As a newcomer to the political scene in IL-14, Bill Foster, more than most, has had to spend time telling voters his "story," has had to spend time, and a lot of money, introducing himself to a community he had been a stranger to until he moved back to the district from Washington, D.C., a month or so after he announced he would be a candidate for Congress back in Illinois. From the beginning, his story has been based upon the notion that he has a track record as a "successful businessman and accomplished scientist" that spoke to his abilities as a problem solver, and that he would be able to build upon that prior experience to become a successful problem solver as a politician, too. "Businessman, Scientist, Democrat for Change," as one of his campaign slogans puts it.

Lost in the media frenzy surrounding the breaking news of the Mark Foley scandal was the story that internet gambling prohibition, a piece of the so-called "American Values Agenda" that Dennis Hastert and the House Republicans have been promoting this election season, had been signed into law that same day. Along with the bills included in their"suburban agenda" (you remember, that's the one where they stressed their commitment to protecting kids from internet predators) the measures incorporated into the American Values Agenda were designed to rally the Republican base by billboarding the party's allegiance to conservative values. Regarding the internet gambling legislation in particular, Hastert said, "It seeks to protect our children from gambling sites at home, keep our hard-earned money in the bank, and put the criminals that seek to take advantage of our family earnings in jail." But if, by chance, any of that rhetoric gave you the impression that Dennis Hastert was seriously concerned about such things, or that he was in any fundamental way an opponent of the gaming industry, I've got a tip for you. Don't bet on it.