Free Republic

Last night Democratic candidate Francine Busby failed to reach the 50% + 1 mark in her quest to take the seat formerly held by Republican Duke Cunningham. She finished in the low- to mid-40's.Judging by the early reports on the election, the media is going to spin this as a good development for the Democrats in their quest to take the House. I could not disagree more.The election will go to a June runoff, but this seems to me to have been the Democrats' only real chance at this seat. GOP candidates pulled in a majority of the vote...

The speaker's inner circle is a political money-raising machine that provides a window on the way Washington worksWASHINGTON -- In his first campaign for the Illinois legislature nearly a quarter-century ago, Dennis Hastert had a problem. He had plenty of campaign posters, but no wooden stakes to make yard signs. His friend Dan Mattoon had the solution. Mattoon knew where former Rep. Tom Corcoran kept hundreds of wooden stakes and, as lore has it, he took them for Hastert without bothering to tell Corcoran. Since that time, Mattoon, 52, now one of Washington's most powerful lobbyists, and Hastert (R-Ill.), 63,...

Leading suburban Republicans said Tuesday the decision by veteran GOP U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde to not seek re-election next year could result in a torrent of candidates vying to replace him and create a potentially costly primary contest for a seat that Democrats are likely to aggressively target. Patrick Durante, a longtime Hyde aide who also is head of the Addison Township Republican organization, estimated a hard-fought primary contest in the 6th Congressional District could cost a contender $1 million or more to gain the name recognition and support necessary to win in March. And for some of the candidates...

U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde, the Illinois Republican who steered the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton and championed government restrictions on abortion funding, announced Monday that he will retire when his term ends in 2006. Hyde, who serves as chairman of the House International Relations Committee, made the announcement on his Web site on his 81st birthday. He was first elected to the House in 1974 from his Bensenville district near O’Hare International Airport. Hyde also serves on the House Judiciary Committee, which he chaired from 1995 to 2001. Aides to Hyde did not return phone calls seeking comment Monday. Andrew...