Could GOP Lose Hastert's Illinois Seat?
An election to replace outgoing Representative (and former Republican Speaker of the House) Dennis Hastert is turning into a knock-em down, drag-em out battle between the GOP and Democrats in Illinois.
The national parties have each poured about $1.5 million into this contest in the last week alone.
As NPR's David Schaper reports the Democrats are pulling out the big guns, including airing ads by Sen. Barack Obama, to help their candidate, physicist Bill Foster. Traditionally, the district has voted for Republicans. The Democrats see a victory here as a real knock against the Bush presidency and a possible bellwether for the fall campaign.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Republican dairy magnate Jim Oberweis is having problems "selling himself to mostly Republican voters in this far west suburban congressional seat ..."
"There's a lot of Republicans who just don't like Jim Oberweis,'' said NIU political science professor Matthew Streb. "He's got more name recognition. He's got slightly more money, and the district leans Republican. There's no reason Jim Oberweis should lose, but there's a very legitimate chance he could lose this election."
Foster, the Sun-Times notes, has adopted an interesting approach to questions about what he would do as a freshman in Congress. "Not much," he admits, noting that new members don't have all that much clout.
Foster, who is new to politics, also runs a theatrical lighting company. Aside from Obama he has the backing of 21 Nobel Prize winners (who apparently love the idea of a scientist winning a seat in Congress). Oberweis chairs an asset management company and three mutual funds. The Sun-Times reports that he "is well-known to voters from controversial ads and statements he made in three previous races for governor and U.S. Senate. In 2001, he compared anti-abortion activists to members of the Taliban."
10:58 AM ET | 03- 7-2008 | permalink
