GOP moderates lukewarm on Keyes choice
ILLINOIS: Ryan's replacement for Senate candidate doesn't live Illinois, viewed as very conservative.
BY MAURA KELLY LANNAN
Associated Press Writer
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, August 6, 2004 12:28 AM CDT
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CHICAGO (AP) -- U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert offered a lukewarm endorsement of Alan Keyes on Thursday, as other moderate Republican leaders questioned whether Keyes' ultraconservative views would play well in Illinois if he became the party's U.S. Senate candidate.
State GOP leaders asked Keyes, who doesn't even live in Illinois, to make the run late Wednesday after spending weeks searching for a replacement for primary winner Jack Ryan.
Hastert compared the selection process to having a football team ready to hit the field and discovering the running back can't play.
"I spent the last four weeks interviewing people who actually ran in the primary, people who had good name recognition, even Mike Ditka, and tried to find somebody to take that spot. But either old age, bad health or not enough money kept those people" from agreeing, Hastert said during a taping of WBBM's "At Issue."
The House speaker said he would support whomever the party chose to go up against Democratic powerhouse Barack Obama, but he said his focus would be on helping Republicans win House seats in other states.
Ok Dane, do you live in Illinois? I have supported Keyes for years and am active in the Chicago chapter.
BUT YOU would rather name call than check out your facts.
I spent Tuesday downtown at the Union League Club from 11 am until 7 pm with other folks to wait on a candidate.
You have no idea who I am but take things personally like I am attacking you. Grow up. If you are unaware of what is going on in Illinois, the Republican party rented out the club and wanted all the Republican voters thrown out of the club. Our Republican committee has been held hostage by RINO's who want nothing more to have Keyes to lose. Wake up!!!
I am not your oposition!! Alot of the Republicans in leadership in Illinois are your enemies.
Get your facts straight BEFORE YOU NAME CALL!!!
See above!
Are you saying then that the Illinois GOP leadership has a) written off the election and b) deliberately cast about for a conservative to take the fall?
1. Was Jack Ryan the victim of a dirty trick? Or of a timely revelation of a character flaw? (I personally think the latter, but your'e up there, so you tell me.)
2. If it was a dirty trick, who was behind it? If not, never mind.
3. If the Illinois GOP decided on a conservative fall guy, who called Keyes's name? Was it someone in the national GOP? Someone like George W. Bush, the great Conservative-Terminator?
And read the link in reply #90 before you spew AP propaganda. The headline in your reply #93 is misleading at best.
Hastert offered his support and hasn't backstabeed Keyes in any way.
So get off your knee jerk canard and actually learn how to read.