A Fundraiser Gets Taken to the Mat

CQ Politics ^ | March 18, 2010 | Greg Giroux

[geniusbyosmosis]

Republican Jim Gibbons, a former college wrestling coach who is challenging Democratic Rep. Leonard L. Boswell , held a fundraiser with former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) that some of Gibbons’ opponents say is evidence that he is the choice of GOP political insiders.

Gibbons’ campaign said that Hastert, a wrestling enthusiast who represented a district in neighboring Illinois from 1987 through 2006, helped Gibbons raise money from more than 100 people who either attended the event or contributed beforehand. Gibbons’ campaign declined to say how much it raised from the event, which was held at the Des Moines home of former Rep. Greg Ganske (R-Iowa).

“Speaker Hastert made some comments about his experience coming into politics as a teacher and wrestling coach and why our country needs tough-minded people like Jim Gibbons to tackle the problems that this country faces,” Brian Chatwin, Gibbons’ campaign manager, said in an e-mail to CQ Politics.

But Hastert’s backing of Gibbons came under fire from David Funk, a pilot who is one of four other Republicans in the race. As the Iowa political blog Bleeding Heartland noted, Funk said on his Web site that Hastert was “the ‘earmark king’ of the Republican Party. And now Jim Gibbons has aligned himself with Dennis Hastert and the very philosophy and actions that resulted in our party losing control of Congress, the Senate and the White House.”

State Sen. Brad Zaun was less direct in a Wednesday statement that in part said, “some of the candidates in this primary are worried about earning the favor of the powerbrokers on Capitol Hill.”

Gibbons, who has raised far more money than any other Republican candidate, has also received fundraising help from Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.)

Also seeking the Republican nomination are Mark Rees, a retired architect; Pat Bertroche, a psychiatrist; and Scott Batcher.

The filing deadline is Friday and the primary election is June 8.

Boswell is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

[geniusbyosmosis]

It would have been one thing for Gibbons to get a contribution from Hastert, but to align with someone that pocketed millions of dollars for himself and close friends via earmarks is not what we need.

[annieokie]

An endorsement from Hastert would be a kiss of death for me, after he pocketed from those earmarks. We don’t need any more of this type of crook.

[q_an_a]

Hastert and Delay the men who killed the republican party - using the ideas of Jack Kemp. Yes Jack liked low taxes but he never meant a governemt programs he did not like.

[annieokie]

I do remember, how did we let this happen? Trusting for the best, and keeping our noses to the grind stone hoping those we elected would do the job right, that's how.

We were all too busy working to keep up with what they were doing to us, and not believing until it was too late, also we did not have a force as the Tea Party.

It has been said "What are we going to tell our children and grandchildren?", I honestly don't know. I trained mine well and they hate what is happening. They voted the right way, they all have great jobs, they pay their way and don't cheat the system. Now, what is their future?

[Leisler]

Coach Fatso Dennis Hastert, the longest serving, most useless Speaker every.

[q_an_a]

You are so right and that is the problem - a few people got their spin doctors working to make us believe they would be fiscal and social conservatives. Waht they did was take our money give it to THEIR friends and then tell us they are better than the other side...we bought it. Suckers. But the TEA Party program will keep up the pressure this time around. I hope.