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To: fieldmarshaldj
ouldn't say straight out we "knew" he (Phil Crane) was going to lose in '04

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.

14 posted on 07/06/2005 11:24:07 AM PDT by NormalGuy
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To: NormalGuy
"Tennessee might not have known it but 99% of Republican workers in Crane's 8th did know it."

Don't criticize my locale, I've been told I know far more far about non-Tennessee politics than my own backyard. As one who knows about the demographics of the district, even with a candidate like Crane, it was still likely to reelect him, but by a nailbiting margin. I however agree that he should've stepped down prior to the election for that reason alone.

"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."

That is the preeminent problem with the state party, indeed (though it also similarly plagues other states, most notably New Jersey). It will take someone with considerable intestinal fortitude to clean up the problem, but it's sad to see good people like Pete Fitzgerald chased off by trash henchmen like LaHood to preserve the status quo. I mean, how can we bash the 'Rats and their inherent corruption when we can't even rid ourselves of the same stench ?

16 posted on 07/06/2005 3:56:10 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (*"Justice" is French for Getting Screwed By Liberals*)
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