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* From the Dick Durbin campaign…
The man who has done more than any other in Illinois to fuel the Tea Party movement across America has quietly put down hundreds of thousands of dollars in television advertising this week in a stealth effort to smear Dick Durbin with ads that completely distort the truth. It’s an effort to advance Jim Oberweis’ extreme agenda and dangerous ideas that will do nothing but harm to Illinois’ middle-class.
Our America Fund, whose sole donor is Illinois Tea Party funder Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest, purchased television advertising on Chicago broadcast stations this week with an ad that takes quotes from Karl Rove and other conservative leaders and attributes them to respected news sources.
Uihlein recently moved 1,000 jobs from his company in Illinois and moved them to Wisconsin.
The attack ad claims that Dick Durbin pushed the IRS to investigate only conservative organizations, when in fact Durbin clearly was asking for an investigation of non-profit organizations whom use their tax-exempt status to do political work — which is against Federal law.
Sen. Durbin has posted all communication he had with the IRS on his Senate website — and it has been there for four years. It clearly shows that Sen. Durbin asked for an investigation of any C4 organization “that are directing millions of dollars into political advertising.”
“This ad is trying to fool the voters of Illinois,” said Ron Holmes, Communications Director for the Durbin Campaign. “And the true intent of Richard Uihlein is to elect Jim Oberweis, because his group shares with him ideas that are out of the mainstream and downright dangerous for Illinois’ middle-class.”
* Rate the ad…
* It appears that this group will also be playing in two other Senate races. One in Michigan and one in Iowa.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 9:35 am
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Uihlein’s funding of the extreme homophobic campaign against Ron Sandack and others earlier this year was also ill-advised.
Comment by anon Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 9:42 am
Mr. Uihlein is also one of Rauner’s biggest backers too. Hmm….
Comment by anon Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 9:42 am
Bad ad.
Durbin can’t be portrayed with any credibility as “evil”, like this. He has been our senator for decades. So - are we all stupid or something?
Complete nonsense.
Bad ad.
F
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:10 am
I stopped doing business with Mr.Uihlein’s company, the first time I saw he contributed to Rauner. I have urged all of my friends and business contacts to do the same.
Comment by NewWestSuburbanGOP'er Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:11 am
But it doesn’t mention Benghazi or Obama’s birth certificate …
To the question: C-minus.
I guess it’s convincing enough with viewers who haven’t tuned out on all the House Republican “scandals,” investigations, etc., etc., etc., but there’s nothing in it to make it stand out from the rest of the clutter the right-wing noise machine is putting out this year.
Comment by olddog Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:12 am
I thought the ad was well done, drives home points that are easy to understand for average voters. May not means as much to those toward the left of the middle.
Also think Durbin’s response is good. Good placement of the term “middle class”.
Comment by mcb Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:19 am
I agree with Mr. Durbin. However, his campaign should know when to use “who” and when to use “whom”. You only have to do this every six years, guys. Get it together.
Comment by Snucka Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:22 am
The truth hurts! I have seen the numbers drop when this issue is raised in polling. Dem’s Republicans Indies all react negatively when told he used the IRS against his political enemies. As you can see by the reaction from the Durban camp this issue works for Oberweis.
Comment by Votecounter Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:45 am
Durbin has his knickers in a knot. Durbin is an embarrassment to the people of Illinois.
Comment by Apocalypse Now Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:59 am
Votecounter, how in the world could Durbin “use the IRS” against anyone? Nixon couldn’t get them to budge when he was president. How does one senator pull that off.
Uiehlein is one sweet sugar daddy. You can grab a lot of gusto from that old Schlitz money if you’re a smooth-talking right-wing operative.
But for all his alleged Tea Party, free-market principles, he did take the Wisconsin corporate welfare to move jobs out of Illinois.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 11:12 am
Oberweis’ performance on FOX this weekend shows weakness. His history is just begging for an attack ad.
Comment by anon Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 11:14 am
So is this superPAC a dodge by one wealthy individual, to cover his own personal political donations, by masquerading as a public education or charitable organization? Exactly what the IRS was and should be investigating on behalf of all taxpayers.
It’s already been established, and reported out of the Senate committee investigating them, that these audit and enforcement efforts were not directed solely at Conservative groups. Of course the House carries on with it’s fourth or fifth committee.
Comment by walker Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 11:22 am
Long on implication, short on concrete facts. That’s too bad, because there is a kernel of a legitimate hit here. Lois Lerner shows that the IRS is hardly as non-political as it was. As an aside, proving a fact about today’s IRS by what they did with Nixon is beyond specious. Forty years is a long time.
Comment by Percival Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 11:25 am
Poor, poor Dick Durbin. Run your own ads.
Comment by A guy... Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 11:45 am
Decent ad. I’d give it a B+.
Comment by econ prof Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 11:53 am
It is produced by people who have no respect for the voters who keep sending him to Washington. You can’t do a negative ad by patronizing the listener. If anyone gave it a thought, they would understand that Durbin isn’t hated, he is just up for reelection.
Sell Oberweis, you dummies, if you want him to get elected. These conspiratorial Durbin ads are an embarrassment to the state who will sleepwalk right into those polling places and reelect him. Wake these voters gently!
