A POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE - IL-14 goes BLUE!

[Kittycat]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gQZZmxxd-dehJ1c_lUKFffsXLaxwD8V9HDJ03

CNN just Lead with the following comment - "It's a Political Earthquake" Foster beats Oberweis in special election for IL to fill Dennis Hastert's Congressional Seat.

with 99% reporting, AP has called the race for Foster and Oberweis has already conceded
Foster , Bill Dem 50,947 52%
Oberweis , Jim GOP 46,125 48%

TUNE IN TO WGN Now to hear him, he's coming up now.

[myrna minx]

1. I bet Hastert's blood just got all chunky.

:rofl: In all seriousness, this is incredible.

[Botany]

12. He is eating away his pain

Brats, knockwurst, pork chops, veal cutlets, and gravy.
And a Lipitor back ... in case his blood gets all chunky.

[myrna minx]

15. Can't you see him washing down a Lipitor with a tall glass of gravy?

:rofl:

[Botany]

17. MMMMMMMM Gravy and a sausage pizza on the side too please

Denny is gonna spend more time w/ his wife and her pants suits.

:rofl:

A Jim Wardism enters the American Lexicon.

[myrna minx]

18. Jim Ward is a god! n/t

[Botany]

19. He is O.K. but the real talent behind the show is "Buddy from Columbus"

He sends stuff all the time, his calls are awesome, and this time last
week he was seen canoddling w/ Steph.

[myrna minx]

20. Well now, I would have to agree.

Buddy is pretty amazing. :hi: ;-)

[Botany]

21. Good looking son of a bitch too.

http://www.progressive1230.com/jacor-common/cc_photopop20.html?eventID=29278&pagecontent=&pagenum=62

[myrna minx]

23. Sure is!

She looks so giddy to be with Buddy, that she might flash her commando crack on purpose!

:rofl:

[JohnnyLib2]

2. Great news.

Pow! to the old days. Do I hear a lame duck quacking?

[Peregrine Took]

3. What wonderful news.

[Drunken Irishman]

4. Thank you, Obama!

[Kittycat]

6. Also thanks to...

Our other Sen. Durbin and all the fantastic volunteers. It was a hard fought race, now we just need a repeat in November.

[Oceansaway]

5. TOUCHE !!..n/t

[mac2]

7. People were sick of Hastert lies and plundering.

They demanded change...now see if we get it with Foster or he is like the other Congressional Democrats who go along with Bush?

Foster amnesty stand worries me and will be challenged by his district.

[Kittycat]

8. To be fair to the significance of Foster's win.

Hastert wasn't running. He ran against a kitchen sink republican.

[seemslikeadream]

11. The 14th is/WAS so very very RED

[mac2]

25. If they had supported the Progressive anti-war candidate

against Hastert in 2004, they would have been Blue a lot sooner. Hastert had that land fraud yet they failed to mention it.

I will never forgive the DLC leader Emanuel for that. Instead we were given a Democratic Congress majority with no bite.

I'm not thrilled with crumbs of a win when we should have won the whole cake in 2004. But because of the DLC leaders who failed to support Progressives we didn't.

Will the DLC once again lose this election on purpose? The amnesty issue and the war is a huge problem for Democratic DLC candidates. I'm a doubter and want to see "Democrats" in the Congress not Repub/Dems who want the same war and as is failed democracy. Same ole, same ole Bush crap.

[greatauntoftriplets]

9. Excellent news!!!!

I may live in Danny Davis' district, but I am celebrating taking the 14th back. Even the Tribune endorsed Foster -- that was pretty earth-shattering in itself.

:party:

[grace0418]

31. Seriously, the Trib almost always sides with the RW. Never understood why

the paper of a hugely blue city would be allowed to lean so right.

[mac2]

40. The owner is rich and a Neo Con

[seemslikeadream]

10. LET'S DANCE!

[KoKo]

13. YO FOSTER! I heard he's a Nuclear Physicist! Amazing!

:toast: to Foster!

[Kittycat]

22. Yes, the geek in me loves that.

[Ellipsis]

24. I believe he's from the Madison area originally and helped to start ETC

Electronic Theatre Controls ...pretty cool stuff.

http://www.etcconnect.com/home.aspx?lang=us®ion=1

His brother is the CEO.

[asdjrocky]

14. That is HUGE! And great news.

[Kittycat]

16. It's a good thing I'm home...

Because I don't think I could legally drive right now. GO FOSTER!!!

[dysfunctional press]

26. well...it's a big step in the correct direction, anyway-

but he supposedly says that he will be caucusing with the blue dog democrats...we'll have to see how that goes.

[Mojambo]

27. So he's likely another half-democrat.

Better than a no-democrat, but only narrowly.

[rosesaylavee]

28. Not really. He ran very openly as anti-war and pro-health care.

Not at all shy about being a liberal Democrat. Very upfront. Really a good guy. We are SOOOOO fortunate to have had this happen. This has never happened in the history of this county. This is a *&%*&^%*&*( miracle is what it is!

