Brad Schneider for Congress

Rep. Schakowsky Responds to Dold’s Election-year Maneuver on Woman’s Health

aaron — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:57:55 +0000

Rep. Schakowsky Responds to Dold’s Election-year

Maneuver on Woman’s Health

Schakowsky: “one of the most transparent election-year ploys I’ve ever seen”

NORTHBROOK – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky responded to Congressman Robert Dold playing partisan politics with women’s health care. Congresswoman Schakowsky released a statement about Dold’s record on issues important to women:

“Access to care for women should be above partisan politics. This is one of the most transparent election-year ploys I’ve ever seen and women in Illinois aren’t going to be fooled. This maneuver is trying to accomplish one thing and one thing only – hide Rep. Dold’s record of voting against women. If Dold truly is the pro-choice moderate he claims, he wouldn’t have voted to cut Planned Parenthood funding and he certainly wouldn’t have voted for the Let the Women Die Act.”

Congressman Dold is facing a difficult reelection against pro-choice Democrat Brad Schneider who has continued to reiterate his support for women’s access to health care:

“We need people in Congress who will always stand strong, speak with a powerful voice, and consistently lead in the fight to protect the rights of women. Congressman Dold is simply not that person” said Brad Schneider. I am proud to be 100% pro-choice and always have been. In Congress, I will be a consistent and staunch advocate for the women and families of Illinois 10^th district, not just in a tough election year, but every year, every day” added Schneider.

Dem calls GOP freshman’s support for Planned Parenthood ‘opportunism’

aaron — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:37:11 +0000

From The Hill

Dem calls GOP freshman’s support for Planned Parenthood ‘opportunism’

Rep. Robert Dold’s (R-Ill.) support for Planned Parenthood is a “stunt,” Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) charged Tuesday.

Schakowsky criticized Dold’s record on women’s issues as she campaigned for his Democratic challenger, Brad Schneider. Dold’s district is the most heavily Democratic of any district held by a Republican.

Dold introduced a bill last week to protect Planned Parenthood’s federal funding, which Republicans have repeatedly attempted to cut off. And he was one of just seven House Republicans to vote against an amendment last year that would have de-funded Planned Parenthood.

Schakowsky, though, argued that Dold’s bill is insincere.

“This is just for Bob Dold to try to parade as a moderate … this is opportunism,” she said.

Despite Dold’s latest bill, he has voted for other proposals to restrict access to abortion. He cast at least three votes in favor of bills and amendments to prohibit Washington, D.C., from using its own tax revenues to help women obtain abortions.
One of those bills, a short-term continuing resolution, also would have eliminated federal funding for family planning — including funds for Planned Parenthood.

Schakowsky accused Dold of trying to “cloud” his record. Moreover, she said, a Republican majority will not take up bills like Dold’s pro-Planned Parenthood measure.

“I think it’s really important to understand that Bob Dold understands that if he is reelected, there is absolutely no chance — none, zero — that this legislation would go anywhere,” she said.

Dold Using Planned Parenthood Bill To Downplay Voting Record, Say Dems

charles — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:19:05 +0000

From Progress Illinois

Dold Using Planned Parenthood Bill To Downplay Voting Record, Say Dems

U.S. Rep. Robert Dold (R-10) went against party lines Wednesday and introduced a bill that would prohibit lawmakers from barring Planned Parenthood — and other clinics that perform abortions — from receiving federal Title X dollars that go toward family planning and contraceptive services.

The first-term Republican’s bill, H.R. 5650, or the Protecting Women’s Access to Health Care Act, gained approval from Planned Parenthood, but some of Dold’s critics, including his Democrat opponent in November’s general election, Brad Schneider, aren’t convinced he’s a true advocate for women’s reproductive freedom.

Schneider of Deerfield called Dold’s voting record on women’s issues “disturbing” in a written statement Thursday to Progress Illinois.

“Taken as a whole, Congressman Dold’s record on issues important to women is disappointing,” Schneider wrote.

Schneider added Dold’s bill contradicts his “yes” vote for the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011 that would have reinstated the Washington, D.C. abortion ban, eliminated the Title X program and defunded Planned Parenthood, among other stipulations.

The bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, but the measure was not enacted.

