* If you missed the live CBS 2 debate between Jim Oberweis and Chris Lauzen last night, you can watch the whole thing at this link.

* Here’s the station’s coverage…

After a brief handshake dairy magnate Jim Oberweis came out swinging — talking about Lauzen’s biggest single donor in his political career and his decision to return almost $100,000.

“It’s easy to see why you would give the money back, the donor was convicted of patronizing a 16-year-old prostitute,” Oberweis said.

But it took about forty minutes before state senator Chris Lauzen responded.

Oof.

* More from the Daily Herald…

In his opening statement, Oberweis brought up Lauzen’s decision last month to return a $100,000 campaign contribution from a convicted felon whose company was under investigation by the Illinois attorney general. Oberweis said he doubted Lauzen’s claim that he didn’t know about the issues surrounding donor John Burgess and his company, International Profit Associates, until recently despite numerous media reports over the past few years. […]

“In my entire career, I have never asked for nor taken anything that doesn’t belong to me,” said Lauzen, a state senator from Aurora. “My desire is to serve you well. When I’ve been confronted with a problem with a campaign contributor, I’ve sent the money back without being told or even asked. … For my opponent to say otherwise is cruel and a politically motivated lie and conduct unbecoming someone who wants to represent us in any public office.”

The problem for Lauzen is that he waited so long to respond. The Tribune wrote that the state Senator “appeared taken aback,” by the assault…

“It’s not about your character or even your integrity, it’s about your judgment,” said Oberweis, who devoted his entire opening statement to the topic at an Aurora University debate. “Chris, you can’t fix the problem if you can’t see the problem.”

* The two candidates agree on most actual “issues,” so all they have left is personalities and he-said-she-said’s…

Greg Buchner, who has voted for both candidates in the past, came to the forum Tuesday night to hear more about the issues. He left feeling he saw more venom than viewpoints.

“Unfortunately, I saw a lot more of that,” Buchner said. “They traded punches pretty evenly.”

* More punches…

…Oberweis responded to Lauzen’s “dead cow” mailer, in which he stated that a previous Oberweis campaign had been fined by the FEC for using funds from Oberweis Dairy for political advertising. Essentially, the issue was whether Oberweis himself could appear in ads for his dairy while running for political office.

Oberweis said that the $21,000 was a “civil penalty” agreed upon by all parties to avoid litigation, and noted that the campaign never paid a cent — the penalty was paid by the dairy.

* Meanwhile, in another race, Carol Marin writes about Lipinski family ethics…

Dan Lipinski loves his father, Bill Lipinski, and said so forcefully Tuesday at a meeting of the Sun-Times editorial board. But the question at hand is whether the family patriarch is both blessing and curse.

* More congressional stuff, compiled by Kevin…

* 3 GOP candidates debate again - Congressional hopefuls address world security

* Two vie on 13th District GOP ballot

* Lauzen mailer on immigration

* Quinn makes endorsement in Dem race to succeed Hastert

*** UPDATE *** Larry at ArchPundit has more on the Quinn endorsement of Laesch

*** UPDATE 2 *** The Tribune didn’t list this endorsement editorial on their “Opinion” web page, so I missed it. Here are more of the Trib’s nods for congressional candidates…

* Oberweis…

This page has been critical of Oberweis’ campaign tactics, particularly his vitriolic anti-immigration message. He has acknowledged that he made mistakes in past campaigns. He has a much better grounding on national issues than Lauzen, and to our knowledge, has never tried to change his name to Jim Oberweis, Dairy King.

* Foster…

Local Democratic leaders, though, seem to be coalescing around Bill Foster of Geneva, a particle physicist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Here’s a first for an Illinois campaign: Foster is endorsed by 22 Nobel Prize winners. Foster is a strong candidate, and he has our support.

* Seals…

They’re both smart, well-prepared candidates. Voters, though, might have reason to question either candidate’s long-term commitment to them. Seals still lives a couple of blocks outside the district — he says he can’t afford to move into the 10th. Footlik just recently returned to the area, renting a home in Buffalo Grove. Seals gets the edge, based on a better grasp of local issues and concerns. He is endorsed.

Looks like the Tribune folks are telegraphing they’re intentions for the fall contest.

* Baldermann…

Baldermann has an impressive civic record, substantial local support and sensible positions on issues. He is endorsed.