Seals' new cable TV ad goes on the attack
Democratic congressional hopeful Dan Seals' new cable TV ad is the first from either 10th District candidate to attack the opposition.
Seals and Republican Robert Dold have been spending money on cable TV spots since August. The initial ads were fairly benign commercials that introduced the candidates to viewers and spoke of their key issues and goals.
Seals' new 30-second commercial, called "Look Closer," was released this week. It attacks Dold on multiple fronts, and the Republican responded by demanding Seals pull the ad.
The Republican's stance on Social Security was one target of the commercial.
While publicly saying he opposes the privatization of Social Security, Dold has told the media he believes people should be able to place a percentage of their Social Security savings into individual accounts, and the ad points that out.
The commercial also criticizes Dold for not paying payroll taxes on some campaign workers, employees Dold has claimed were independent contractors who should pay their own taxes under federal law.
The ad also says Dold has received support from an anti-abortion group called the Illinois Federation for Right to Life.
The group listed Dold as its recommended candidate in the 10th District during the February GOP primary but did not endorse Dold outright because of his position on abortion issues.
Dold was listed as "recommended" because he opposes taxpayer-funded abortions and supports parental notification laws and a ban on partial-birth abortions, according to an explanation on the group's website.
The spot continues with a comment from Seals about values and fiscal responsibility. As it closes, Seals says he approved the message.
Team Dold called the ad misleading.
"In his third run for Congress, Dan Seals is resorting to inaccurate attacks that distract from the real issues in this election, which are how to create jobs to get people back to work," Dold spokeswoman Kelly Klopp said. "The voters in the 10th District are above this kind of politics-as-usual and want to hear what candidates will do to create jobs and pull us out of recession."
Seals spokeswoman Aviva Gibbs declined to identify on which cable systems or networks the commercial will appear and wouldn't talk about the ad's negative approach.
The commercial is Seals' second TV spot of the campaign. Dold also has run two cable TV ads.
Although it's the first negative TV ad from either candidate, the new Seals piece is not the first critical commercial of the race.
The National Republican Congressional Committee recently released a commercial attacking Seals for his stance on health care reform. Seals has supported the controversial legislation that was approved earlier this year, and the ad talks about aspects of the plan opponents say will hurt senior citizens and families.
Gibbs called the Republican committee's ad a "misleading attempt to scare seniors."
Dold, of Kenilworth, and Seals, of Wilmette, are running for an open seat. Republican Mark Kirk is leaving the House to run for U.S. Senate.
The 10th District includes parts of Cook and Lake counties.