Hastert gets another lukewarm endorsement

[frogcycle]

http://www.fireside14.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=156

here's the Fireside post:

More selective editing by the Hastert campaign
by: Kristen
Fri Oct 20, 2006 at 08:46:19 AM CDT

So, Hastert got the endorsement from the Daily Herald. And just like with the Northwest Herald endorsement, he is ashamed of some of the things the Herald said about him. Just like with the NW Herald, there is a lot of selective editing, and no link back to the original article.

This editing job is even better, MUCH less subtle. You will notice plenty of elipses in his version of the article.

DAILY HERALD: “We Endorse Hastert…”

Citing his track record of delivering for residents and communities of the 14th District and his accessibility to local leaders, the state’s largest suburban newspaper on Tuesday threw its support behind Denny Hastert.

In making its endorsement, the Daily Herald noted Denny’s depth of experience representing the district.

“… he has delivered a great deal of transportation funding to a state desperately needing it, has delivered grant money to important areas such as emergency preparedness services and remains accessible to state and county officials seeking assistance.”

The newspaper gave this assessment of the Democrat running against Denny:

“(Denny’s opponent) … has no experience at any level of government, touts isolationist ideas on trade, would solve illegal immigration problems by eliminating sweatshops in other sovereign nations and would shift more funding of education to Washington while unrealistically assuming that control would stay in local hands.”
Now, here's the original as it appears on the Daily Herald's website:

U.S. House, 14th: Hastert

Posted Wednesday, October 18, 2006

If ever there was a moment to hope Thomas Wolfe was wrong when he wrote “you can’t go home again,” Dennis Hastert has reached it.

The Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and our choice in the 14th District over Democratic challenger John Laesch desperately needs to rediscover his Midwestern roots if his legacy is to reflect his entire body of public service and not merely the scandal and partisanship of the day.

Once revered as a moderate and common sense-comes-first representative in the middle of an ideological storm, Hastert has retreated further every year he has been speaker into a partisan front man for an embattled Bush administration. As a result, he has all but abdicated his role as a leader of the legislative branch and diminished its role as a check against executive power. He also has harmed his reputation as a consensus builder more interested in sound legislation than partisan politics.

As evidenced by his reaction to the page scandal, he has fallen victim to the Washington propensity to care more about casting spin and blame than real political accomplishment.

That said, though, there is no evidence at this point that suggests Hastert was involved in any deliberate cover-up in the page scandal. And despite stumbling out of the gate, he has since taken a firm stand to assure the matter is investigated fully. Beyond that, too, he has delivered a great deal of transportation funding to a state desperately in need of it, has delivered grant money to important areas such as emergency preparedness services and remains accessible to state and county officials seeking assistance.

And even should the Republicans lose the U.S. House this fall, and along with it the speakership, Hastert’s experience still would make him a more effective legislator than his challenger.

Laesch, a Newark carpenter of great energy and enthusiasm, is a veteran whose experience as a Navy intelligence analyst in the Middle East gives him an above-average knowledge of the complex issues there. But he has no experience at any level of government, touts isolationist ideas on trade, would solve illegal immigration problems by eliminating sweatshops in other sovereign nations and would shift more funding of education to Washington while unrealistically assuming that control would stay in local hands.

In this district, which extends from Kane County west across most of the state, we endorse Hastert, all the while hoping that he can find his way back home again.

You will notice that the Herald's version is much longer. Hastert really had to butcher that article to take out all the bad things said about him and the couple of good things said about John. Why the Herald didn't just either stay out of it or endorse John is beyond me, because they don't seem to think too highly of Mr. Hastert at the moment.

[Doctor_J]

1. All the papers in Chicago are staunchly GOP

Times, Trib, herald, Southtown almost never endorse dems in contested races. The Trib's last Dem presidential endorsement was for LBJ.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

2. The Southtown endorsed Kerry in 2004 and today endorsed

Blago over JBT. I'm not saying that they don't lean Republican editorial wise, but they're not as bad as the Tribune. Not by a long shot.

