* Rep. Sara Feigenholtz has taken out a $100,000 loan for her campaign. That shows a whole lot of confidence in her future, but it also may show that fundraising isn’t quite keeping pace.

She explains to the Trib…

The Democratic state representative from Chicago said she is doing so because she is “close to winning” the party’s nomination in the March 3 primary for the seat vacated by new White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

“I want to put my money where my mouth is,” she said.

* This is a salient point, but the analogy is lacking, considering the result of that race…

Aides for some of the male candidates in the race say they’ve struggled to find a line of attack against Feigenholtz without looking like they are attacking a woman. It’s a problem similar to one that Barack Obama had during much of his primary campaign against Hillary Clinton.

* Money raised as of Feb. 11th (48 hour totals and independent expenditures are not included here)…

• State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz: $550,000

• State Rep. John Fritchey: $454,310

• Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley: $303,180

• Labor lawyer Tom Geoghegan: $240,000

• Economist Charlie Wheelan: $230,500

• Dr. Paul Bryar: $180,000 (+ $75,000 loans and donations from Bryar = $255,000)

• Dr. Victor Forys: $115,000 (+ $20,000 loans and donations from Forys = $135,000)

• Former pilot Jan Donatelli: $83,000

• Ald. Patrick O’Connor: $50,690

* Progress Illinois has a rundown of policy differences between the various Democratic candidates.