I wouldn't say straight out we "knew" he (Phil Crane) was going to lose in '04, but that he was in enough trouble that he should step aside. Hopefully Ms. Bean's fluke win will be a one-term aberration.
Once a Rat gets in under these circumstances, he or she stays in. We have to keep them out.
Tennessee might not have known it but 99% of Republican workers in Crane's 8th did know it. Many of us spoke up loudly about it. At McSweeney's fundraiser that featured Hastert years ago numerous people told it directly to Hastert while they were having their photos taken with him. I heard them while I was standing in line for my photo with him... and of course I told Hastert the truth directly in that photo shot. That Hastert featured the McSweeney fundraiser implied that he had heard the cry from the voters in the district, although he never explicitly said so. But then later Hastert chased McSweeney out of the race and cleared the field for a suicide run by Crane.
Crane aside, the Illinois GOP has been divided over corruption: Half the GOP pro-corruption, half the GOP anti-corruption. Nobody had the heart to oppose Hastert on Crane and create another split in the party that would cloud the two factions fighting over corruption.