You really know how to spoil a victory don't you Obama suporters.

[Saturday]

Obama had no more to do with the Foster victory in IL than Durbin did. Foster was an excellent candidate and to give credit to anyone else is ridiculous. A couple on here already are high fiving Obama for his 'coattails'. Don't even bring your "Obama did it" thinking into this victory.

[saracat]

1. Well according to several recent articles, Obama built his career taking credit for others work!

[ingac70]

6. Foster= One more super delegate for Obama! n/t

[thereismore]

32. That's right, that's absolutely right! nt

[Ravy]

52. If so, it takes 2026 now. nt

[ingac70]

57. Lieberman had his SD status stripped...

so there's room for one more.

[Ravy]

58. Oh, right!!!! Thanks.

[KittyWampus]

7. Foster used Obama and his message to great effect "House Candidate Hopes for Obama Coattail Effect"

ouse Candidate Hopes for Obama Coattail Effect
Susan Davis reports on Congress.

Sen. Barack Obama appears in a campaign ad running in the Chicago area but it’s not for his presidential bid, it’s for Democratic House candidate Bill Foster.


“You may think you have to wait until November to vote for change. But here in Illinois, you can start Saturday March 8th. That’s when you can vote to send Bill Foster to Congress,” Obama says in the ad that began airing Tuesday. Echoing Obama’s buzzword, Foster’s campaign slogan is “Democrat for Change.”

Foster is vying for the open House seat to replace retired former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Foster, a scientist, is running against Republican dairy magnate Jim Oberweis, who has Hastert’s backing. Presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain is also backing Oberweis and appeared at a recent fund-raiser for him.

[Peregrine Took]

8. Not St. Barry? Heaven forfend.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

46. ROFL

[virtualobserver]

2. did Hillary do a spot for him?

the rncc spent a million against him.

[thunder rising]

4. I heard that she offered to loan him some money.

[virtualobserver]

9. then I'm guessing the loan she made to herself.....

guarantees her own victory as well.

[ingac70]

3. ....

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/03/06/house-candidat...

[kevin881]

5. um.... before you post, read and research a bit...

Obama has be on TV commercials endorsing Foster, big time.
His presence surely had a lot more to do with Foster's victory than HRC did... hehe.

[Saturday]

12. Obama is a Senator from IL, Hillary is not.

I'm in the 14th. Obama did NOTHING more than Durbin to win this for Foster.

[kevin881]

25. Im in Chicago, I donated to Foster... because of Obama. -nt

[Saturday]

41. I think you have a valid point there.

But I still say that even a few dollars brought in by Obama did not get the win for Foster.

[Renew Deal]

10. Either you don't know what you're talking about or you're being dishonest.

Obama did an ad, sent out mailers, and used his campaign website to organize for Foster. Obama deserves some credit.

[Saturday]

14. I'm in the 14th, I got 1 robo call from Obama.

I got a zillion mailers from Foster. I'm here, I saw it happen. Don't tell me what I got.

[Renew Deal]

15. So we agree.

Then what is there to argue?

[Kittycat]

22. Did you not get the mailers, or hear the radio & tv ads?

Because I'm in IL-14, and I got it from all sides.

And yes, I know Durbin was supporting him - but I didn't get the same visibility impact from Durbin that I did Obama. with that said, I do know Durbin worked hard to help.

[Saturday]

29. I received many mailers, I saw many TV ads. They were

99% Foster. I received 1 robo call from Obama. My point is that Foster was an excellent candidate and deserved to win on his own. He did not win because of Obama any more than he won because of Durbin. There were no coattails, we went to the polls and voted for 1 of 2 men, Obama's name was not there. Foster deserved to win on his own. Now, in November if Obama's name is on the ballot and Foster wins again I can understand the possiblity of coattails but there were none today.

[Kittycat]

34. If he didn't need thier help or support, then he wouldn't have asked for it.

You know deep inside that kitchen sink that HRC needs to back off, before she destroys future stories like this. Obama is hot right now. As another poster stated, he brings in the crowds and the cash.. HRC is poison in our district, and you know it. You know damn well if she's on that ballot come november - every asshole in this district is going to turn out to vote against her, and in the process - vote Foster out.

[Saturday]

42. And why wouldn't you want both IL Senators to support you?

No, I know no such thing that Hillary is poison in our district. That's your opinion, not mine.

[Kittycat]

44. I guess you missed the vote turnout for Obama in the primary then.

And yes, in my area of IL-14, in the conversations I've had - HRC is the devil himself.

[Saturday]

49. And why wouldn't the voter turnout for Obama be great in his home state?

If he couldn't win IL by big margins he would need to hang it up.

[Kittycat]

53. It was also HRCs home state, if we're being accurate.

And he won by larger margins here, than she did in NY.

[seabeyond]

11. yada yada yada..... wink n/t

[MercutioATC]

13. You're right...it was Clinton who supported him and helped us gain another seat in Congress.

Oh, wait, no...that was Obama.

OPs like this are another perfect illustration of how we get the government we deserve....

[Saturday]

17. Obama is an IL Senator, Clinton is not. Get the connection to

why Obama AND Durbin were involved?

[MercutioATC]

18. ..and that changes the equation in what way?

The bottom line is that Obama is not solely responsible for the win, but he assisted.

[Saturday]

20. Obama was a MINOR player, as was Durbin.

Don't take the victory from a qualified candidate and give it to Obama.

[MercutioATC]

24. Oh, OK..

The bottom line is that we have a new seat in Congress and it's friendly to Obama, not Clinton.

[cali]

54. waahh. waah

what a petulant little fit. No one is claiming it was Obama's victory, just that he helped. You really are ridiculous on this one.

