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Thursday, Sep 6, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I was trying to watch a music video on YouTube last night and this JB Pritzker “Karaoke” ad appeared…

I have the YouTube “premium” option, so I don’t see ads unless I’m not logged in and I wasn’t logged in last night for whatever reason.

* Here’s the longer version called “Important Questions.” It includes Juliana Stratton “beatboxing” and Pritzker talking about his “dad jokes”…

Yeah, not “serious” at all, but that second video has 744,861 views right now.

They also have another short and light video called “First Words.”

More “traditional” campaign videos released this week are here and here.

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Making it all about Madigan

Thursday, Sep 6, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Usually when governors campaign for legislative candidates, they mainly stick to the positives of the candidates they want to see elected. Gov. Rauner, however, is not a usual governor and this is not a usual state. Here’s what he had to say yesterday when making an appearance for the Republican opponent of Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur)…

Nobody in central Illinois should vote for Sue Scherer. She has refused to sign the Peoples Pledge.

* But it’s really not so much about Scherer or her GOP opponent Herman Senor as it is Speaker Madigan…

Rauner said Madigan has been entrenched in Illinois politics for decades and uses political power and money to “buy votes” in his district, keeping him eligible to be speaker of the Illinois House.

“And that culture of corruption from Chicago has infiltrated our state government for decades under Mike Madigan,” Rauner said. “We need to throw off that yoke of corruption and get new leadership, fresh ideas.”

* WJBC…

“When we collected over 600,000 signatures so you could get term limits on the ballot, so you could vote term limits up or down five years ago, Mike Madigan and his funders — (JB) Pritzker and the Chicago political machine — they sued us in state court, and they won in state court,” Rauner said.

Rauner was not interested in pledges when a pro-choice group asked him to sign one promising to uphold the tenets of an abortion bill he signed. This is different, he says, because he’s trying to change the Constitution to force term limits.

* WMAY…

Governor Bruce Rauner is continuing to push for term limits… and for anyone other than Mike Madigan to be speaker of the Illinois House. Rauner joined Republican legislative candidates in Springfield to sign what he calls the People’s Pledge.

* Response…

Steve Brown, spokesman for Madigan, said later the pledge sounds similar to the “magic formula” that Rauner has been using for months, leaving him 16 points behind his Democratic opponent for governor, J.B. Pritzker, in a recent poll.

“It’s just another low-road smear attempt that’s apparently failing him,” Brown said.

* But, here’s the thing. I watched and read a lot of coverage of yesterday’s “People’s Pledge” event and the one thing conspicuously missing from almost all the stories was Scherer’s Republican opponent. The SJ-R’s piece mentioned in passing (deep in the story) that he attended the event. WCIA was the only outlet that gave him significant coverage.

And if you watch the raw video, you’ll see that when Rauner attacked Rep. Scherer he didn’t even mention Senor’s name. I think the governor only said Senor’s name once - when he introduced all the attendees.

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Casten touts his company in new ad while GOP group blasts it and calls him “shady Madigan-machine politician”

Thursday, Sep 6, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Yesterday, the Casten campaign released their second ad of the general election, highlighting Sean Casten’s background as a clean energy entrepreneur creating jobs in the Sixth Congressional District. Casten released the following statement:

“I am proud of my background creating hundreds of jobs while fighting climate change,” said Casten. “Peter Roskam has spent 25 years in public office, but can’t run on his own reputation. Instead, his ads just resort to throwing mud and distorting my record. Now, thanks to over 75,000 individual donors we can share the truth about my record of protecting our environment and putting people to work.”

The campaign said the new Casten ad would be seen on TV systems and digital platforms across the 6th District, and that the campaign would continue to communicate through the rest of the election.

So far in the general election, Roskam and his allies have spent millions of dollars on mailings, TV and digital ads. Despite that investment, three different organizations that predict the outcomes of congressional races have moved the Illinois 6th District race from “leans Republican” to “toss up” and a “DEM gain.”

* The ad…

* And another press release…

Congressional Leadership Fund (@CLFSuperPAC), the super PAC endorsed by House Republican leadership, today released a new ad, “Fraud,” in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District. The ad highlights Sean Casten’s business record that is clouded by scandal and allegations of fraud. The ad will run on television in the Chicago media market and on digital platforms throughout the district.

“Sean Casten’s business record is clouded by scandal and allegations of fraud, he was even sued by investors for mismanagement,” said Michael Byerly, CLF spokesman. “Casten has spent his business career profiting from insider deals, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on lobbyists, and taking millions of dollars in corporate welfare. Casten talks about cleaning up Washington, but he’s just another shady Madigan-machine politician who would make Washington worse.”

In addition to the ad campaign, CLF previously opened a field office in Illinois’ 6th Congressional District. Each CLF field office is supported by a full-time staffer and hundreds of interns and volunteers who engage with voters on a daily basis through hyper-targeted phone banking and door-to-door canvassing.

* The spot…

* Script…

VO: Sean Casten’s business record?

Clouded by scandal and allegations of fraud.

Casten was sued by investors for mismanagement.

Now we learn Casten’s talk of cleaning up Washington is a fraud.

As a CEO, Casten profited from insider deals…

…spending four-hundred-grand on lobbyists…

…getting eight million bucks in corporate welfare.

Another shady Madigan-machine politician.

Sean Casten would make Washington worse.

Roskam also aired his own TV ad about Casten’s company. Click here for that one.

16 Comments

Diana Rauner touts spouse in new ad: “He stopped the insanity and delivered”

Thursday, Sep 6, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Today, the Rauner campaign is launching a new TV ad featuring Diana Rauner titled “This Election is a Choice.”

In the ad, Diana directly addresses Illinois voters about the stakes of this election. She outlines the clear choice voters face in November: continue fighting for reform with Governor Rauner or go back to the same policies that have hurt Illinois for decades with JB Pritzker and Mike Madigan.

* Here it is…

* Transcript…

I’m Diana Rauner. Bruce ran for governor to try and save our state. It hasn’t been easy, but nothing important ever is. Bruce took on the big problems: education funding reform, Medicaid reform, criminal justice reform. He stopped the insanity and delivered. But 40 years of mismanagement can’t be turned around in 4 years. This election is a choice. Do we keep moving towards reform, or go back to the status quo that got us into this mess?

…Adding… Jake pulls up her 2014 ad…

Bruce Rauner's 2018 campaign released an ad today featuring his wife. Here's a look back at Rauner's first 2014 ad featuring Diana (released 10/16/14)#twill #ilgov pic.twitter.com/flKZmecc3b

— Illinois Working Together (@IllinoisWorking) September 6, 2018

…Adding… Tribune’s analysis…

In featuring Diana Rauner, the Rauner campaign is acknowledging the need to appeal to female voters, particularly socially moderate women in the traditionally GOP suburbs, in his re-election contest with Democrat J.B. Pritzker.

At the same time, the governor, himself, has been spending time campaigning Downstate to try to unify a socially conservative GOP base unhappy with his signature on laws expanding abortion, immigrant and gay rights. […]

Diana Rauner’s script also is noteworthy.

By talking about education, Medicaid and criminal justice, she’s talking about issues of interest to those moderate suburban women without touching on the more controversial issues surrounding the governor — such as abortion rights — that could anger conservatives.

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