You've head it over and over from Republicans:  "the government should be run like a business". If you've had any run-ins with insurance companies, that ought to make you shudder.

Well, one consequence of this "run like a business stuff" is some of the military policies, which reads something like this: "spend as little on the troops as possible".  Here is one example:  sometimes when a soldier is injured in battle, he/she is eventually discharged.  But sometimes the injury (mental or physical) is reclassified as pre-existing so as to enable the Army to recover things like enlistment bonuses!  More below the fold...

Especially in Illinois, GOP House candidates evidently know which way the wind is blowing.

Steve Shearer, campaign manager to Republican candidate Aaron Schock, would have you believe that his man is the Obama of the race. In attacking Democrat Colleen Callahan, Shearer actually said:

Shearer said Schock is like Obama in that he represents change and people are inspired by him. Callahan, he said, is showing she’s more of a Hillary Clinton supporter.

"This is a Hillary Clinton, throw-the-kitchen-sink blistering negative attack playbook that Sen. Obama has railed against as the broken part of politics right now. Is (Callahan) running because she has a vision for what this country should be or is she nitpicking on Aaron and constantly being nasty?"

So, let me get this straight.

Aaron Schock is an anti-choice, Bush-loving neocon who thinks selling nuclear weapons to Taiwan is a swell idea, and proudly trumpets the historic achievements of the Gingrich Congress on his website.

Yeah, sounds just like Obama to me.

For the record, what was so kitchen-sinky about Callahan's campaign? Apparently, she posted on her blog that President Bush was doing a fundraiser for Schock, and aligning oneself with this horrendous administration didn't sound like "change" to her.

Imagine that.

(H/T: ProgressIllinois).

Cross posted at Prairie State Blue.

Some time ago, I (and others) wrote about the Republican nominee for the IL-18 Congressional district, Aaron Schock, bringing in The Decider for a fundraiser.  Though Bush's approval ratings are dismal, he is still popular with Big Money and this fundraiser is expected to generate up to $700,000 for Mr. Schock.  

Well, Colleen Callahan decided to answer back...  

Normally, the IL-18 Congressional district would be a safe seat for the Republicans.  It has been in Republican hands since World War I times and they now have "boy wonder" Aaron Schock running.

Schock made news for taking the Illinois 92'nd House seat away from a Democrat (in 2004) in a district that John Kerry won easily.  

But Schock has made some blunders and the race now appears to be competitive.

More below the fold

It doesn't seem to have hit too many radars yet, but I really think the race in Illinois Congressional District 18 is gonna be tight! This is a district that has been Republican held since the 1940s, as I diaried the other day, going back as far as I could research without taking too much time out of my workday. Since 1949 at least.

Jane Harman in CA-36 and her SecureUS PAC is hosting a fundraiser for several "moderate-style Democrats who have an interest in national security issues." I have to give the hat tip to a local blogger on this one, Peoria Pundit broke this story to me.

Though click hereif you want it from the horse's mouth, and that would be PolitickerCA.

Red to blue, my friend, red to blue for IL 18.

Hello everyone! Before I get to the substance of this diary, I'd like to introduce myself quickly. My name is Benjamin Haskin (Ben, preferably) and I am 20 years old. I'm born, raised, and currently reside in Chautauqua County, New York (born in the city of Jamestown, moved to the county seat of Mayville, which
I still consider home, after kindergarten). I graduated from Chautauqua Lake Central School (CLCS) in 2006 in the top ten of my class (7th), but not the top ten percent (alas, only 63 students in the Class of '06), which is one of my biggest regrets in life. My parents, both lifelong Democrats and teachers (mom, Judy-kindergarten, formerly special ed in the Jamestown school system; dad, Brian- special ed/computers at CLCS) have served as inspirations to me politically and personally, and have both played major roles in me developing into the ardent Dem I am today. I am a lifelong history buff (read through a middle school text book in 1st grade) and (CONFESSION ALERT) due to this aspired to be a Republican until Age 8, as Ulysses (in all fairness it's a rad name) S. Grant was my favorite President for a very short time. But by 9 I had learned to reason and my transition from the Dark Side was complete.

This is number three in a planned series of 50 entries between now and November, looking at each of the 50 states in terms of every race on that state's ticket--Presidential, Gubernatorial, Senate, House, State legislatures--the whole salad. Special attention paid to identifying and promoting the most important contests per state.

This time, we turn to our nominee for President’s home state: ILLINOIS.