The Title X program provides federal money to clinics and other service providers that offer comprehensive family-planning access to low-income families. The program reaches more than five million men and women.

By law, the money is not to be used for abortions. Instead, money can be used for contraception, STD and HIV testing and breast and cervical cancer screenings, among other things.

Without these services, unintended pregnancy and abortion in the United States would be one-third higher, according to Planned Parenthood of Illinois.

Schneider said he believes Dold introduced the bill as an election maneuver to appease the 10th Congressional District’s Democratic voters.

“Now, with fewer than 200 days until the election, Congressman Dold is trying to sweep his voting record under the rug,” he said. “But women’s health and safety are simply too important to imperil with partisan politics.”

Haley Morris, Midwest regional press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, also said Dold’s past votes contradict his most recent bill, which she considers an “attempt to paper-over his record.”

“Congressman Robert Dold has consistently sacrificed women’s health to push an extreme ideological agenda in line with the Tea Party and out of touch with Illinois families,” Morris said.

“You can’t hide his votes.”

Morris highlighted Dold’s “yes” vote for H.R. 358, or the “Protect Life Act,” which passed in the House in October of 2011.

The act, which opponents called the “Let Women Die” bill, would have allowed federally-funded hospitals to refuse to perform abortions if they do not agree with the procedure — even if a woman could die without the procedure.

Lara Phillips, director of communications and marketing for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said Planned Parenthood of Illinois “strongly supports” Dold’s bill.

Women deserve access to basic preventative reproductive health care such as cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment and birth control regardless of their ability to pay for it, she added.

“This act would ensure that qualified health centers that treat low-income women cannot be denied federal Title X funds on the basis that they provide abortion services with non-Title X funds, as required by law,” Phillips said.

Dold’s campaign did not respond to Progress Illinois’ request for comment.

Women’s Health & Safety Should Be Above Partisan Politics

aaron — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:39:51 +0000

Brad Schneider: In the midst of a dysfunctional and broken Washington, Congressman Dold has repeatedly put politics ahead of women’s health and safety. The women and families of Illinois 10^th district deserve better.

NORTHBROOK, IL—Brad Schneider today released the following statement on Congressman Dold’s disturbing record on women’s issues since coming to Congress.

“Taken as a whole, Congressman Dold’s record on issues important to women is disappointing. Last year, Congressman Dold voted with his Republican colleagues to terminate funding for Planned Parenthood. When it comes to reproductive freedom, Dold voted to effectively ban abortion coverage in state health-insurance exchanges and penalize small businesses that want to provide comprehensive health insurance to women employees.

“Last fall, Congressman Dold voted for the “Let Women Die” bill, which allows emergency care providers to deny life-saving treatment to a pregnant woman even when her life is in danger.

“On other critical women’s issues, like domestic violence, Congressman Dold voted to prevent reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. He also repeatedly voted to take away access to critical screenings for women’s health.

“Now, with fewer than 200 days until the election, Congressman Dold is trying to sweep his voting record under the rug. But women’s health and safety are simply too important to imperil with partisan politics.

“We need people in Congress who will always stand strong, speak with a powerful voice, and consistently lead in the fight to protect the rights of women. Congressman Dold is simply not that person. I am proud to be 100% pro-choice and always have been. In Congress, I will be a consistent and staunch advocate for the women and families of Illinois 10^th district, not just in a tough election year, but every year, every day.”

Background

Dold Voted Against Funding Clinics that Provide the Only Basic Health Care Many Women Receive. On February 19, 2011, Dold voted for a bill that would have “reinstated the D.C. abortion ban, eliminated the Title X family-planning program, defunded Planned Parenthood, reinstated the global gag rule, and eliminated funding for the United Nations Population Fund.” [HR 1, Vote #147, 2/19/11; NARAL’s Congressional Record on Choice, 2011]

Dold Voted for Three Other Anti-Choice Bills. Congressman Dold voted for three other measures that limit a woman’s right to choose and reproductive health care:

In April 2011, Dold voted for a short-term continuing resolution that would fund the federal government for a week and that contained a pro-life rider stopping taxpayer funding of abortions in the District of Columbia. [HR 1363, Vote #247, 4/07/11; LifeNews, 4/07/11]

