Gingrich to Headline [Ethan] Hastert Fundraiser

Illinois Review ^ | Friday, November 20, 2009 | Ethan Hastert

[BillyBoy]

Friday, November 20, 2009

GINGRICH TO HEADLINE HASTERT FUNDRAISER

from Ethan Hastert for Congress campaign

GENEVA, IL – Ethan Hastert will welcome Newt Gingrich to the 14th Congressional District on Friday, December 11, 2009 for a fundraising event at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, IL, to benefit the Ethan Hastert for Congress Campaign. The breakfast event will begin at 8:00 a.m.

“I am proud to welcome Speaker Newt Gingrich to the 14th Congressional District. Newt Gingrich lead the Republican Revolution in 1994, resulting in the first Republican majority in 40 years, said Hastert. “As Speaker, Newt Gingrich insisted on a smaller, smarter government with lower taxes and less spending to ease burdens on taxpayers and produce unprecedented economic and private sector job growth. We need exactly that kind of fiscal discipline today.”

“In addition to Speaker Gingrich’s support, we have the support of an impressive host committee and hundreds of small donors from around the District. I am humbled by all the support my campaign is receiving,” said Hastert

“Ethan Hastert has earned my support and my admiration. He validates my firm belief that with principled young leaders, our legacy is safe. Ethan Hastert will fight to restore our conservative values and make our country worthy of the America we inherited,” said former Speaker Newt Gingrich.

[BillyBoy]

If there's any more proof that Ethan Hastert is NOT the kinda change the 14th needs, look no further than the endorsement from Newt "Vote Scozzafava" Gingrich. Who else is tired of the old GOP guard protecting their own? If Ethan Hastert's name was Ethan Smith, no one would take his candidacy seriously. Average Education + No Experience + No Real Employment History = Congressman?? I don't think so. He's obviously being promoted by the bigwigs because his father was Speaker. Let's also consider his father's sudden resignation a few months before his final term was up (prompting an 11th hour special election to fill out the remainder of the term), and subsequent endorsement of Jim Oberweis in the GOP primary (who had lost 3-5 previous races depending on how you look at it) was a major factor in a Dem upset in this normally safe Republican district.

I'm supporting Senator Randy Hultgren for Congress , a proven conservative, and I hope my fellow freepers will do as well.

I bet Ethan Hastert never thought his fundraising annoucement would be used here to promote his opponent. Well, Ethan, you better learn quickly that Newt Gingrich is damaged goods.

[BillyBoy]

PING.

[dirtboy]

I take it Ethan Hastert is Danny Hastert’s son?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Yeah, Ethan is definitely a no-go. Way too many of our guys trying to hand their kids something for which they haven’t earned. Tauzin, Dick Armey, Hastert... I was a bit dubious about Duncan Hunter’s son, but he at least had some solid military experience and seems to be doing well so far. Hultgren has my endorsement here.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Yup.

[dirtboy]

Just what we need, more dynastic politics. Not.

[boycott]

Thanks but no thanks.

Newt has just about worn out his welcome. He sold out.

[Mobties]

They should hold the rally at the famous Fabian windmill on the Fox river just south of Geneva, IL. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4181535

I wonder if he’s bringing DeDe to throw her weight behind Hastert at the rally.

I’m looking forward to seeing photos of signs with pictures of Newt and Reveren’ Al and Newt and Nancy Pelosi.

[Racer1]

Can’t these Congress kid go out and find real jobs. For crying out loud!

[Enough is ENOUGH]

Will they show pictures of the Dennis Hastert “Porkway” that Speaker Hastert had built for him through the cornfields in central Illinois that “coincidentaly” increased the property value of his investment real estate? It has been dubbed, Denny Haster’s Retirement Plan.

http://austinmayor.blogspot.com/2006/06/prairie-porkway-denny-hasterts.html

[LiberConservative]

The more things change ...

[Charlemagne on the Fox]

Will they show pictures of the Dennis Hastert “Porkway” that Speaker Hastert had built for him through the cornfields in central Illinois that “coincidentaly” increased the property value of his investment real estate? It has been dubbed, Denny Haster’s Retirement Plan.

It's NORTH central Illinois, to be a bit more precise. You are correct in the rest . . .

[Kakaze]

Newt, buy a big screen get a beer, watch a game................step away.

[bicyclerepair]

Newt crawl back under the rock where lizards go.

[manic4organic]

Newt’s endorsement should be viewed as the kiss of death for any true Conservative candidate.

[Enough is ENOUGH]

Central to me as I used to take the 47 to school from Barrington. Everything’s relative, they say.

[Sans-Culotte]

Enough with the dynasties already...

[Impy]

Newt? Backing the worse of the 2 main candidates? What a complete and total shock! I’m so flabbergasted right now I can hardly type.

