Progress Illinois

Here's GOP Rep. Peter Roskam, speaking about President Bush's legacy on WLS' Don Wade & Roma Morning Show yesterday morning:

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ROMA: By the way, will Bush ever get credit for being the most ocean-friendly, the most ecological president ever?

ROSKAM: Not in our lifetimes, but I’ve got a prediction: I think you know, it's going to be one of these Harry Truman look-backs in about 50 years. And at that point, history tends to look with more clarity on an administration. And there’s plenty to criticize, but let’s face it: he’s kept us safe since 9/11, he took on the challenge of Africa like no other president ever did, and you know Roma, the point you made also is on those key ecological questions, he really stepped up. And he got the tax question really, really soundly. So I think he’s going to be perceived kind of as a Harry Truman -- tough guy, stood his ground, and history tends to be good to those people. But it takes a while.

So much could be said ... but I think we'll just let this one speak for itself.

Last night, Rep. Jan Schakowsky made it clear that, if and when there is a special election to fill Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat, she'll be running.  From The Seminal:

At the end of her speech, Schakowsky threw her hat in the ring, announcing that she was “passing around a clipboard” for people to sign up to be on an organizing committee for her “Senate race, and a basket for donations will follow right behind.” The audience cheered.

As Josh recently remarked, it's hard to imagine a more qualified progressive candidate entering the race.

On the flip side, Rep. Mark Kirk isn't the only Illinois Republican who sees a political opportunity in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's arrest. Politico has this little nugget about sixth district Rep. Peter Roskam:

Kirk isn’t the only credible Illinois Republican mulling a Senate bid. A source close to Rep. Peter J. Roskam said the second-term congressman is also “very interested” in running for the Senate seat and wouldn’t automatically defer to Kirk. Roskam has a more conservative voting record than Kirk and has won election to a suburban Chicago seat during two rough election cycles for the GOP.

As we did yesterday with Kirk, here are some Roskam lowlights from the past year:

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When Reps. Peter Roskam and Mark Kirk convened a hearing in late November to contemplate possible solutions for the nation’s financial crisis, it seems they shared notes on the pros and cons of a potential auto industry bailout. Unfortunately, whatever talking points they exchanged weren’t very accurate.

In dispute is the false claim that the auto industry is struggling because the contracts negotiated by the United Auto Workers (UAW) are too generous. Kirk went on WLS’ Don Wade & Roma Morning Show claiming General Motor’s hourly labor cost is $78 per hour and some workers have a right to 120 days of vacation time, both of which are highly misleading figures. He then peddled the same $70-plus per hour figure on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight and in a mailer to supporters yesterday.

Roskam took it a step further, insinuating yesterday on Don Wade & Roma that some auto workers earned $75 an hour in wages alone. Listen here: 

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ROSKAM: Here’s what’s interesting. When you’re talking to members of Congress from southern states, and this is a very real concern that the Big Three have, they’re attitude is, look—and I’ve had conversations with people about this. I have a Nissan plant in my district in, I don’t know, Alabama or Georgia or wherever it is. My guys are making 40 bucks an hour. Why in the world am I going to vote in favor, as an Alabama member of Congress, for a bailout for guys that are making 75 bucks an hour? They would get eaten alive if they voted in favor of that, so …

ROMA: I think it’s just flat insane.

What’s actually insane is that the two Republican congressmen keep repeating incorrect statements.

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Don't be fooled by the bevy of McCain/Palin and Peter Roskam yard signs staked throughout the western suburbs, says Dawn Hall, a waitress from Lombard. 

The 49-year-old hit the polling place early this morning, in time to make her 7 a.m. shift at Granny's Diner. And, unlike years past, she wasn't alone in her determination to inject some blue into the Dupage County vote count.

"Even though DuPage County has been a Republican stronghold, I think there's enough disgust for the war and the economy that Democrats have a good chance this year," Hall said.

That's the sentiment that 6th District Democratic congressional candidate Jill Morgenthaler is banking on today.