Colleen Callahan, a well known agriculture reporter in Central Illinois, announced yesterday her intentions to run for US House of Representatives in Illinois' 18th District. It's a funky district, jerrymandered, of course, like all districts in Illinois - though this was done to help Republicans and it's worked for a long damn time. The seat has been held by a Republican for 60-some years now, the most recent 22 of those by "Uncle Ray" LaHood - one of the best at bringing home Federal bacon. His predecessor and mentor, Bob Michel, held the seat from 1956 until 1995, 39 freakin' years! That I can tell, it's never been held by a woman. But given Bill Foster's pick up of Denny Hastert's long time Republican district this past Saturday - I'd say Colleen (pronouced Co-lean, co with a long o) has a damn good chance!

Needless to say, that quote wasn't from me.  It was made by someone running for the IL-18'th Congressional seat in the Republican primary, who was speaking at the Peoria (IL) North Rotary Club Luncheon.

Since there is no D running and this district has been red for over 100 years, the primary election IS the race itself.

Obviously, this quote isn't surprising, but I am going to try to make a point below the fold.

I'll proceed to describe my entrance into the "Lion's Den", so to speak.

I am all for running everywhere, and the 50 state strategy.

But neither we nor the Republicans are running everywhere (at least not yet!) In this series, I will look at where we are not running (I am not going to look at where Republicans are not running, as I have no desire to help Republicans, however modestly)

This diary is partly inspired by the great work done by BENAWU.

crossposted to swingstateproject

Yesterday Dick Versace dropped out of the race. As the only Democrat running he was a lock.

The question is "What Now?"

Republican's have held the IL 18th since 1917. While that sounds bad I spent the day with family in the 18th today and I can tell you that everyone of them, all Republicans want CHANGE.

I believe it likely that our candidate will face Aaron Schock who would sell  NUCLEAR WEAPONS to other nations.

This is could win seat.

So what's next

Hello DNC???? Central IL calling........HELLO???

I sure hope the DNC is watching us in Central IL today.

As of today there is not Democratic canidate for 18th Congressional District as Dick Versace has dropped out of the race for Personal reasons. This is Ray LaHood's seat which is open as he is retiring.

Versace is doing one thing I have NEVER seen anyone else do.....Return ALL the money.

Operation Yellow Elephant meets Outer Space Newt Gingrich in IL-18, where 26 year old Republican wunderkind Aaron Schock is running for Congress on the "Say Anything You Want About Foreign Policy, Since Nobody Checks Anyway" platform. ArchPundit cites the Springfield Journal-Register's Bernard Schoenburg:

In particular, Schock’s plan to offer nuclear arms to Taiwan if China doesn’t go along with U.S. policy toward Iran seemed odd to me.

An international relations expert I checked with agreed, saying that idea not only shows "incredible naivete," but, if carried out, probably would lead to war between China and Taiwan.

Shock, a Peoria Republican, at 26, is the youngest member of the Illinois General Assembly. He also is one of the three Republican candidates to replace retiring U.S. Rep. RAY LaHOOD, R-Peoria, in Illinois’ 18th Congressional District. Schock made his intentions official Oct. 27 with events in Peoria Heights and Springfield.

Uh, yeah. "Odd" is an OK word for that plan, sure. What's the motivation, exactly?

In regard to Taiwan, Schock said the U.S. should put more pressure on China and Russia to go along with tougher economic sanctions against Iran.

"If China continues to be irresponsible about nuclear proliferation in Iran, we should tell them that if they do not care about proliferation — and since they are enablers of it in Iran — that if they don’t change their position, we will sell Pershing nuclear missiles to Taiwan for their defense."

"Non-proliferation will either be enforced universally or not at all — it is their choice," Schock continued. "The Chinese will come around, I have no doubt."

That's the experience of college plus four years talking, baby.

What advice has Master Schock got for the rest of the world's hot spots?

In his speech, he noted that President RONALD REAGAN came to the aid of such rebel groups as the Contras in Nicaragua and the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan. Schock said Reagan also provided freedom movements such as Solidarity in Poland "with CIA training in organizing, and all the equipment necessary to function."

"Any freedom movement in a totalitarian country faces enormous difficulty in organizing against the unlimited resources of a ruthless state," Schock said in the speech. "Those freedom movements need help from free nations. In Congress, I will advocate for them.

Schock said he would propose spending the same amount to support "freedom fighters inside Iran" as Iran gives Hezbollah in Lebanon each year

"Let’s turn the tables," Schock said.

That Mujahadeen thing really worked out great, too. And what could be smarter for a Republican than to tie Iran policy and Contra policy back together again in a single plan? Though to be fair, it must be pointed out that Schock literally was in diapers when all this went down last time.

Your next generation of Republican foreign policy geniuses, ladies and gentlemen. Elect a Republican president in 2008, and this dope will be Undersecretary of State for Poking It With a Stick and Seeing What Happens.