In May 2011, Dold voted for a bill that “would make permanent a ban on the District using its own money to fund abortions for low-income women.” [HR 3, Vote #292, 5/04/11; Washington Post, 5/04/11]

In October 2011, Dold Voted to Allow Hospitals to Refuse Women of Life-Saving Emergency Care. The bill “would allow federally-funded hospitals that oppose abortions to refuse to perform the procedure, even in cases where a woman would die without it.” Planned Parenthood Federation of America strongly opposed HR 358, calling the bill “a collection of dangerous ideas that will undermine women’s health… Most devastating, the bill eliminates protections for patients seeking care in emergency circumstances, and would allow a hospital to deny lifesaving abortion care to a woman, even if a doctor deems it necessary.” [Planned Parenthood Press Release, 10/13/11; HR 358, Vote #789, 10/13/11; Huffington Post, 10/11/11]

National Right to Life Recommended Dold in 2010. In the 2010 primary election, Dold was “recommend[ed]” by the Illinois Federation for Right to Life.” [Illinois Federation for Right to Life, Illinois Federation for Right to Life PAC Endorsements for the 2010 Primary Election, accessed 9/17/10]

New Dems try to redefine ‘moderate’

charles — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:42:43 +0000

From Politico

New Dems try to redefine ‘moderate’

The obituary of moderates in Congress has been written a million times: Middle-of-the-road Republicans are almost extinct; Blue Dogs are losing in droves; the institution is stuck in ideological gridlock.

And that all appears true. Enter the New Democrat Coalition, a group of House Democrats trying to redefine what it means to be a moderate in a hyper-polarized environment. It’s someone, based on the group’s profile, who can embrace cap and trade and the health care overhaul and at the same time call for more free trade and corporate tax rate cuts.
Now, the so-called New Dems — whose politics range roughly from far left to slightly left of center — are gunning for a host of battleground seats in suburban America that could tip the House back to their party this fall.

“When we win back the House, it is going to be because of the linchpin, which is the New Democrat Coalition,” said the group’s chairman, New York Rep. Joe Crowley. “That is going to be the focus of the appeal — not only to Democrats but to independent voters.”

The New Dems’ formula for survival in an increasingly polarized Capitol Hill: tack left on social issues but veer toward the center on business- and economic-oriented policies that could appeal to independent and moderate voters.

But defining the group’s ideological moorings is a tricky exercise.

Though the New Dems proudly tout their centrist label, six of its 42 members also belong to the liberal Congressional Progressive Caucus — Reps. Karen Bass and Laura Richardson of California, Andre Carson of Indiana, Rush Holt of New Jersey, Jim Moran of Virginia and Jared Polis of Colorado.

And all but three of current New Dems voted for the health care law in 2010. By contrast, nearly half of the more conservative Blue Dog Coalition’s current 25 members rejected the sweeping overhaul and distinguished themselves from the broader Democratic Party. A similar dynamic played out with the cap-and-trade vote in June 2009, when all but three New Dems backed the climate bill while 10 of the current Blue Dogs opposed it.

That’s not to say New Dems haven’t bucked their party on occasion. They enthusiastically supported the free-trade agreements last fall, although a vast majority of House Democrats opposed the deals with Panama, Colombia and South Korea. The group also withheld support for their party’s financial reform bill in 2010 until sections were rewritten to make it more palatable to them.

They also want to make comprehensive tax reform a marquee issue — outlining in a policy paper their broad objectives for simplifying the Tax Code, particularly lowering the marginal corporate tax rate.
“Obviously, we’re going to have a very diverse national party,” said Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), a vice chairman for the New Dems. “But I also feel that the New Dems are providing a path forward to where the American people are and what they would like to see us working on.”

“They’re nonideological in that they have Blue Dogs and progressives, as well as members who aren’t in any of those other caucuses,” added Polis. “I think it runs the gamut [from] left to middle to right.”
Still, the group’s diverse ideological makeup invites criticism that New Dems are more interested in branding themselves as moderates among voters than actually legislating like moderates.

Former Rep. Charlie Stenholm (D-Texas), a centrist who served for 26 years on Capitol Hill until 2005, said the coalition’s support for cap and trade and the health care law weren’t exactly middle-of-the-road positions. Those policies, he argued, have damaged the party by casting it too far left.

