Following the retirement announcements of moderate Republican Reps. Deborah Pryce and Jim Ramstad from moderate suburban districts, it's very difficult to follow the past several weeks' events in Rep. Jerry Weller's southwest suburban Chicago district and not conclude that things are getting very ugly for congressional Republicans.
Although Democrats had talked openly of seriously challenging Weller next year following his 55 percent showing in 2006, things really started unraveling for the incumbent this month. On September 7 th , the Chicago Tribune ran an extensive front-page expose detailing his failure to report ownership of several Nicaraguan land parcels he had purchased within the last five years on congressional disclosure documents. The article implied Weller's investments had benefited from his support of the Central American Free Trade Agreement.
Then, on September 15 th , the Tribune followed up with a piece questioning the ethicality of a nonprofit headed by Weller's wife Zury Rios, a Guatemalan legislator whom he married in 2004. The story identified one of Weller's real estate business partners as a member of the nonprofit's board and raised new
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