Hopefuls to debate economics next week
After battling over their respective positions on an Iraq war withdrawal this week, congressional hopefuls Jim Oberweis and Bill Foster are expected to shift the focus of their debate next week to the economy.
Republican Oberweis already has begun airing radio ads describing himself as a successful businessman who will cut taxes and create jobs, in contrast with Foster, a Democrat who, by opposing the extension of President Bush's tax cuts, is ready to raise taxes on the middle class.
Foster, meanwhile, is touting the endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. The senator from Illinois recorded a TV commercial this week to show his support for Foster, Foster's campaign team said. But what of the other Democratic presidential contender with Illinois ties -- Hillary Clinton?
"If she wants to cut an ad for us, I'm sure we'd welcome it," Foster spokesman Drew Dupuy said.
No word yet on when Obama's 30-second spot might air. In a news release announcing the commercial, Foster said he and Obama "want to invest in American jobs, not send American jobs to China. We want health care that costs less, not an end to employers paying for health care for their workers."
It remains to be seen whether Joe Sixpack will buy these two millionaires' promises while the economy is tanking.
Foster happy about poll:
A poll conducted on behalf of and released by Foster's campaign this week shows Foster nipping at Oberweis' heels. Forty-five percent of poll respondents favored Oberweis while 43 percent chose Foster. Among voters who identified themselves as independents, Foster leads 49 percent to Oberweis' 27 percent.
Global Strategy Group polled 525 randomly selected voters Feb. 6 to 10. The margin of error is 4.3 percent at the 95 percent confidence interval.
Oberweis spokesman Bill Pascoe doesn't trust those results, in part because the data released does not include a partisan breakdown. The pollsters might have surveyed many more Democrats than Republicans. A methodological note released with the survey memo states only that "special care was taken to ensure that the geographic and demographic divisions of the actual electorate are properly represented."
"Our polling shows we've got a wider lead," Pascoe said. "We'll go back in the field early next week … We'll see where we are."
Two robo-calls on the race:
I received two robo-calls this week related to the 14th Congressional District race. In the first, a recording of Foster slammed Oberweis as "more of the same." The second, sponsored by the Illinois Republican Party, urged my answering machine to cast an absentee ballot in the March 8 special election.
"The Democrat machine in Chicago and Springfield is trying to pull a fast one on us by placing the election on a Saturday," a recorded female voice stated. "Don't be fooled."