“Mark Kirk voted to reward corporations with tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas,” says the ad’s narrator. “Now the Chamber of Commerce is spending over $75 million to help Republicans like Mark Kirk get elected. And where has the Chamber been getting some of their money lately? From foreign corporations in countries like China, Russia, and India — the same companies that threaten American jobs. It’s time to connect the dots. Exactly who is Mark Kirk working for? Because it sure isn’t Illinois.”
…Adding… The Kirk campaign says it can find no evidence yet that the ad is actually running on TV stations or cable right now.
It’s certainly true that millions are being spent without public disclosure, and that much of the money is coming from corporations taking advantage of a Supreme Court ruling easing restrictions on political spending. But using foreign funds to finance political ads is still a legal violation. Accusing anybody of violating the law is a serious matter requiring serious evidence to back it up. So far Democrats have produced none.
* MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program took a look at the Kirk vs. Giannoulias debate last night. The NRSC posted the segment about the mob banker back and forth…
* Now, on to the dueling polls. From the DCCC today…
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today released a new Benenson Strategy Group poll that shows Representative Bill Foster leading Republican challenger Randy Hultgren by 10 percent.
In the initial head-to-head in the race for Illinois’ 14th congressional district, Foster leads Hultgren 48 percent to 38 percent. Conducted October 4-6, the poll surveyed 400 likely voters and has a 4.9 percent margin of error.
“After it was revealed Randy Hultgren’s business was profiting off of the bank bailouts in an offshore investment fund, voters learned Hultgren is nothing more than a slick Springfield politician who is only out for himself,” said Gabby Adler, Midwestern Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “This poll proves the last thing Illinois voters want in Washington is another Springfield politician like Randy Hultgren.”
Republican state Sen. Randy Hultgren led Rep. Bill Foster (D) by 6 points in a new poll taken for the Republican’s campaign. Foster won the seat in a March 2008 special election after former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R) retired.
The poll showed Hultgren with 44 percent of the vote and Foster with 38 percent. Sixteen percent of voters were undecided, and 4 percent chose Green Party nominee Daniel Kairis. The Tarrance Group, a Republican firm, surveyed 400 likely voters Oct. 3-4, and the poll’s margin of error was 4.9 points. Neither the campaign nor the Tarrance Group released any other numbers from the poll.
The poll showed a slight improvement for Hultgren over similar polls conducted for the campaign in May and September.
Much has changed in the race in the past month. Foster went up on broadcast TV in late September in the expensive district directly west of Chicago, and the National Association of Realtors and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are airing cable ads on his behalf. The Democrat’s campaign accused Hultgren’s investment firm of profiting off the federal bailout in an ad.
* More stuff and more videos…
* Quinn, Brady campaign as early voting starts today
* Politicians Stepping off with Columbus Day Parade
Foster is going all-out with the smear tactics. It would be funny how hard he is running from any mention of his voting record–if it wasn’t for how serious it all is. I’m going out tomorrow to get my early vote in–just to make sure I vote against this guy. What is disappointing is that (even though I didn’t vote for him) I thought it was good to get a scientist into Congress. I’m big on diverse representation. But he has just done such a wretched job–waffling on what his vote will be until the last minute; rarely/barely explaining his votes; talking about his small business experience and then voting for all kinds of big-business, big-government junk that doesn’t do a thing for the little guys and the small businesses…
The Alexi/Kirk stuff is just painful, on both sides. I can’t believe Alexi repeatedly said “I didn’t know the extent of” the criminal activities…just went I thought the mob banker meme was dead Alexi himself had to re-open it with that awful answer. As for Kirk, I just hope he can can galvanize enough of the base. So many of his wounds were unforced and self-inflicted, whereas Alexi’s were pure incompetence. Find out in a few weeks I guess which is worse, I guess. In my book incompetence, bad ideology, and empty-suit party support should end up dooming Alexi, but I’m biased!
Chicago Trib endorsement of Foster - “Foster promised to be an independent lawmaker, and he has often delivered” “we’re going to recognize Foster’s efforts to thoroughly evaluate legislation and, more often than most Democrats, break from his party when he thinks it’s right. Foster is endorsed.”
Sun Times endorsement of Foster - “rare congressman confident enough to call them as he sees them rather than vote the party line.”
Sun Times opinion on Hultgren - “we see little to indicate he would be anything more than a by-the-numbers party regular.”
Don’t need any more party line guys. We have enough of them in Washington already.
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- Liandro - Tuesday, Oct 12, 10 @ 11:54 am:
Foster is going all-out with the smear tactics. It would be funny how hard he is running from any mention of his voting record–if it wasn’t for how serious it all is. I’m going out tomorrow to get my early vote in–just to make sure I vote against this guy. What is disappointing is that (even though I didn’t vote for him) I thought it was good to get a scientist into Congress. I’m big on diverse representation. But he has just done such a wretched job–waffling on what his vote will be until the last minute; rarely/barely explaining his votes; talking about his small business experience and then voting for all kinds of big-business, big-government junk that doesn’t do a thing for the little guys and the small businesses…
The Alexi/Kirk stuff is just painful, on both sides. I can’t believe Alexi repeatedly said “I didn’t know the extent of” the criminal activities…just went I thought the mob banker meme was dead Alexi himself had to re-open it with that awful answer. As for Kirk, I just hope he can can galvanize enough of the base. So many of his wounds were unforced and self-inflicted, whereas Alexi’s were pure incompetence. Find out in a few weeks I guess which is worse, I guess. In my book incompetence, bad ideology, and empty-suit party support should end up dooming Alexi, but I’m biased!
- Kent - Wednesday, Oct 13, 10 @ 10:08 am:
Trib and SunTimes got them right:
Chicago Trib endorsement of Foster - “Foster promised to be an independent lawmaker, and he has often delivered” “we’re going to recognize Foster’s efforts to thoroughly evaluate legislation and, more often than most Democrats, break from his party when he thinks it’s right. Foster is endorsed.”
Sun Times endorsement of Foster - “rare congressman confident enough to call them as he sees them rather than vote the party line.”
Sun Times opinion on Hultgren - “we see little to indicate he would be anything more than a by-the-numbers party regular.”
Don’t need any more party line guys. We have enough of them in Washington already.