* The Democratic Attorneys General Association has put $864,500 behind this TV ad…
* Script…
Announcer: Republican Erika Harold wants to be attorney general, and she says…
Harold: It’s no secret that I’m pro-life.
Announcer: But did you know this?
WCIA TV’s Mark Maxwell: You mentioned that even in cases of rape and incest, most Republicans carve those out, but that you were still opposed to abortion. Have your views at all evolved or changed on that?
Harold: My views are clear.
Announcer: That’s right. Erika Harold is for outlawing abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. Erika Harold, she’s too extreme for Illinois.
Thursday, Nov 1, 2018 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Direct Energy is a proud supporter of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH). Since Direct Energy’s relationship with CMNH began in 2015, the company has donated $116,300 to Lurie Children’s Hospital. In addition to funds, employees from Direct Energy’s Buffalo Grove and Oak Brook offices have volunteered at the Hospital and its outpatient centers.
In January, the Chicago-area offices help Lurie celebrate National Reading Day with a book donation. In the past two years, Direct Energy has donated more than 200 books.
Lurie Children’s is just one of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Direct Energy supports across North America. For the company’s support, CMNH inducted Direct Energy into the Miracle Millions Club, the international recognition program for corporate partners that raise more than $1 million annually.
* The Senate Democrats have dumped about $170,000 into Steve Webb’s race in deep southern Illinois over the past five or so days. Webb is up against Freshman Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg). Check out Webb’s new TV ad that began airing last night…
Trump won the district with 68 percent of the vote.
* Script…
Dale Fowler says he’s a conservative voice for Southern Illinois. His record tells us something else.
Tax increases? He voted for them. Money for our schools? Fowler voted to send the money to Chicago.
Steve Webb, a real conservative. Pro-life, pro-gun, pro-coal.
Webb voted for President Trump because he was the only one who would stand up for law enforcement officials like Webb.
Vote Steve Webb, a real conservative voice for Southern Illinois.
* This is good advice. The Republican congressman from the 14th District Randy Hultgren shoulda probably taken it…
Ftr, spending in each competitive IL seat is: IL6: D-$9.8 mil R-$9.3 mil IL12: D-$5.4 mil R-$5.5 mil IL13: D-$5.9 mil R-$4.6 mil IL14: D-$7.6 mil R-$2.1 mil
Word of advice: If a seat is Tilts/Leans R to start and you get outspent by $5 mil, don't be surprised when it's close
* Naperville nurse gets support of former VP against incumbent Randy Hultgren: “I’m not a politician, I’m a nurse,” Underwood said, to thunderous applause from the 1,400 people attending the rally. “But even the politicians tell us that this is the most important election of our lifetime. But I honestly believe that this year, it’s true, because our health care is on the ballot.
* Ex-Vice President Joe Biden stumps for Democrat Lauren Underwood: Hultgren, of Plano, was on stage with President Donald Trump in southern Illinois over the weekend. Hultgren said just a few words at the rally, telling the crowd hundreds of miles from his district to get out and vote early. “We’ve got a tough battle,” he said from the podium with Trump by his side, adding that Underwood is “absolutely dying to support Nancy Pelosi for speaker.”
* Letter: Vote for values, not leftist, pricey campaigns: Randy Hultgren doesn’t have $2 million from George Soros to stop Lauren Underwood’s lies about his record with TV ads. All Randy Hultgren can hope for is that his exemplary record in Congress will stop his constituents from believing the lies.
Thursday, Nov 1, 2018 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
The credit union movement focuses heavily on community service and charitable giving, but credit unions also give back to their members through generous financial benefits like low loan rates, high savings rates, and fewer fees than most other banking institutions. In 2017, Illinois credit unions gave an estimated $309,145,878 in direct financial benefits to the nearly 3.2 million credit union members in our state. Interested experiencing the credit union difference? Visit ASmarterChoice.org to learn how you can save by becoming a credit union member today.
Today, the Pritzker campaign released a new TV ad, “One Illinois,” highlighting how JB has spent the campaign listening to and sharing his vision with Illinoisans across the state.
The ad features JB on one of his three statewide bus tours talking about his priorities for Illinois and how he’ll fight for working families as governor. Footage from campaign stops in 10 cities and towns across the state are represented throughout the one-minute ad.
Pritzker: I think the only way you can represent a state as diverse as this is to spend real time with people in every region.
Bloomington resident: It’s good to see you again here!
Pritzker: Thank you.
Peoria resident: It is so good to see you!
Pritzker: Governor Rauner wants to pit one area of the state against another. I think we’re one Illinois.
Belleville resident: I’m so glad to meet you!
Pritzker: The values that people have are the same. People are decent. They’re dedicated. They’re hardworking.
Pritzker, to Rockford Veteran: Thanks again for your service.
Pritzker: They want to get past all of the challenges and actually get something done.
Belvidere resident: I can’t tell you how much help we need.
* Raoul campaign…
Today, Democratic candidate Kwame Raoul released a new Chicago radio ad - “Every Voice Matters” - in which President Barack Obama explains why electing Raoul to be Illinois’ next attorney general is so important. When Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, Raoul was appointed to fill his seat in the Illinois Senate, where he has served for the past 14 years. Obama has endorsed Raoul for attorney general.
“This is Barack Obama. When I was elected to the U.S. Senate, I was proud to see Kwame Raoul chosen to fill my seat in the state Senate. I couldn’t be more impressed with the work he’s done since, fighting for the issues we care about and the values we share.
