Dems looking to keep Hastert's old seat
WASHINGTON -- Bill Foster hasn't been in Congress long, but he's got something his opponent doesn't: a voting record.
That could be an asset and a liability as the Democrat tries to hold onto a seat previously held for 21 years by Republican Rep. Dennis Hastert -- and one the GOP would dearly love to regain. Foster, a Harvard-educated physicist, won the seat in a March special election to fill the remainder of Hastert's term after the longtime House speaker retired early.
His opponent in that election, businessman Jim Oberweis, is challenging him again in November for the chance to serve a full two-year term in the district that stretches from the far-western Chicago suburbs almost to the Mississippi River.
Foster hopes he's been able to win the confidence of voters in the 14th district during his short tenure in Washington, calling himself a political independent who looks at issues in a fact-based way.
In March, he was one of only 16 Democrats to vote against the proposed Democratic budget narrowly approved by the House. In late September, he supported the $700 billion economic bailout that the House narrowly rejected and that Oberweis said afterward he did not back, either.
"I think one of the differences between the special election and this election is that most people have a much better idea of who I am," said Foster, of Geneva. "They have a very good idea of Jim Oberweis because he's run and lost many times in the past."
Oberweis, of Sugar Grove, perhaps best known for his family's dairy and his investment management business, twice ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate and once for Illinois governor.
But his loss in the special election, in which Foster got 53 percent of the vote, was an especially hard blow because the district had leaned Republican for so long and Oberweis had Hastert's early endorsement. The election also represented an early national test of GOP strength as the party looked for a positive sign going into the Nov. 4 elections.
Now Oberweis is looking to draw distinctions that he hopes reflect the mood of voters.
In the past, Foster and Oberweis have clashed on issues from immigration and health care to the Iraq war.
For example, early in the campaign, Oberweis claimed in a TV ad that that Foster "wants to cut off funding for our troops and raise the white flag," because Foster favors a U.S. military withdrawal.
But both candidates now say the economy is the dominant issue.
"I think the current economic crisis heightens the importance of having people in Washington who understand how our economy works," he said. "I think if we have a question on nuclear physics (Foster) might be a good person to turn to.
"If we have concerns about the economy and markets, that is not something that he has been ever involved with."
Oberweis says controlling federal spending is the top budgetary concern, while Foster has said reducing the national deficit is most important.
Foster, who worked for the Fermi National Accelerator Lab for 22 years, also has business experience. He and his brother started a business that became a leading manufacturer of theater-lighting equipment. Foster was the company's first president, and was on its board when he sold his interest last year.
"The combination of being a scientist and a businessman makes independents and Republicans much more open to voting for a Democrat," he added.
Besides having served in Washington, Foster has other advantages of an incumbent, including district offices, staffers to assist constituents and tens of thousands of dollars to send out newsletters and other mass mailings at taxpayer expense.
Oberweis has a lot of personal wealth that he can pour into the election. So far, he has spent $3.5 million of his fortune on the race, while Foster has contributed $2 million to his own race.
But when accounting for all election-related spending, including by their respective parties, Foster has $5.3 million to Oberweis' $4.5 million. The Republican National Committee and the House Republican Congressional Committee has spent $104,000 to win the Hastert seat -- most of it coming before the March primary.
Oberweis is counting on a strong Republican turnout on Nov. 4.
He lost to Foster in March with just under 100,000 votes cast for both candidates combined. If as many as 300,000 vote this time and GOP turnout is high, Oberweis would be in good position to win. Hastert alone had 191,618 votes in the last presidential election year.
But Foster also could benefit from an unusually large Democratic turnout, with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama at the top of the statewide ballot as the Democrats' presidential candidate.
Oberweis counters that Obama is not as popular in Illinois as he once was, especially in the 14th District. And he said GOP presidential nominee John McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate has energized Republicans.