[Mojambo]

30. He's pro-single payer and he's going to caucus with the Blue Dogs?

Interesting.

Or is he pro-health care in the completely futile, try and do it through the for profit health insurance industry, sense?

Guess I could just go do my own research.

[rosesaylavee]

34. Now that you ask, I am not sure.

I guess what I am excited about is that he has opened a door that wasn't even there in the wall before. He is for refusing to pay any further for the war as a way to get our troops home and that is pretty radical for around here.

Here is what his website says:

"Many current estimates indicate that administrative overheads in our private insurance-based system consume about 30% of healthcare dollars while single-payer systems in other countries consume only 10-15%. In individual states such as Massachusetts (and perhaps soon California), we will be testing universal health care delivery systems with varying degrees of private enterprise involvement. We also have cost and efficiency data from U.S. Medicare system. An honest, non-partisan evaluation of the cost and performance of these systems will allow us to choose the most efficient system for the country as a whole."

So, in other words, he's not a politician. He needs to look at the numbers and see what makes sense. Imagine some one like that getting elected. I don't get the sense he will go with any one group over his own common sense. He is being mentored I think by Durbin so I doubt if he will become a blue dog.

http://www.foster08.com/2007/12/medical_care_sm.html

[KharmaTrain]

35. Taxes Are More An Issue Than Iraq

From my wanderings around the district, getting the troops out is second to the economy and many know he stands for both defunding the occupation and a timetable for troop withdrawls...a total withdrawl. He was very upfront about it during the campaign.

Taxes are the hot button that he needs to be careful on...many of the "boom" areas in the district have gone bust, local revenues have declined and Kane County faces a financial crisis not unlike Cook County...how do you make up the short fall? I suspect the local government (still mostly Repugnican) will have to bite the bullet, but Foster needs to avoid getting in that fight.

It was interesting that Durbin and Jan Schakowski were on the podium with him last night. That should give you a real good indication who will be mentoring him...and not a bad thing at all. I still can't believe this is the 14th District!

And this bodes real well for the 11th and 10th...this was a win among the netroots, unions and a very energized party. It was a very satisfying win and I think Foster will serve the area for many years to come.

Cheers...

:hi:

[rosesaylavee]

36. Yes. I think he will have great mentoring!

I am still in a state of shock. I volunteered a bit for the campaign - did some phone banking and spent only one day out canvassing but I am so over the top pleased I was even a small part of it I can't stop spinning. We changed the direction our county and district were going... finally! And we couldn't have done it without the many many DEM candidates who made running stabs at getting into office out here and the countless volunteers who have been trying to do this for YEARS.

Whew. I woke up still buzzing with it all. Satisfying win. It is monumentally wonderful.

:hi:

[dysfunctional press]

43. i can't really tell exactly where he stands...

on one hand, he seems to advocate for single-payer, but on another, he seems to favor having private insurance in the mix as well..:shrug:

from his website:

http://www.foster08.com/2007/12/medical_care_sm.html

The Role of the Free Market in Health Care. As a scientist, Bill believes that the roles of government and free enterprise in the delivery of health care should be driven by data and results rather than ideology. Many current estimates indicate that administrative overheads in our private insurance-based system consume about 30% of healthcare dollars while single-payer systems in other countries consume only 10-15%...

# Provides a basic level of comprehensive coverage, with guaranteed quality, for all American people - including the 50 million men, women, and children that are currently uninsured.

# Maintains the freedom to purchase or retain existing coverage that extends the basic coverage.

[grace0418]

32. But look at Oberweis. That guy is such a RW fuck that this is truly a big win.

No matter how "half-Dem" Foster may be (though I've heard he's actually quite lefty).

[mac2]

41. We were celebrating when Bean defeated Crane in my area

of Illinois. But what happened? She is Crane.

[MzNov]

29. It's FAB u lous !!! It's FAB u lous!!!!

:bounce:

[rosesaylavee]

38. Yes it is!

:kick:

[LeftCoast]

33. OMG! This is HUGE!

:woohoo:

[rosesaylavee]

37. 8:45 am.

And I am still ecstatically happy. This will mean so much to our district. Hopefully this will wake up the county and the district that we CAN elect a DEM. It IS doable.

[malaise]

39. Denny should have lent Oberweis his

scientific clothes.

[ThomWV]

42. It bodes well for November. This is a sign of what is to come Nationally.

[Oilwellian]

44. This is fabulous news

and it made my day! Thanks for posting!

[ThatsMyBarack]

45. ....

:party: :toast: :bounce: :kick: :loveya: :yourock: :headbang: :woohoo: :applause: :patriot:

[roamer65]

46. For a seat like this one to turn blue, I think we just may get 2/3 majority in Nov.

I want 2/3 in each house, so we can constantly override Insane McCain vetoes if he wins.