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Hoping to survive an oncoming Democratic wave, John McCain and his Republican cohorts popularized a new campaign meme this past week -- the "dangerous threesome":

Referring to Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, House speaker, and Harry Reid, Senate majority leader, Mr. McCain told a rally in Cleveland, Ohio: "You know, my friends, this is a dangerous threesome. They believe that $1 trillion of rescue financing is not enough and have already proposed another $300bn spending spree they're calling a stimulus plan."

This idea that voting for Republican candidates will prevent the "threesome" from overreaching has trickled into some tight congressional races too, especially in districts where Obama is expected to fare well. GOP Rep. Peter Roskam, fearing a 14-point Obama landslide in the 6th District, warned of one-party rule on WLS' Don Wade & Roma In The Morning last Wednesday:

ROSKAM: My predecessor Henry Hyde had a great description for things. And he said, “There’s one thing worse than gridlock in Washington and the worse thing is the greased shoot of government.” And I think there’s a lot of wisdom there.  If government does things fast, without other voices, without other people raising issues and raising questions, it tends not to work out too well.

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With polls showing Barack Obama running way ahead of John McCain in the 6th Congressional District, GOP Rep. Peter Roskam is rightfully worried about his reelection chances.  As such, he recently created an "Obama Voters For Roskam" website that features a cherry-picked compliment from the Illinois Senator, as well as testimonials from Obama supporters in the district.  We learned this week that Roskam has also produced numerous mailers playing up his relationship with Obama in the hopes of picking off some local Democrats on Election Day.

It's surreal to see, particularly considering Roskam's full embrace of McCain at the Republican National Convention back in early September.  For instance, at one of the Illinois delegation breakfasts that week, Roskam gushed about McCain and the stakes in this election -- describing the choice between the two presidential candidates as "foundational." Roskam also asserted that McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate "was brilliant" and extolled her "centeredness" and "ease with which she communicated."  Progress Illinois was there in Minneapolis to capture Roskam's remarks.  Watch it:

I wonder if Roskam would repeat that "brilliant" claim today, with numerous polls showing that doubts about Palin's preparedness are dragging down the GOP ticket. 

Just minutes after interviewing GOP Rep. Peter Roskam's former boss -- Tom DeLay -- on Hardball last night, host Chris Matthews briefly reported that Roskam has launched a website intended to lure 6th District supporters of Barack Obama, which we noted on Tuesday.  Watch it:

Roll Call reported on Roskam's website today, under the headline: "Nervous Roskam Eyes Possible Ticket-Splitter."  The Sun-Times' Abdon Pallasch also devotes an article to the site, getting responses from Democratic challenger Jill Morgenthaler as well as the Obama campaign:

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In a recent fundraising appeal, GOP Rep. Peter Roskam noted Barack Obama's "14-point lead in his west suburban district," according to a report yesterday in Crain's.  The 6th District incumbent must be pretty scared because he's now launched an "Obama Voters For Roskam" website:

The site features a friendly 2004 quote from Obama -- who was Roskam's State Senate colleague at the time -- and includes testimonials from half a dozen 6th District residents. 

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Reporting on the 6th Congressional District race today, NBC 5's Mary Ann Ahern noted Democratic challenger Jill Morgenthaler's criticism of a comment made by GOP Rep. Peter Roskam at a recent editorial meeting.  Ahern reported that Roskam "would not talk about that abortion statement, refusing to clarify it or even discuss it today":

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GOP Rep. Peter Roskam, uncorked:

Morgenthaler, who vaulted over Roselle businessman Stan Jagla in the Democratic primary election with 77 percent of the vote, calls Roskam an "ideologue" because, for example, he opposes abortion even in the case of rape or incest. Citing the late Congressman Henry Hyde, who represented the 6th District for 16 terms until 2006, Roskam said people cannot be categorized by the way in which they were conceived and asked in the Pioneer Press interview why women can have abortions if rapists cannot be executed.

The late Henry Hyde would be awfully proud.

(H/T Capitol Fax)