in what happens downstate. With work, I get more than my fill of politics in Springfield and the rest of the cornfields in IL. I just really don't care what is happening in politics in Podunk, IL unless it's really sexy and scandalous. Otherwise, I am bored. (emphasis added)
by: bridgetdooley @ Thu Dec 06, 2007 at 22:18:39 PM CST
As anyone who lives in Illinois knows, anything not in the City or collar counties is routinely considered "downstate" (aka "Podunk" to Ms. Dooley) even if it's north of Chicago. The distinction here, if you are local, is that Kane and (parts of) Kendall, being collar counties, are typically considered part of the greater Chicagoland region, while everything west of the urbanized strip on the far east of IL-14 really qualifies as "downstate."
So, a couple of weeks ago, I was in a public place, right here in St. Charles, Illinois, when I overheard a conversation that alarmed, but failed to surprise, me. The person doing most of the talking was -talking- complaining bitterly about her new job in an area public elementary school. Not a St. Charles school and not an educator. She's a peripheral professional who has frequent contact with children however, and that's bad enough.
Her major complaint? "All these Hispanic children."
According to her, not only are "all these Hispanic children" unable to communicate, they are "aggressive and obnoxiously rude - especially the girls." I was supposed to be paying attention to what the person in front of me was saying and lost some of the conversation I was overhearing, but suspect her companion must have voiced some objections, because she started trying to -explain herself- dig herself in deeper.
I always wanted to find an excuse to use breaking in a diary title.
This will be a brief diary, that I may add to as the evening progresses, but Roll Call is reporting that Dennis Hastert will announce his resignation (effective "later this year") tomorrow, Thursday, setting up a special election here in IL-14.
I haven't spoken to John Laesch this evening yet, but just gave this news to our campaign manager.
Fifty-nine percent (59%) of voters reject amnesty for phone companies that may have violated the law by selling customers' private information to the government, preferring to let courts decide the outcome. Again intensity favors opponents of amnesty, with 48% "strongly" opposed. Fewer than 1-in-3 (31%) support amnesty for the phone companies, with just 1-in-5 (22%) strongly supporting amnesty.
Opposition to amnesty is also widespread, cutting across ideology and geography. Majorities of liberals, moderates, and conservatives agree that courts should decide the outcomes of these legal actions (liberals:67% let courts decide, 28% give amnesty; moderates: 59% let courts decide, 28% give amnesty; conservatives: 52% let courts decide, 37% give amnesty). Large majorities in every part of the country also reject amnesty: 60% in the West (29% give amnesty), 61% in the Northeast (32% give amnesty), 59% in the Midwest (33% give amnesty), and 57% in the South (30% give amnesty). Seventy percent (70%) of Democrats and 61% of independents say let the courts decide. Republicans are evenly split (45% give amnesty, 44% let the courts decide) with equal intensity on both sides of the divide.
And again, spread across the ideological and partisan spectrum, people want individual warrants.
Sixty-one percent (61%) of voters oppose allowing courts to issue blanket warrants for wiretapping American citizens that would not have to name any specific individual, with a near majority (49%) "strongly" opposing blanket warrants. Fewer than 1-in-3 (31%) support blanket warrants.
I'm starting to collect candidate statements on the FISA fight in reaction to Bush's call for amnesty for the phone companies that broke the law and spied on Americans and the expansion of powers Congress is considering making permanent.
More than two weeks ago, on August 26 the Chicago Suburban Daily Herald reported this about Jim Oberweis, Hastert's rumored hand-picked successor, in the IL-14 Republican primary:
With the Iraq war a dominant issue in next year's election, Oberweis takes the view that the U.S. will start bringing troops home within six months because that's what military leaders will recommend. At least some troops will need to remain for 10 years or more as Iraqis start taking over responsibility for their country, said Oberweis, arguing "that's the right approach."
Ring a bell? Sound like anything you might have heard tonight?
Ending months of speculation, former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert announced Friday that he will not run for a 12th term. He made the announcement on the Don Wade & Roma show on WLS 890 AM hours before an expected speech in his district.
While IL-14 Republicans are still awaiting word from Hastert as to whether he will be running again, the Dem field of candidates seems to have solidified. Dem State Rep Linda Chapa LaVia recently announced she will not be running for the seat, leaving the field to 2006 nominee John Laesch, Geneva blue dog Bill Foster, and St. Charles attorney Jotham Stein.
As the Trib story notes, the three Republicans who have formed exploratory committees are hanging back, waiting for an announcement from Hastert which is expected some time this month.
As the Laesch for Congress campaign readies for our visit to YearlyKos, we are keeping an eye on media reports about Hastert's plans to make an announcement in August, and the not-quite-announcements of several Republican candidates that are hanging in the balance. Most recently we have heard from CQ Quarterly
that there is a
widespread belief that Hastert is much more likely to retire than to seek an 12th House term in 2008
On the other hand, local press quotes Hastert at a mid-July event:
"As far as I'm concerned right now, I'm running," Hastert said at the more than 500-person event at the Sandwich Fairgrounds. He said he plans to make a formal announcement next month on whether he will enter the 2008 race.
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