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Pettiness in the 10th

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* The Republicans threaten a lawsuit over the use of a logo…

In a sign that Election Day can’t come too soon now, the Republican National Committee has demanded that a local Democratic candidate for Congress stop breaking the law — by running a picture of its elephant logo.

Yes, folks, in a Beltway-made tempest in a teapot, the RNC wrote to Democrat Brad Schneider’s campaign and told him to “cease and desist” picturing the logo next to a shot of Robert Dold, Mr. Schneider’s opponent, in a new TV ad (below). Mr. Dold is, um, a Republican.

The latter, from RNC Associate Counsel Jon Waclawski, says it has come to his attention that the ad “displays (RNC’s) Official Elephant Logo without RNC permission.”

I posted the ad several days ago.

Sheesh.

* Bob Dold sent out a franked mailer just under the limit, which causes Brad Schneider to freak out…

A taxpayer-funded mailer from U.S. Rep. Robert Dold touting job fairs he has hosted is hitting homes in the 10th Congressional District this week while striking a nerve with Dold’s Democratic rival.

Members of Congress are prohibited from sending out public mailings with 500 or more pieces during a 90-day window leading up to an election.

But Dold’s piece, which cost less than $250, falls under an exemption in congressional franking rules because it went out to 499 or fewer homes in his north suburban district.

“This doesn’t raise any red flags on our end,” said Steve Dutton, a spokesman for the House Franking Commission, whose members include Dutton’s boss, U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.).

Still, Democrat Brad Schneider’s congressional campaign is crying foul, saying it’s improper for the Kenilworth Republican to send out the taxpayer-funded mailing alongside campaign mailers so close to the election.

* An outside group gets a big contribution from oil company, does an independent expenditure ad whacking Schneider, and Schneider complains about Dold, who had no involvement…

All of the big super PAC money that’s suddenly sloshing around this election cycle certainly poses some real questions about why certain interests are providing so much help to certain politicians.

But are things as bad as they appear, or more innocent? A political foul, or guilt by association?

Sometimes it’s hard to tell. Which leads to a real-life story about U.S. Rep. Dold, R-Winnetka, who frequently presents himself to voters as a pro-environment kind of guy, but who is being aided this week by a nearly $1 million “independent” TV ad buy funded by a group that has received a possibly record contribution from a big oil company.

Meh.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 5:47 am

Comments

Not too many Congressional candidates of either party like to be identified by party.

Still, you wonder why the RNC makes news on this subject, calling attention to the elephant in the room, so to speak.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 8:09 am
My recycle bin sits under my mailbox, where I can file political flyers with greater convenience. The Dold (Independent) pile far exceeds any other candidate.

Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 8:23 am
November 7th can’t come soon enough…

Comment by cover Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 9:14 am
Isn’t the RNC just bringing more attention to the fact that Dold is a Republican by making a fuss about this logo thing? And isn’t that pretty counterproductive when they’ve put in all this work to hide the fact that electing him empowers the Republican Party?

Honestly, this election has been fascinating how Republicans and Democrats on both sides have been attempting to hide their party affiliations, although I guess Republicans have been more clever about it by whacking Dems as allies of Quinn while claiming to be independent/bipartisan or even Democrat in Schilling’s case.

But I made some calls to help a Downstate Dem congressional candidate this week and it was funny to me how almost everyone I called for GOTV had to ask whether that was the Democrat, just to make sure.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 9:19 am
Manufactured outrage all around. It’s a shame that these are the kinds of “stories” the mainstream media chooses to cover when there are real issues at stake.

Comment by Whatever Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 9:38 am
this (pettiness in the 10th) will be a biennial tradition as long as dold holds that seat…

Comment by bored now Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 9:39 am
Schnieder’s press release headline writes itself:

“Dold embarrassed to be identified as the Republican that he is!”

Comment by dave Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 9:41 am
painful watching the competition for any kind of an edge. but the numbers don’t lie, the Dems need to gain, and they are hoping for a pickup of 5 in Illinois, right? Illinois is one of the few states where the Dems controlled the map, so…. Feeling a bit like that little girl crying about Obama and Romney.

Comment by amalia Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 10:24 am
I would imagine that since the elephant logo is being used for political/policy purposes it would be hard to enforce any trademarks on it.

I think the Schneider attack against Dold for using franked mail is fair.

Comment by Just Observing Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 11:22 am
You can’t tell by most ads or flyers or signs anymore, what a candidate’s party affiliation is. They go out of their way to not reveal it, on the theory that confused voters may cross party lines. Just look at Derrick Smith and Scott Lee Cohen. That’s they the GOP candidate is so mad: you are outing them as the GOP candidate.

Comment by Newsclown Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 1:10 pm
I’m sure they could find smaller things to argue about…

Ummm…

Nope. I got nothin’…
OH wait!

What if the one guy accuses the other guy of being like, you know, not what the other guy claims to be…

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 1:15 pm
==You can’t tell by most ads or flyers or signs anymore, what a candidate’s party affiliation is. They go out of their way to not reveal it….==

Heh. It’s not just party affiliation! This morning while driving I noticed the forest of political signage that seemed to have cropped up overnight. Many interesting and hard to spell last names were represented. Among them I saw a sign where the one word “Carol” literally filled the sign. Of course I knew it was for Carol Sente, but her last name and the office and party are all in teesy weensy tiny print that is not even legible to a driver when the car is moving. My immediate thought was, good grief, Carol, you’ve got the election sewn up–why are you doing this juvenile pandering to women of “hey look, my name is Carol and I’m a girrrl.” But I said nothing aloud.

After passing 4 or 5 of these along Milwaukee Ave., the 19 year old young woman sitting in the passenger seat said to me “Uh, what’s all this Carol business?” (Only she didn’t say “business, she said a word that starts with “s”.) I replied, “oh that’s Carol Sente. She’s running for state representative in this area.” My young companion said, “well, who does she think she is–Madonna”?

Comment by Responsa Thursday, Nov 1, 12 @ 2:37 pm