GOP begins targeting Bean ahead of election

Republicans didn't waste any time targeting Democratic U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean ahead of the Nov. 4 general election.

Whereas Bean has generally refused to talk about GOP opponent Steve Greenberg, Greenberg and his campaign team started criticizing Bean even before he won a three-way primary race Feb. 5, and they've continued doing so.

His fight has been augmented by the National Republican Congressional Committee, which for months has attacked Bean's actions on national security, taxes and other topics.

Bean upset longtime Republican Rep. Phil Crane in 2004 to seize the historically conservative 8th District seat, and she fought off GOP challenger David McSweeney and third-party candidate Bill Scheurer to keep her job in 2006. National Republican officials want to ensure Bean doesn't notch a third victory in November.

"Melissa Bean has proven a willingness to vote in favor of her Democratic leadership's interests, not with her constituents," NRCC spokesman Ken Spain said. "Steve Greenberg represents the values and interests of the district."

Although Bean and a spokesman refused to comment for this story, it's clear the congresswoman isn't ready to surrender her post. She's been named a beneficiary of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Frontline program, which is defending 29 House incumbents with fundraising and volunteer work.

Additionally, Democratic fundraisers believe the GOP will be too busy defending several suburban congressional seats -- especially after Bill Foster's recent victory over Republican Jim Oberweis for the 14th House seat -- to spend much time, energy or money on the Bean/Greenberg race.

"Rep. Bean is in strong shape for re-election," DCCC Midwest spokesman Ryan Rudominer said.

The 8th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. Bean, of Barrington, and Greenberg, of Long Grove, are competing for a 2-year term.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for election this year. Of those posts, 231 are held by Democrats and 198 by Republicans. Six seats are vacant.

Spain said the 8th District race is high on the GOP's list of congressional contests. He views the seat as "a potential pickup opportunity."

"The district has performed well for Republicans in the past and it will likely break in favor of the Republican presidential nominee in the fall," Spain said.

A 36-year-old businessman and former minor-league hockey player, Greenberg believes he can accomplish what McSweeney couldn't. He's painting himself as being closer to the political middle than McSweeney, an image he hopes will win over 8th District voters.

"David was way too far right for the district," Greenberg said. "What people are looking for is someone who is right of center."

Spain said his organization has been "very active" getting the word out on the 8th District race through talk radio and in a stream of news releases e-mailed to the media.

Several recent media-bound memos have targeted Bean's stance on proposed foreign intelligence legislation. Others have tried to tie Bean to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, both of whom are generally considered liberals.

Democratic strategist Eric Adelstein, who's working for Bean and other congressional candidates this year, doesn't put much stock in the GOP e-mail blasts. Although they represent support for Greenberg, few media outlets actually use them, he said.

"It doesn't cost you anything and it doesn't get you much," he said. "You get what you pay for."

E-mails aside, Greenberg's getting help from a House Republican effort called the Challengers Helping Obtain the Majority Program. Long before Greenberg won the party primary, an October 2007 fundraiser netted his campaign thousands of dollars from GOP lawmakers.

Republican leaders have championed Greenberg in person, too. NRCC Chairman Tom Cole and House Minority Leader John Boehner have appeared with Greenberg at political events.

"I'm glad they have confidence in me," Greenberg said.

But will that high-profile support be enough for Greenberg to win?

Bean, 46, surprised political observers by winning in a historically conservative district and ousting the veteran Crane in 2004.

Whereas Greenberg and other GOP critics have tried to paint Bean as liberal, she's actually part of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of 47 conservative and moderate House Democrats.

Bean also has worked with Republican Rep. Mark Kirk of the neighboring 10th District on many issues, including transit funding and a suburban flood-control project.

"Melissa Bean is a battle-tested, independent voice for her district, with a proven ability to win," Rudominer said.

She's also well-funded. Bean's campaign committee collected about $450,000 in donations between Oct. 1 and Jan. 16, the period covered by the most recent Federal Election Commission disclosure reports. Since Jan. 1, 2007, Bean raked in nearly $2 million, reports show.

In contrast, Greenberg raised about $169,000 during the last quarter and only about $350,000 overall, reports show.

Democratic congressional committee officials shrugged off the opposition's effort in the 8th District so far.

They predict the Republicans will be too busy to expend much energy or money on the Bean/Greenberg race. The GOP is gearing up to defend Kirk against Dan Seals in the 10th District and Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton against Jill Morganthaler in the 6th District. They're also fighting to retain seats left open by retiring Chicago-area GOP congressmen such as Dennis Hastert and Jerry Weller.

"Washington Republicans are grasping at straws here," Rudominer said.

Foster's defeat of Oberweis in last weekend's special election to fill the remainder of Hastert's term bolsters Bean's position, Democrats say.

"(It shows) Republicans are extremely vulnerable in suburban districts," Rudominer said.

Greenberg, however, maintains Bean's 2006 re-election shows she's vulnerable this year. Although she defeated McSweeney by 7 percentage points, she received less than 51 percent of the vote in an election cycle that saw big victories for Democrats across Illinois and the country, Greenberg said.

"It was the worst time for Republicans since Nixon," Greenberg said. "(Bean's win) wasn't exactly a referendum on greatness."