“I think the New Democrats are going to be the ones that ultimately pull [us] back to the majority, but they’ve got a little pull to go,” said Stenholm, who was both a Blue Dog and a New Dem during his tenure. “If you pull to the left, you do not attract the middle.”

And Republicans, of course, aren’t convinced the New Dems’ brand of politics is a winning sell.

“This is the most pathetic spinoff since ‘Baywatch Nights,’” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Paul Lindsay. “If Laura Richardson and Jim Moran are considered ‘moderate’ these days, I’d hate to see who they consider liberal.”

But New Dems say their political profile will be key in several competitive House races this fall, and several of the group’s top endorsements are in races that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has pinpointed as prime pickup opportunities this November.

Among them are Ami Bera of California, Brad Schneider of Illinois, Denny Heck of Washington state, Joaquin Castro of Texas and Florida candidates Val Demings, Keith Fitzgerald and Pat Murphy. Former Reps. Bill Foster of Illinois and Dan Maffei of New York are also backed by the New Dems.

“I think there is a rising interest in the message of groups like the New Dems who are saying, ‘We need to stop the partisan bickering, put the differences aside and find that common ground,” said Schneider, a businessman who in March fended off a primary challenge from Ilya Sheyman — a candidate backed by national progressives.

The New Dems’ political arm has endorsed 20 current candidates and has raised $1.4 million this election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The New Dems also boast of their ties to the DCCC, where three of the four national chair positions are held by New Dems. They include Crowley, the national finance chairman; Pennsylvania Rep. Allyson Schwartz, the national chairwoman for recruiting and candidate services; and Puerto Rico Del. Pedro Pierluisi (D-Puerto Rico), the national chairman for community mobilization.

DCCC Chairman Steve Israel of New York is a former New Dem member, and a handful of other New Dems have taken key roles at the DCCC.

The New Dems’ political efforts come at a time when the political center in Congress is getting pummeled. The 2010 midterms shredded the Blue Dog Coalition’s ranks, and with a handful of its 25 members retiring from the House and many more politically endangered this fall, its numbers could dwindle even further.

The April 24 Pennsylvania primaries knocked out two more of its card-carrying members: Reps. Jason Altmire, who had been drawn into the same district as Rep. Mark Critz, and Rep. Tim Holden, who was defeated by a liberal challenger in a dramatically redrawn seat.

“It’s not that the moderates are dying,” said Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.), a Blue Dog and New Dem who also faces a tough reelection. “It’s that the districts are drawn in such a fashion to elect only extremists.”

New Dems also face political challenges of their own. Several of their members are prime targets for the NRCC, including Reps. Lois Capps of California , Russ Carnahan of Missouri and Bill Owens of New York.

The group has also lost primaries in which its members have intervened, such as in Maryland’s 6th District, where the New Dem-endorsed Rob Garagiola lost to John Delaney. Altmire, who lost in Pennsylvania, is also a New Dem and serves as chairman of the group’s political action committee.

While Blue Dogs primarily come from rural and Southern United States, the New Dems hail from suburban and exurban areas — which, Democrats believe, will be the battleground in House races this fall. And so while redistricting has dramatically weakened the Blue Dogs’ prospects, New Dems say redistricting actually has helped because their geographical strengths are in areas where it was more difficult to distort district lines, Crowley said.

“The success of the Democratic Party in the fall elections, I think, squarely is linked to the success of the New Democrat Coalition,” Crowley said. “Overall, the absence of a similar entity of the Republican Party is what I think is going to be problematic for them in the future.”

Fox Chicago: Brad Schneider, 10th District Congressional Candidate

charles — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:00:09 +0000

From FOX Chicago Sunday

Brad Schneider, 10th District Congressional Candidate

Chicago – The battle lines are drawn. A Democrat tries to take down a freshman republican congressman in the north suburbs.

Congressional candidate Brad Schneider joined FOX Chicago Sunday to speak about his campaign in the 10th district.

Click to watch >>

Dold, Schneider Clash on Ryan Budget

Daniel — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:06:50 +0000

From Highland Park Patch

Dold, Schneider Clash on Ryan Budget

A critical issue in the campaign for the 10^thCongressional District seat between Rep. Robert Dold (R-Kenilworth) and his Democratic challenger, Deerfield management consultant Brad Schneider will be the House Republican Budget.

