* For the past ten days or so, the DCCC has been trying to get reporters to write about the fact that the NRCC hasn’t yet reserved any TV time in the 10th Congressional District on behalf of their candidate Bob Dold.

The following is a backgrounder from a Dem operative that I received on September 5th, after the DCCC finally convinced WaPo to slip this factoid into a story. The e-mail has been reformatted to match this blog’s posting style…

* Washington Post: The 10 most vulnerable members of the House…

9. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.): Schneider faces former congressman Bob Dold (R), whom he defeated in an extremely tight 2012 race (51-49). It’s expensive to buy air time in this suburban Chicago district. The NRCC has not yet reserved advertising time here, but it says it still intends to spend money.

* What the NRCC said in May about what they were going to reserve…

IL-10: $800,000 (Chicago broadcast and cable) Brad Schneider

* Boehner in August…

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, predicted Monday that come November, Illinois Republicans will have the most successful year they’ve had in the Land of Lincoln in more than two decades.

* NRCC last week…

AP: “Prill singled out the Dold-Schneider race as a “huge pickup opportunity” for Republicans. Dold lost to Schneider in the independent-leaning district by about one percentage point in 2012.”

* What they have actually reserved…

$0

* After growing weary of this line of pursuit, I eventually reached out to Katie Prill at the NRCC. Here’s her response…

Hey Rich -

You are about the 10th reporter who has reached out about this. I am guessing [redacted staff name because it’s incorrect] is still pushing this ridiculous story.

Anyway, our ad buy is coming. The DCCC doesn’t even go up here until the end of October. We will be playing in this race and a buy will be placed soon.

Our executive director was Mark Kirks’ chief when he was in this district so obviously this race and our investment here is top priority. Are you planning on posting on this or just curious?

The Dems are trying to make something out of nothing. Kind of like Brad’s “small business career.”

Katie

* Indeed, the DCCC isn’t planning to go up until October 21st…

Illinois’ 10th District: $800,000 on Chicago broadcast and cable from Oct. 21 to Oct. 27 to defend Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider.

So, I let it drop.

* Yesterday, the same Dem operative sent me another e-mail…

Saw you posted about the new poll out in IL-10 showing Brad leading Bob Dold by 5 points. A few additional points.

· The NRCC said in May it would place an $800,000 ad reservation for Mr. Dold, but the Washington Post reported Friday they have not followed through.

· As was reported in the article you cited, outside groups have already spent some $1.6 million on TV for Mr. Dold, and have not moved the needle.

· Now, there signs another outside group is getting cold feet about Mr Dold. Just recently the Congressional Leadership Fund previously said that it would spend on behalf of Mr. Dold, but their newly released spending plans, do not list Dold at all.

* I sent the operative Ms. Prill’s e-mail. His response…

The longer they wait the harder it is to buy in Chicago.

That’s true, too, particularly with the governor’s race we’re having.

But I just can’t believe that the national Republicans are gonna take a pass on this race. Schneider won by a mere 3,326 votes two years ago during a huge Democratic wave. There isn’t going to be a Democratic wave this year.

In other words, I’m posting this to get the DCCC off my back.