* Democratic US Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias is going up on TV for the first time. Here’s the ad…

As I’ve told you, rival Democrat David Hoffman is already on the air [refresh your memory and watch it again by clicking here]. He’s reportedly spending in the neighborhood of $250K a week for two weeks with his ad, and the Giannoulias people say they’re essentially matching that number, but that their ads are also running Downstate. I should have the competitives soon, so I’ll let you know. The ad starts running tonight, but kicks in to higher gear tomorrow.

It’s noteworthy that this spot is about how he stepped in to stop a bank that was attempting to “liquidate” an Illinois business. That’s probably a subtle response to Hoffman’s ad, which CQ Politics pointed out includes these lines…

“Let’s take that fight to the U.S. Senate,” Hoffman says in the ad. “The bankers, the lobbyists and insiders have owned Washington for too long.”

The reference to bankers is an obvious jab at the Giannoulias, who used to manage his family’s Chicago bank.

Also, this ad is about jobs. Not enough candidates are talking about jobs right now.

…Adding… Script…

[Open to Hartmarx Plant]
Hartmarx Worker 1: I work here at Hartmarx

Hartmarx Worker 2: 32 years

Hartmarx Worker 3: 46 years

Hartmarx Worker 1: 43 years

HM Worker 3: Banks were looking to liquidate.

HM Worker 1: We were going to lose our jobs.

Alexi Giannoulias: I wasn’t sure if we could help the workers, but I knew we had to try.

HM Worker 1: One man, speaks from the heart.

HM Worker 2: Alexi really stood up with us.

[On Screen: Giannoulias to Wells Fargo: Back Off Hartmarx. Chicago Sun-Times, 5.7.09]
Alexi Giannoulias: We sent a message to this bank: If you want to do business in Illinois, you have to save these jobs.

HM Worker 3: There’s almost 600 jobs here that were saved.

Alexi Giannoulias [stand by your ad]: I’m Alexi Gianoulias and I approve this message.

HM Worker 3: We need more people like Alexi in politics; a person that cares