Just after the legislation passed March 29 with Dold’s affirmative vote one of 228 in favor, President Barack Obama criticized it. At the same time, presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney embraced the plan and its author, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).

With the issue front and center in the Presidential campaign, Schneider and Dold are staking out their own positions on two particular parts of the budget plan, tax reform and Medicare. They both agree change is necessary.

While Dold has indicated his openness to looking at a number of proposals he has made it clear the House Republican budget is intended to be revenue neutral, according to his Communications Director Stefani Zimmerman.

Schneider wants to examine budget cuts as much as possible as long as they do not put an excessive burden on seniors and middle class families. He makes no guarantee tax reform he would support would not increase tax rates. He wants to return to spending-revenue ratios of achieved during the administrative of former President Bill Clinton.

Schneider Guards His Red Lines

“I have red lines I will not cross,” Schneider said. “We have to cut as much we can. After that we can determine what the tax rate will be,” he added explaining his approach to comprehensive tax reform. “If you eliminate the windfalls and the shortfalls you’re doing a pretty good job.”

Dold is taking a closer look at eliminating loopholes in the Internal Revenue Code that let people pay less tax to make the reduced individual rates of the proposed budget responsible.

“This budget blueprint takes a comprehensive approach to pro-growth tax reform and puts every special interest and lobbyist loophole on the table.,” Dold said “I am willing to look at any serious proposal when it comes to comprehensive tax reform.”

According to Zimmerman, the proposed budget directs the appropriate House committee to put every special interest deduction and loophole on the table, study the impact of each, and determine which of the hundreds are harmful and should be removed.

Dold, Schneider Know Medicare Changes Are Necessary

Both Dold and Schneider agree Medicare is not sustainable in its present form and change is necessary. According to Zimmerman, the program will be insolvent in 12 years based on estimates of Medicare’s actuaries. Dold will change nothing for people over 55.

“Both budgets I voted for do not change anything for those 55 or older,” Dold said. “These budgets protect and preserve the benefits that seniors expect and deserve and strengthen them for the future.” People under 55 will receive vouchers to help pay for private insurance.

Schneider put the matter in a different light explaining the costs of health care are accelerating much faster than the costs of other goods and services in the country.

“Health care costs are increasing three to four times faster than the rate of inflation,” Schneider said. “The Affordable Care Act focuses on this.” He prefers these ideas a voucher system.

Dold likes elements of the proposed budget’s treatment of Medicare because it will give more to those with greater needs and the amount of the voucher will be tied to premium costs, according to Zimmerman.

Seniors with lower incomes would be provided with fully funded health savings accounts to cover any out-of-pocket costs. Payments would be risk-adjusted prohibiting plans from cherry-picking the healthiest seniors, according to Zimmerman.

When it comes to both Medicare and tax reform, Schneider makes it clear nothing can be done to make life harder on middle class families and seniors while benefits go to people with substantial means. “People who can least afford it should not carry the burden,” he said.

Schakowsky Rallies Democrats for Schneider

Daniel — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:07:33 +0000

From the Evanston Patch

Schakowsky Rallies Democrats for Schneider

Brad Schneider stood with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) and his three opponents for the Democratic nomination for the 10^thCongressional District seat Thursday in Lincolnshire in a show of unity after winning Tuesday’s primary.

Schakowsky and Schneider rallied more than 250 people at a Tenth Congressional District Democrats unity event to put aside their differences after a spirited primary and focus their energy on unseating Rep. Robert Dold (R-Kenilworth) as Ilya Sheyman, John Tree and Vivek Bavda pledged their support.

Schneider began his general election campaign Wednesday morning at the Highland Park train station and Dold wasted little time responding to the Deerfield management consultant’s criticism.

After the Illinois General Assembly created more Democratic friendly Congressional Districts in May, Schakowsky thinks the state will play a significant role helping her party win the 25 seats necessary to regain control of the House of Representatives.

“Illinois is ground zero for putting the gavel back in the hands of (Rep.) Nancy Pelosi (D-CA),” Schakowsky said. “My priority is to start with my neighboring districts,” she added referring to Schneider’s effort and the campaign of Tammy Duckworth in the 8^th District.

According to Schakowsky, five of the 25 seats needed to control the House could come from Illinois.

