*** UPDATE 1 - 1:41 pm *** He’s never explained this before, but Dr. Gill just claimed during his press conference today that the money for the ad comes from a special grassroots DCCC fund that doesn’t take corporate money and accepts contributions only up to $100 online. But Gill hasn’t yet provided the name of the fund. I’m checking with the DCCC now to see what he’s talking about.

*** UPDATE 2 - 1:46 pm *** What a stupid press conference that was. They didn’t even have the name of the alleged “grassroots” fund to share with reporters. They claimed donors came from online, but didn’t know where the website was. Ridiculous.

*** UPDATE 3 - 1:47 pm *** From the DCCC…

The funds raised for the DCCC 441ad ad in partnership with the Gill campaign come from funds raised by our online/grassroots donors, not PAC/lobbyist/corporate.

This is from our online fundraising. Like when you get an email solicit from us.

Except, of course, a lobbyist or banker would get the same e-mail solicitation and could’ve also contributed. Odds are against that, but it could happen.

*** UPDATE 4 - 2:06 pm *** This may seem a bit trivial, but it’s important. Gill claims he will never take “one penny” from corporations, Wall Street, lobbyists or whatever. So if more than a penny ends up in his fund via this DCCC website, then his ad is a lie. It may seem trivial, but he’s the one who set the bar, not me, not Rodney Davis, not anyone else. It was Gill.

Also, Gill said he’d be the one explaining the DCCC money, but then left early and handed over the presser to an aide without even saying he was leaving. Not cool at all.

*** UPDATE 5 - 2:11 pm *** The FEC website explains 441(a)(d) money…

These general election expenditures, known as “coordinated expenditures”, are limited under the election law. The national committees of each political party have a set amount they may spend on behalf of each U.S. House and Senate candidate. State party committees may spend equal amounts or may transfer their limits to the national committees, effectively doubling the national committees’ expenditure limits in those states or districts.

Coordinated expenditures are made in addition to direct contributions. They are allowed only with regard to the general election, and do not count as either contributions to candidates or as expenditures made by candidates. Party committees may work with candidates’ campaigns to determine how the money should be spent, but the campaigns do not receive the funds, the expenditures are reported directly by the party committees on special schedules on their financial disclosure reports.

*** UPDATE 6 - 2:58 pm *** The Illinois Review has posted raw audio of the presser. It takes a couple minutest to get started…

Click to listen

[ *** End Of Updates *** ]

* As I told you yesterday, Democratic congressional candidate David Gill has made a big deal about not taking a dime from corporations or Wall Street banks. His latest ad which touts that stance, however, is partially paid for by the DCCC, which does take corporate and Wall St. cash.

Gill debated Republican Rodney Davis last night. After the debate, legendary Champaign News Gazette political reporter Tom Kacich asked Gill about his latest TV ad. Gill looked completely stumped and had to huddle with his DCCC strategist before providing what turned out to be a non-response. Watch the video…

How the heck could Gill have been so horribly unprepared to answer a question like that when the NRCC and the state GOP both blasted him on this very issue yesterday? There’s just no excuse for that.

* But then that same DCCC strategist whom Gill huddled with apparently decided that the Republican video tracker should be blocked from taping the presser. Things got a little ugly…

Ugh.

There are worse things you can do to a tracker. For example, check out how Congresswoman Judy Biggert’s people recently harrassed a Democratic tracker...

But, still. C’mon, people. Deal with it.

* The heat is apparently now intense enough that Gill plans to talk about his DCCC money today. From a media advisory…

David Gill to Address Questions Regarding DCCC in Conference Call Today

WHAT: Dr. David Gill, the Democratic nominee in the 13th congressional district, will make a statement and take questions regarding the DCCC and his campaign.

WHEN:
TODAY
October 18, 2012
1:30 PM-1:45 PM

I’ll let you know what happens.

* Meanwhile, this is a very partisan, but pretty funny story about last night’s debate between Davis and Gill. The piece captures one aspect of the debate far better than any of the other stories I’ve read…

Rodney Davis started the debate by saying his top issue is cutting the national debt. His plan for doing so is to cut taxes. Seriously. He wants to reduce revenue to bring down the debt. He doesn’t believe in that arithmetic thing Bill Clinton was talking about.

Later in the debate a student question raised the obvious. Are spending cuts alone, without a tax increase, enough to deal with the debt, and what specifically would you cut from the budget?

Davis again repeated the magical debt-reducing tax cut theory that worked so well for George W. Bush. He didn’t name any specific spending cuts he would support. He told the university audience that his unspecified spending cuts would free up more money to spend on student financial aid for college.

In a single debate, Davis claimed that everyone will get tax cuts, that tax cuts will reduce the deficit, that only things you don’t like will be cut from the budget, and all the spending you do like will still be increased. Also, everyone gets a unicorn that [exhales glitter via its posterior].

* And Davis is running a new radio ad featuring former Gov. Jim Edgar. Listen…

Click to download

* Related…

* Gill lauds Obama, claims lead over Davis in 13th: A poll released today shows Dr. Gill with a commanding 6 point lead over his Republican opponent, political insider Rodney Davis. “Rodney is using the very same deceitful sales routine, one he probably picked up from the decade he spent running the political campaigns of Tea Party Congressman John Shimkus,” said Dr. Gill’s press secretary Lucy Stein, “but the voters in the 13th District aren’t buying it.”

* Bernard Schoenburg: Schakowsky backs Gill in Congressional race

* 13th District spending tops $4 million: The biggest spender so far is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has put $1.2 million into the race against Davis. But most of the money spent has come from superPACs aiming to defeat Gill. Among them: the American Action Network, $325,101; the National Republican Congressional Committee, $804,061; the New Prosperity Foundation, $139,255; and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, $500,000. Some of the groups say they have reserved hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of additional airtime, although they have not committed to spend it.

* Gill vs. Davis debate brings heat to campus

* Rivals don’t pull punches in 13th district debate

* Interview: Rodney Davis,Taylorville Republican Congressional Candidate

* Three seek nod from 13th Congressional District

* NFIB Endorses Rodney Davis in 13th District Race