Barely a month after the Super Tuesday primaries, two congressional candidates in the west suburban 14th district are asking voters to return to the polls--on a Saturday no less. A special general election on March 8 will determine whether Jim Oberweis or Bill Foster will be able to run as the incumbent in November when they will be vying for a full two-year term. The special election will put the Republican Oberweis or the Democrat Foster in office until at least January 2009. The question is: Will voters turn out to grant this 8-month trial run that may or may not prove to be the start of a long-term replacement for former Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert? The answers vary. "We would hope that at least the number of people who voted in the primary would be coming out, if not even more," said Doreen Nelson, assistant director of the DuPage County Election Commission. Confidence in equaling the primary turnout is not as high in DeKalb County, one of the other seven counties included in the district. "I don't see that we're going to have a huge turnout," DeKalb County Clerk Sharon Holmes said. "If 50 percent turned out I would love it. I would think that is great. I don't think that's going to happen." Holmes said a lack of early and absentee voting has indicated the March 8 numbers won't match Feb. 5. "We're not having that big a turnout [in early voting]," she said. "We maybe have five, six, seven, eight [people voting] a day compared to 30, 40, 50 a day for the [February] primary." With all the voters turning out to vote in the Feb. 5 primary, which featured the presidential race, the special primary totaled more than 141,000 votes between the Democratic and Republican ballots across the district. Still, that was more than 10,000 fewer votes than the same race garnered on the regular primary ballot. Voters were asked-but not required-to pull a regular and special primary ballot. Despite efforts to educate voters on the confusing process, Holmes said many voters just didn't get it. "A lot of voters still do not understand why there's a second election, why we're having the March 8 [election]," she said. "People just aren't that aware." So the drop in number of votes from the regular primary to the special primary is not surprising, but how it breaks along party lines is intriguing. While Republican candidates on the special primary ballot maintained about 96 percent of the votes they received in the regular primary, Democrats totaled just 88 percent of their regular total. In fact, in some counties like DeKalb, Henry and Lee there were more votes cast in the Republican special primary election than in the same race on the regular primary. This contrasts with the Democratic candidates who received a lower number of aggregate votes in the special primary than the regular primary in each of those counties. This was a result of voters selecting a Democratic regular primary ballot and a Republican special primary ballot, according to Bill Pascoe, campaign spokesman for Jim Oberweis. "There were actually more people who asked for a Democratic ballot in the regular primary throughout the 14th district than there were people who asked for a Republican ballot," Pascoe said. "That's a shocking piece of information politically because no one's ever seen that before in the 14th district." Pascoe has a theory as to why so many voters in this traditionally conservative district opted to vote in the regular Democratic primary. "What appears to be happening is [Republicans] don't want to wait until November to take the opportunity to cast a ballot against Hillary Clinton," Pascoe said. "[They are saying] 'The more important thing for me to do is be able to make absolutely positive that Hillary Clinton doesn't get anywhere near the White House." Theories about the discrepancy of votes between the regular and special primaries are just conjecture, said Don Rose, a longtime political consultant. The breakdown of the Feb. 5 results is not the focus of Foster's campaign, which is directing all of its attention to the March 8 primary, according to press secretary Andrew Pupuy. It's clear though that Foster must improve on the number of Democratic votes cast in the special primary if he is to win the special general. The fact that the election falls on a Saturday is a wild card no one is sure how to measure. "Looking into my crystal ball that's really difficult to say," Nelson said. "We've not had an election on Saturday since before consolidation of elections." Saturday elections generally produce greater turnout, according to Rose. "It's a day off. People can do it easier," he said. "They don't have to stop on the way to work or rush in after work." While Pascoe is uncertain who the Saturday election might favor, he doesn't think Gov. Rod Blagojevich scheduled it that way without reason. "I'm sure Governor Blagojevich, a close Bill Foster ally, believes that the [Saturday election day] favors Foster," Pascoe said. "What [Gov. Blagojevich] didn't obviously think about was that the day before the March 8 election Northern Illinois University goes on spring break," Holmes said. "Now do you think those students are going to be worrying about voting or being on the beach? You tell me." NIU is located in DeKalb County. The 14th Congressional District also includes parts of Bureau, DuPage, Henry, Lee, Kane, Kendall and Whiteside counties....

