* Democratic Congressman Bill Foster’s new TV ad features his children and even his ex-wife. Rate it…

* Rudy Giuliani gets the quote of the day for his whack at Alexi Giannoulias: “The only experience this guy has with crime seems to be that his bank was loaning money to criminals.” Listen…

* When in doubt, attack the messenger. Republican congressional candidate Bobby Schilling, who owns a pizzeria, says he knows more than the Congressional Budget Office when it comes to returning federal income tax levels to the Bill Clinton era…

Schilling says he doesn’t think extending the tax cuts will cost the treasury at all.

He says the tax cuts will stimulate enough revenues to pay for themselves.

“The CBO, I don’t believe to be credible,” he said.

Yep, and the earth is flat.

And Schilling’s opponent, incumbent Democrat Phil Hare, doesn’t want to use that tax cash to pay down the nation’s budget deficit…

U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, D-Ill., says now is not the time to extend tax breaks for the wealthy, who he says have “done real well” over the past 10 years. That $700 billion, he says, would be better devoted to building new roads, bridges and railroads.

* Chuck Sweeny praises civil discourse in the 16th Congressional District…

With the Republican Party tacking right and the Democratic Party hanging a left, the two men running for the 16th House District present a refreshing change of pace. U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo of Egan and Freeport Mayor George Gaulrapp, the Democratic challenger, discussed issues for an hour and a half Monday at the Editorial Board. Sparks did not fly, and the men seem to like each other.

That niceness could be because Gaulrapp has no chance whatsoever of winning.

* Roundup…

* Gutierrez keeps Pelosi waiting for check

* VIDEO: Alexi Giannoulias and Senator Dick Durbin on Bringing Jobs Back to Rockford

* VIDEO: Kirk’s “lame duck killer” argument

* Burris takes embarrassment a step further