WASHINGTON -- Rep. Mark Kirk, who casts himself as a moderate, on Monday dodged questions about whether he wanted help from conservative former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in his race for Senate -- only to have the truth surface Wednesday. He is indeed soliciting her support -- when she hits Chicago later this month to appear on the "Oprah Winfrey Show."
WASHINGTON--Chris Cillizza scoops in the Washington Post that Illinois Senate hopeful Rep. Mark Kirk--who bills himself as a "moderate" Republican--is seeking the endorsement of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, according to a memo Cillizza obtained.
Cillizza writes in his column, "The Fix" about the Kirk memo, where Kirk is concerned whether Palin will endorse a rival in the February Illinois GOP primary. Palin's endorsement of a third party conservative in a New York race for a vacant House seat--drove the moderate from the contest and Tuesday resulted in the election of a Democrat.
Cillizza: "After noting that Palin will be in Chicago later this month to appear on "Oprah", Kirk writes that "the Chicago media will focus on one key issue: Does Gov[ernor] Palin oppose Congressman Mark Kirk's bid to take the Obama Senate seat for the Republicans?"
"Kirk goes on to write that he is hoping for something "quick and decisive" from Palin about the race, perhaps to the effect of: "Voters in Illinois have a key opportunity to take Barack Obama's Senate seat. Congressman Kirk is the lead candidate to do that."
"Malek confirmed the authenticity of the memo in an e-mail exchange with the Fix."
Illinois Senate hopeful Alexi Giannoulias, the Illinois state treasurer, huddled with White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the state of play of the open Senate seat once held by President Obama.
The meeting was not supposed to be known to the public, but Giannoulias was recognized by reporters while on the White House grounds.
Not generally known: Giannoulias also met with Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chief Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and DSCC staffers and with key members of the Democratic labor union community.
WASHINGTON--Here's the latest from the Republican National Committee on whether or not RNC chairman Michael Steele has endorsed in the GOP Illinois Senate primary. He has not. (UPDATES FROM THE DSCC AND NRSC BELOW)
I just talked with Gail Gitcho, the RNC press secretary, to clear up the situation regarding the RNC and the Illinois primary.
"Illinois is a targered state for Republicans. It is an important seat and we plan on being fully engaged in the race once we have a candidate," Gitcho said.
"Congressman Mark Kirk is an exceptional leader and clearly is the frontrunner in the Illinois Senate race but the RNC traditionally does not get involved in primaries."
WASHINGTON -- Democratic Senate hopeful Cheryle Jackson and I talked Sunday about why she went to work for Gov. Rod Blagojevich as his spokeswoman -- and why she left his administration during his first term when she realized Blagojevich was making decisions "based on personal benefit."
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart was the remaining name brand Democrat being mentioned as a possible contender in the 2010 Illinois Senate race. On Monday comes word he will not seek another office and will instead run for re-election.
WASHINGTON--Political neophyte David Hoffman, the Inspector General of the City of Chicago, on Wednesday launched a Democratic bid for the U.S. Senate. His entry into the race reflects a view among some in the Illinois Democratic political establishment that neither of the two candidates already in the contest--state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Chicago Urban League Chief Cheryle Jackson-- may not be strong enough to beat Rep. Mark Kirk, the leading Republican in the GOP primary.
Hoffman, a corruption fighter in Mayor Daley's City Hall--the man has plenty of material--however, is a massively untested political figure. Hoffman is also starting the giant job of fund-raising from scratch and very late in the game.
Hoffman retained David Axelrod's former firm, AKPD, to handle his bid and they gave him the kind of rollout one gives to a political rookie that is, announcement by video. However the White House, which wooed Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to run--she turned down President Obama--gave up after Madigan in intervening in the race--and is not going to back Hoffman or anyone else.
The firm--poised to represent Merchandise Mart mogul Chris Kennedy if he had jumped in the race-- clearly wants to cloister Hoffman at this stage and not repeat the mistakes made by Caroline Kennedy when she tested-the-waters for securing the appointment to replace then Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the U.S. Senate and found herself stumbling in the rough and tumble of New York politics and press.
Hoffman will make a formal announcement soon. His videogives a few clues on what his Senate campaign will be about--ethics and cleaning up government as an independent. Kirk is also making ethics a central theme.
"The insiders and special interests will try to stop us," said Hoffman on his video.
Before Madigan decided to run again for Attorney General, Hoffman was mulling a run for the Attorney General slot.
One interesting note: On Hoffman's Senate site biography, he notes that he was a law clerk for a Supreme Court Justice--but does not include the name. On Hoffman's City of Chicago biography, Hoffman names who he worked for---Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist--- a Republican appointee.
Former Sen. Adlai Stevenson endorsed Comptroller Dan Hynes for Illinois governor on Wednesday, where he faces Gov. Quinn in the Illinois Democratic primary. Not a mention about Gov. Quinn in his statement. Stevenson ran twice for governor, never made it.
WASHINGTON--Vice President Biden is returning to Chicago on Aug. 20 to headline a fund-raiser for freshman Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.) at the Custom House, 500 S. Dearborn.
Biden, I am told, is going to fund-raise for the House members the Democratic House politiical operation deem the most vunerable.
Host committee in formation includes Joe Bohne, Dennis Hopkins, Mike Mullen, Joseph Perry, Steve Magruder, Balvinder Singh and State Sen. A. J. Wilhelmi
State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, I've learned, is picking up an early endorsement for his 2010 Democratic Senate bid from the Illinois State Council, Service Employees International Union. The Illinois SEIU is one of the most politically powerful unions in the state of Illinois.
