Bean II
ArchPundit
Melissa Bean 56.5%
Democratic Challenger (18939 votes) Phil Crane 43.5%
Republican Incumbent (14610 votes) Chuck Kelecic 0%
Libertarian Challenger (0 votes) Precincts Reporting: 16%
Illinois Congressional Races
Bean
Melissa Bean 56.8%
Democratic Challenger (9479 votes) Phil Crane 43.2%
Republican Incumbent (7198 votes)
8% reporting.
Crane Delivering Pizzas?
Powerful member of House Ways and Means is rumored to be doing a stunt delivering pizzas to constitutuents. Ummm…after 35 years, that’s a bit much.
Especially after Flippy died because someone rented the costume out for Halloween.
Train Tickets and Shopping Scanners
Mr. Crane might be a bit out of touch:
Congressman Phil Crane’s eyes dart around the packed Metra train as reporters sit nearby, waiting to discuss his railroad expansion plan.
He leans forward, then takes a stub of paper off the back of the bench in front of him. He turns it over in his hands.
“Now, what’s this?” Crane asks.
An assistant, laughing nervously, fills him in: “That’s your train ticket.”
This moment during his campaign for re-election in the 8th Congressional District crystallized both what critics say is Crane’s major weakness and what he says is his greatest strength.
Reports are that the RNCC is bringing in a lot of Congressional staffers to work the race. Good. They aren’t nearly as effective as the local group Bean has.
Zorn Covers Flanagan 10 Years Later
I remember mostly watching then DNC Head David Wilhelm and RNC Head Hailey Barbour on CNN with Larry King discussing the race and Wilhelm not being particularly happy about the entire evening. But when it came to rubbing it in, Barbour just said, look, the guy came to us with a poll in the last few days and so we sent money in. We had no idea it was going to be a race.
But a District like that doesn’t stay the opposite party. Bringing up the question that assuming you all work for Melissa Bean this weekend will she be able to hold it in two years? Zorn says no, but he’s forgetting one thing–the GOP will have a primary and I’m betting on the unamed as of yet wingnut to emerge to allow Bean to cement the District until next redistricting cycle when she’s given a safe seat.
Sound outlandish? Alan Keyes.
What the Hell is Weller Spending on?
$1.3 million when he claims to be up 20 points? Hmmm…that doesn’t mean the race is as close as Renner’s poll, but that’s a lot of money for “Professor”
Renner, a two-term member of the McLean County Board, has spent $218,000, with the largest chunk of his money going to an Evanston-based political strategist, according to Federal Election Commission records.
That’s the Strategy Group with Peter Giangreco doing the campaign mailers. He does a lot of work for the Governor and I believe he’s working with Obama’s campaign as well. They do good mail, and if Renner can run the table, that’ll be the key to a relatively low cost campaign.
Capitol Fax on Lake-McHenry Senate Race
The location may seem familiar to those who are interested in this Senate Race.
Notice it’s up in the middle of the Crane-Bean battle. It’s a full court press by the State Dems. More in the subscription version.
Did Pascoe Defect to Screw Up Crane’s Race Now?
Because the writing behind the Flippy the Dolphin bits certainly sounds like a supreme dork.
I think the dolphin is gay.
Why?
Why not?
Bean Down 2
Bring in those undecided at just barely better than 2-1, and it’s all hers.
From the House Race Hotline:
A Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (D) poll; conducted 10/26-27 for the DCCC; surveyed 500 likely voters; margin of error +/- 4.4% (release, 10/28). Tested: business consultant Melissa Bean (D) and Rep. Phil Crane (R).
General Election Matchup
Now
Crane 48%
Bean 46
Undec. 6
DCCC Goes on TV in IL-08
It’s good too. Not as good as the Bean ad, but it’s hard to make as good of an ad without the candidate.