* David Hoffman kicks off his Democratic US Senate bid today…

Hoffman’s announcement launched a multi-city tour of the candidate via an RV clad in his campaign colors of yellow and black. The political newcomer goes to Springfield this afternoon and then will make weekend trips to Alton, Carbondale and Champaign to introduce himself to downstate reporters and voters.

Hoffman also got support from state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston), who introduced the candidate at his kick-off event. Schoenberg also took a shot at Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias…

Schoenberg also said Hoffman was “a Democrat who can win this seat next election” and raised the specter that Giannoulias could not survive a general election, creating the “potential political damage of the president’s old seat falling into Republican hands.” Hoffman’s reputation offsets Republicans running against Democrats based solely on the Blagojevich scandals, he said.

And Hoffman himself appeared to foreshadow an attack on Giannoulias…

“Plain and simple, it is time to turn the page on the Blagojevich-Rezko era,” Hoffman said, citing convicted former campaign fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko, “and to nominate a candidate for the U.S. Senate with no connection to the corrupt and cozy politics of the past.”

He also took a whack at Republican Senate hopeful Mark Kirk during his speech…

“Even as the financial mess was beginning to unfold, Congressman Mark Kirk voted against tougher regulation of the very subprime mortgages that were at the heart of this crisis. In fact, he marched lockstep with the Bush/Cheney economic program, right over the cliff.”

…Adding… Oops. I forgot to post Terry Savage’s whack on Treasurer Giannoulias and the other actors in the multi-million dollar Bright Start losses. Savage’s conclusion…

This is the worst case of bureaucratic denial that I have ever seen. First they LOST the bucks — $85 million of them. And now they keep “passing the buck.” But it does not appear they will pass the bucks to the families who trusted them with college accounts in time to pay tuition this fall. And that’s the sad, Savage Truth.

* In other US Senate campaign news, Democratic state Rep. Susana Mendoza held a conference call presser today to blast Republican Kirk for accepting $1,000 from Congressman Joe Wilson in 2006. Wilson is the guy who shouted “You lie!” at President Obama last night. Obama accepted Wilson’s apology today. The presser was sponsored by the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.

* Speaking of the president’s speech, if you’re at all interested Nate Silver has done some regression analysis to predict how the “public option” is faring in every congressional district. It’s interesting, but that’s about it. And speaking of fun stuff, Johnny Longtorso has drawn a new Illinois congressional map which looks lots more compact and contiguous than the current map but is still Democratic leaning. Also, the AP claims that Congressman Shimkus left during last night’s joint session address. And here’s Mark Kirk’s reaction to the speech: “He talked at us. He didn’t listen to us … It was a missed opportunity.”

UPDATE: Thanks to a reader, I just read the Tribune’s story on the Shimkus walkout…

“Congressman Shimkus was frustrated that the president was not offering any new ground and left with just minutes remaining in the speech,'’ spokesman Steven Tomaszewski said today

* Moving on to the governor’s race, ABC7 reports that Rep. Ken Dunkin wants an “extensive audit” of how Comptroller Dan Hynes’ office has regulated cemeteries. Some of Dunkin’s relatives are buried at the notorious Burr Oak Cemetery…

Dunkin is filing the Cemetery Care Act to get the Illinois auditor general to find out if the comptroller knew about complaints against Burr Oak Cemetery and did nothing about them. […]

“Any typical Illinois citizen driving past could see bones mountains of bones and the comptrollers has a staff of 20 people and they saw or did nothing what do they do all day? What do they do when they receive complaints people have been complaining about Burr Oak for years,” said [Dunkin].

The comptroller’s office says the auditor general already examines regulatory activities every two years and that it has found no evidence of impropriety since the 1998-2000 audit.

Anyone driving past could see mountains of bones? Really? Also, if they could, then why didn’t Dunkin notice something was amiss?

* And Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft takes a shot at Sen. Kirk Dillard’s pro-life record…

Between 2002 and 2006, Sen. Dillard opposed embryonic stem cell research. He said so in questionnaires he filled out, as Stanek documents.

But then, in 2007, he flipped, and was one of only two Senate Republicans who voted for government funding of embryonic stem cell research.

Today, Sen. Dillard says he is 100% pro-life. But in 2003, Illinois Planned Parenthood gave Sen. Dillard a 100% rating for his pro-choice votes. So, in just the last six years, Sen. Dillard has changed his positions on pro-life issues not once, but twice.

* Other campaign related stuff…

* Strike for Health Insurance Gets a Boost From Pat Quinn: Dozens of Chicago toolmakers on strike for health insurance got a shot in the arm Wednesday. A politician who’s counting on their union’s support next year joined their picket line.

* U. of Ill. trustees select Christopher Kennedy to lead board

* Hoffman’s Clerkships

* Gay man in Senate race

* ‘Why leave something that I’m enjoying?’ Sullivan says he won’t seek higher office in 2010

* Christine Radogno: Her own style

* Free year of college: Legislator promotes ‘Challenge Scholarship’