Progress Illinois

Obama Lead Widens In Battleground States
Barack Obama now holds a double-digit lead over John McCain in the battleground states of Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, and carries a nine-point advantage in Colorado, according to a new Quinnipiac poll.

U.S. To Announce Stock Injection Plan
The U.S. government is expected to announce today a $250 billion plan to buy shares at nine of the nation's top banks. The move is aimed at calming the nation's shaky banking sector and buoying confidence in financial markets.

Let The Voting Begin!
Just hours into the first day of early voting, more than 18,000 people in Chicago and suburban Cook County cast ballots yesterday. The turnout in suburban Cook County surpassed the first day of early voting during the February presidential primary by nearly five times.

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Early Voting Begins Today
Beginning today, Illinois residents can take advantage of early voting, the first opportunity to do so in a presidential election. Early voting will be available through October 30 at 51 sites in the City of Chicago, 44 sites in suburban Cook County, and various locations throughout the collar counties, A government-issued photo ID is required to participate.  To find the nearest early voting center anywhere in the state, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

Republicans Worried With Three Weeks Remaining
Republicans are growing restless with John McCain's struggling campaign, demonstrating early signs that the party might cut the presidential nominee lose and reroute their scarce resources to down-ticket races. Some say the campaign should have raised Obama’s associations with 60s-era radical Bill Ayers earlier. Others said McCain can still prevail if he "presents himself as the optimistic visionary the public wants at deeply worrisome economic times."

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Crowd Reacts Angrily At McCain Rally
Playing the underdog card at a stop in Waukesha, WI yesterday, John McCain told supporters they should not write off his campaign while it struggles in the polls. More notable was the crowd's apparent fury, likely spurred by the campaign's negative tone; according to the Washington Post, "there were shouts of 'Nobama' and 'Socialist' at the mention of the Democratic presidential nominee" along with wild booes and middle finger salutes.

Global Stocks Tank, Crisis Meeting Scheduled Today
Hours after the Dow Jones industrial average lost more than seven percent and saw its first close below 9,000 since 2003, global stocks plummeted Friday and credit markers remained frozen. European markets fell more than 10 percent at the opening, although they regained some of their losses later in the day, and the the Nikkei 225 stock average dropped almost 10 percent for the second straight day. 

Sauerberg Calls Durbin Unpatriotic, Again
One day after walking back an attack suggesting Sen. Dick Durbin was unpatriotic, Republican challenger Steve Sauerberg went back to the well in a debate Thurdsay at Knox College, accusing the incumbent of endangering troops in Iraq by criticizing the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay in 2005. "I don't know where the bottom is anymore in your campaign," Durbin fired back. "Why don't you debate the issues?''

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Swing State Voters Dumped From The Rolls
Tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been nixed from voter registration lists or blocked from registering all together in violation of federal law, The New York Times reports. Mistakes in handling registration and voter files appear to be the reason for the outcome, which could hurt Democrats who have been aggressively registering new voters this year.

Treasury Dept. May Buy In To Banks
With credit markets still frozen despite a government plan to buy up "toxic" debt, the Treasury Department is considering a new approach: Taking ownership in some major U.S. banks in order to recapitalize the financial system. The proposal remains preliminary and it's unclear exactly how the process would work, but it would likely involve voluntary bank partnerships.

Durbin Addresses Bailout, EJ&E Sale, and Con-Con
Sen. Dick Durbin tells the SouthtownStar that he not only opposes CN's bid to buy the EJ&E railway but he's fed up with the attitude of rail company executives. "They think they own this country," he said. "They really do." He also the ongoing problems with the $700 billion bailout plan and described himself as "conflicted" about the possibility of a constitutional convention.

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McCain Fails To Dent Obama's Momentum In Debate
With Barack Obama's lead in the polls steadily increasing, John McCain failed to shift the dynamic in last night's second presidential debate. The Los Angeles Times wrote that "the two made little effort to hide their seemingly mutual contempt." In one odd moment, McCain referred to Obama as "that one" when pointing out the Illinois senator had voted in favor of a Bush energy bill that McCain oppossed.

Bernanke Fails To Calm Investors, Calls For Rate Cuts
U.S. stock indexes closed at their lowest levels in five years yesterday, despite assurances from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake that the Fed’s Board of Governors would probably lower interest rates at its meeting later this month. Investors were not consoled by a plan unveiled yesterday that would give the Fed ability to buy up commercial paper, debt used by companies for short-term funding.

Romney To Headline Roskam Fundraiser
Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate, is storming through Illinois later this month, scheduled to appear at a $1,000-per-plate private fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam. "A lot of people in the Chicago business community and the Republican organization find him an exciting person and an exciting candidate," said Roskam campaign spokesman Matt Vriesema.

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Illinois Voter Registration Ends Today
The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners will keep the lights on and the doors open until midnight tonight to help residents make the drop-dead deadline for regular voter registrations. Completed forms postmarked by today will also be accepted.

Despite Bailout, Market Confidence Tanks
The hope that the $700 billion bailout bill would calm anxious investors appears to be wearing off in light of the ongoing turmoil in stock and credit markets worldwide. Nearly six out of ten Americans say a depression is likely, according to a CNN/Opinion Research poll released yesterday.

Indiana: Obama, McCain In "Dead Heat"
The race for president in Indiana is a dead heat - 46 percent for both Obama and McCain, according to a new poll conducted by Research 2000. Only five percent of the respondents said they're still undecided.

