Here are the Democratic challengers to the Rs most vulnerable in the sex

[ProgressiveEconomist]

scandal coverup, in my opinion.

CAN YOU HELP ME FILL IN THE BLANKS?

I went to http://www.fec.gov and clicked through to state voter information pages. Here are the incumbent names, states and districts, and Democratic challengers. I may revise this with added homepage URLs and campaign news story links later, if I get enough help.

R Incumbent (State-District) ....... Democratic Challenger ..... Homepage ...... News story

Mark Foley (FL-16) ..................... Tim Mahoney
Rodney Alexander (LA-05) ......... Gloria Williams Hearn
John Shimkus (IL-19) .................. Danny Stover
John A. Boehner (OH-08) ............ Mort Meier
Denny Hastert (IL-14) ................. John Laesch
Roy Blunt (MO-07) ..................... Jack Truman

[madrchsod]

1. shimkus and hastert`s challengers

have no money,no national support,and are in solid republican districts. it`s to late to effect the outcome of these races. i`m in hastert`s district and there maybe one or two newspapers that will mention anything about denny`s role in this scandal.
i guess there isn`t any use to be pissed off any more about the 14th but i do find it rewarding to know that fat denny will no longer be speaker after nov....

[ProgressiveEconomist]

5. Are you sure Shimkus won't be forced to resign before Election Day?

He was the head of the Page Board after all. If any Republican leaders are to be held accountable fore Election Day, Shimkus seems like the most likely to be sacrificed to a media feeding frenzy.

[katinmn]

15. perhaps people could help Leasch instead of throwing in the towel?

BTW, watch for a statement from his campaign about Hastert's role in the pedophilia case.

They're trying! God, what a coup it would be to dump Hastert!

[ProgressiveEconomist]

16. Even if Laesch doesn't win, he could rough up Hastert enough so

that eventually a media feeding frenzy would force Hastert to resign, not just step down as Speaker. Then IIRC Democratic Governor Blagojevich might be able to appoint an interim US Rep for IL-14 until the next election. Of course, that would in all probability be someone other than Laesch, but it could be the vote that gives Democrats back charimanships and subpoena power to go after Dubya.

Laesch IMO therefore has a vested interest in trying to ignite a media feeding frenzy against Hastert. The only hope he has of taking office this election is Hastert's not even being able to stonewall the media for 38 days. For Laesch to become Representative Laesch, Hastert has to be defeated on Election Day or to have resigned before then.

If we were talking about any other state, I'd be pretty sure that the governor would have power to appoint an interim US Rep. But IIRC, when Ralph Metcalfe died in office as US Rep for the South Side of Chicago, there was some arcane procedure for selecting his successor involving the state council of his party. Somebody ought to research this for Laesch.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

21. Laesch is helping himself. He demanded Hastert resign in a dKos post

tonight, and got hundreds of replies:

From http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/9/30/212758/946 :

"Response to Hastert/Foley Pagegate Scandal, by John Laesch

Sat Sep 30, 2006 at 06:27:57 PM PDT

This is John Laesch, the Democratic candidate running against Dennis Hastert. Our campaign office reports that the phone has not stopped ringing all day and the Inbox on our e-mail account is exploding. We know that Dennis Hastert has been the "cover-up" guy for everything that is wrong in Washington. Hastert has been cleaning up messes all the way from this Wednesday's "get out of jail free" detainee bill that he gave to George Bush to gutting house ethics rules after Tom DeLay was indicted.

I am currently working with Danny Stover who is running against Shimkus in Illinois' 19th District ... This morning we held a press conference in St. Charles, IL and I basically said that it is time for Dennis Hastert to resign. If he does not do the honorable thing then voters should fire him on Nov. 7th. I started my speech with some of Hastert's own words from a 1998 press conference. "Even though our children may be at home with the doors locked," "that doesn't mean that they are safe. We must continue to be proactive in warding off pedophiles and other creeps who want to take advantage of our children...It's not infringing on liberties, it's about protecting our kids."

Apparently proactive in Washington means waiting 11 months... Exactly one month ago today Dennis Hastert made the front page of the Kane County Chronicle, a local paper, that covered Dennis Hastert's town hall forum on Internet safety. Protecting children is OK for Dennis Hastert when it is earning him votes, but he doesn't give a damn when it is a page working on Capital Hill. The fact that Hastert tried to cover this up is reason enough for him to resign. ..."

