In response to the NRSC’s vile tweet, since deleted, Duckworth deputy campaign manager Matt McGrath issued the following statement:
“Tasteless and dishonest, just like everything else to do with Mark Kirk’s flailing campaign. Tammy has made fighting for Veterans her life’s work, and will continue to do so in the Senate.” - Matt McGrath, campaign spokesman
Despite the title of that poly sci course you took in college, politics really is an art, not a science. Good politicians almost instinctively know when to take up a given subject, when to show up and how far to go. The others bumble or stumble, coming across as arrogant and disconnected.
Which leads to U.S. Senate hopeful Tammy Duckworth.
By just about all indications, the northwest suburban congresswoman is going to win a smashing victory a week from today, on March 15, capturing the Democratic nomination to oppose GOP incumbent Mark Kirk in the fall. By all indications, she’ll enter that contest as the clear favorite.
But you never want to act like the clear favorite. Voters want to be courted and treated with respect, not taken for granted. But like Hillary Clinton did in the presidential race earlier this year, Duckworth continues to do so in the Senate contest.
The latest example is Duckworth’s decision to skip tonight’s WTTW-TV/Channel 11 debate. Her aides are suggesting only that her primary debate schedule was all filled up long ago—with (golly) three whole debates in three months. […]
Duckworth isn’t senator yet. She needs to do what all good pols do: run scared. If she can’t handle a half-hour exchange on public TV, she can’t handle the job.
I don’t think Sen. Kirk has debated even once this primary season, but she should’ve been more available.
There are few lawmakers in Springfield that are as conservative as Republican state Senator Kyle McCarter, but incumbent Congressman John Shimkus wants downstate voters to believe that his GOP challenger is “Chicagoish.”
And while Governor Bruce Rauner has sided with Shimkus over McCarter in the 15th District’s GOP primary race, Senator McCarter asked the governor Monday if he believed McCarter was “Chicagoish,” and Rauner said “No,” according to McCarter’s tweet.
Heh…
Just asked @GovRauner if he believed I was a Chicago Republican. "No, I don't." He chuckled. #twill#IL15
* But McCarter doesn’t have the money to fight back. And the Club for Growth is no longer running its ad attacking Shimkus for violating his term limits pledge, saying “We ran the original buy that we planned and are still strategizing for the final week and bundling for McCarter.” As I’ve already told you, the group is shifting into anti-Trump mode.
* And McCarter is about to be buried under even more TV ads…
The American Action Network (@AAN) today launched an independent expenditure ad campaign supporting Congressman John Shimkus in Illinois’ 15th congressional district primary. Highlighting Shimkus’ strong conservative voice, the ad campaign will ensure Illinois primary voters know he is the principled fighter they need in Congress.
Shimkus’ conservative leadership includes fighting to dismantle Obamacare, standing up for 2nd Amendment rights, and defending the right to life. Shimkus is endorsed by the National Rifle Association, National Right to Life, and other conservative organizations.
AAN’s $200,000 independent expenditure campaign includes broadcast and cable television buys running through the March 15 primary election day in five district media markets as well as digital advertising and GOTV phone calls.
“Our country needs strong leaders - fortunately we have conservatives like John Shimkus willing to step up,” said AAN President Mike Shields. “John Shimkus is willing to take on the tough fights like dismantling Obamacare, protecting gun rights and fighting for conservative values.”
* The governor is holding a media briefing at noon. Click here for the state’s audio and video. Click here for the BlueRoomStream.com video feed. And most definitely follow all that and the Senate today with ScribbleLive…
* An Eastern Illinois University student attempted to ask a question of Gov. Bruce Rauner yesterday, but didn’t manage to blurt it out fast enough and the governor made a skillful escape…
Check out this video I took of Governor Rauner refusing to answer an EIU student's question! #FundEIU #FundOurSchools
* An interesting take on President Obama’s endorsement of Rep. Ken Dunkin’s Democratic primary opponent Juliana Stratton…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s former chief of staff, said the president isn’t endorsing a candidate as much as he is endorsing an end to the state budget stalemate.
“Where we now are literally holding back poor kids who are accomplishing great things in education and not funding it correctly, so the fact that we now have kids leaving college because of their state government doesn’t have the right budget priorities, that’s what the endorsement is,” Emanuel said.
Your interpretation of this nearly unprecedented endorsement?
A DNC source told me that part of the reason behind Obama’s making the spots for Stratton was “to set the record straight that the President has not endorsed Dunkin, he is endorsing the challenger.”
“And also we’ve heard some rumblings that Dunkin is trying to say that the ad isn’t real – it is. Also, the key issue is gun violence prevention. Stratton is in the right place and POTUS said previously he would help candidates who were in the right place on guns. She also has the support of many community leaders and the labor community, which helps,” the DNC source said.
