Cable TV the new attack zone for House district 56, 66 races

In one ad, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Cook County Board President Todd Stroger appear on screen as ominous music plays in the background.

A man's voice-over says Blagojevich and Stroger are to blame for driving jobs out of Cook County.

Then, a picture Democrat Mark Walker, who's running for state representative in the 66th district, shows up. The narrator says Walker is "more of the same."

In a commercial for the 56th House district, the backdrop is similar.

Mugs of Blagojevich and Stroger are shown first and then 56th District state Rep. Paul Froehlich's picture appears, connoting the same guilt by association the anti-Walker ad does.

These retaliatory strikes paid for by the Republican Party were expected after Democrats blanketed the airwaves and mailboxes with ads earlier in the campaign. These two Northwest suburban districts are among the most hotly contested - the 66th because longtime state Rep. Carolyn Krause is retiring; and the 56th because Froehlich was re-elected to his seat two years ago as a Republican, but switched parties midway through his term.

Republican Christine Prochno, of Elk Grove Village, is Walker's opponent. She said the cable ads he ran against her were blistering as well, and accused her of approving a gas tax as an Elk Grove Village trustee, which, she said, is not true.

"I'm not used to this kind of negative campaigning," said Prochno, who has never run for the state legislature before.

Froehlich, of Schaumburg, who was first elected to the House in 2003, has a more resigned outlook. He called negative ads an "unfortunate necessity."

In his commercial against his Republican opponent, Anita Forte-Scott, the image of a little boy tied to a chair is used to illustrate the violation notices her day care, Bright Stars, was given by the Department of Children and Family Services, including one for an employee who tied a child to a chair to keep him still. The daycare's license was never revoked and it remains in good standing, and Forte-Scott, of Schaumburg, has said didn't know about the incident until DCFS told her about it; and that the employee was fired.

"If (negative ads) had no impact, candidates would not run them," Froehlich said. "It's part of politics."

Cable commercials like these are what viewers should expect for the three final weeks before the Nov. 4 election.

Both parties have put a lot into these races, but local Democrats have spent early and often - at least $400,000 on cable ads covering the seven West and Northwest suburban races so far. Last week, House Republican spokesman David Dring said Republicans lack the cash to mount such a TV blitz, but added his party would counterattack soon. And the Republicans didn't disappoint.

The latest ads have ruffled Democratic feathers by implying a blanket tie between the unpopular Blagojevich and Stroger and local Democrats.

Walker, of Arlington Heights, dismissed the commercials as "lies and dirty politics," and said he in fact circulated petitions against Stroger's countywide sales tax increase.

Prochno defends the juxtaposition of Blagojevich and Stroger with Walker since they are all Democrats, who, she said, have the earned reputation of raising taxes.

Forte-Scott agreed, adding that images of Blagojevich and Stroger are the best way of conveying the link with his party. She said Froehlich didn't openly oppose Stroger's sales tax increase before it was passed and has bragged about how he can talk to the governor anytime since the relationship is so cordial.

Echoing Prochno, Forte-Scott said Blagojevich and Stroger are poster boys for the Democratic party's platform, as she sees it.

"No other people better show the ideals of the party - raising taxes," Forte-Scott said.

Froehlich doesn't see it that way. While he admits his ads are hard-charging, he says Forte-Scott's commercials are a distortion of his record. He said he did try to repeal Stroger's sales tax and that he's not in the pocket of the governor as she claims.

"The governor has vetoed all my member initiative programs this year," Froehlich said. "If I'm really his pal, someone forgot to tell him."

• Political writer Joseph Ryan contributed to this story.