Local paper endorses Hastert purely based on pork; gets slammed

[frogcycle]

A LOT of people in Hastert's supposedly "captive" gerrymandered district are fed up.
I just LOVE comments like "I'm going to give the kid a chance..."

This is what democracy is supposed to be!

http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2006/10/09/opinion/edi...

Read these comments, and then help push this bandwagon over the top!


We can do this, people!

The National Party may not feel it worthwhile to support him, and Mayor Daley may want to keep him around to support his airport project, but We the People" can fire this clown.

[rox63]

1. Your link is broken n/t

[Greeby]

Hastert? Pork? *snicker*

;)

[Kookaburra]

2. 404 Error

[Kittycat]

3. Fix the link Please

eom

[qnr]

4. Sorry, can't find it, even with various searches. n/t

[rodeodance]

5. well. lets hope the people do fire the clown!

[williesgirl]

6. They must be ashamed of their endorsement, can't find anywhere onsite

[Torgo Johnson]

7. FIXED LINK HERE

http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2006/10/09/opinion/editorials/doc452a1f3ea3bb2728501709.txt

[frogcycle]

13. Thanks for finding it

Been offline; sorry to all for the suspense

[brooklynite]

8. Corrected link

http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2006/10/09/opinion/editorials/doc452a1f3ea3bb2728501709.txt

Despite recent events, House Speaker Dennis Hastert deserves to be re-elected in the 14th Congressional District.

It is important to draw a distinction between Hastert the congressman and Hastert the Speaker. There is no doubt that Hastert has been a tremendous congressman. He has shown leadership on many local issues. And most importantly, Hastert has tackled the area’s transportation needs.

He has worked diligently to get more bridges across the Fox River. And he has been a supporter of the Prairie Parkway. He has delivered millions of dollars in transportation funds. Most importantly, despite a rise to national prominence, Hastert has remained in touch and connected to the 14th District. He remains accessible and listens to the needs and concerns of his constituents.

Hastert’s opponent, Democrat John Laesch, holds views that are not in step with most of the residents of the 14th District.

We ednorse Hastert’s re-election.

[calimary]

21. I sent in a comment.

I'm a reader from out of state, but with plenty of family all over Illinois. If Denny Hastert were representing me, I'd move! How sad and pathetic that you seem to value a fancy-schmancy highway project so much more than the idea of telling the truth and protecting young people from sexual predators. Perhaps it's your editorial writers or publishers/owners whose views don't reflect those of the people of the 14th District. Perhaps there's a way to vote YOU out along with Denny-boy. The people you both falsely claim to serve deserve FAR better!!!

[MattP]

9. Highway to up his real estate value

Yeah he has fixed HIS transportation needs for his real estate portfolio and they give Reid a hard time.

[Le Taz Hot]

10. What are the poll numbers

for this district? Is it even possible that Hastert will be out?

[frogcycle]

18. Laesch is not polling

can't afford it.
There was a nationally-run poll a week ago that showed every congressional district
it was Hastert 52, Laesch 42

That was a change from a few weeks earlier of something like 58-32

Hastert's previous experience has been to get 65-75%

And it was early in the foley thing

I have been trying to find it, see if/when it is updated, but so far no luck

I really think Laesch can do it. He is very personable, sincere and passionate, and definitely has a couple of things going for him to make him more "palatable" to long-time reps - his strong religious background, and his military experience - specific to the mideast, in intelligence no less. The comment in the paper about "I'm going to give the kid a chance" is going to prevail; I can feel it.

At his town meeting he hit several good points in responding to questions - particularly about representing the constituents, listening to them on key issues, etc. politics 101 I suppose, but he just seems so GENUINE!

[frogcycle]

22. saw omewhere the gap is down a couple

8 vs 10 is within moe, but its the right direction anyway

funny - there just MAY be a reverse of the usual "lying pollee" syndrome - where people say they'll vote for the black candidate but then don't

There may be people "standing bt Hastert" because they don't want outwardly to admit "disloyalty". Might not hold up in the booth. Then again we could all be fooled on ALL the polls - maybe they act pious now, but flock back when the time comes.

[Torgo Johnson]

11. This is the most poorly written endorsement I have ever seen.

1. Dismissing the Foley scandal using the term "despite recent events".

2. The mundane listing of pork projects.

3. Dismissing John Laesch with one sentence about how he supposedly holds views that are not in step with the District and then not going into any kind of detail about those views

4. Misspelling the word endorse as "ednorse". Who's Ed Norse?

[KitSileya]

12. 4. Misspelling the word endorse as "ednorse". Who's Ed Norse?

I laughed when I saw that, 'cause my pupils are getting their education in Old Norse right now. And as a descendant of those Norse I can decidedly say we do *not* endorse, or ednorse, the pig Hastert.

[frogcycle]

15. Yeah it is crappy

- amateurish, downright embarrassing. The trail of responses was cool though.

Here's the link to the local blogsite that commented on it; sorry again about screwing up the direct link:

http://www.fireside14.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=149

[Radical Activist]

14. Isn't this the same paper that made a separate endorsement for Lt. Gov

when Lt Gov and Governor I voted on together as a ticket? Morons.

[nevergiveup]

16. At this point

if they build anymore bridges over the Fox River they might just as well pave the entire river, make it a highway and name it after Hastert. If a couple of well known Democrats would come in here to help give Laesch exposure there could be an upset that would shake the political nation but I suppose this is asking too much. It is sad because the reality of Hastert's diminished power and political punch are obvious. Hopefully the constituents of this district will wake up the morning of Nov. 7th and decide it is time to fire the coach.

[LiberalFighter]

17. Who wrote the opinion? One of these?

John Rung - Group Publisher
Editorial
Chris Krug - Group Editor
Dan McCaleb - Managing Editor
Greg Rivara - Managing Editor

[frogcycle]

19. whoever did

is probably trying to be invisible

just re-read the string of comments. delicious!

There seems to be a pretty good pocket of Laesch support out in Dixon, away from the extended-chicago-suburbs in the eastern part of the district. That bodes well. They don't even have all the bridges and yet-to-be-built prarie parkway to assuage them.

I have been predicting, or speculating at least, for quite some time that if the artificial "base" the republican party assembled for itself ever figured out it was being duped, the backlash would be swift and powerful. Dixon, home of R Reagan, little midwestern town that belongs in "the Music Man" is not going to send porkbarrel denny back again if it can help it.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Stand by for a BIIIIIG splash!

[hatrack]

20. God, who writes for this POS? This paper is cage-liner.

Unbelievable.