Before Schneider could claim victory Tuesday he had to withstand attacks from groups supporting Sheyman for donations made to some Republicans over the last 10 years despite making many more contributions to Democrats including Schakowsky and Pelosi.

“He ran in a really tough primary,” Schakowsky said of Schneider’s campaign. “It made him ready to handle anything thrown at him. Now it’s time to focus on November like a laser.”

Schneider told the crowd about how he was tested in the primary and with their help would be ready for the general election.

“I woke up Tuesday morning with a knot in my stomach,” Schneider said of his feeling election day. “If we go forward arm in arm I won’t wake up with a knot in my stomach Nov. 6 and by 7:15 (p.m.) we’ll be celebrating.”

Some of Sheyman’s passionate supporters indicated they want the opportunity to transfer their enthusiasm. New Trier Democratic Organization President Priscilla Sperling asked Schneider to let them know him better.

“We will work our hearts out for you if you tell us who you are so we can fully know our candidate,” Sperling said.

Schneider told Patch after the event he was ready to accommodate the New Trier Democrats and everyone else in the District who wants to get to know him.

“I’ll meet every one of them anywhere they want,” Schneider said. “I am who I am. I didn’t tack to the left in the primary and I won’t tack to the right in the general.”

During his speech to the gathering, he put his philosophy in clear terms. “I want to make life a little better for people so they can wake up in the morning and feel a little better for their children, that they can pay for the roof over their head and have a secure retirement.”

Three Suburban Dems Unite to Denounce GOP Budget

Daniel — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:02:18 +0000

From the Chicago Sun-Times

Three Suburban Dems Unite to Denounce GOP Budget

CHICAGO — Three Democratic candidates for Congress from the suburbs held a joint news conference Thursday to denounce a congressional Republican budget plan that would “end Medicare as we know it.”

“This is a clear moment where all three of our opponents have to stand up and say whether they support seniors or whether they support (anti-tax activist) Grover Norquist and the pledge they have taken not to raise taxes by one dime for any millionaire in this country,” said Bill Foster, running against Republican Judy Biggert in the west suburban 11th Congressional District.

“Everybody understands that we’re going to have to make decisions on where we can reduce spending, but to do it on the backs of the people who can afford it the least, to do it in a way that ends Medicare … is absolutely wrong,” said Brad Schneider, taking on Republican Bob Dold in the north suburban 10th Congressional District.

It’s something of a novel approach for Foster, Schneider and Tammy Duckworth — who faces Republican Rep. Joe Walsh in the northwest suburbs — to hold a joint news conference.

The three — who just won their primary elections Tuesday — top national Democrats’ hopes to retake the U.S. House from Republican control, along with Democrats Cheri Bustos and Brad Harriman, who are running Downstate.

They say they don’t plan to run lock-step campaigns, but will come together on issues they agree on.

“We all represent slightly different districts,” Foster said. “There will be times when we’re in accord and times we’re not. All three of us are running for Congress with the idea of being a thoughtful voice that really thinks about what the ideas are and the long-term good for the people we’re representing. What motivates us is a distaste for the sort of partisan party-line voting that has gotten us into this mess. In this case, we can speak with a clear, unified voice that this is bad policy.”

Asked what she would cut, Duckworth said she would give Medicare the power the Veterans Administration has to negotiate better prices for drugs and she would end the Bush-era tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans.

Would she cut military spending?

“Absolutely — no sacred cows,” said Duckworth, an Iraq War vet. “I flew an amazing helicopter that saved my life (but) do we need the $385 billion for the F-35 Joint Forces Striker when we already own and operate the most advanced aircraft?”

Foster concluded, “None of our opponents would be in the majority or even in office if they had told seniors the truth about their intentions about Medicare. This is the Republicans’ second attempt to end Medicare as we know it.”

National Dems: ‘Road to majority’ in Congress ‘Goes Through Illinois’

Daniel — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:12:05 +0000

From the Chicago Sun-Times

National Dems: ‘Road to majority’ in Congress ‘Goes Through Illinois’

Washington Democrats are hoping Illinois voters will help swing the balance of power in Congress.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Wednesday that it is putting five Illinois congressional seats in it’s top-level “Red-to-Blue” list of seats it hopes to pick up in November.

