According to the Daily Herald, Hyde will make his decision by Spring.
http://www.dailyherald.com/search/main_story.asp?intid=3839448
Given that this could be the last go-around for Hyde - who was in the national spotlight leading the House lawyers during President Clinton's 1999 impeachment trial - the buzz in political circles has been that he'll step down early to help his party avoid a messy primary. Hyde dispelled that notion.
"First of all, there's no reason for me to retire. I'm certainly capable of doing my job," said Hyde, who maintains a full schedule but does need assistance to get around. "Secondly, I enjoy it too much. Thirdly, I have a lot of employees I have to consider, too. I was elected for two years, and I'm going to serve for two years.
He says he won't retire mid-term, but it really sounds like his health is not cooperating. There's no mention in the article of his being offered the position of ambassador to the Vatican, though.
Last night I attended a Progressive Grassroots meeting in Wrigleyville, where Christine Cegelis was a guest speaker. What she needs now most of all is financial support. She gave props to Kos readers and all the support that came from here before the November election, and I hope we can continue to help her out. She's got a bat on her site - 100K by Independence Day --
http://www.partyhostcenter.com/cegelisforcongress/index.cfm
...but if Hyde retires early (Sure he says he won't, but it's HYDE, remember?), she's going to need a lot more than that.
This seat is winnable, whether it's this year or next, but not without financial support.
Can we hit the bat? It's payday, right?