I have been covering politics for over 15 years in Illinois, yet I am still amazed by some of the things I see. A perfect case in point--where common sense seems to be thrown out the window by some members of the Illinois Republican Party--is illustrated in the fight for former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert's old seat. I'm not talking about the Democrats when I cite the unexplainable actions of some individuals. Once again, it seems there are some Republicans who are willing to sacrifice victory and this time it's in Illinois' 14th U.S. Congressional District (CD). And I know not why.
For years, most Republicans have known state Senator Chris Lauzen had planned to seek election in the 14th CD. After all, the area encompassed by Lauzen's state senate district overlaps one-third of the 14th Congressional District and political experts saw Lauzen as a perfect fit to replace the retiring former Speaker of the House.
Lauzen has always ran strong campaigns in the region, even though he was considered a maverick by some in the Republican establishment. However, this trait endeared the Senator from Aurora to many of his constituents.
Lauzen also carried the political water for the pro-family movement in the state senate. Most social conservatives supported Lauzen's expected run for Hastert's seat. The major question is: How big of a challenge would he get from Democrats? But, as usual, once again, Republican politics in the state of Illinois seems more than willing to self-destruct.
Suddenly, perennial candidate and dairy magnate Jim Oberweis felt he needed to challenge Lauzen in a primary race for Hastert's seat. Many Republicans pleaded with Oberweis in a failed attempt to give Lauzen a clear path to the general election. However, Oberweis was determined to run and fulfill a nightmare scenario which has led to the defeat of many Republicans in recent years--conservative or not.
In a nutshell, the strategy is simple. The left and, remarkably, those within the Republican Party itself who dislike social conservatives have manipulated the process in a number of races, ultimately leading to primaries where social conservatives were pitted against each other. Usually, a third candidate (often a liberal Republican) benefited from the match-up. Or, in some cases, the race between conservatives became so heated the eventual pro-family nominee could not bring the Party together for the general election, thereby leading to a Democratic victory. Even the most casual political observer has seen how this strategy has been implemented against conservative Republicans and Oberweis either wittingly or unwittingly fell right into the trap.
I suppose much of this can be blamed on greedy consultants who don't care if Republicans win or not. Yet, in a way, they have to put food on their tables, too. And if there are individuals with deep pockets who are naive enough to believe victory is just a few dollars away, well... But there is a question of honesty which must be addressed here. The bottom line still must say: Caveat Emptor!
But there are some strange things going on in the district beyond the actions of Oberweis. Hastert recently indicated he would not seek another term in office. However, some sources believe Hastert has left the door open to a mid-term departure which would necessitate a special election.
If this is not mind-boggling enough, on August 18th a posting in Fran Eaton's Illinois Review revealed a number of Dennis Hastert's key staffers were being hired by Oberweis. [http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2007/08/oberweis-picks-.html]
If this isn't enough intrigue for you, there's more. Why has Oberweis abandoned an opportunity to run against a seemingly vulnerable Dick Durbin? The senior Democratic Senator from Illinois is part of a Congress which, according to recent polling, has a 10% favorability rating with the American public. Some political experts say Durbin's seat could be ripe for the taking. Huge political gaffes, including Durbin's comparisons of American soldiers to Nazis, might play a significant role in his possible defeat by a savvy opponent--especially when the nation is at war.
Perhaps the head of Oberweis Dairies has been convinced to set his sights a little lower, although the move is far from making sense politically.
And let's not forget the Illinois Republican Party. Someone had to encourage Oberweis to run against Lauzen. It seems implausible Oberweis would run against the wishes of Party establishment and create another situation that could only spell more doom for the Illinois GOP. And, if Republican leaders did not try to talk Oberweis out of running against Lauzen, so much for the supposed GOP conservative outreach initiative we have all been told so much about.
A more cynical person would look at the dark side of the things I've laid out here and end up with a very suspicious take on this entire scenario. But perhaps Oberweis hired Hastert's staffers because he likes the cut of their jib. Perhaps Hastert will not take these hirings into consideration when he decides who to endorse for the seat he will vacate some day--as he had in a past election cycle when he endorsed Oberweis. And, if you believe that, there are some nice bridges for sale at very reasonable rates.
Yes, I'm sure all of what I have written here is just a misinterpretation of what's going on and what will go on in Illinois' 14th Congressional District and everything and everybody will end up smelling like roses. Excuse me, did I say roses?
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