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* You would think that US Sen. Rob Portman, the vice chairman for finance of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, would have at least passing knowledge of a race involving the Senate’s second highest ranking Democrat…
Portman was asked whether the committee would give Oberweis financial help or other assistance in his race. He also was asked to gauge Oberweis’ chances.
He said: “I don’t know what the NRSC decision will be there. I have been told that that (Illinois) race has closed somewhat. It’s a single-digit race based on some polling, but I just don’t know enough about it.”
Does he expect the committee to help Oberweis?
“I don’t know,” Portman replied. “I mean, frankly the playing field (for Republicans) is already very broad. I don’t think people would have been expected to be talking about Minnesota and New Hampshire and Virginia and Oregon, and we are, so the playing field is already quite broad.”
Thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 9:51 am
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Another gallon of milk down the drain!
Comment by Spliff Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 9:53 am
They already have enough crazy Republicans in the Senate.
Comment by Cheryl44 Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 9:53 am
===“I don’t know,” Portman replied. “I mean, frankly the playing field (for Republicans) is already very broad. I don’t think people would have been expected to be talking about Minnesota and New Hampshire and Virginia and Oregon, and we are, so the playing field is already quite broad.”===
lol.
Minnesota, New Hampshire, Virginia, Oregon…
“Who’s thus Oberweis kid, again?”
Welp, I guess the bright side is maybe Oberweis is …5th…on the radar now?
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 9:54 am
At this point in the election cycle, Portman’s “don’t know” means “don’t care” — and “don’t care” means “won’t help”.
– MrJM
Comment by MrJM Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 9:58 am
I used my new political speech translation app. The result: OBIE YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 9:59 am
Sounds like a polite “nope” to me.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:03 am
No one imagined the race this close. It is an embarrassment of riches. While polling shows Oberweis with a shot, few GOP leaders still imagine Durbin losing. Another thing going in Durbin’s favor is what happened to Harry Reid in Nevada. Reid didn’t lose. After spending millions in 2010 in Nevada on what looked like a pretty sure bet - the GOP is hesitant to take a gamble on Durbin’s race.
The National GOP just doesn’t need Illinois to take the Senate this year. If Oberweis wins, it will be on his own.
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:04 am
They should give him help late in the game to make Durbin sweat. Nate Silver predicts that the Senate will flip. If other races are out of reach for the Dems in mid-October, what does it hurt for the NRSC to dump some cash into Oberweis’s coffers and possibly assign a staffer from another race to help out Oberweis’s field operation(s)? I know that Oberweis is not their ideal candidate, but the NRSC has dealt with knuckleheads like Christine O’Donnell and Sharron Angle. Oberweis is no worse than either of them.
Comment by Team Sleep Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:04 am
The GOP is going for the big score. They already have Dem seats from Montana, West Virginia and South Dakota in the bank, and have good shots at a lot more.
Plus, now they have to protect Kansas.
There’s no reason for Oberweis to be in the picture.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:04 am
Ouch.
Comment by Edwardsburg Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:15 am
Virginia? Mark Warner is up 20 points. No one is talking about Virginia. No one is talking about Oregon except for the ad the GOPer just put about gay marriage. She’s down 14. (Numbers from RCP)
Rob Portman doesn’t know about this race because it wasn’t, isn’t, and won’t be on NRSC radar.
Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:16 am
Sounds like Joe Biden might be breaking some ties.
Comment by walker Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:23 am
“Dear Jim Oberweis,
We’re busy trying to make sure we win races we know will bring the Senate back to the GOP.
You’re rich, you figure it out.
Best of luck,
The NRSC”
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:23 am
The statement says it all. They don’t know about Oberweis. What they don’t know about they aren’t going to put money into. Very revealing statement.
Comment by Steve Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:24 am
Yes, their playing field is larger than they’d expected — Kansas, Kentucky, and Georgia among other places.
Comment by Angry Chicagoan Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:27 am
Portman to Oberweis:
http://youtu.be/1mRzxOzfueQ
Comment by Mittuns Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:28 am
They’re probably afraid Oberweis could say something stupid if a bigger spotlight is put on him and become the 2014 cycle’s Todd Akin. Or they’re afraid he already has said something that stupid, Durbin has it, and they’re afraid that if they help Oberweis Durbin will let what he’s got loose.
Either way it means no help for the milkman.
Comment by BDuty6 Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:28 am
Translation: Our internal polls tell us the milk man will get smoked.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:54 am
@FakeSlytherinOberweis - No use crying over spilled milk. I can pay for my own torches and pitchforks #TheReallyDontKnowKnowMe
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 10:56 am
They better not spend a dollar here.
Comment by LincolnLounger Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 11:08 am
I think Portman’s statements can be taken at face value. All of the other races Portman mentioned are without question much better bets for Republican pickups — and that has nothing to do with either the alleged weaknesses of Oberweis or the alleged “strengths” of Durbin. Media buys are a whole lot cheaper in all those states compared to Illinois, so going for a bigger bang for your buck seems to be the smart option.
Note that Portman didn’t rule anything out. This year could possibly yield another Flanagan v Rostenkowski scenario wherein the SGOP/NRCC think they have spent all the dough they can in other states and have some leftover to throw at Illinois. Stay tuned for that possible development. Now that Barry Obama has resumed warfare in the Middle East, I hope the SGOP fund a commercial showing Durbin’s denunciation of US troops as Nazis, but that’s just my dream ad.
Oberweis has been running the best campaign of his career so far; don’t count on a moment of self-destruction on his part.
Comment by Conservative Republican Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 11:23 am
If Obie gets a funding boost at the end, the money will come from superPACs.
Comment by walker Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 11:45 am
So Oberweis could squeak a surprise victory on his own, yes?
Comment by Levois Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 12:15 pm
I know there’s a local angle and the Trib has to ask, but even the 4 races Portman mentioned are barely more than a pipe dream for the GOP and just part of the “expanding the playing field” narrative they’ve been pushing for months. The NRSC not helping Oberweis does not rise to the level of “news” IMO.
Though the fact that the NRSC won’t even use him in their “expand the playing field” narrative is kind of a kick in the junk. Good luck, Jim.
Comment by ChinaTown Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 1:23 pm
==Barry Obama==
What class you display with this reference. Can we please address presidents appropriately? The level of disrespect some display towards presidents astounds me.
Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 1:37 pm
Portman’s just like the rest of us. We just don’t know what to do about Oberweis. I’ll give him a lot of credit for running a race that looks like he’s learned from the past. If he’s still close 4 weeks out, he’ll get some dough. Not what he wants, but some. Nobody ever gets what they want from the National’s.
Comment by A guy... Thursday, Sep 11, 14 @ 5:17 pm