[Raider Sam]

Current Senators who had relatives in Major Offices:

Mark Begich (D-Ak)
Lisa Murkowski (R-Ak)
Jon Kyl (R-Az)
Mark Pryor (D-Ar)
Mark Udall (D-Co)
Michael Bennett (D-Co)
Chris Dodd (D-Ct)
Evan Bayh (D-In)
Pat Roberts (R-Ks)
Mary Landrieu (D-La)
Paul Kirk (D-Ma)
John Kerry (D-Ma)
Claire McCaskill (D-Mo)
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Kristin Gillibrand (D-NY)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Bob Casey (D-Pa)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tx)
Bob Bennett (R-Ut)
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

I am sure there are more, I just pulled these from the first few paragraphs in there wiki files. An empirical study suggests 16/22 “Dynastic” Senators are dems. Of the Reps, most would only count Roberts and occasionally Kyl a “conservative.”

I wont say a federal dynasty enhances the chances of corruption, heavy tax/spend policies, and arrogance, but the data suggests there is a correlation.

[fieldmarshaldj]

You’d have to go over those to see who technically benefitted from the relatives in getting their current job, which I’ll take a look at.

Mark Begich (D-Ak) — His father was a Congressman (1971-73, died along with Hale Boggs, the House Majority Leader, while in office). Later won the Anchorage Mayorship decades later, no real nepotism here directly.

Lisa Murkowski (R-Ak) — Her father was the sitting Governor, she was a state legislator and he appointed her to his vacated Senate seat

Jon Kyl (R-Az) — His father was an Iowa Congressman until the 1970s, so didn’t technically benefit since he was in another state

Mark Pryor (D-Ar) — His father had been the Senator in the same seat (1979-97), but Mark went for statewide office (Atty Gen) before the Senate, he beat the GOP incumbent in ‘02

Mark Udall (D-Co) — He was related to no fewer than 4 federal officeholders, his cousin in New Mexico (Tom), their distant cousin was fmr. OR Sen. Gordon Smith (R), both Tom and Mark’s fathers were Congressmen from Arizona, so neither technically inherited their offices since they went to adjacent states

Michael Bennet (D-Co) — He’s not related to any prior federal officeholder

Chris Dodd (D-Ct) — Father was Senator Thomas Dodd (1959-71), he won a House seat 4 years after his father’s defeat (very similar to Al Gore in TN), likely due to his father’s name

Evan Bayh (D-In) — Father was Sen. Birch Bayh (1963-81), he won the Governorship 8 years after his father’s defeat by Dan Quayle, then the Senate seat his father once occupied starting in 1999.

Pat Roberts (R-Ks) - His father was an interim Chairman of the RNC way back in the ‘50s, so Pat Roberts more or less earned his offices (first won the House in 1980, and then the Senate in ‘96), so I wouldn’t accuse him of nepotism

Mary Landrieu (D-La) — Father was the last White Mayor of New Orleans and later Carter’s HUD Secretary. She won statewide office way back in 1987 and swapped it for the Senate seat a decade later. Her brother is the LA Lt Governor. I would say both benefitted from the father.

Paul Kirk (D-Ma) — His father was a MA Judge, but he himself never won office (outside of a stint as the DNC Chairman in the ‘80s). He got the Senate appointment because he was close to the Kennedy family, but not related. Nepotism wasn’t an issue here.

John Kerry (D-Ma) — He’s not related to any former federal officeholder (unless you count his wife having been married to Sen. John Heinz of PA)

Claire McCaskill (D-Mo) — Also not related to anyone of prominence.

Judd Gregg (R-NH) — Father was a one-term Governor of NH in the ‘50s, though was a well-respected figure in the state until his death this decade. Some consider his career (having served in the House, then Governorship, then Senate) partly due to his father, although it was more than a quarter-century after his father held office.

Tom Udall (D-NM) — See Mark Udall

Kristin Gillibrand (D-NY) — Although from a local political family, none of them were prominent elected officials

Kent Conrad (D-ND) — His first wife was the sister of the former GOP Governor, but other than that, that certainly wouldn’t have benefitted him much (what did was his previously holding influential office in the state, along with Byron Dorgan)

Bob Casey (D-Pa) — Clearly benefitted from sharing the same name as his revered father, the former stridently pro-life Democrat Governor.

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) — His father and grandfather were Ambassadors, though never held elective office. Pretty much won office of his own accord (and had held prior statewide office).

Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tx) — She was married to a lesser political figure, however she won office before she married him, so it had little impact.

Bob Bennett (R-Ut) — Son of former Senator Wallace Bennett (1951-74), but he waited 18 years to take his father’s seat. How much impact that had may be questionable.

Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) — Jay was actually the first of his family to run as a Democrat. All the others were Republicans, his uncle Nelson (Governor of NY, 1959-73 and Vice-President 1974-77), his uncle Winthrop (Governor of Arkansas, 1967-71), cousin Win Paul (Lt Governor of Arkansas, 1996-2006, now deceased), and his father-in-law, IL RINO Sen. Chuck Percy. Jay used his wealth, not because of any political relatives in the state (since there were no other Rockefellers in WV politics, he just chose a state he could try to buy, and went there and did so. He was following what his uncle Winthrop did in AR, where there was no real Republican party at the time he moved there).

So, of those 22, really just Murkowski of Alaska specifically and blatantly benefitted from nepotism (father appointing her), the rest either from money or connections or peripheral links to other famous relatives.