ANOTHER MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR A HOUSE PICK UP? IL-18 (PEORIA)

After 7-term Republican Ray LaHood (IL-18) announced he was retiring from Congress last summer there were all kinds of promising Democrats' names floated. The Peoria-based district, which hasn't had a Democratic congressman since 1917, has a Republican +5 PVI. LaHood won re-election in 2006 with 67% and 70% in 2004. Bush beat Kerry with 58% and the floated names gradually floated away. At one point the DCCC annointed former Indiana Pacers coach Dick Versace, a horrible idea worthy of the same clueless DCCC that saddled the Democratic caucus with mediocre ex-football player Heath Shuler. By early December-- after the November filing deadline-- Versace dropped out "due to unforseen personal circumstances." That was the good news; the band news is that the Democrats were unsure how to fill the slot. They managed to-- but badly.

The county Democratic Party chairmen got together and appointed a replacement, Colleen Callahan. Several people thought it might have been a better idea to actually appoint a Democrat to run against Republican state Rep. Aaron Schock. What caused them to question the Kickapoo farm broadcaster's Democratic bona fides was that everyone in town remembers her supporting Republicans. In 2006, for example, she hosted a fundraiser for LaHood. And she freely admits she voted for LaHood to boot.

She has no issues on her website-- conservative Democrats never do-- but she came out against the war in Iraq the other day. I never bet money against a Democrat, but this is one race I might consider with a... more flexible attitude.