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No Goofs In VP Debate
The news coming from the vice presidential debate in St. Louis last night may be that there was no news. Sarah Palin exceeded the low expectations set for her, delivering a "steady grin, folksy manner and carefully scripted talking points to punch politely and persist politically." Meanwhile, Joe Biden attacked John McCain's record "cordially" but pointedly, injecting passion into his intelligent responses. According to a CNN poll, 51 percent of respondents thought Biden did the best job compared to 36 percent for Palin, although Palin scored higher on 'likability." The Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet wrote that "Palin survived and Biden thrived."

House Vote On Bailout To Be Close
After the Senate passed a revised version of President Bush's $700 billion Wall Street bailout on Wednesday, the president and congressional leaders lobbied furiously yesterday for a dozen or so supporters to reverse their Monday vote and approve the massive rescue plan. The bill could hinge on the 24 Blue Dog Democrats who supported the bill initially, but may defect because the tax provisions in the revised Senate bill aren’t paid for with offsetting measures.

McCains Bails On Michigan
With little forewarning to state GOP officials, Republican nominee John McCain’s campaign pulled the plug on its Michigan operation yesterday, signaling it no longer thinks it can play offense in the Wolverine State. Staff is being redistributed to other battlegrounds, especially Wisconsin, Florida and Ohio. "The winds that drive presidential campaigns can shift and shift suddenly," said state party chairman Saul Anuzis. "I have no doubt the campaign will be back.”

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VP Candidates Debate Tonight, As Independents Grow Skeptical Of Palin
The much anticipated debate between VP candidates Joe Biden and Sarah Palin is set for tonight and there isn't a columnist or pundit out there who isn't weighing in on how the candidates ought to approach the challenge. For Palin, making the sale to voters is looking increasingly tough. A Washington Post/ABC poll released today found that confidence in McCain's pick continues to slip. A growing number of independent respondents, 60 percent, say that Palin doesn't have the experience needed to step into the presidency.

Congressional Delegation Still Not Sold On The Bailout
The $700 billion economic bailout plan may have sailed through the Senate last night, but if the sentiment of some south suburban congressional representatives is any indicator of what's to come, it could be a tough sell when the House takes up the measure tomorrow.

More IL Troops Shipping Out
An additional 2,700 Illinois soldiers will ship out to Afghanistan this month, marking the largest deployment of the state's National Guard troops since World War II. The soldiers are heading into increasingly dangerous territory - where U.S. troop casualties are on the rise- during a 10-month tour to relieve strained troops.

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Senate Expected To Pass Wall Street Bailout
Now dubbed a "rescue plan," it appears backers of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout in the Senate will bring a slightly revised version up for a vote today, where support for the package is stronger. Sources say the new bill would include tax breaks for businesses and alternative energy and higher government insurance for bank deposits. According to Politico, "there is an expectation on both sides of the aisle that the bailout could receive 60 votes in the Senate, enough to overcome any potential filibuster."

House GOP Leadership In Disarray
After failing to muster enough support for the original bailout plan, House Republican leaders were left shellshocked Tuesday, trying to explain away their divided caucus. Aides blamed congressmen who privately said they would back the bill only to vote no, while others pointed fingers at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's pre-vote speech and John McCain and President Bush's failure to influence a single GOP member from Arizona or Texas, respectively. The Washington Post's Dan Balz wrote that the vote "underscored the political disarray within the party."

Kirk Rejects Palin VP Pick
In an interview with the Tribune editorial board, Rep. Mark Kirk would not say whether he believed Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had the qualifications to become president. "Quite frankly, I don't know," said Kirk, when asked if Palin could step into the job. After repeated inquiries regarding Palin's experience, Kirk answered, "I would have picked someone different." Late last month, Kirk told reporters he was "encouraged" by McCain's choice of Palin and he credited conservative political parties around the world as the ones that break through "key barriers," such as gender.

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Bailout Bill Rejected, Stocks Plunge
In a stunning turn of events, the stock market plummeted yesterday after the House of Representatives defeated a proposed $700 billion financial-rescue package. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped almost 800 points, its biggest point one-day dip in history. Congress is not in session today, due to Rosh Hashanah, but it's unclear what next step congressional negotiators plan to take. The Bush administration will likely try to convince the House GOP rank-and-file that a bailout is necessary.  But if Republicans don't budge, the White House may be forced to offer Democrats enough progressive concessions to build wider liberal support.

After Deal's Collapse, McCain Attacks
After "suspending" his presidential campaign last week to ensure the bailout bill’s passage, John McCain tried vainly yesterday to "contain the potential for damage," according to the New York Times. The campaign went on the offensive, laying blame at the feet of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi for "infusing unnecessary partisanship into the process." Yet most editorial pages criticized McCain and the Republican caucus for defeat of the measure. "Republican no votes were rooted less in analysis or principle," wrote the Times, "than in political posturing and ideological rigidity."

GOP Loves Palin, Others Not As Excited
While she still excites the GOP base, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's star is losing some of its luster. While an NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey in early September showed a 20 point net positive rating, that gap faded to 6 points by last week.

Rezko Court Appearance Fuels Rumors He's Cooperating
It was only a matter of time, but attorneys believe convicted political fundraiser Tony Rezko has been visiting Chicago's federal courthouse, setting off speculation that he may be cooperating with federal prosecutors in exchange for a lenient sentence. Two lawyers said Monday prosecutors had contacted them to check information that only Rezko could have told them. 

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