Foster wins Hastert’s seat.
By on Mar 8th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Foster wins Hastert’s seat.
Bill Foster — a Democratic candidate who is a physicist — defeated Republican dairy owner Jim Oberweis in a special election to claim the Illinois congressional seat of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R). During a recent TV appearance, Foster said he would be a ”good vote in Congress to change President Bush’s policy” on Iraq. Oberweis contended the troop surge there was working, saying: ”Things are getting better in Iraq.”
View Most Popular
Advertisement
What We're About
What We're Fighting For
What We're Fighting Against
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Bachmann
Beck
Boehner
Bush
Bush Legacy
Cheney
Civil Rights
Congress
DADT
Economy
Energy
Environment
Ethics
Fox News
Franken
Global Warming
Guantanamo
Health Care
International Relations
Iran
Iraq
Justice
Krauthammer
Kyl
LGBT
Limbaugh
McCain
Media
Military
O'Reilly
Obama
Palin
Public Plan
Race
Radical Right
Rove
Sanford
Sotomayor
Steele
Supreme Court
Terrorism
ThinkProgress
Tiller
Torture
Women's Rights
Visit Our Affiliated Sites
Reports
In-depth studies on select topics
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.
ArchivesBlog Roll
Break out the 409, brillo pads and sand blaster, gotta clean up Nasty Hastert's seat before handing over to a Democrat.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:05 pmDenny Hastert is rolling over in his grave...
--oh, sorry, wishful thinking...
March 8th, 2008 at 11:06 pmFU(K the neocons! Hastert's a pervert and the people who continuously elected him have finally awaken to this fact and want no more to do with jerk off's like him! They want real human representatives who are going to address real human problems!
March 8th, 2008 at 11:18 pmFoster wins by a 6% margin:
http://www.nbc5.com/politics/15527939/detail.html
Another interesting little tidbit:
“This is a red district. Former Speaker of the House Denny Hastert represented this district since 1987, winning reelection by huge margins.
This district includes the city of Dixon, which is the birthplace of Ronald Reagan.â€
http://www.prairiestateblue.com/frontPage.do
This is a sign of things to come, you no good stankin Repukes. Mwahahahaha.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:28 pmEveryone quickly run down to your local store and buy one of those "oil can" Foster's beers. What better way to make a political statement?
It's good and good for you!
If you don't drink alcohol, you can send it to me.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:36 pmthis is gonna make gg puke her cheerios :)
March 8th, 2008 at 11:56 pmCongratulations Bill. Do us all a favor and have a word with Nancy when you get there, OK?
March 8th, 2008 at 11:56 pmHeaven, could this be heaven?
March 9th, 2008 at 12:07 amHmmmm, if a "safe" seat like this flips in a special election, how many other "safe" seats will flip in November?
It is results like this that make me suspect the poll numbers for President in November. The old rules on polling no longer work very well and the pollsters are not adjusting very well.
March 9th, 2008 at 12:16 amHastert's safe Republican district just went Democratic! We've got the bastards on the run. Show no quarter until the Republican Party experiences electoral euthanasia administered by a citizenry that is on to their theiving, lying and anti-American ways.
March 9th, 2008 at 12:19 amMy goodness, but we so do need to bomb and invade Iran.
How will the neocon cabal work it now?
March 9th, 2008 at 12:20 amHmmmm America needs another 9/11 it seems... could be arranged...
There's a low level buzz that the Republicans know they are going to get their assess handed to them in November at all levels from federal to state elections unless something "happens." The Republicans are planning on something "happening" or "letting" something happen. Power is more important to Republicans than the people. In Republican eyes the people are merely rabble that need to be controlled and manipulated.
March 9th, 2008 at 12:24 amA victory for both the Forces of Truth and Light and The Reality-Based Community.
March 9th, 2008 at 12:28 amMY Congressman!
March 9th, 2008 at 12:30 amYEEEE-HAH!
Hush listen
March 9th, 2008 at 12:32 amThis is good news and a wonderful sign of things to come. I was recently listening to NPR, and the discussion of this special election being used as a political bellwhether of what we can expect in November. I don't want to get my hopes up too far (remember 2004?), but this is definitely a good sign.
March 9th, 2008 at 12:33 amTHAT'S GOT TO BE DISAPPOINTING AND EMBARRASSING FOR THE GOP!
http://OsiSpeaks.com or http://RealConservativesSpeak.com
March 9th, 2008 at 12:40 amComment by Chris L — March 9, 2008 @ 12:33 am
I don’t want to get my hopes up too far (remember 2004?), but this is definitely a good sign.
It is normal to feel that way. The thing to realize is that since the 2004 election things began to change. The first real proof was the 2006 election. Howard Dean's "50 state" strategy bore fruit. That grassroots success has continued and improved, building momentum like a tidal wave, even as the rethug/neocon cabal was coming unglued. The people are holding rock steady in the polls. BushCo is down on all fronts. The public is simply not buying the crap being spewed anymore. In 2004 BushCo was still riding high in the polls and Kerry was a weak candidate. Things really are different now.
Yes, caution is advised. But the reality says November will be a landslide in the Congress, and with the tremendous outpouring of new voters in these primaries, I am confident we will have a Democratic President as well. So be of good cheer!!!