But the decision to intervene came directly from the White House, multiple sources tell me, and just about everyone in politics thinks Madigan had something to do with it. […]
But Madigan has done Obama a few favors through the years, moving up the 2008 presidential primary to help then-candidate Obama and more recently passing legislation to clear the way for Obama’s library to be built in a Chicago public park. […]
The DNC approached the Stratton campaign shortly thereafter and said Obama “might want to be helpful,” says one source who knows. Scripts were prepared and, late last week, the White House sent word to proceed.
You ally yourself with a Republican governor, then interrupt the preznit’s address, then run a radio ad saying the preznit endorses you and your effort at “bringing people together” when he doesn’t, you’re gonna upset the preznit.
A candidate for the Illinois House says he was attacked by his opponent’s supporters.
Bob Zwolinski is running for Illinois’ 4th District, against incumbent Cynthia Soto.
He says Sunday night a man and a woman were stapling posters for Soto outside his campaign office Ashland and Chicago in East Ukrainian Village.
Zwolinski says he asked them to stop and that’s when the man punched him in the chest then the woman hit him in the head with a beer bottle and then shot a staple gun at him — leaving him with a staple in his forehead.
Chicago police say Zwolinski has filed a police report and the accused attackers are claiming they are the victims in this case.
* OK, brace yourself. From Zwolinski’s Twitter feed…
Zwolinski alleges in a statement that the posters supported his Democratic primary opponent, incumbent State Rep. Cynthia Soto, who took office in 2001 for the district, which includes parts of Bucktown, Humboldt Park, Logan Square and Ukrainian Village.
When he asked the pair to remove the posters, an argument ensued and the 26-year-old man hit Zwolinski in the chest. The woman, thought to be in her 20s, then struck him in the head with a bottle and shot a staple gun at his forehead, causing a laceration, police said. […]
But the man and woman are also alleging they were victims in the attack, police said. The man told investigators Zwolinski ripped the posters down, grabbed him by the shirt, threw him to the ground and punched him several times. […]
As of Monday morning, no one has been taken into custody in connection with the incident and no charges have been issued. A representative from Soto’s office could not be immediately reached for comment.
A law enforcement source also said that 911 callers described four people fighting, not one individual being attacked.
Speaking outside Zwolinksi’s office Monday, Frank Avila, an attorney representing the alleged attackers, called the episode a “false flag” and a “media stunt trying to draw attention to a flailing campaign.”
“[Zwolinski] saw people putting up signs along Ashland, and he started pushing them and grabbing them,” Avila said. “He initiated physical contact, and they defended themselves. …If he ended up getting the worst of it, that’s on him.”
Avila said his clients, two unpaid volunteers for Soto’s campaign, were stapling signs over a vacant property next to Zwolinski’s office — not on the office itself. On Monday, a large splatter of blood remained next to the vacant property, although some droplets showed near the office as well. […]
“Yes, there was a fight, yes, there was self defense,” Avila said. “[But] why did he call the media before he called 911? Why is he going out and confronting people? Why would they just fight him?”
Juliana Stratton, Democratic candidate for state representative in Illinois’ 5th District, announced Monday that President Barack Obama is endorsing her campaign to unseat state Rep. Ken Dunkin. The president has recorded a radio and television commercial in which he endorsed Stratton and asked Chicagoans to support her.
“I’m endorsing Juliana Stratton because she will stand up for our children, our seniors and our working families,” Obama said. “Juliana will fight to get guns off our streets. Throughout our neighborhoods, too many young people and families live in fear. These families can’t afford inaction. Juliana Stratton will bring a new voice to Springfield as State Representative. She is the strong and devoted leader our neighborhoods need.”
Stratton, a first-time candidate for office, is taking on 13-year incumbent Ken Dunkin, who has received nearly $1.5 million in campaign support from right-wing political committees and a group that was created to advance Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s agenda. Stratton has made a cornerstone of her campaign cracking down on the gun violence that has ripped through the city, vowing to push for tougher penalties for shooters who target children.
“Receiving President Obama’s endorsement is an incredible honor, and I will work hard every day for our families and neighborhoods to earn his continued trust and support,” Stratton said. “Our neighborhoods are proud of how President Obama has taken on dangerous right-wing agendas and has stood up for working families. As state representative, I will fight against reckless agendas that threaten our families.”
Stratton has criticized Dunkin’s record of failure, including siding with the National Rifle Association in voting for a law that made it easier for criminals to get guns and for helping Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner slash affordable child care for thousands of children.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Dunkin ally Maze Jackson just said on WVON radio that “the same person who gave us Rahm Emanuel” is now endorsing Dunkin’s opponent, and then asked rhetorically if that means Stratton is now backed by Rahm. Click here to listen. Jackson has also cut a radio ad for Dunkin, which is airing on his program. And Jackson endorsed Emanuel himself last year.
The Sun-Times has learned that the spots will run through the March 15 Illinois primary; there is about $300,000 behind the TV ad buy and about $100,000 for radio. The ads were produced by Adelstein and Associates, handling the media for the Stratton campaign.
