As President Obama travels to Illinois to fundraise for his basketball buddy failed mob banker Alexi Giannoulias today,Bloomberg writes that “dodging embarrassment tops Obama agenda in Illinois Senate race.”
The first family’s efforts illustrate the struggle polls show Democrats face in keeping control of all statewide offices in Illinois. Their visits could rekindle local interest in the Senate race that has faded amid an unexpected mayoral race that may feature Obama’s former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel… Obama’s sixth trip to Chicago since his inauguration in January 2009 comes as Broadway Bank, the now-defunct institution Giannoulias’s family operated, has been in the headlines again because of a Sept. 29 Tribune story that reported on a $2.7 million tax deduction the candidate took last year. Giannoulias has said that he left the troubled bank in late 2005, although his tax documents showed he claimed to have worked at least 500 hours there in 2006, a time when loans were made to Antoin “Tony” Rezko, who was later convicted of influence peddling, and to a family later accused of having connections to organized crime.
The Chicago Tribune’s John Kass writes that “Obama and his pals need some scarce Hopium for the next election.”
Alexi, the famed Broadway Bank loan officer with those mob loans dragging him down, sure needs Obama to raise some big money at Thursday’s fundraiser. I’m betting on a staged man-hug for TV, with a couple of shoulder slaps. But open mikes can be treacherous, so they probably won’t be whispering, “Dude, how’s Tony?” Remember Tony Rezko? He’s Obama’s personal real estate fairy and loyal customer of the Giannoulias family’s now-failed Broadway Bank. Rezko is also the convicted influence peddler who might testify in the retrial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The Daily Caller reports that a new voter surveys show Mark Kirk leading Alexi Giannoulias, while reports also reveal that Kirk has “out done” Giannoulias in fundraising.
The polling numbers coming out of Illinios [sic] in the race to take President Barack Obama’s former Senate seat are yet another indication that Democrats are facing an unfriendly electorate this year. Rasmussen Reports most recent statewide telephone survey of “Likely Voters” found the Republican Illinios [sic] Rep. Mark Kirk to be leading Democratic state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias 45 to 41 percent. Green Party Candidate LeAlan Jones trailed both men with 4 percent of the vote… Kirk reportedly is also out done Giannoulias in fundraising.
Meanwhile, the Kirk campaign launched a new TV advertisement, entitled “Never Recover,” exposing the suffering Giannoulias caused Illinois families who lost their college savings thanks to his reckless management of the Bright Start college savings program. Watch it here.
And the Pioneer Press endorsed Mark Kirk’s fiscally responsible and independent-minded candidacy for the U.S. Senate.
The state needs a leader with fiscal discipline and a sense of compassion for the state’s residents… For five terms, voters in the 10th District have supported Mark Kirk of Highland Park to represent them. And based on his performance as a representative, we urge voters to promote him to the U.S. Senate. Kirk helped open a commuter line that serves residents from Antioch to Franklin Park and led the fight to prevent BP Petroleum from dumping waste into Lake Michigan. He also claims credit for leadership in providing Israel with an early warning system on incoming rockets. He helped get the North Chicago Veterans Hospital named after local hero James Lovell of Lake Forest. He’s an intelligent legislator who could step into the U.S. Senate fully up to speed on all key issues.