What was quite a logjam, an incredibly dull period in news on congressional races, has become a flood. Every week some long-time GOPer announces his or her retirement and a top-tier Dem jumps in, increasing prospects for enlarged majorities in both houses. The news is getting so overwhelming that House races now have to be split three ways: open seats, vulnerable GOP incumbents, vulnerable Dem incumbents. So from now, my sporadic rundowns will be split that way. I think.

Now be forewarned: this is a quickie, and so will not be as fleshed-out as my diaries back in the Good Old Days. But I'm trying to rapidly go through all the open seats, and it's getting more daunting every time I check.

Anyway, keep reading...

Jerry Weller (R-Guatemala) recently announced that he will not run for re-election.  

The word on the street has been that EMILY's List, amongst others, have been working hard on recruiting a top tier candidate to run for this now-open seat.

They got their woman:  Debbie Halvorson is in!!!!

Halvorson is the Illinois State Senate Majority Leader (the #2 person in the State Senate, after the Senate President), and is a solid progressive.

The republicans have been struggling to

Big news from the Land of Lincoln today.  As was rumored, Jerry Weller (R-Guatemala) announced that he will NOT run for re-election.

Former Bradley and Indiana Pacers Head Coach Dick Versace also announced he will run for Ray LaHood's seat.  

And Jerry Weller's staff decided to beat up a couple of reporters at the event where Weller announced his retirement.

With five incumbents already calling it quits, speculation is turning toward who could be next for the demoralized and underfunded House Republican minority.

Topping retirement watch lists is 18-term Ohio Rep. Ralph Regula, who at 82 is the second-oldest member of the House. Regula, who represents the 16th District in and around Canton, has filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that would give him the option to seek re-election if he so chose. Regula has not announced a decision about his political plans.

Regula did say in a recent local radio interview that Ohio was trending Democratic these days and that it was unlikely that the House Republicans would regain the majority anytime soon.

Candidates already are lining up in Regula’s district. The presumptive Democratic nominee is state Sen. John Boccieri, who would give the congressman a tough race if Regula chose to run. State Sen. Kirk Schuring and county commissioner Matt Miller, who took 42 percent against Regula in the 2006 Republican primary, are preparing to seek the Republican nomination.

Another potential Republican retiree is three-term Arizona Rep. Rick Renzi, who has battled questions about his ethical behavior. Renzi has denied wrongdoing, but his likelihood of strong Democratic opposition and his meager campaign treasury — he had $20,000 in his campaign account as July began, far less than at a similar point two years ago — have stoked speculation that he may not seek re-election in 2008.

Should Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner choose to retire, Rep. Thomas M. Davis III is expected to run for Warner’s seat and leave open a politically competitive district in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. Davis’ 11th District was redrawn before the 2002 election to have a more Republican orientation, but recent Democratic gains in northern Virginia — including the 2006 election of Democrat Jim Webb over Republican Sen. George Allen — would ensure a highly competitive race if Davis runs for the Senate and does not seek an eighth term.

The DCCC also is prodding other Republican incumbents to retire by airing radio ads during the August recess that criticize their voting records. They include New Jersey Rep. H. James Saxton, 64, and Florida Rep. C.W. Bill Young, 76, who have been overwhelmingly re-elected but whose districts voted only marginally Republican for president in 2004.

So far, the only two Democrats to quit the House are Colorado's Mark Udall and Maine's Tom Allen -- both of them seeking promotions to the Senate. Republicans are losing Dennis Hastert in IL-14, Ohio's Deborah Pryce in OH-15 (perhaps our top pickup opportunity with Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy), Charles Pickering in MS-03, Duncan Hunter in CA-52, and Roy Lahood in IL-18.

James L over at Swing State Project has listed more retirement possibilities. And given the poor prospects of retaking the House anytime soon, and the fact that the NRCC trails their Democratic counterparts by tens of millions of dollars (with a negative bank balance), there is little reason for many Republicans to stick around.

One of the trends that allowed Republicans to enjoy a huge wave election in 1994 was the retirement of several Democratic incumbents from the House and Senate that year.  Even in districts where Democrats retained the open seats, the party had to expend finite resources that couldn't be used elsewhere.  Rumors of similar retirements on the Republican side this cycle are strong; in recent days Robert Novak has floated the rumor that Denny Hastert would step down, and Ohio Rep. Ralph Regula gave an interview this week that strongly inferred he would retire.

Yesterday MrLiberal wrote a diary alerting us that Peoria Rep. Ray LaHood might announce his retirement today.  Rich Miller now confirms that Ray LaHood is leaving the House.  More on his announcement after the jump.