* Ethan Hastert looks like he’s in…

The son of former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert took another step toward running for his father’s old congressional seat, announcing [yesterday] that he’s forming a committee to start raising campaign cash.

Ethan Hastert, 31, is a lawyer and former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney who moved back to far west suburban Elburn in the 14th Congressional District. After Dennis Hastert retired, Republicans lost the long-held seat in a special election last year to Democrat Bill Foster of Geneva, who also won a full term in November.

From his press release…

Ethan Hastert on Tuesday announced that he will form a political committee to advance his run for Congress representing the Illinois 14th Congressional District.

The longtime Fox Valley resident took the next step in his bid for the U.S. House after spending recent weeks traveling the district, meeting with and listening to voters and local leaders. Those conversations revealed that residents are hungry to rein in government and spending and disappointed with what they see from the current leadership in Washington, Hastert said.

* Moving on to the Senate race, Collin Corbett has a sharp rundown on why doesn’t believe that Lisa Madigan is running for Senate, why her touted candidacy is helping Democrats and how the GOP can counter it…

Lisa Madigan is a powerhouse in the gubernatorial race, but after losing her funds and diminishing her name advantage she is a weaker candidate for the US Senate. In addition, the field has been cleared for her to run for Governor. That is why, despite the rumors, she is not even remotely considering a run for Congress’ upper chamber. Her name is simply being floated as a tactical move by Democratic strategists. This rumor was started and perpetuated by Democratic interests for several political reasons, and Republicans have been playing along needlessly. An examination of the thinking behind this move reveals a glimpse of the strategic games Democrats play on a regular basis.

Go read the whole thing.

* GOP Congressman Mark Kirk has taken heat in the Democratic blogosphere over comments he says he made to Chinese officials…

“One of the messages I had - because we need to build trust and confidence in our number one creditor - is that the budget numbers that the US government has put forward should not be believed,’ Mr Kirk said.

‘Congress is actually going to spend quite a bit more,’ he said.

The Washington Monthly serves up a typical response…

America’s credibility — and, in particular, President Obama’s reliability — with China is absolutely necessary to the health of the nation’s economy. It’s one thing for conservative lawmakers to try to undermine confidence in America’s leadership on Fox News or in some tirade on the House floor, but Mark Kirk, by his own admission, went directly to the Chinese and told them not to believe the Obama administration. Our role in international finance is predicated on the full faith and credit of the United States government, and Mark Kirk wants China to think this isn’t worth much.

There may be more reckless and irresponsible moves a congressional Republican can make, but very few come to mind.

But is what he said true? If it was, and it seems likely, then what’s the big deal?

Still, he may not have helped his case on this point when he told a Fox News host this…

VAN SUSTEREN: So why is — so why would [Treasury secretary, Tim Geithner,] make — why would he say something else, the “justifiable confidence”? I mean, why — why would he tell us something different?

KIRK: Well, because both parties don’t want to create a panic,

Um, does that mean one party does want to create a panic? Just askin…

* Related…

* Kirk loves him some Drudge

* DCCC tries to put Kirk, Biggert on the spot

* Political consultant John Ruff dies in auto accident: A key figure in the perjury investigation of U.S. Sen. Roland Burris died in an automobile accident Monday, authorities in far west-suburban Kendall County confirmed Tuesday.