* Democratic congressional candidate David Gill has been running this TV ad for a while now…

It’s about a woman named “Susan” that Dr. Gill says he resuscitated after she had a heart attack. Susan had to go home, however, because she didn’t have health insurance.

* But is Susan a real person?…

In a 2006 campaign video produced when Gill was making an unsuccessful bid for Congress in Illinois’ 15th district, he told a similar story about a 39-year-old person who died of a heart attack that may have been prevented had they been covered by health insurance.

But in the 2006 telling — and in another version published on a blog in 2009 — the subject of the story was a man, not a woman named “Susan.”

After a bit of back and forth, the Gill campaign hedged…

In a follow-up statement, Gill campaign spokeswoman Lucy Stein suggested Susan may be an amalgamation of a number of similar experiences Gill has had over the years.

“In his 13 years as an ER doctor caring for thousands of patients, David has seen too many young families devastated by heart attacks. These stories are the tragic but preventable result of a profit-driven health care system,” Stein noted.

*** UPDATE 1 *** The full 2006 Gill campaign video is here. I’ve excerpted the relevant quote…

[ *** End Of Update 1 *** ]

*** UPDATE 3 *** Total denial of the report by Gill’s spokesperson…

I never suggested the amalgamation story… Both are real people, but the point is that there are countless others just like them

She’s right that she was never directly quoted as saying such. And it’s not clear she was even implying it from the story’s quote.

[ *** End Of Update 3 *** ]

* Meanwhile, the US Chamber is using the same person from its pro Bob Dold ad to whack Gill…

From Gill’s Facebook page…

The Chamber of Commerce is up with a generic attack ad pushing all sorts of crazy distortions about me. And the businesswoman they feature in his spot? She’s from Minnesota. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a local voter.

* Also from Gill’s Facebook page. Posted late last night…

CAMPAIGN UPDATE: We just got new poll numbers in. They confirm that David has an excellent opportunity to win.

Despite a million dollars being spent against him so far, Dr. Gill is in the lead and doing exceptionally well with voters who have seen our advertising.

Yeah. They’ve seen the “Susan” ad, which could now be blown out of the water.

* Also, Gill’s campaign is changing staffers on the fly, which makes it look quite disorganized…

MICHAEL RICHARDS, 33, a member of the Champaign County Board, recently left the campaign. TOM ALTE of Normal remains deputy campaign manager. The campaign’s political director is JACK QUIGLEY of Chicago, a friend of Gill. SHERRY GREENBERG, originally from Los Angeles, is a senior political strategist sent by the DCCC, Alte said. And the new press secretary is LUCY STEIN, who previously worked for a Senate committee in Washington, D.C.

*** UPDATE 2 *** Rodney Davis has a new campaign ad. Rate it…

[ *** End Of Update 2 *** ]