Ill. Senate candidate embraces Obama in new TV ad while other Democrats keep their distance
By APWednesday, September 8, 2010
Ill. Senate candidate embraces Obama in new ad
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias prominently showcases President Barack Obama in a new campaign ad released Wednesday even though many Democrats are keeping their distance from the president and his falling approval ratings.
Giannoulias’ campaign believes it is the first general election ad in the country to feature an Obama endorsement, spokeswoman Kathleen Strand said.
The ad shows Obama calling Giannoulias his friend, someone voters can trust. The president praises Giannoulias, who is seeking the seat Obama left when he won the White House, for running a campaign that doesn’t take money from federal lobbyists.
Obama’s campaign appearances have been limited as candidates weigh the risks and rewards of standing alongside such a polarizing figure. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll, conducted Aug. 11-16, showed that Obama’s nationwide approval rating was 49 percent.
But Obama remains more popular in his home state of Illinois, with an approval rating of 51 percent in the latest Chicago Tribune poll. And even Illinois residents who dislike the president’s performance may feel some affection for one of their own.
Giannoulias, the state treasurer, is looking for every advantage in his tight race against Republican Mark Kirk, a five-term congressman from Chicago’s northern suburbs.
The ad features footage from a summer fundraising appearance Obama made for Giannoulias. In it, Obama says Giannoulias imposed new ethics rules when he became Illinois treasurer.
“He’s proven himself as someone who isn’t afraid to stand up to special interests,” Obama says. “That’s the kind of person you want in the United States Senate.”
The Kirk campaign had no comment on the ad, but the National Republican Senatorial Campaign accused Obama of putting his friendship with Giannoulias ahead of the interests of Illinois residents.
The NRSC pointed to Giannoulias’ work as an executive at a bank his family ran that lent money to convicted felons and later went out of business, as well as the state treasurer’s office losing money in one of the college savings programs it runs.
“Shooting hoops and calling his buddy from Chicago a ‘friend’ is one thing, but President Obama should know that Illinois voters deserve more than a reckless mob banker with a thin resume of experience in the U.S. Senate,” NRSC spokeswoman Amber Marchand said.
The Giannoulias campaign said the ad will begin airing statewide Thursday. The campaign will spend about $500,000 running the ad, said Democrats familiar with the campaign’s ad plans. They would speak only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly reveal the cost of the ad.
Online:
www.alexiforillinois.com
www.kirkforsenate.com
Tags: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Illinois, North America, Political Approval Ratings, Public Opinion, Senate Elections, Springfield, United States