“That’s why I support Kwame Raoul to be Illinois’ next attorney general. Kwame knows that healthcare isn’t a privilege; it’s a right. While I was in Washington fighting for the Affordable Care Act, he led the effort to expand healthcare coverage to every Illinoisan. He stood up for working families, for criminal justice reform, and for common-sense gun laws.
“Now that our progress is at stake, Kwame Raoul is precisely the attorney general we need. He’ll protect our healthcare, protect a woman’s right to choose, protect our environment, and protect our right to vote, because he believes that every voice matters.
“So let’s prove that our voices matter. This is Barack Obama, and I’m asking you to vote for Kwame Raoul for attorney general, November 6.”
…Adding… Rauner campaign…
This week, Governor Rauner has been travelling around the state on his “Our Home Our Fight” bus tour. Media has covered the tour as the governor has been “pushing hard for votes” and “focusing on his accomplishments” like record school funding and expanding the U of I.
“Women” in the context of this movement does not include all women. Its leaders and participants should at least be upfront about it.
The environment in Illinois politics is telling. Among the least-represented voices in Springfield is that of conservative women. The House and Senate, made up of 177 members, include 61 women of both parties. That number should be higher, but it’s not abysmal. Of those women, the majority are Democrats and mostly lean left. The House right now has only 13 Republican women. The Senate has two.
Let me repeat that data point for emphasis: Of the House’s 118 members, 13 are GOP women. Of the Senate’s 59 members, only two are Republican women. If the movement is truly about lifting women, shouldn’t it be focused on raising those numbers? Bringing more capable, opinion-diverse women into the pink-hat pavilion?
As I reminded subscribers earlier today, three Republicans have resigned from the Illinois Senate since the summer of 2017. All three were women and all three women were replaced by men. One of the women who stepped down was Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno. The Senate Republicans elected a man, Sen. Bill Brady, to replace her.
The #MeToo movement is not some top-down political action committee. The Republican Party, particularly in the Illinois Senate, is the entity truly in need of a dressing-down here. After all, they’re the ones who recruit the candidates and they’re the ones who exert influence on local retiree replacement decisions.
…Adding… I was reminded that women in the SGOP caucus, including Sen. Radogno, supported Brady’s election.
It’s officially November and we are 5 DAYS OUT FROM ELECTION DAY!
Some news I didn’t want you to miss…
Barack Obama has been campaigning in close races all over the country to help Democrats deliver the “blue wave,” and now news broke that Obama is coming to Chicago to help JB Pritzker!
Pritzker’s been talking a big game about bringing the “blue wave” to Illinois, but we are closing strong and have the momentum and it’s clear he needs some BIG help.
We know that no one fires up Democrats like Obama, so I need your help to beef up our efforts in the final stretch to make sure every single one of our supporters gets to the polls!
Can you chip in $10, $25, $50, $100 or whatever you can afford to help us in this final stretch?
Let’s send a strong message to Pritzker — we don’t want a “blue wave,” we want LOWER TAXES, MORE JOBS, AND AN END TO CORRUPTION.
On to victory!
Anthony Sarros
Political Director
Obama was already planning a rally in nearby Gary, Indiana, so I just don’t see this as “ZOMG! Barack is flying in to bail out the tanking JB=jailbird!” He does these rallies in the city every four years, sometimes more.
The largest state-funded pension system said Wednesday it will need a 10 percent increase in its state contribution in next year’s budget.
The Teachers’ Retirement System said the state will have to kick in more than $4.8 billion for the next budget that will start July 1, 2019. That’s an increase of about $400 million from the current budget.
“TRS investments had a good year, but we cannot invest our way out of this problem,” TRS executive director Dick Ingram said in a statement. “The unfunded liability is too large and grows every year.”
Years of underfunding of all five state-funded systems have left the state pension systems in debt to the tune of at least $130 billion. More than $73 billion of that is from TRS. Ingram said paying off that debt accounts for 76 percent of the state’s annual contribution to the teacher retirement fund. Without those costs, the state would only have to pay $1.2 billion in the next budget.
* Could the Chicago Tribune wind up being owned by a rich Democrat? Here’s Robert Feder…
Michael Sacks, a prominent Chicago businessman and top donor to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, could emerge today as the frontrunner to take control of the Chicago Tribune’s parent company. Sources said Sacks, CEO of Grosvenor Capital Management, is poised to make a bid for the shares of former chairman Michael Ferro, who owns a controlling 26 percent stake in the company formerly known as tronc.
Tribune Publishing confirmed a New York Post report that initial bids are due today. Also in the running may be McClatchy Co., Sacramento, California-based publisher of 30 daily newspapers. But McClatchy’s bid reportedly depends on the uncertain participation of biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times and Tribune Publishing’s second-largest shareholder. In addition to the Chicago Tribune, the company owns the New York Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel and papers in six other cities.
I’m out here canvassing door to door talking to voters directly about their biggest concerns. And one of their concerns is how partisan this campaign is and how partisan politics is overall. My opponent recently sent out a piece of mail that compared me to a piece of meat, and being the candidate that’s in this for positive reasons and trying to set a good example for young girls and children everywhere, I want to go on the record and say I don’t think it was right to compare me to a piece of meat, photoshop my head on somebody else’s body, and I can only hope that this will be the end of this type of communication the more we speak out about it. Please don’t compare people to meat. Thank you.
