* It’s a pretty tiny buy, but the DCCC is reportedly spending $39,000 or $46,000 on this TV ad for Sen. Debbie Halvorson…
* Martin Ozinga’s campaign unleashed an attack on the ad that probably has all the negative talking points they’ll use in the campaign…
1. As hundreds of longtime civil servants were being laid off, Halvorson got her 23-year-old daughter a $40,000-per-year job with Rod Blagojevich.
2. As working families were struggling, Halvorson voted to raise her salary and Rod Blagojevich’s salary.
3. As electricity bills were set to skyrocket, Halvorson opposed the electric rate freeze after taking $20,000 from the big utility companies.
4. As voters were demanding ethics in government, Halvorson voted to forgive her own campaign finance fines that she had received for violating election law.
5. As taxpayers were being squeezed, Halvorson accepted illegal campaign contributions from a taxpayer-funded park district.
6. As Illinois was reeling from Rod Blagojevich’s failed agenda, Halvorson stood with Blagojevich every single time to curry his favor and climb the political ladder. She voted for his job-killing Gross Receipts Tax, opposed and bottled up the ethics reform bill, sabotaged the recall amendment, and voted with him to raid veterans’ home funds.
It’s only the second ad the DCCC has aired so far this election. The decision to go up so early with a positive spot suggests that Halvorson’s campaign could use a re-branding. She’s been taking her share of hits – fueled by the state GOP – for her connections to ethically-troubled Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
* Notice that the ad never mentions her experience as an Illinois state senator or her Majority Leader job…
“The Middle Class is getting squeezed. Debbie Halvorson knows we’re working harder and getting less, that’s why she led the fight to lower prescription drug costs for Illinois seniors, and Halvorson helped give thousands of children and working families affordable health insurance. Now she wants to take our fight to Congress. She’ll take on George Bush’s Policies. And bring common sense back to our government. Debbie Halvorson, a fighter for us.”
* The very early DCCC spending and the possible “rebranding” could mean some polling weaknesses, particularly against Martin Ozinga. Back to the Politico piece…
Her opponent, GOP concrete magnate, Marty Ozinga has already been up with two television ads of his own defining himself as an independent politician.
* And Ozinga’s campaign is slamming Halvorson for her fundraiser tonight with embattled Congresscritter Charlie Rangel, and mixes in the House GOP “debate” on oil prices…
How can Debbie Halvorson claim – with a straight face – that she’s looking out for the middle class if she’s happily lapping up campaign cash from the same people who have shut down Congress while working families are struggling with high gas prices?
Halvorson has never demonstrated a penchant for standing up to Rod Blagojevich or big-money special interests in the state Senate. But we remain optimistic she’ll do the right thing in this case – an election tends to bring out the best in politicians with guilty consciences.
One thing is certain: If Debbie Halvorson doesn’t find the courage to stand up for working families now, then she needs to find something else – a job other than “Representative.”
* Meanwhile, what does it say about our national political discourse when a woman best known for a leaked porn video releases a mock political ad that’s more statespersonlike than either presidential candidate? [Just kidding… kinda]
* And what does this say about our national reporters?….
After this morning’s campaign event here with Sen. Barack Obama, this state’s junior senator [Sen. Evan Bayh, who has been suggested as a possible running mate for Obama] lingered to shake hands with supporters and graciously took a couple questions from this reporter….
What did you pick up from the body language today?
“I don’t know how to comment on that. I’m not an expert on body language,” he said.
