DENNIS HASTERT IS HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE-- EXCEPT IN IL-14, WHERE HE SEEMS TO HAVE LEFT THE FIELD TO JOHN LAESCH

While Denny Hastert is lumbering from district to district around the country-- and lugging that immense carcass around at taxpayer expense-- using vicious demagoguery to shore up the faltering campaigns of rubber stamp Republican incumbents, he seems almost unaware of the revulsion that is threatening a tsunami wave of Republican defeats is beginning to build in his own district. How could he be unaware? Big Denny is a creature of the Beltway and doesn't spend much time at home any more-- and certainly not when Fightin' Dem John Laesch is demanding answers to the questions bugging the people who live in IL-14.

Laesch politely asked Hastert to debate him on the immigration issues in the district-- 20% of the district residents being of Hispanic origins-- and Hastert refuses to answer. Instead he running all over and holding "hearings" about immigration. His hearings are just opportunities to stir up hatred, racism, xenophobia and divisiveness all over the country. Eventually Laesch decided to just debate the issue with an empty chair. The IL-14 Immigration Debate, actually a Town Meeting, is tonight from 5:30- 8:30 PM in Geneva, IL.

Instead of attending the town meeting in Geneva or allowing his constituents to see the contrast between his stand on the issues and Laesch's, he's using taxpayer dollars to run around saying things like this (in Ohio's 6th CD): "This is an important race for us... Republicans have to protect incumbents running for re-election and make sure they retain seats being vacated by party members... it's also important to pick up open seats currently held by Democrats." That sounds a lot more like a campaign speech for GOP hack and tax cheat Charles Blasdel who is trying to pick up Ted Strickland's old seat (destined to be won by Charlies Wilson) than like something the taxpayers should be financing.   

Other districts where Hastert will be grandstanding on immigration, instead of working on immigration reform and instead of addressing his own constituents, just happen to be districts where Republicans are in tight races. A good example was a campaign rally for Florida rubber stamp Republican Clay Shaw. The Miami Herald called it right when they mentioned that Hastert is in town as "part of a multi-state tour to help Republican incumbents raise money and campaign during the August congressional recess." Well known as a compulsive liar, Hastert, who has already promised closeted gay wingnut Jim McCrery the chairmanship of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, told a roomful of wealthy Republican financiers in Fort Lauderdale that if they contribute to Shaw's campaign and he wins he stands "a very good chance" of getting that chairmanship of the committee. And while he was down there, he tried to salvage the disastrous campaign retiring, senile wingnut Mike Bilirakis is running to get his slow-witted-but-equally far right son into Congress, Gus Bilirakis. And with Montana Republicans having lost the governorship, the state senate, the state house, and about to lose the second U.S. Senate seat (John Tester is expected to handily defeat corrupt Abramoff crony Conrad Burns), Hastert is planning an urgent visit to Montana to keep something in GOP hands (in this case the state's sole congressional seat, currently held by complete rubber stamp stepford-Repug, Denny Rehberg). And then he's off to Georgia and Arizona... everywhere but IL-14.

So the question comes down to what the hell is Hastert doing? Is he holding hearing or just trying to raise money for endangered Republicans? And why won't he join John Laesch in addressing the voters back in Illinois who have legitimate concerns about the U.S. immigration policies so badly botched by Bush, Hastert and the rubber stamp Congress. Tomorrow I'll get an update on Laesch's immigration town hall meeting. Meanwhile, if you want to know more about John, I just noticed that he posted an open letter to Hastert up at Daily Kos that's worth reading. If you're in a generous and patriotic mood, you can always do the Act Blue thing.