Fond farewell for Hastert

Three presidents and more than a dozen congressional colleagues were among the well-wishers offering their congratulations to retired U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert via video at a tribute dinner Tuesday night in St. Charles.

Described by President Bush as a "fine partner," by Bill Clinton as someone who could "cross party lines repeatedly," and by George H.W. Bush as "down-to-earth," the Plano Republican was hailed as a man of the people.

"Denny never forgot who sent him to Congress," said state House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego, who served as the event's keynote speaker at the Q Center.

Hundreds of local supporters -- including state and county lawmakers from the 14th Congressional District, officials from his alma mater, Wheaton College, and old friends from his teaching and coaching days at Yorkville High School -- toasted Hastert for his decades of public service.

Hastert retired Nov. 26 after 20 years in Congress, ending a political career that began in 1980 with a six-year stint in the General Assembly.

The dinner was a fundraiser for the new J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy at Wheaton College -- a place, Hastert said, where "young people can learn to become servant leaders."

"If we want business and government leaders to be visionary, we need to feed their minds and engage their energies," Hastert said. "We need to set for them high standards."

Hastert, a 65-year-old Fox Valley native, became speaker in January 1999 and holds the title of longest-serving GOP speaker. He was elected to an 11th term a year ago but lost his leadership post when Democrats regained control of the House.

Four Republicans -- Chris Lauzen, Jim Oberweis, Kevin Burns and Michael Dilger -- and four Democrats -- Bill Foster, John Laesch, Jotham Stein and Joe Serra -- are vying to succeed him.

The event was the second Hastert tribute dinner this week; the first was Monday night in Chicago.