[Kittycat]

23. And Clinton is FROM IL - and both are running for President.

It just happens that one isn't running a filthy as a pig campaign, but Obama is running a campaign that's positive and allows a door for fence sitting republicans & independents a chance to come in to the party without being bashed.

[Saturday]

48. I didn't want this to be about Obama and you're taking it there

in the usual BO supporters way. Not even being able to see my point that Foster deserves the credit. You're hopeless. In such a wonderful win for us I have to say to a fellow 14th resident...you're hopeless. Let's get back to how great Foster is.

[JimGinPA]

16. Barack Will Certainly Do A Lot More To Bolster The Congressional Ranks Than HRC

Undoubtedly.

[davidinalameda]

19. you are right on that one

candidates won't have to run away from Obama like they will from Hillary

face it, she just ain't that popular out there

what are her negatives right now?

[Saturday]

21. That's your opinion, it's not mine but keep Obama out of this victory.

[JimGinPA]

27. I've Seen Obama Campaigning For A Lot Of Congressmen...

He attracts large crowds, brings in cash and excitement to the party.

[Kittycat]

30. What the hell are you talking aboiut?

He's a part of that victory. If Foster didn't think he needed it, or it wouldn't help him - he wouldn't have asked Obama for his support.

Get over yourself. Hillary is poison to seats like this. Very important seats, I might add.

[Saturday]

50. I repeat, Foster was an excellent candidate.

Obama was not the reason he won (he helped just as Durbin did). Get over yourself. You can't see how great he is for your cult appeal to BO.

[Kittycat]

26. I'll say it... Hastert Republicans will NEVER vote for HRC

However, they will at least listen and consider Obama & Obama supported candidates, because Obama is offering a different kind of Politics. Well, that and they hate clinton more than they hate the devil.

[Snarkoleptic]

28. Obama certainly didn't hurt Foster's efforts.

The "Obama for Foster" was in heavy rotation here in Illinois and can be seen here-
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gnaGlxUUFv4
I fail to understand why you felt the need to turn a wonderful victory by Foster into an Obama-bashing thread.

[Saturday]

39. Come on, this was not an Obama bashing thread.

It was in response to Obama supporters touting that Obama had won it for Foster. I know Foster as a wonderful candidate and 99% of this victory was his and his alone. Any comment made regarding Obama supporters is NOT an Obama bashing thread for God's sake.

[John Q. Citizen]

31. Obama helped Foster. He sure didn't hurt him. It wasn't only Obama, but then again,

it wasn't only Clinton that caused the Democrats to stay home in 1994 which allowed the Repos to take control of both houses of congress for the first time in 40 years.

The Repo vote turnout in 1994 was identical to the Repo vote turn out in 1990 (the privious non-presidential election year.)

The difference in 1994 was that Democratic turn out was way down.

From my point of view, Obama will help much more down ticket in 2008 than Hillary would.

[Nitrogenica]

33. WOW!...Aren't we all Democrats and on the same team?

[burythehatchet]

35. yeah. a T-ball team n/t

[frogcycle]

36. yeah, screw that shit

I'm in the 14th

I worked for Laesch, then for Foster. Obama did an ad and that was nice. I got calls from Laesch and from Foster (made them too). I heard nothing, got nothing from Obama.

If anyone deserves credit for helping Foster, it is Laesch. His semi-Quixotic run against Hastert in '06 set this up.

[Saturday]

37. I totally agree with you about Laesch. Good guy.

[papau]

43. I agree with you about Laesch and Foster - its amusing to se Obama fans saying he makes the sun rise

[Sulawesi]

38. Having a bad day?

[Saturday]

40. Get lost. You add no value to the conversation. nt

[TheDonkey]

45. Oh please, take your own medicine. Have any proof that Obama had no effect?

if not STFU. I think it is very believable that Obama was an effective endorsement. Whether it was him who tipped the scales, who knows, but to say he did nothing more than Durbin is laughable.

[Saturday]

47. I'm in the 14th and I know what I saw. I will not STFU. nt

[frogcycle]

51. not laughable

Durbin came out for Foster early, and stayed active throughout. I got tons of email from him, which pissed me off then, 'cause I was working for Laesch in the primary against Foster. Durbin sent out reminders about today's special election. It was a simple ballot - one oval to blacken. Obama's name was nowhere to be seen.

Obama's spot was definitely appreciated; Foster got mileage out of it. But Durbin and Laesch get a lot more credit than Obama for this turnaround. Sure it bodes well for dems in general and Obama in particular, and I am tickled to death Foster won, and will work for him for the next election and in that one Obama coattails will probably be huge. Because yes, I expect it will be Obama heading the ticket.

[apocalypsehow]

56. Yep - this poster cared absolutely nothing about the Congressional race that went on tonight until

she saw that it might afford her an opportunity to bash Senator Obama. I doubt she even lives in the 14th.

[johnnydrama]

55. these seats are special

These seats of Speakers or former speakers are very special seats for the other party to win.

Didn't Daschle get basically a national campaign against him when he lost his seat?

I don't know if Hillary offered to help out, but if she didn't, she should have. Forget that it's in Illinois, this is a major
embarassment for the Republican party, and any Dem, no matter where they are should have helped.

[CalGator]

59. Yeah, Foster sounds very anti-Obama

A longtime Republican district fell to the Democrats Saturday when a wealthy businessman and scientist snatched former House Speaker Dennis Hastert's congressional seat in a closely watched special election.

Democrat Bill Foster won 53 percent of the vote compared to 47 percent for Republican Jim Oberweis. With all 568 precincts reporting, Foster had 52,010 votes to Oberweis' 46,988.

"Tonight our voices are echoing across the country and Washington will hear us loud and clear, it's time for a change," Foster told cheering supporters Saturday evening.

Clearly a Hillary supporter.