[UPDATE: Comments are now open on this post.]

* Rep. Ken Dunkin is boldly trying to turn several nasty lemons into campaign lemonade with four new radio ads aimed at the African-American community.

One of Rep. Dunkin’s spots features excerpts of President Obama’s recent address to the Illinois General Assembly. The President’s statement about how finding common ground doesn’t make him “a sellout” is highlighted, as well as Obama’s infamous “Well, we’ll talk later, Dunkin” crack, which Dunkin spins as a major positive. “If you’re tired of business as usual in Springfield and ready to put people over politics, reelect Ken Dunkin”…

* Dunkin uses the LaQuan McDonald shooting in another ad called “16 shots”…

16 shots and a cover-up. They used a police report and a mug shot to make us believe the worst. But it was only after 13 months that we found out they lied. Now, Ken Dunkin’s opponents are up to their same old tricks, and they want us to believe the worst.

The ad then quotes extensively from a heavily favorable ABC 7 news report, which blames Speaker Madigan for dredging up “old dirt” on the legislator and uses audio from one of his alleged victims praising Dunkin, then concludes…

Don’t let Ken Dunkin’s opponent criminalize another brother. Your son could be next.

Listen to the whole thing…

* The next spot, called “Keep Ken Dunkin,” begins, “The Speaker of the House has done lost his mind, he’s trying to get black voters to dump Ken Dunkin.”

The ad lists several Dunkin accomplishments, then a character says “Every time a black man shows any signs of independence, Mike Madigan be like ‘Hell, no, we can’t have that.’”

“He wants to run his house, the Statehouse and our house,” another actor says. “He must think we’re stupid.”

“Man, over 400 years since slavery and we still have to fight to be free”…

* The fourth ad uses banter from the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board interview of both candidates to more than just suggest that Dunkin’s opponent was recruited by House Speaker Michael Madigan. “Don’t let Mike Madigan steal your voice or your votes”…

You’d never know by listening to that ad that the paper endorsed Dunkin’s opponent.

I’ll open comments tomorrow.