IL-Sen - Jan Schakowsky Releases Polling Info - Testing Waters

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Mon Apr 27, 2009 at 22:10:18 PM CDT

I think that Giannoulias would be the favorite over Schakowsky Burris and his low favorable ratings. However, I do think that Schakowsky would be a formidable opponent as she could certainly raise a lot of money and would likely be endorsed by Emily's List and other women's groups.

I know of Schakowsky from working in Illinois during the 2002 campaign. Her husband Bob Creamer owns the Strategic Consulting Group. While a very talented and proficient community organizer and campaign consultant, Creamer did serve prison time for tax fraud and bank fraud as a result of guilty pleas in 2005.

From a 2005 USATODAY article

Creamer, 58, a prominent Chicago political consultant, was accused of swindling nine financial institutions of at least $2.3 million while he ran a public interest group in the 1990s.

Creamer told reporters Wednesday there was "no doubt that my actions a decade ago were very foolish and placed myself, my family, the organization and many of those who worked with me at considerable risk."

He offered a "sincere apology to anyone who has been affected by my conduct."

The indictment alleged Creamer caused a series of insufficiently funded checks and wire transfers to be drawn on accounts he controlled as executive director of the Illinois Public Action Fund. According to the indictment, he allegedly then used the inflated balances to pay the group's expenses and own salary.

Creamer pleaded guilty to one count each of bank fraud and failure to collect withholding tax. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dropped several other counts

Also, Schakowsky has one of the most liberal voting records in the U.S. House and that may not hold up well against a Mark Kirk in the general. While Illinois is a very Democratic state and loves to elect Democratic U.S Senators, she would still need conservative Democratic votes from downstate Illinois.