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 12:18 pm
Thinnest skinned politician in Illinois. I rated the ad as a “B” after I saw the Durbin reaction which called much more attention to it than it probably deserved. I suppose a few articles will be now written about the ad, which will give it a little more reach than it deserved. Durbin admitting he wanted the IRS to scrutinize such groups? Ok, then, why all the crying? I understand Democrats whining up a storm over Citizens United, which leveled the donation playing field advantage they previously had before that decision came out.
Without the over the top react, I would have graded it a C-.
Comment by Louis G Atsaves Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 12:57 pm
Percival, is the IRS still a scandal? They seem to come-and-go, different ones from week to week in some circles.
Maybe there should be even more House committees investigating. Keeps them out of the taverns, hopefully. They’re not doing anything else.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 1:51 pm
=== NewWestSuburbanGOP’er - Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 10:11 am:
I stopped doing business with Mr.Uihlein’s company, the first time I saw he contributed to Rauner. I have urged all of my friends and business contacts to do the same.====
And yet he prospers despite your boycott and best efforts. Maybe somebody more significant than your business is buying product for the same reason you’re not. This political stuff is funny business, ain’t it?
Comment by A guy... Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 2:48 pm
Does this ad close the circle?
The allegations seem a bit vague.
Who suffered? Who benefited?
It sounds like stuff RWNJs get from Right Wing media where paranoid conspiracies aren’t challenged.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 3:19 pm
-ANON- I’m not to sure he is one of Rauners bigger backers anymore. Uihlein gave Dan Proft 1 million for his pack. If you ever listen to Proft it’s a non stop barrage on Rauner. If he was a big backer he would have told Proft to muzzle it or no more money.
Comment by Leprechaun Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 3:23 pm
The spot was produced for an audience of one: Uiehlein.
It doesn’t have to persuade a single voter. If Dick likes it, you might get another payday.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 3:24 pm
It’s a “concrete fact”, Durbin has the request to have the IRS investigate his political opponents posted on his own website.
The voters suffer from the IRS tormenting anyone who opposes Dick Durbin.
Comment by Backwards Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 4:03 pm
Backwards,your handle fits you. Turn off Fox every once in a while, dude.
That House GOP call on the IRS to investigate AARP sure put them out of business.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52829.html
Although, I must admit, the IRS did take a long look into the NAACPs tax-exempt status due to some requests from GOP lawmakers.
Don’t remember that “scandal,” do you?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/31/AR2006083100737.html
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 4:24 pm
That’s brilliant WS,
Since something similar happened in 1991, it’s OK that Dick Durbin violate 1st Amendment rights.
Why would anyone who has the slightest inclination towards free speech give Dubrin a pass here? If it was wrong to stifle the NAACP (and I think it was wrong), then it is wrong to stifle Crossroads.
Comment by Backwards Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 4:30 pm
2004 that is, not 1991.
I don’t watch Fox News, but it is easy enough to find Durbin’s threats on his own web page.
Comment by Backwards Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 4:42 pm
–the NAACP (and I think it was wrong), then it is wrong to stifle Crossroads.–
LOL, Crossroads has been stifled? Since Durbin’s letter, they spent $105 million on spots in 2012 and $7 million on spots so far this cycle.
The only thing that’s stifling Crossroads is some of the money boys didn’t like their ROI from 2012.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-08/rove-biggest-super-pac-loser-trump-says-waste-of-money.html
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 4:47 pm
Leprechaun - As to –ANON- I’m not to sure he is one of Rauners bigger backers anymore. Uihlein gave Dan Proft 1 million for his pack. If you ever listen to Proft it’s a non stop barrage on Rauner. If he was a big backer he would have told Proft to muzzle it or no more money. –
Don’t forget Uihlein is IPI’s biggest donor and Tillman is as intertwined with Rauner as you can get. I don’t see any backpedaling by the Tillman clique on Rauner’s behalf. Uihlein’s weird bedfellows are many and Rauner has shown no signs of backing away from these types.
Comment by anon Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 4:53 pm
anon
“weird” in this case meaning not backing the all Democrat monopoly of Illinois politics
ws
How much more could have been done in 2012, if the anti-Left movements in the USA could have been working on political campaigns rather than battling with the IRS?
What Durbin did was obviously wrong, and this ad highlights his abuse.
Comment by Backwards Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 4:58 pm
I’d give it a B+. The GOP needs to brand Durbin for what he is, a vindictive pol who’s outside the mainstream of what most Illinoisans believe, a pol who abuses his power, and not the “nice” guy he shows in his media persona.
It’s a variation of a theme that took away Quinn’s only positive attribute..”honesty and integrity” which now has been exposed as illusory.
Frame Durbin for what he really is, and Oberweis will have a shot.
@Vanillaman
=Durbin can’t be portrayed with any credibility as “evil”, like this. He has been our senator for decades. So - are we all stupid or something?=
To the question….YESSS for keeping him in office and not working hard enough to get rid of him!
Comment by Arizona Bob Monday, Sep 8, 14 @ 9:23 pm