“The road to the majority goes through Illinois,” said Steve Israel, committee chairman.

Democrats need to pick up 25 seats to retake the majority in the House of Representatives, and Illinois represents one of the highest concentrations of potential pick-ups.

Top on the list is Tammy Duckworth in the newly redrawn northwest suburban 8th Congressional District. Democrats crunched the numbers in the precincts of the new district and determined it went 62 percent for President Barack Obama in 2008. Republicans note it also went 51 percent for Republican Mark Kirk.

Duckworth faces outspoken Republican Rep. Joe Walsh in November.

“Tammy is a heroic veteran, Walsh a Tea Party icon, who’s so extreme he’s doubling down on his extremism,” Israel said. “He cares more about shouting on cable television than he does about creating jobs or protecting Medicare for senior citizens.”

Duckworth beat Raja Krishnamoorthi in Tuesday’s primary. Immediately after she won, Walsh challenged her to a series of debates.

Next on the list is the North Shore 10th Congressional District, which has not been represented by a Democrat in decades but which has been redrawn into a district whose new precincts went 64 percent for Obama and 55 percent for John Kerry.

Financial consultant Brad Schneider, 50, won a hard-fought Democratic primary contest against Ilya Sheyman, 25, a political organizer Republicans thought would be easier to beat in November.

Israel said he would have put the district on the red-to-blue list either way just because of the demographics. But Illinois Democratic leaders think Schneider will be an easier sell in the socially liberal but fiscally moderate-to-conservative district.

“He is not an ideologue — he is about solutions — he is a perfect fit for his district, in contrast to [freshman Republican Bob] Dold who gives lip service to being a moderate but votes like Michele Bachmann.”

Dold notes his district has the most pro-Obama votes of any congressional district in the country represented by a Republican, but he argues he has built up a moderate pro choice-on-abotion record. The district went 54 percent for Kirk, who represented the old 10th in Congress before moving up to the Senate.

Israel paid tribute to Sheyman, saying, “Ilya Sheyman ran a great primary. He revved up our grass roots.”

The 17th Congressional District in northwestern Illinois, where “working mom” Cheri Bustos will face freshman congressman and pizza restaurant owner Bobby Schilling, is the next-best hope, Israel said. That district went 60.9 percent for Obama. But two years ago, it went 53 percent for conservative Republican Bill Brady for governor.

Scientist, business owner and former Rep. Bill Foster puts the new west suburban 11th Congressional District “in play,” Israel said. Longtime Congresswoman Judy Biggert was drawn out of her own district and so has moved into this new one that connects Joliet and Aurora. Foster has also moved in.

“Foster has out-raised Biggert every quarter,” Israel said. That district went 55 percent for Obama.

Foster beat two opponents for the nomination Tuesday.

Republicans note Biggert has 47 percent of her constituents in the new district; Foster has only 26 percent of his former constituents in the district.

Downstate Democrat Jerry Costello announced his retirement, leaving his district in what the Cook Political Report calls a “toss-up” whether it stays Democrat or turns Republican.

Costello’s chosen successor, Brad Harriman, a teacher and football coach, won the primary election Tuesday. He will face former unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor Jason Plummer, a vice president of his parents’ R.P. Lumber Co.

Plummer’s refusal to release his income taxes was an issue in his lieutenant governor race, and Israel said it will be an issue in this one too.

Israel put that district on the red-to-blue list even though it is currently represented by a Democrat.

Votes are still being counted in the central Illinois 13th Congressional District to see which Democrat faces incumbent Rep. Tim Johnson. Depending on how that counting goes, Israel said he would decide whether to add that district to the red-to-blue list.

Being put on the red-to-blue list is the Democratic Party’s way of green-lighting donors to pour money into a race they see as winnable.

Republicans will likewise pour money into these races, so the break Illinois voters are getting today from negative advertising may be short-lived.

Illinois may be the state in which President Obama has the best or only coat-tails to help bring fellow Democrats along, depending on what his popularity is in November.

The DCCC had previously announced 18 other districts around the country as Red-to-Blue pick-up hopes. California, with three, had the most. Now Illinois with five, has the highest concentration.

The Republicans call California and Illinois “orphan states,” meaning they expect Obama to win the states, but they think they can hold or even expand the number of congressional seats they hold in those states.