Durbin and Obama are not helping to support Hastert's Dem opponent

[Robbien]

Laesch is one of several dozen recent veterans running for Congress as Democrats. For most of these “fighting Dems” it’s their first foray into politics, and most face uphill battles. Laesch has met them at gatherings in D.C., where he also met Max Cleland, a Vietnam veteran, triple amputee, and former Georgia Democratic senator who in 2002 lost to a Republican challenger who ran TV ads linking him with Saddam and Osama—so he knows what he could face if the race gets close. He’s also aware that he can help his fellow candidates win or lose: a serious challenge might limit Hastert’s ability to help Republicans elsewhere.

For those outside the Beltway who think the country needs a 180-degree turn, “challenge everywhere” sounds like common sense. (After all, Karl Rove made a career of attacking the opposition at its strongest point.) But will Illinois and national Democratic power brokers back this long shot? Does Mayor Daley even want them to? Does Daley want to cross a speaker of the House who has supported his O’Hare expansion plan?

Illinois has two popular Democratic senators who aren’t facing reelection campaigns in 2006. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama have campaigned with Laesch’s fellow “fighting Dem,” L. Tammy Duckworth, who’s running for an open seat in the adjacent Sixth District. Their political action committees each gave her campaign $10,000 in December, before she’d even won the primary. That doesn’t mean they’ll help Laesch.

He doesn’t seem daunted by the possibility that he may be left to his own devices: “All it means for me is I have to think creatively and differently.”

http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/johnlaesch/

I hate my mayor. Daily was the one to get Durbin to back down and apologize before the Senate. Now Daily wants his O'Hare expansion plan so is not backing John Laesch.

While Laesch may be the underdog here, Hastert just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar promoting an unpopular highway to profit off a land deal.

Shame on Durbin and Obama.

[dogman]

1. John's not afraid to fight.

Good LTTE. Second on link.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/opinions/letters/2_4_AU19_LETTERS_S1.htm
Snip>An end to special interests
On May 26, we held a press conference. I asked voters in Illinois' 14th District to end the culture of corruption and vote for a Democratic Congress in 2006.
The Hastert campaign, Hastert for Congress Committee, responded with an open letter. I felt the need to respond with my own open letter.<snip
Any help for John would be great.
http://john06.com/

[Placebo]

2. DALEY not DAILY

:)

[Robbien]

3. True. Hey I've only lived here fifteen years you would think

by now I would get it right.

:shrug:

[shance]

4. Obama is bought and paid for. He works both sides.

n/t

[snowbear]

5. Author of the article isn't sure yet if Durban & Obama w/campaign 4 Laesch

I wouldn't say "shame on them" until we know for sure.

The author says that just because Durban and Obama supported Tammy Duckworth, ..."that doesn't mean that they'll help John Laesch".

In other words, the author is speculating and doesn't know himself whether they'll be stepping in or not.

If I were in that area, I'd contact their offices and ask them. :shrug:

[wndycty]

8. More importantly DUers love to bitch and moan about . . .

. . .what our elected Democratic officials aren't doing, however they fail to understand that Durbin and Obama have to pick their fights. If you see in a following post they are giving serious thought to backing the candidate in the 10th CD (on top of Duckworth) because it may now be considered in play. I want to see Denny beat and I will give whatever time and money I have (when I'm not doing the same for other candidates), but why should Durbin and Obama (who have limited time) invest a lot on a race that is a longshot when they are other races that may be closer and they can impact?

[wndycty]

6. They may be distracted by the Illinois 10th. . .

. . .while its important to knock Denny off and I pledge to go out and help my brother Dogman a couple of weekends, there is buzz that the Democratic candidate in the state's 10th Congressional district, Dan Seals, is starting to put some heat on Mark Kirk.

-snip-
The online newsletter Cook Political Report, one of the Beltway's better handicappers, last month put the 10th on its list of about 50 seats the GOP conceivably could lose this fall. Mr. Seals raised $374,000 in the first quarter and says he's "in that ballpark" for the second quarter — well behind what Rep. Kirk has in the bank, but pretty good for a guy running his first race.

Perhaps most telling: Illinois' two U.S. senators, rock star Barack Obama and Democratic Whip Richard Durbin, have jumped into the race big time, committing money, attention and personal time to the effort.
-snip-

Sen. Obama declined comment, but party insiders suggest Mr. Seals reminds the senator of himself: young, attractive, articulate and African-American. Sen. Durbin says he's just helping a good candidate, but others say it's no coincidence that the target is Rep. Kirk, who many consider the GOP's strongest choice to oppose Sen. Durbin's re-election in 2008.

Mr. Seals says he doesn't know if that's true, but neither is he looking any gift horses in the mouth. Instead, the 34-year-old executive at General Electric Commercial Finance is trying to make the race a referendum on President George W. Bush, whose popularity has sagged in the socially moderate, soccer mom district.
-snip-

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?id=25994&postDate=2006-06-17 (must have subscription)

I want to see Denny knocked off more than anyone else, but common sense says you have to put your resources where they make sense. If we can pick up Illinois 6th and 10th, Durbin and Obama have to do what they have to do!

To learn more about Dan Seals visit: http://www.dansealsforcongress.com/

[snowbear]

7. "Denny" ?

He's too much of a crooked dirtball for fuzzy nicknames..

"Hastert the Bastard" maybe.

But "Denny". =ACK=