[frogcycle]

4. precisely

so given that history, this grudging endorsement based on pork-only really is "damning with faint praise"

comes down to how many readers (among those who could be influenced by a paper's endorsement - likely a teeny demographic, imo) read between the lines and say "I know what they really meant but were too chicken to say"

[frogcycle]

3. More than anything right now

Laesch needs funds. He has answers; he represents his positions well; he just needs more $ to get the word out.

The summary of positions on trade, immigration, and education in the article is completely biased and misleading.

Even if one has isssues with details of his positions, they are valid points that should be part of any discussion on any of the topics. This "sound bite" attitude is representative of the whole neocon campaign - like the crap in Indiana about pro-choicew meaning genocide against blacks. The article read in full makes clear they like Laesch better as a representative, admit he's a rookie. In summary, it says "screw everything else like good ideas and saving the country; let's keep Denny and keep the pork coming"


I could not find the endorsement in hte online version of the paper, nor any letters pro or con.

Did find this editorial though:

http://www.dailyherald.com/opinion/constable.asp?id=240192

which suggests that despite the endorsement, the paper is telling at least part of both sides.

http://www.john06.com/donate

[NCarolinawoman]

5. Please have John Laesch do an ad with his bio.

Have a picture of himself in uniform in the bio. Say that he is the son of missionaries.

I believe Hastert came out yesterday and said once more that Dems are weak on security. John's bio nullifies all of this. The fact that he is the son of missionaries is a sharp contrast to the corruption that permeates Washington and Hastert. This is the kind of bio that red-staters only WISH Republicans had ---only in their dreams. Has John done a biographical ad yet?

[frogcycle]

6. he has only released one ad

that I know of; said at a town meeting a cpl weeks ago more are in the works. I don't know content.

he's got to pay for them, and while donations appear to be continuing, maybe even picking up (I am not part of campaign, just a zealous supporter) I don't know what the status is

go here to view the ad, and add your suggestion:

http://www.john06.com/johns_blog


hearing him tell first-hand about clearing the airspace for the tomahawk attack when clinton missed bin laden by 15-20 minutes, then follow up with what got him into politics - hearing messages from bushco that contradicted what he knew first-hand about the area - make his SUCH a powerful message for the party, and yet the party continues to not try to either get PR from him or provide significant support

[frogcycle]

7. John Laesch's campaign status report

Good reading!

He alludes to information that he cannot confirm about a poll taken by Hastert - must be taken with big grain of salt, but it was 49-45! That is a 4-pt spread in a Hastert - managed poll, compared to a 10-pt spread a week or so ago in an independent poll. If there is any validity to this, then a couple of weeks should be plenty of time to overtake and leave in the dust.

http://www.fireside14.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=160

We can do this, people!

I want this one so bad I can taste it! I don't even live in his district (about 100 yards from it though). But between having had a long-standing contempt for Hastert and all he stands for, having met John and been very impressed, and so wanting the message to be broadcast worldwide in a couple of weeks that the American public are not like the bushco crowd, I have become a Laesch groupie!

I admit it. I love our country and its form of government. I buy the whole line about "land of opportunity" etc. I hate it that it is being turned into a hateful monster in the eyes of the world.

I want fresh-faced, earnest kids like John Laesch and Tammy Duckworth in congress, and if they don't know how to find their way to the restroom the first day, I could not care less! They ARE America! They BELONG there. Scum like Hastert and Ney and Boehner and... and... and... do NOT belong there. They are corrupt and they cast a pall on my country! The mockery they have made of the legislative process in order to cover their tracks with respect to earmarks and such is criminal. They should all have to go to prison until they have memorized the entire Constitution and can recite it verbatim while being waterboarded.

As I said at John's Town Meeting: We need to send a message to the world that "the American public is mad as hell and not going to take it any more" (I got a nice round of applause too! :) )

[AlCzervik]

8. they refer to him as "Denny" sounds real friendly like imo.