* Rahm goes for the gold with a new TV ad featuring President Obama. Rate it…

* Transcript…

President Obama: We could not have accomplished what we’ve accomplished without Rahm’s leadership.

His advice has always been candid, his opinions have always been insightful, his commitment to his job has always been heartfelt, borne of a passionate desire to move this country forward and lift up the lives of the middle class and people who are struggling to get there.

We are all very excited for Rahm as he takes on a new challenge for which he is extraordinarily well qualified.

…Adding… Money troubles for unions? Maybe…

Public employee union leaders who took offense at Rahm Emanuel‘s new campaign commercial are hoping to air a rebuttal, but they may be having trouble raising the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to buy time on broadcast channels.

…Adding More… The Chico campaign responds to the ABC7 poll showing a huge lead for Emanuel…

That ABC poll does not jive with every other campaign’s internal polls which we all disclosed has Gery in the 20s and Rahm in 40s. Our own poll taken just days earlier has Rahm at 46 overall, Gery at 23 and Braun and Del Valle at 7. Also, In our poll we were clearly in first with Latino voters. . .so there is just no way that Emanuel is in first with this voting block with not one but two credible Latino candidates. . .one who has the support of Luis Gutierrez!

* Meanwhile, House Speaker Michael Madigan gave a brief interview to an Illinois Statehouse News reporter late this morning. Worth a watch…