Illinois

Sept. 16, 2002 -- The two candidates fighting for governor in Illinois, U.S. Rep. Rod Blagojevich (D) and Attorney General Jim Ryan (R) agreed Sept. 10 to participate in four televised debates, although dates were not set for any of the meetings.

Some analysts were surprised Blagojevich agreed to so many debates given his early lead in the polls, but the Democratic camp has been calling for four debates since March.

"We are pleased that both campaigns agreed to what amounts to the fullest roster of gubernatorial debates in many years in Illinois," Ryan said.

Blagojevich agreed.

"I look forward to having a series of informative and substantive debates with Jim Ryan across the state of Illinois. I'm pleased we've been able to come together and agree on a schedule of issue-oriented debates," the Democrat said.

In separate news, a new survey suggested the race between two incumbents in the southern region of the state will likely remain a close match.

The poll, conducted by the Democratic firm Cooper and Secrest, pitted U.S. Rep. David Phelps (D) against U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (R). The survey finds Phelps ahead by two points, 40 to 38 percent. But a whopping 22 percent said they were still undecided.

Phelps and Shimkus are running in a heavily redrawn 19th Congressional District that runs from central Illinois down to the Ohio River. The district was redrawn and combined after the 2000 Census.

Wisconsin

The race for governor appears to be a tight affair, with Republican Gov. Scott McCallum, who took over for Tommy Thompson when Thompson became Secretary of Health and Human Services, locked in a contest against Attorney General Jim Doyle, who won the Democratic primary Sept. 10.

A survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican polling firm, had Doyle leading by a single point the day after he won the primary, 37 to 36 percent. Six percent said they were backing former Gov. Thompson's brother, Ed, who is running as a Libertarian and 18 percent were undecided.

"McCallum and Doyle start the general election tied. Past polls are meaningless now. This promises to be a very close election," Wisconsin Realtor Assoc. Pres. Bill Malkasian, who commissioned the survey, said.

Wisconsin political veterans expect the campaign to get nasty, with independent groups poised to spend as much as $10 million on advertising.

Doyle hinted at how tough the campaign may get the night he scored his primary victory over U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett and Dane County Exec. Kathleen Falk.

"[McCallum] is living proof that not all on-the-job training programs are successful," Doyle said in a speech that criticized McCallum's state budget and other issues. "Come November, we'll put an end to Scott McCallum's reign of error."

The major issue the two candidates will need to address is a massive budget deficit that threatens to cripple the state.

"It's time for [Doyle and McCallum] to forget about polls, politics, personalities and public images and focus instead on dollars and sense," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorialized the day after the primary. "What's needed is a complete reassessment of how tax money is raised and spent at every government level."

Ohio

A federal court may rule in the next few days whether former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan (D) can continue to use "TaftQuack" -- a character the Cleveland Plain Dealer described as a "duck-like Internet creature Hagan uses to poke fun at" GOP Gov. Bob Taft.

Hagan, facing a nearly impossible task of ousting Taft, began running ads saying the governor has "ducked the issues plaguing Ohio" and failed to lead the state.

The insurance company AFLAC has sought to stop the use of TaftQuack, saying it infringes on the company's copyright.

"AFLAC isn't trying to get into a political campaign. The major remedy we're looking for is to stop it -- the duck and the quacking," attorney Christopher Fagan told reporters after a hearing where the judge asked both sides to come to an agreement.

But, according to Hagan attorney Richard Knoth, TaftQuack is about the First Amendment and "not about trademarks."

"It's about political speech and Hagan's right to continue to use one of the primary outlets he has to communicate with voters," the Cleveland Plain Dealer quoted Knoth as saying.

...

Reports of former U.S. Rep. James Traficant's demise very well might be greatly exaggerated. Traficant, who was ousted from the House earlier this summer and is currently in a Pennsylvania federal prison serving eight years for several corruption charges, has created a campaign committee to run his re-election campaign.

James Bunosky, a longtime Traficant supporter, said he has been tapped to run the Congressman's campaign.

"I love Jim Traficant. I love everything he stands for," the Associated Press quoted Bunosky as saying. "I feel he's innocent of all 10 charges."

Bunosky will speak for Traficant at several events, including an Oct. 2 fundraiser.