What does this mean:
1."You can't overstate the value of an SEIU endorsement, particularly this early.
They combine a unique mixture of progressive values, significant resources, and an expertise in the mechanics of winning elections," Eric Adelstein, Giannoulias Media Consultant told me.
2. Cheryle Jackson, the Chicago Urban League Chief will have to deal with Giannoulias pressing unions for early backing just as she is getting her footing in the contest. Giannoulias will use these endorsements to argue that he is the most viable contender.
3. Chris Kennedy--the door is closing for him to jump in the senate or gubernatorial race.
WASHINGTON--After a short exploration period, Chicago Urban League chief Cheryle Jackson will officially get in the Illinois 2010 Senate Democratic primary in September. Her bid will be about, she said,"change, community opportunity and an end to catering to the privileged few on the inside while the rest of us on the outside look on."
The only other rival for sure so far: Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, who on Monday picked up the backing from several unions: UNITE HERE, UFCW, UA International and the Illinois Pipes Trades Association.
Here are videos from FoxNews Chicago from the kick-offs of the campaigns of 2010 Illinois Senate hopefuls, Republican Mark Kirk and Democrat Alexi Gianoulias.
This screen grab of a Google page is an example of how political targeting works. The searcher--based in Illinois-- was looking for information on GOP Senate candidate Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.). Kirk stuff did pop up in the search--but if you look at the right, you see an ad from Giannoulias, the Democratic Illinois state treasurer running for the Senate, with a link to the Giannoulias senate site.
Rep. Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.) will announce a statewide run on Monday, according to a release just sent from his office. The notice doesn't say what office, but Kirk has been making calls to line up support for a Senate run. Kirk's campaign kick off will be somewhere in the northern suburbs.
This means:
*Kirk will have no meaningful GOP primary for the Senate nomination. GOP Illinois party chairman Andy McKenna will now not run. There is no other Republican of stature out there organizing a Senate bid.
*The 10th Congressional District seat opens up. While Kirk has held it with massive support from Democrats in the north suburban district, this is fertile Democratic territory. Expect a conga line of candidates from both parties to line up for a rare open seat. This could be the second open seat; if Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) runs for Cook County Board president, the 7th C.D. seat opens up in heavily Democratic turf.
*One the Democratic side, State treasuret Alexi is in. Cherlye Jackson, the Chicago Urban League chief is in. She was in Washington on Tuesday putting together her campaign.
"I appreciate Andy McKenna's willingness to consider being a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Andy and I share the common goal of ensuring Illinois has a Republican leader in the U.S. Senate." " I will make an announcement about seeking statewide office soon."
The ball is now in the court of Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.); Illinois GOP party chairman Andy McKenna just issued a statement saying that if Kirk runs for the Senate, he won't.
Statement from ILGOP Chairman Andy McKenna
"As Party Chairman my goal has been to build Party unity. Mark Kirk and I met last evening as part of an ongoing discussion about the U. S. Senate race. I reassured Mark that if he chooses to be a candidate, I will not oppose him."
There have been several reports Friday that Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) was not going to run for the Senate. The latest I have from Kirk's operation is that Kirk is still contemplating a bid. The bump here is that GOP Illinois Party Chief Andy McKenna--who had been recruiting Kirk to run--is now mulling a race himself. Kirk and McKenna met with members of the Illinois House delegation yesterday. The delegation is leaning heavily towards backing Kirk, one of their own. Kirk wants to avoid a primary. Kirk is the top choice of the GOP Senate political operation.
Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias raised $1.8 million to date for his Senate bid, while his likely Democratic rivals have zero dollars in their warchests.
Giannoulias has been fund-raising since March. Federal fund-raising reports, public next week, will show that Giannoulias raised about $670,000 in the second quarter of 2009.
He said he was "humbled and honored" that in his "horrible economy, people were so generous."
Giannoulias is also in a position to pour some of his own money in his campaign; his federal financial disclosure statement--which requires that only the range of assets be listed--will show that he is worth between $13 million and $62 million, I'm told.
After the Senate Democratic shop slammed Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)--who told people he will get in the Senate race--the National Republican Senatorial Committee rushed back a rebuttal on Thursday afternoon.
Sen. Roland Burris (D-Illl.) will not run for election in 2010--a not surprising decision given that Burris, appointed by ousted Gov. Blagojevich to fill the seat vacated by Barack Obama had never created a political organization, raised virtually no campaign cash, and faced controversy from the start.
Burris' decision, reported by my Sun-Times colleague Michael Sneed, was fueled in large part by his anemic fund-raising efforts, which will become public next week. Burris will make it official during a speech he will deliver in Chicago Friday afternoon.
When we talked in May about whether he would run, Burris told me, I asked Burris about his timetable for deciding if he will run. "Lynn . . . if you don't have money, whether or not you say you are going to run is not relevant. . . . You take away your option."
Burris wanted to jump in the 2010 election, despite longshot odds, and made the rounds of Democratic heavies in May, but none offered him any support. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)--who suggested he resign the seat because of the circumstances surrounding his appointment by Blagojevich, tried to recruit Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to run for the Senate seat. Madigan on Wednesday said she instead will seek a third term as attorney general.
On the day I talked to Burris about his political prospects -- May 19 -- Burris met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to discuss his future. Earlier, he conferred with Sen. Robert Menendez, the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. And the day before -- May 18 -- Burris called on William Daley.
In the end, Burris sealed his own fate. He had $845 in a 2010 fund from his first quarter fund-raising and the second quarter yielded just about $20,000.
Lynn Sweet is a columnist and the Washington Bureau Chief for the 
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