The freshman congressman is no stranger to politics. He was the close adviser and district representative for fellow Democrat Lane Evans of Rock Island during Evans' 24 years in Congress. Before that, they were friends and worked on campaigns together.

Hare had been "the man" for Evans, rarely traveling to Washington but unusually savvy in the ways of the U.S. Capitol - particularly when it came to the goings on in the expansive district.

As Evans slowed down in recent years, finding it difficult to talk and be understood because of Parkinson's disease, Hare picked up some of his speaking duties in the district.

And when an ailing Evans decided to retire - after winning the March 2006 Democratic primary - he endorsed his longtime aide as his successor in the district that includes parts of Rock Island, Decatur and Springfield.

Hare, of Rock Island, got 57 percent of the general election vote to defeat GOP candidate Andrea Zinga, a former TV anchorwoman who previously lost to Evans.

"For him it was just a title change," said Rep. Danny Davis, a Chicago Democrat who campaigned for Hare. "I mean, he knows all of the ins and outs of the operation of the House. I don't think the people of his district lost anything but seniority when he replaced Lane."

Hare, 58, has quickly staked out his political ground and shown he is ready to follow in Evans' footsteps as perhaps the most liberal member of the Illinois delegation outside Chicago.

Earlier this month, Hare called for the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson, declaring outrage at bonuses Nicholson awarded to some agency officials.

He joined the Progressive Caucus, where Evans had found a home for his views promoting fair trade, workers' rights to organize and a universal health-care system.

An early foe of the Iraq war, Hare, like Evans, argued that a military solution was no longer possible and U.S. troops should withdraw as soon as possible.

Rock Island County GOP Chairman Susan Carpentier said it is too early to evaluate Hare's brief congressional career but said he's already "following along pretty much the lines of Lane Evans, being liberal."

Illinois GOP Chairman Andy McKenna said Hare's campaign fundraising total for the first quarter of the year was unimpressive, and the district's business community is dissatisfied with the congressman. But he said it is hard to say who the Republican candidate might be in 2008.

Democrats, though, already say Hare would be difficult to beat. Rock Island County Democratic Chairman John Gianulis, also president of the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen's Association, said he does not expect Hare to face any primary challengers because Hare has strong support from organized labor and public officials.

Jerry Messer, president of the Quad-City Federation of Labor, agrees.

"If Phil voted against organized labor, I think we would have to look around and wonder what we did wrong," he said, noting Hare had been a union leader and clothing factory worker.

Hare said he hasn't forgotten his humble beginnings, and can still recall with meticulous detail the drudgery of the years he was responsible for spreading lining across a 25-yard-long table.

"I would use my hand to hold the lining in place," he said. "When I made the cuts, the up-and-down blade would come within an eighth of an inch of my thumb. We would do lining for up to 600 coats a day."

Coming to Washington, Hare said, he also was determined not to take his job too seriously, recalling how his father had once told him that laughter was an important way to avoid being depressed "24/7" over the world's problems.

When choosing a press secretary, Hare asked several applicants whether they would advise that he appear on "The Colbert Report," a wacky program on television's Comedy Central channel.

Hare chose the only one who backed the idea of being interviewed by comedian Stephen Colbert, even though some campaign strategists would argue against it.

"Going on 'The Colbert Report' for me is easier than having Tim Russert (of 'Meet the Press') grill you, because Colbert is fun," said Hare. "I think it's a good way to communicate with younger people."

State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said Hare handled Colbert well, with just enough tongue-in-cheek during the March telecast.

"It humanized Phil like nothing else had," he said.

Now, Hare said, he is focused on building relationships in Washington, regardless of party affiliation.

"I think the one nice thing for having worked for Lane is if they didn't know me, they knew Lane, and it opened up a lot of doors," Hare said. "I try to introduce myself to someone once a day, whether it's a Democrat or Republican."