* Tribune: Plenty of mud, not much clarity on border debate

* The Illinois Republican Party steps into the 8th District race on behalf of 3rd Party candidate Bill Scheurer, an anti-war liberal.

The Illinois Republican Party recently flooded the northwest suburban district with a campaign mailer contrasting Scheurer’s anti-war views with the supportive positions of GOP candidate David McSweeney and freshman Democratic incumbent Rep. Melissa Bean.

The GOP flier calls Scheurer a “principled liberal” who wants the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and accuses Bean of having “multiple positions” and “no convictions” on the issue. It calls McSweeney a “common-sense conservative” who wants to “complete the mission.”

John Tsarpalas, executive director of the Illinois Republican Party, said party officials believed it was important for district voters to know Scheurer’s views on the Iraq war, which national public opinion polls have shown to be an unpopular campaign.

“We think [Scheurer] has a clear position, and voters need to know his position,” Tsarpalas said.

* Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, writes that the GOP’s use of the immigration issue in the 6th and 8th Districts will backfire.

Scapegoating is a tried-and-true recipe in the cookbook of political action. Previous right-wing frenzies against “welfare queens” and “homosexual marriage” have been whipped up, so why not aim the venom this year at “illegals” and “Islamo-fascists”? Nasty, racially charged attacks may be divisive, but what matters in politics is winning and losing and nothing else.

Here is where Speaker Hastert and the NRCC are true gamblers. They bet that they can galvanize resentful white voters and keep control of the House without destroying the long-term prospects of the Republican Party. The problem for Republicans is that the Hispanic and immigrant electorate is growing at a spectacular rate. Moreover, they live in key presidential swing states, such as Florida, Arizona and Nevada. And increasingly, immigrant voters are populating key swing suburban areas.

In just the last five years, the number of naturalized immigrant citizens in DuPage County jumped to 91,000, a 49 percent increase. That’s precisely where the NRCC is wallpapering communities with anti-immigrant mailers. In Lake County, there was a 56 percent increase in naturalized citizens.

Recent polls show that Republicans are losing serious ground among Hispanic voters–especially among those who are evangelical and socially conservative. A July poll by the non-partisan Pew Hispanic Center showed Republican support among Hispanics dropping by 40 percent, with almost the entire loss coming from foreign-born Hispanics.

* “Democratic Congresswoman Melissa Bean is largely opposed to privatizing Social Security, while top challenger David McSweeney says it is the only way to fix an ailing system.”

* “With control of Capitol Hill on the line in this November’s elections, the two Republican candidates in the most hotly contested congressional races in Illinois have lined up the biggest fundraiser the GOP can offer: President Bush. Invitations have been sent to Republican boosters in the area for an Oct. 12 fundraiser with Bush for 6th Congressional District candidate Peter Roskam and 8th District candidate David McSweeney in the Chicago Hilton and Towers.”

* And here’s Peter Roskam’s new TV ad.

*** UPDATE 1 *** This e-mail alert from Roskam’s campaign was passed on to me by a friend.

Have you seen this mailing from Tammy Duckworth?

It claims Peter Roskam spent taxpayer money for art therapy for criminals…

FACT:

* The program serves At-Risk Children in DuPage County.

* The program is supported by Wheaton College and the DuPage County Bar Association.

* Provides children productive alternatives from drugs and crime.

“We are gratified that [Peter Roskam] believes in the importance of our youth arts outreach,” Sally Fairbank, of Community Art Partners. “With support like yours, we will be able to continue our programs so we can redirect more youth away from negative activities…”

Tammy Duckworth thinks we should give up on at-risk children?

*** UPDATE 2 *** Melissa Bean’s campaign recently sent out this e-mail to supporters. Forwarded by a friend and all emphasis is in the original.

The NRCC spent about $23,000 to send a mailing that accuses Melissa of using our fallen soldiers as a political tool to raise campaign money. Reprinting an ad that uses a photo of flag-draped coffins, the NRCC has decided that falsely accusing Melissa of dishonoring our soldiers is the best way to win this election. Never mind that neither she nor her campaign had anything to do with the ad in question. Never mind that she has tirelessly supported our soldiers and their families. Never mind that the NRCC is shamelessly and hypocritically using the very tactic they are falsely leveling at her. None of that matters to them. They just want to win. This is just the beginning. Clearly, the attack machine has kicked into high gear…