Dems pitch Senate camp in Chicago

As a gaggle of Illinois Republicans eye the temptingly open U.S. Senate race now that former Gov. Jim Edgar has declined to run, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is determined to keep tabs on them with the help of an outpost just opened in Chicago.

Until someone comes up with a snappier name, the overt operation is called the "Illinois Project'' and is renting space in the Illinois AFL-CIO office on Wacker Drive.

Democratic campaign committee political director Paul Tewes spent a few days in Chicago in early April--before Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) decided not to seek another term in 2004--contacting all the announced and potential candidates to reinforce how crucial winning Illinois is to Senate Democrats.

"We are greeting this race with open arms as opposed to the Republicans, who are running from this like an outhouse on fire,'' said campaign committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse.

The Democrats have five major Senate primary candidates: attorney Gery Chico; investor Blair Hull; Comptroller Dan Hynes; State Sen. Barack Obama (D-Chicago) and health care consultant Joyce Washington. Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas also is considering a run. Read on for more on Pappas and Hull.

The Chicago campaign committee office will be run by Stacey Zolt, 26, the Illinois communications and policy director for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

Zolt said she will be "coordinating the message'' for Democrats and "localizing our Senate strategy for Illinois.''

She hopes the Democratic campaigns will be able to pool some of their research on the Republicans, and she is engaging in her own opposition research.

The Democratic candidates are, or soon will be, cutthroat rivals, so it seems very optimistic to figure they will share anything.

Not bothering with an exploratory phase, Republican Jack Ryan, the former Goldman Sachs partner who taught at Hales Franciscan High School, made it official on Wednesday and said he will be a Senate candidate in 2004.

The most important statement in Ryan's press release is in the second paragraph. "Jack Ryan, no relation to either former Gov. George Ryan or former Attorney General Jim Ryan.''

Jim Ryan lost his gubernatorial bid last year after worrying that voters would confuse him with the scandalized George Ryan.

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is embracing a contrarian, free-spirit strategy in her anticipated run for the Senate. While the others are raising money, networking around the state, working on issue papers and assembling campaign organizations, Pappas says she'll do nothing until she's back from three trips to Europe this summer. The Greek government invited her to northern Greece for the first "Summit of European Diasporas'' on June 19 and 20. Then she is off to Vilnius, Lithuania, later in June to attend an assembly on war and poverty. She travels to Crete July 5-13 for a symposium on "Transatlantic Relations in the Post-September 11 Era.''

Pappas said it does not hurt her not to start her campaign until later this year. "It's dangerous to be a front runner,'' said Pappas. "Maybe I'll be underfunded. Maybe I'll be an underdog.''

Hull said he'll make his formal announcement June 23, with a statewide barnstorming tour to run a week. He's been working the inside game for about a year and has put more than $5 million directly into his race, with $4 million added in last Friday. He visited Washington this week to touch base with policy consultants and lobby Illinois Democratic delegation members, not so much for endorsements as for their neutrality in the primary. Rival camps expect Hull to start airing commercials after his fly-around. He has shot footage, and he said there are "rough cuts'' of spots, but no final decision has been made.

Rove said at a fundraising event in Illinois that Jack Ryan was his second choice to run after Jim Edgar, who isn't running.

So I guess Rove will try and clear the field for Ryan, who seems like the best candidate we have to offer.

Ryan is Bright, telegenic, and more conservative than Edgar.

Our best hope is that the Democrats have a bitter primary, and then have to face a tanned, rested Jack Ryan.

It will be hard, but I think Ryan is talented enough to pull it off...

3 posted on 05/15/2003 11:00:40 PM PDT by Pubbie (Bill Owens for Prez and Jeb as VP in '08.)

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