I always wanted to find an excuse to use breaking in a diary title.
This will be a brief diary, that I may add to as the evening progresses, but Roll Call is reporting that Dennis Hastert will announce his resignation (effective "later this year") tomorrow, Thursday, setting up a special election here in IL-14.
I haven't spoken to John Laesch this evening yet, but just gave this news to our campaign manager.
This has been rumored for a long time, but this seems so definite as to time, etc, that it is hard to believe it is not so, despite the shaky sourcing.
We'll have a lot of work ahead of us to get ready for a special election before February 5, so please do lend your support if you can.
UPDATE: Just wanted to mention that as andgarden points out in the comments, the announcement may come tomorrow, but the report is the resignation itself will be effective later this year.
UPDATE II: Several people have requested the ActBlue link for John Laesch in the comments, but since Klondike just requested it with an offer to pick up the first round of virtual drinks, I thought it was high time I put the link in the diary. Here it is.
UPDATE III: CBS 2 Chicago is now reporting that, while Hastert will be resigning effective the end of the year, his announcement (originally planned for tomorrow) has been postponed. Since the story is all over the place now, that seems rather strange, but somehow I would not be too surprised at Hastert jerking around - just one more time - all the voters he has (non)represented for all these years
Lisa Bennett
aka Downtowner
blogging for John Laesch
Crossposted on OpenLeft