[katinmn]

23. This needs its own thread here!

:applause:

[Toots]

24. Do those newspapers not accept LTTEs

I would ask how they can justify Hastert and the GOP leadership allowing this behavior to continue for a year after learning about it.. Any person of true Moral Character would have made Foley resign immediately "for health reasons" or ?? but resign and leave Office. By not doing so Hastert has condoned such behavior and that is unacceptable for any Representative but especially one in Leadership.

[gully]

2. Not sure what you're trying to do?

nt

[ProgressiveEconomist]

3. I'm just wondering what chances these "sacrificial lambs" may have

now that Republican House leaders have their tails caught in a crack.

If we list their websites, maybe some DUers will want to help Democratic candidates that may have any kind of chance of stepping into a vacuum, if the coverup does not hold.

[gully]

4. Gotcha.

thanks

[KoKo]

7. It's a great idea. Emmanuel ought to get some ads in those Districts

mentioning the Foley "Cover-Up." Spot ads would be great. However...I wonder if Dems would face the wrath of the GOP to do that. Probably not.

What a blown opportunity if we can't take down the ones who covered up. We'd gain seats we NEVER IMAGINED in our wildest dreams could be vulnerable!

[ProgressiveEconomist]

22. KoKo--Thanks for your encouragement. This has been my most satisfying

thread ever. I actually got it into a candidate's blog in a very timely way--see http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2006/9/30/212758/946/426#c426 and the full (700K--dialup warning) John Laesch thread at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/9/30/212758/946 .

Without your post right here, I might have listened to the naysayers and never finished it.

[longship]

6. Here's an essential resource for all 2006 races

The Green Papers has more information that any one person can comfortably digest.

All is revealed there.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

9. Thanks! I'd heard of that site but, instead of thegreenpapers.com , I

went to greenpages.com, and was puzzled why I did not see any campaign info

[UTUSN]

18. Thanks for the great site n/t

[ProgressiveEconomist]

20. I used your link to fill in the candidate homepages (see #19) and crossposted

to http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/9/30/235256/619 , including an acknowledgment of your help.

Already, after just a few minutes, there are several interesting replies from Kossacks.

[KoKo]

8. Kick this to the Greatist and Front Page! Dems have a Great Opportunity!

Keep at this one!!!

[KoKo]

10. What about the five Repugs who serve on House Ethics Committee...

didn't they know? If they covered it up then their seats should be vulnerable, also.

Here's the Five Repug members according to "Source Watch:"

* Doc Hastings, Washington, Chairman
* Judy Biggert, Illinois
* Lamar Smith, Texas
* Melissa Hart, Pennsylvania
* Tom Cole, Oklahoma Michael F. Doyle, Pennsylvania


House Ethics Committee
From SourceWatch

The House Ethics Committee is the short title for the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, U.S. House of Representatives.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=House_Ethics_Committee#Staff

[ProgressiveEconomist]

11. Great point, one I haven't heard before. It seems logical that when

Boehner heard from Alexander, he would have gone to Hastert, who would have told him to take it up with the Ethics Committee.

But that would mean that last night's resolution would have directed the Ethics Committee to investigate THEMSELVES! This could be an argument for the immediate appointment of a Special Counsel.

[KoKo]

13. Kick again!

[gulliver]

12. Blunt's web site still has an endorsement from Foley on the front page.

http://www.roybluntforcongress.com/quotes.asp

I took a snap.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

14. Who's running against the most vulnerable Rs? The page who blew

the whistle on Foley to ABC News worked for Rodney Alexander (R-LA-5).. That IMO makes Alexander the most vulnerable in this coverup, after Foley himself, who has resigned already.

IMO, the Democratic candidates suddenly put into the spotlight by the scandal tend to be obscure "sacrificial lambs", placeholders put up as token opposition to shoo-in House leaders. For example, Rodney Alexander is opposed by a 1956 Louisiana Tech grad named Gloria Williams Hearn. Can she rise to the occasion? She sure sounds tough enough.

