Don't you think Peter Fitzgerald is laughing his ass off right now?

[Radical Activist]

After Hastert, LaHood and the GOP leadership encouraged someone to run against him in the primary and pushed him into early retirement. At least Fitzgerald would have had half a chance at running a competitive race for re-election. Now those assclowns are stuck with Keyes and don't have a chance in hell of beating Obama. suckers!

[IronLionZion]

1. If only the RNC were that incompetent n/t

[Cha]

2. You mean Fitzgerald was going to run again?

Who did they have against him in the primary?

Wasn't Fitzgerald rw enough for them?

Anyway, yes! I imagine he is just a little bit justified.

[Radical Activist]

5. Before Fitzgerald announced

whether he was going to run again or not Ray LaHood was openly calling for someone to run against him in the primary. He had very open feuds with Hastert as well. The Illinois GOP might have been better off had they put aside their differences and stuck with Peter. Too late now.

[Walt Starr]

3. This is the front line in a GOP civil war that has already begun

The Illinois GOP Senate choice was the First Bull Run of the GOP Civil War.

Sit back and enjoy. These fuckers are going to demolish themselves all over the country.

[Radical Activist]

4. I hope you're right

Parts of the Illinois GOP leadership have alwasy been more moderate than the conservative base. I'm not sure that split is as deep in other parts of the nation, but it would be nice to see that civil war.

[tcfrogs]

6. I suspect that Fitzgerald could be hanging in with Obama

in the polls. He at least has a record, despite the GOP acrimony about him.

Of course, this could have been a much different race with Fitzgerald...hell, maybe he'd have been facing Blair Hull. Might have been a cakewalk for the GOP in that case.

[KharmaTrain]

7. The Locals Are All Talking Voting Liberatarian

I'm in Fitzgerald's backyard. The local Repugs haven't been happy campers for quite some time. First was the sell-out by George Ryan on O'Hare (as well as Hastert). Fitzgerald was their hero/leader on this crusade and the combination of this sell-out and then Fitzgerald being dumped (they put the two together here) started the rumbling.

Next, they rallied around Steve Rauschenberger and his candidacy got the cold shoulder from both the state and national parties. This made things worse. Then when Jack Ryan (all these damn Ryans) bailed, they thought Rauschenberger was the only choice available and got stiffed again...this time by the national party forcing Keyes on everyone.

My neighbor, a loyal Repugnican, was lukewarm about supporting the party this year, including Bunnypants. He's been hit pretty hard in his pocketbook in recent years...a job change and most of his retirement/college money (just in time for the kids to go off while costs soar) was wiped out. He just can't vote Democratic, but I get a feeling he's even thinking out that option now.

Don't let the "unity" fool ya. This is a vain attempt at avoiding total embarassment as the GOOP had to get a candidate on the ballot in this big state...they couldn't let Obama go uncontested.

I haven't seen much activity by the local Bushbots...our area usually is canvassed by now. My neighbor hinted that I shouldn't "expect to be harassed as much this year"...by the local Repugnicans either as most either will be sitting this one out or working for third parties.

Yep, Fitzgerald his back to his cushy South Barrington estate and is laughing his ass off. No doubt he's still bitter for being sold out on O'Hare as that was the major reason he bought the Senate seat in the first place. He was never a "values" Conservative.