Word is leaking out that Dennis Hastert will announce his retirement on Friday. There are even some rumors that he will not fill-out his term.
The expected retirement of former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert from Illinois’ 14th District will serve as a test of Republican strength in predominantly suburban and exurban districts that have long been GOP bailiwicks.
On paper at least, Republicans will be favored to retain the 14th, which includes exurbs west of Chicago and rural communities farther west. President Bush took 55 percent of the vote in the district in 2004, and Hastert won re-election to an 11th term last fall with 59.8 percent of the vote. Still, that was his lowest vote share since he first captured the seat in 1986 with 52 percent of the vote.
Whether or not the Democrats take over this seat, the departure of Hastert nearly completes the job of ridding the Congress of the Republican’s political leadership during the Bush/Rove era. With Frist, Santorum, DeLay, and Hastert gone, only Mitch McConnell will remain. And he may not survice the ’08 election. In fact, I predict he won’t survive it.
It will be interesting to see if Trent Lott resumes his leadership position, or if some other Republican will rise to the top.
This is another legacy of Rove. Total decimation of the party.