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke will be elected to a 10-year term on the bench in November, barring any unlikely challenges. She is married to Ald. Edward Burke (14th) a powerful alderman. Rob Runyan/Medill MEDILL NEWS SERVICE Anne Burke is empowered and bounded by her last name. Of course, that was her choice. Anne McGlone, a South Side native, married Edward Burke in 1968, when they were both 24, and has been a Burke, for better or worse, ever since. For many years her career took a backseat to his, as he became one of the youngest alderman ever and eventually the longest serving currently. Meanwhile, Anne raised her four children, and also devoted her considerable energy to the Chicago Parks District where she helped found the Chicago Special Olympics. Then, Anne went back to college to get her bachelor's degree in education at DePaul University in 1976, and earned her law degree in 1983 at Chicago-Kent College of Law at the age of 40. Come November, she will be elected to serve a 10-year term as an Illinois Supreme Court justice, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Burke was elected in Tuesday's primary as the Democratic nominee for the retired Justice Mary Ann McMorrow's seat, in which Burke has sat since McMorrow appointed her in July 2006. She ran unopposed Tuesday and apparently will not have a challenger in November, save any independent write-in candidates. "People are smart enough not to try to run against her," said Justice William Bauer of the U.S. Court of Appeals. "It's like bucking a locomotive at this stage of the game. I wouldn't try it myself." The Republican Bauer has worked with Burke on a legal, judicial and social level. His respect for Burke epitomizes the bipartisan support that made her such an intimidating candidate for those who may have considered opposing her. Burke said she was both flabbergasted and relieved when she found out she would run unopposed. She attributes it to the fact that she's been around a while. "Anyone wishing to oppose me. would have had to spend a great deal of money to try to get name recognition themselves to come to par with me," she said. That's where her last name is an asset. If I wasn't married to Ed, with the name Burke, I might not be where I am today," she said. "But somebody won [Tuesday], who has no relation, and his name is Burke, and he might not be there where he is today without the name Burke." That somebody was Dennis Burke, who beat a sitting judge, to win a spot on the Cook County Circuit Court. Burke supports electing judges, but she regrets name recognition means so much on the ballot because voters don't educate themselves. Ironically, name recognition is not a problem for her. Edward Burke, who has represented the 14th Ward on the Southwest Side since 1969, has been a tremendous help to her, said David Cerda, a retired justice who worked alongside Anne Burke on the Illinois Appellate Court. "It would have taken her longer to achieve that post," he said, "but eventually she would have done it anyway." But, with the advantages the Burke name brings to Anne also come the need to distinguish herself. It does bother her at times that people attribute her success to her husband's own, but that has inspired her to do public events so people get to know her. "I needed to make sure that people knew I was an independent person," she said. "All of our friends know that I am very independent, I mean I worked for a Republican governor against my husband's wishes." Burke actually worked for two former Republican governors: Gov. James Thompson and Gov. Jim Edgar. "We almost got divorced over that one," Ald. Burke (14th) said half-joking. They do have their disagreements and in that case he thought she was being used. But he is quick to highlight her independence and point out he couldn't do everything for her. "It's clear that I couldn't take the tests for her," he said. "It's like that old Irish saying 'You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was.'" The Burkes have a mutual respect and, according to both, still find enough time for family. Their cottage in Wisconsin serves as an escape where they can spend time with their four children and grandchildren. A fifth child, Emmett, died in a 2004 snowmobile accident. One of their children, 11-year-old Travis, is autistic. The Burkes won a custody battle for Travis as an infant born with cocaine in his system. Now, busy as ever, the Burkes are not looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. Neither is daunted about the prospect of Anne, at 64, taking on a 10-year term starting in December. "I can't even spell the word retirement," Ald. Burke said. Some of Anne's colleagues are glad to know she will be around for a while. "She's a superb addition to the bench and Illinois is lucky to have her where she is," Bauer said. Her ability to listen is what set her apart on the appellate court, according to Cerda. He called her a leader among the justices and said that the Burkes "are very outstanding citizens of the city of Chicago and very generous in sharing their time."...

