More on the Hastert seat loss

Let me make it clear...the special election that took place two days ago to replace retiring former House Speaker was Republican Jim Oberweis' to lose--and he lost it.

Oberweis, a successful businessman, twice ran for statewide office in ham-handed efforts and failed to win the Republican nomination for the offices he was seeking--US senator, then governor.

His redeeming quality in this race was his wallet--he donated personal funds, as he did in other contests. The cash was needed because his ultimately successful opponent, received a lot of outside money as the Democrats' couldn't pass up the opportunity to embarrass the GOP by capturing the speaker's old seat.

In an op-ed titled McCain's Daunting Task, Bill Kristol writes:

Buried inside Sunday’s papers was a noteworthy election result. In a special election to replace former Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, first-time Democratic candidate Bill Foster emerged victorious. George Bush easily carried the district in 2004, as has every recent G.O.P. presidential candidate.

Kristol overlooks that the district is the fastest growing one in Illinois. A lot of new voters, most of them probably from Chicago and its inner suburbs, now call the exurban and rural 14th home.

Oberweis could still win in the November match up between the two men--as they pair off for to run for a full term. The turnout will be dramatically higher in the general election, and Oberweis will be running with McCain, not the less popular George W. Bush, as a de facto running mate.

Still, as I ended my post about this race on Saturday, we have some work to do.

We need to get our message out. One avenue is here in Cook County--Republican members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously opposed the successful Democratic drive to impose the nation's highest sales tax on the people of Chicago.

How many voters in Illinois, or Cook County, know that? We need to remind the new voters of the 14th Congressional District what they moved away from. Local or national, the Democrats have their hungry eyes focused on your wallet.

As for the rest of the state, we need to tell them, "You could be next."

Technorati tags: Congress politics Illinois Hastert Republican Oberweis Bill Foster