National Dems fire up Illinois races

Game on.

National Democrats have begun pouring money into suburban congressional races in hopes of adding seats to their House majority.

But national Republicans, who seriously lag the Democrats in campaign cash, have yet to make a splash.

In the Northern suburbs, challenger Dan Seals landed an assist over the weekend from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which placed a cable ad blasting incumbent Mark Kirk of Highland Park.

The TV ad follows a blanket mailer. Both attempt to paint Kirk in the Democratic-leaning 10th District as a "rubber stamp" for President George Bush.

The DCCC has dropped nearly $70,000 in the race so far this year.

In the South suburbs, the DCCC is running an ad to help state Sen. Debbie Halvorson against concrete mogul Marty Ozinga in the 11th District.

Voters should expect this to be just the start of a battle of verbose TV ads and flashy mailers that will only intensify as Election Day, Nov. 4, nears.

Most candidates, including Kirk and Seals, have their own TV ads running already.

Plus, the DCCC is expected to continue to dump cash into the top two races and potentially others in the suburbs.

National Democrats are also eyeing the rematch of 7-month incumbent Bill Foster and Republican Jim Oberweis in the West Suburban 14th District as well as Jill Morgenthaler's bid against freshman U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, a Wheaton Republican.

DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer said Sen. Barack Obama's home state advantage and Bush's low approval ratings have "helped Democrats widen the playing field this fall."

But national Republicans are fighting hard.

Without the money yet to run TV ads, the national GOP has taken to online videos, blogs and press releases to back up their Illinois candidates.

"We feel very good about where we are," said Ken Spain, spokesman for the Republican National Republican Congressional Committee.

For one, many of the GOP candidates and incumbents have their own cash wells.

Kirk has out-raised Seals. Ozinga and Oberweis are millionaires willing to spend their own money on TV ads, campaign staff and mailers.