Cliff Dwellers

That giant metal-on-metal crunch sound that nobody heard was the sound of the ship of state not being driven into the fiscal cliff. Right on the heels of narrowly averting Mayan Armageddon, Lake County's congressmen, to a man, all voted last week to narrowly avert Tax Armageddon. That is if one defines to a man as former congressman Robert Dold. Lake County's remaining congressmen -- Peter Roskam, Randy Hultgren, Joe Walsh -- all voted, to a man, to usher in the Taxageddon.

While your LakeCountyEye suspects the three unruly congressmen believed they were voting to trigger the biblical end-times and their heavenly rapture, the Daily Herald was not amused ...

the vote makes us question the endorsements we recently gave Roskam and Hultgren and reinforces our decision to withhold an endorsement from Walsh.
Editorial: Our congressmen and the fiscal cliff test

Not for nothing Lake County's oldest non-partisan political blog, your LakeCountyEye, advises Mother Herald to take some deep breaths. Dold's was the lone, courageous & sensible vote because Robert Dold was a lame-duck with nothing to lose. Roskam, Hultgren & Walsh, are all incumbents and remain beholden to their prime mover: Grover Norquist promised to bankroll a candidate against anyone who voted for the fiscal cliff compromise. 'Twas the divine fear of a primary challenge that explains the collective, craven & reckless vote of reps Roskam, Hultgren & Walsh. Your LakeCountyEye predicts that within the passage of two years the Herald will once again be enthusiastically endorsing all three Congressmen.

Sharpeyed operatives who observe that Walsh was defeated in 2012 and technically speaking is not an incumbent, would be correct. However, according to Crain's, Joe Walsh is the rumored primary challenge to be thrown against Randy Hultgren:

Probably more credible, though, is persistent buzz that Mr. Walsh will focus on regaining his congressional seat — not against Ms. Duckworth, whose district now is reliably Democratic, but by running in a primary against Republican Randy Hultgren in the adjoining 14th District.
Joe Walsh set to announce comeback plans?

... which makes Walsh, technically speaking, the incumbent-in-waiting.

In related news, it is also rumored that Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor will be challenging Randy Hultgren in 2014.