MEDILL NEWS SERVICE People are being asked to vote twice in selecting a successor to retired U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert, but, unlike in some notorious Chicago elections, they're well within their rights to do so. "Some audiences get a kick out of the idea that they'll be able to vote twice - without moving to Chicago - on the same election day," said state Sen. Chris Lauzen, a Republican candidate for the vacant seat. The quirky situation arose when Hastert resigned at the end of November. It forced a special primary. The special primary was set for Feb. 5, the same day as the regular primary. So voters are being asked to nominate someone to run in the March 8 special general election to fill the rest of Hastert's term as well as someone to run in the November general election for the next term. But here's the catch: The nominee in the March election may not be the nominee for the November election. There is a separate Feb. 5 ballot that will determine the Democratic and Republican nominees to compete on March 8 to serve the remainder of Hastert's term through January 2009. The regular primary ballot on Feb. 5 will include the candidates hoping to make the November election that will fill the seat for a full two-year term starting January 2009. Follow? But wait, it gets more tangled. Two Republicans and three Democrats are on both the special and regular primary ballots for their respective parties. But, there are two additional candidates on each party's regular primary ballot who are not on the special primary ballot. Had enough? There's more: , Voters are not obligated to vote for the same candidate - or even the same party - on the two Feb. 5 ballots, according to Robert Saar, director of the DuPage County Election Commission. The sense is that won't happen, but the multiple elections create a web of possibilities reminiscent of an NCAA tournament bracket. "It could be split . but we don't think that's going to happen," said Jim Green, press secretary for Democratic candidate Jotham Stein. "We think that whoever wins the special primary will win the general primary too. If it does get split, it's going to be an even more interesting process." Michael Dilger, the Republican candidate not on the special primary ballot, does not think his exclusion will hurt his chances to win the nomination and eventually the seat in November. "So what? I don't get to go early to Washington for nine months," Dilger said via email. "I would rather go to Washington as a fresh face, with fresh ideas and at the start of a fresh term, Janurary of 2009." In any event, election officials and voters in the 14th district could be in for a difficult day. "This is going to be quite a job for election judges to explain [on Feb. 5]," said Dan Curry, spokesman for the DuPage County Election Commission. "It's perplexing for anyone trying to figure out how to run the election." Green and Lauzen both expressed regret about the convoluted nature of the special elections. "I definitely think this could have been done a lot easier," Green said. "It all depended on when Hastert quit. He quit at a time when it forced the governor to [call] this special election." Lauzen called the special elections expensive and confusing, and said the two special elections will cost the state more than $1 million. Hastert resigned Nov. 26. The west suburban district he represented includes parts of DuPage, Kane and DeKalb counties, as well as the city of Aurora. Sorting out the 14th Congressional District Election Body: Republican Candidates for Normal Primary Feb. 5 Chris Lauzen Jim Oberweis Michael J. Dilger Democratic Candidates for Normal Primary Feb. 5 John Laesch Jotham Stein Bill Foster Joe Serra Republican Candidates for Special Primary Feb. 5 Chris Lauzen Jim Oberweis Democratic Candidates for Special Primary Feb. 5 John Laesch Jotham Stein Bill Foster Other important information Voters in the 14th District need to request two ballots, a normal primary ballot and a special primary ballot. Voters can vote for different candidates, or parties, on the special primary ballot than they did on the normal primary ballot. A special general election on March 8 will determine who will serve the remainder of retired Rep. Dennis Hastert's term, which ends in January 2009. The winners of each party's normal primary will be on the November 4 ballot, which will fill the House seat for a full two-year term starting in January 2009....

MEDILL NEWS SERVICE A key expert witness for the prosecution will not be allowed to testify when R&B star R. Kelly's child pornography trial starts in May. During a hearing Monday, Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan denied the prosecution's motion to reconsider the decision he made in November that will keep Sharon Cooper, a developmental and forensic pediatrician, from testifying. She would have addressed why the alleged victim in the case has denied in sworn testimony that she is pictured in the pornographic video at the center of the scandal. The hearing at the Criminal Courts Building lasted about five minutes as Gaughan heard arguments from each side before revealing he had not changed his mind on the matter. Kelly's attorney, Edward Genson, said the state's attorneys failed to cite "a single case [in Illinois] where this [expert witness testimony] would have been allowed." Gaughan agreed. He said allowing Cooper to testify that the alleged victim was lying was not necessary because a jury is capable of determining credibility of the girl without expert testimony. The prosecution team, led by Cook County Assistant State's Atty. Shauna Boliker, had hoped to convince Gaughan that the jury would benefit from Cooper's view of behavioral patterns of child pornography victims. Sheila Ribordy, a psychology professor at DePaul University, agreed that it may be difficult for people to understand why a victim might deny involvement in such a case. But such denials sometimes happen, she said. "Recanting, or later denial of abuse, while not probably predominant, is not uncommon with children," said Ribordy, also a licensed child clinical psychologist. "Particularly as they get older they think about it possibly in a more embarrassing way. Or [they] start to think that others are going to blame them, it's their fault, they should have said no." Ribordy said this often happens when abuses occur within the family, but it could result in this case from Kelly's popularity and the desire not to be "the bad guy" to bring him down. The hearing was just one of more than 100 appearances Kelly has made since being indicted in the case in June 2002. However, it was the first since he appeared Dec. 21 when Gaughan gave Kelly a tongue lashing for missing a hearing on Dec. 19. The judge forced him to postpone a concert scheduled for Jan. 13 in Hampton, Va., to ensure he would make Monday morning's hearing. Kelly, who turned 41 last week, is allowed to return to his music career until the next hearing March 12. That hearing will be Gaughan's last opportunity to rule on any more motions filed before what he called a "firm trial date" of May 9....