In a special election held Saturday, Democrat Bill Foster won the congressional seat that was vacated by long-time Republican representative Dennis Hastert last November.
This marks a startling upset for the normally Republican-voting district, which had kept Hastert in office for 11 terms.
...the public voice is clear: we recognize that there's something wrong with our leadership, and we will be the ones to make it right.“This is going to send a political shockwave across the country in this election year,” said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen. But others are not so sure that Foster's win over Republican challenger Jim Oberweis is an indication of things to come in November's general election. “The one message coming out of 2008 so far is that what happens today is not a bellwether of what happens this fall,” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Karen Hanretty.
While what Hanretty says is true, I don't think anyone can deny the fact that voters have been sending a clear message this election season: things have got to change. We're seeing record voter turnouts, states like Texas are holding Democratic caucuses that will change the course of the nomination for the first time in years, and Republicans have chosen one of the most anti-Bush figures among their ranks as their nominee. Regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican ends up in the White House in 2009, the public voice is clear: we recognize that there's something wrong with our leadership, and we will be the ones to make it right. [CNN]
Branden Hart, a TheSequitur.com assistant managing editor, works as an editor in San Antonio.
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