March 9th, 2008 at 1:29 amFirst indication of a veto-proof Dem majority.
Eat sh!t, Denny. Eat sh!t and die.
March 9th, 2008 at 3:34 amFrank M.,
It is only irrelevant in the sense that it has let itself become irrelevant.
I live in the 14th district of Illinios and I got up extra early this morning to pull the lever for Dr. Foster. I think that this is a harbringer of change, in that many more people are paying attention to politics.
I'm no conspiricy nut, but I will break out the tinfoil hat once in a while in the sense that I think there are people out there that would certainly like to rig the system and do the best they can to do it. But, I also think that the system is complex and choatic enough that it resists subjugation and is constantly thwarting attempts control its outcome.
I think the Obama phenomenom, and to a lesser extent, the election of Dr. Foster, is attributable to a sudden "surge" in interest from previously uninvolved individuals. This interest is the result of a confluence of events, including the Iraq war, the economy and the deluge of uniquely Republican scandals. 2008 could be very interesting. I am nearly 40 years old. This is the first time in my life that I feel that change is palpable. I was 10 when Reagan was elected and couldn't gauge the impact.
This feels like it could be bigger...
March 9th, 2008 at 4:47 amSince we have no champagne at home right now to break out, hubby and I are debating whether to try the spumante or a good Chardonnay. In any case, this is wonderful news.
March 9th, 2008 at 6:14 amThis is a sign of things to come. America can clearly see what Tom DeLay saw last year before he resigned in disgrace--that the GOP has nothing for America.
March 9th, 2008 at 6:29 amTom DeLay also saw Jack Abramoff's 750,000 pages of incriminating evidence in the hands of federal investigators.
Fortunately for DeLay and many other Republican operatives,
John McCain is surpressing the release of these documents. That gives McCain a LOT of leverage.
Jack Abramoff is at the Heart of McCain's campaign.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/23/03912/3990/390/462347
March 9th, 2008 at 6:55 am"Bah. The Congress is irrelevant...." --Frank M.
...when the GOP controsl it.
March 9th, 2008 at 8:31 amBah. The Congress is irrelevant.
Comment by Frank M — March 9, 2008 @ 4:31 am
Not for long, you fascist twit. You're all done, frank, better make plans to move to North Korea, where they do things your way.
March 9th, 2008 at 8:45 amFrank continues to impress with his "off the rails" parody troll act.
Foster's victory is great news. After we've come so close in other special elections in red districts, Bill Foster finally closes the deal for the Democrats.
March 9th, 2008 at 10:41 amAnyone wanna bet that in November, Frank M will post here something along the lines of:
"Bah. The presidency is irrelevant"
-- Ralph Hussein Wonder Llama
March 9th, 2008 at 10:55 amSo does this mean that the sausage bar at the HOR lunch room can be shut down?
March 9th, 2008 at 11:24 amAt least this guy will be able to FULLY understand the effects of depleted uranium.
March 9th, 2008 at 11:54 amFoster is a pretty smart guy, decent, and made his own way in the world. Congratulations to him.
Even republican papers published editorials in favor of Foster because Oberweiss is lying, nasty jerk, who spent $6 million of his own fortune to run several failed campaigns.
He should stick to the dairy barns - and the investment company he runs upstairs.
This gives Foster an edge to win the two year term in November.
March 9th, 2008 at 12:13 pma quote from foster about fisa before the election:
"The President and his allies in Congress are playing politics with national security, and that's wrong. Nobody is above the law and telecom companies who engaged in illegal surveillance should be held accountable, not given retroactive immunity. I flatly oppose giving these companies an out for cooperating with Alberto Gonzalez on short-circuiting the FISA courts and the rule of law."
that's the kind of talk i like. now congressman foster, please turn it into action!
March 9th, 2008 at 1:05 pmmore from this morning's ny times:
"By last week, the National Republican Congressional Committee had poured $1.2 million into this race; the Democratic Congressional Committee had given more than $620,000."
at a rate of return like this is won't be long before the republicans go broke :)
March 9th, 2008 at 1:23 pmFANTASTIC!!!!
March 9th, 2008 at 6:16 pmFrom a Will County Democrat.
Slightly OT...since the RNCC spent about a mil and a half to lose Hastert's old seat, what's up with story (other than considering the source)??
http://tpzoo.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/usda-its-none-of-the-publics-business-who-ate-recalled-meat/#comment-47963
March 9th, 2008 at 6:35 pmOops, wrong link!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/us/politics/07donate.html?ei=5065&en=d7a04acff9336d95&ex=1205557200&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print
March 9th, 2008 at 6:36 pmThe 14th District, albeit in slightly different form over time, has not elected a Democrat to Congress before Bill Foster on Saturday since Chester Thompson lost his bid for reelection in 1938. 70 years ago! Chester Thompson of Rock Island was a New Dealer who first took office in 1933. That means today's young 14th District voters' great-grandparents were the last to have a Democrat represent them in Washington. If this isn't a sea change we're seeing, nothing is.
March 10th, 2008 at 1:14 am# 30- Not only uranium, but hopefully he knows the difference between Darwin and Intelligent Design. YIPPEE!
March 10th, 2008 at 1:48 am