From http://www.rustonleader.com/news.php?id=1722 :

"The race is underway for fifth district

Four candidates vie for Congressional position

[e-mail] 09-10-2006

Four candidates „ spread out in locations throughout Louisiana „ are running in the Nov. 7 election to represent the Fifth District in the U.S. Congress. Incumbent Rodney Alexander, a Republican and North Louisiana native, brings with him to the race a long history in politics. ...

Candidate Gloria Williams Hearn, a Democrat and 1956 graduate of Louisiana Tech, said she is running for election so she can provide the fair and accurate representation she says Alexander has denied. The former teacher said she was displeased when Alexander switched from the Democratic to Republican Party on the last day of qualifying in the fifth district election two years ago. �The people of this district have had the wool pulled over their eyes,Ž Hearn said. �We need a Congressman who will represent honest, good, hardworking people.Ž

One issue Hearn, a Pineville resident, said needs fixing is the budget. �The budget has spiraled out of control in billions of dollars while the benefits to our veterans, education, health care, border security, immigration and environmental concerns have taken a downward spiral,Ž Hearn said. �Cuts have been made all the time while tax breaks are being given to the wealthiest people and businesses in this country.Ž Running for state representative in the past, Hearn said she learned people are not aware of what is happening in Washington. She said the country is headed in the wrong direction.

�We are losing on the home front while the big businesses and corrupt politicians are getting richer and richer,Ž Hearn said. She added the U.S. needs to stop spending money in Iraq and formulate a plan to depart the area."

[ProgressiveEconomist]

17. Just realized: Governors who could APPOINT successors to these Rs

ALL are likely to be DEMOCRATS next year!

mom cat reminded me I'd omitted Thomas Reynolds (R-NY) from the list (see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2260866&mesg_id=2264929 ).

Even the most furious media frenzy might take more than 38 days to build up a head of steam strong enough to have "resignation" on the lips of all the talking heads in the MSM. Any Republican worth his or her salt ought to be able to "stonewall" longer than that.

But, even if they are re-elected, should an Ethics Committee or Special Counsel report lead to their resignations, IIRC Governors will have much say in picking interim US Reps until the 2008 election or a Special Election. And all those governors are very likely to be Democrats!

Kathleen Blanco's (LA) 4-year term began just three years ago;

Blagojevich (IL) leads Topinka by 10 points ( http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/state/15600132.htm );

Stickland (OH) leads Blackwell by 12 points ( http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060927/NEWS01/309270009 ); and

Spitzer (NY) leads Faso 72% - 21% ( http://www.newyorkbusiness.com/news.cms?id=14769 ), which would be the largest margin EVER in NY State!

The kinds of candidates parties put up against shoo-ins like the House leaders and most other incumbents tend to be "sacrificial lambs", political neophytes filling out their resumes. But all the Democratic opponents of these incumbents might have to do to help swing control of the House to Pelosi is show up! They might get lucky and win seats in DC their first times out. But even if they don't, they may be able to precipitate local media frenzies that will empower Democratic governors to appoint successors. Of course chances are Governors would choose Democrats other than those who ran and lost. Bad for them, but still GREAT for Democrats and for getting our country back!

[ProgressiveEconomist]

19. Revised: Heree are the Democrats on the ballot against the Republican

incumbents most vulnerable in the Foley Teen Page Sex Scandal coverup, in my opinion.

They are listed in order according to my assessment of the Republican's vulnerability.

I went to http://www.fec.gov and http://www.thegreenpapers.com and clicked through to state General Election voter information pages. Here are the incumbent names, states and districts, and Democratic challengers. Thank you longship for the greepapers URL.

R Incumbent (State-District) ....... Democratic Challenger
Homepage

Mark Foley (FL-16) ..................... Tim Mahoney
http://www.timmahoneyforflorida.com

Rodney Alexander (LA-05) ......... Gloria Williams Hearn
NO WEBSITE LINK AT THEGREENPAPERS

John Shimkus (IL-19) .................. Danny Stover
http://www.stoverforcongress.us

Thomas Reynolds (NY-26) .......... Jack Davis
http://www.jackdavis.org

John A. Boehner (OH-08) ............ Mort Meier
http://www.victimsofjohnboehner.org

Denny Hastert (IL-14) ................. John Laesch
http://john06.com

Roy Blunt (MO-07) ..................... Jack Truman
http://trumanforcongress.tripod.com

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2266581 for the source of these names.