Hastert begins fly-around by going to bat for Romney
It was little more than three years ago when Newt Gingrich swept into St. Charles with a mission to help elect Ethan Hastert to Congress. The endorsement was secured via the longtime friendship between Gingrich and Ethan Hastert's father, former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
On Wednesday, Dennis Hastert said he still calls Gingrich his friend, but, having worked with Gingrich in Congress, he doesn't want to call him Mr. President anytime soon.
“You'll find that a lot of people who worked with Newt Gingrich over those years aren't supporting Newt Gingrich,” Hastert said. “This guy is all over the place. You can't trust him. There's always a doubt out there about where this guy's going to go.”
The vitriol wasn't reserved for Gingrich. Hastert blasted away at Rick Santorum as well.
“Santorum spent a couple lackluster years in the U.S. House,” Hastert said. “(He) decided to run for Senate. (He) served one term and then got beat by almost 20 points. He wasn't able to bring his people together and get things done.”
In contrast, Hastert said Mitt Romney, the candidate he's endorsed, is a man who “can get things done in this country and reach across the aisle.” That notion of Republicans and Democrats working together extends to Romney's ability to attract Democratic votes in November, Hastert said. Republicans will need Independents, moderates and “old Reagan Democrats” on their side to take back the White House, Hastert said.
The former 14th Congressional District representative delivered those remarks while stumping for Romney at the Aurora Municipal Airport in Sugar Grove Wednesday. Hastert went on a flying tour of the state with Romney's Illinois campaign chairman, state Treasurer Dan Rutherford.
Both Rutherford and Hastert said the focus is more on Romney collecting delegates for the party convention rather than finishing ahead of Santorum or Gingrich when Illinois voters go to the polls next week. Romney added to his delegate lead Tuesday night despite Santorum victories in Alabama and Mississippi. Including those late results, Romney has collected 52 percent of the primary and caucus delegates to date.
“If you go in (to the convention) with a majority of votes, more than double that of anyone else, it certainly gives you good leverage,” Hastert said of Romney's strategy.
Romney has 495 delegates to Santorum's 252 after Tuesday night, nearly giving him that 2 to 1 margin Hastert described. Illinois has 54 delegates up for grabs. And while Romney has a shot to collect all of those, Santorum is fighting for a smaller pie. Santorum failed to get delegates on the ballot in at least a half dozen congressional districts, including some in downstate Illinois where he is expected to have his best showing.
Rutherford said Romney's polls show him leading in Illinois at the moment. The campaign has a large advertising blitz planned in the next few days to help make those polls a reality. Gingrich, Santorum and Ron Paul will all make personal appearances in Illinois this week. Rutherford said he hopes Romney will make an appearance this week as well, but he's positive Romney will come to town before Illinois voters cast their ballots.
Romney delegates present at Hastert's appearance said they expect Romney to attend a dinner in Wheaton either Monday or Tuesday.
Glen Ellyn resident Sherry Falbo is running as an alternate delegate for Romney and was spreading the word about a $1,000-per-ticket Romney fundraiser at a private Wheaton residence on Election Day.
“I just think that Mitt Romney is the only person who can really turn our country around,” Falbo said. “He has the business sense and the common sense.”