Anyone who's been paying attention to the Illinois Senate race to date just knew this was going to happen: Last night, as anticipated, Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias won the Democratic nomination to replace Roland Burris (and Barack Obama) in the US Senate, and no sooner has the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) put the smackdown on him... hard.

Here's an excerpt from NRSC Chairman John Cornyn's statement:

“Voters in the Land of Lincoln are tired of the same failed politics of corruption and dishonesty, and they are searching for accountable, effective, ethical, and trustworthy leadership this November. As we approach the next nine months before Election Day, the clear contrast in this campaign could not be more apparent.

“Mark Kirk has a respected record of independent-minded leadership, ethical accountability, and bipartisan achievement in Congress. I know that he will work hard to restore the checks-and-balances and fiscal responsibility that Illinois families, seniors, veterans, and small business owners deserve in Washington. Congressman Kirk has served our nation honorably as a Commander in the United States Naval Reserves, and he will continue fighting to protect America as a United States Senator.

“In contrast, Mark Kirk’s Democrat challenger, Alexi Giannoulias, is a product of the ethically-tainted political machine in Chicago that was run by disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich. As the state’s first term Treasurer, Giannoulias has eagerly endorsed his party’s out-of-control spending agenda in Washington, and he has failed to reject the Obama Administration’s plans to detain and try terrorists on American soil."

More to the point, here's an NRSC web video that eagerly (and fairly, in my view) points out Giannoulias' mob, Rezko and Blago ties:...

Jaime Herrera may not be a supporter of President Obama’s agenda, but in her run to succeed retiring Rep. Brian Baird in Congress, she is fired up and ready to go.

The former high school basketball player turned legislative staffer for Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) was appointed to serve in Washington’s House of Representatives in 2007, and elected in 2008 with 60 percent of the vote. Now, she’s in a contest with several other contenders, seeking to move her district from the blue column back into the red. I spoke to her last week, asking the same questions that I did of David Castillo, plus one specific to her candidacy, in what I understand was her first ever blogger interview....

David Castillo is an interesting guy. Raised in Southwest Washington by a single mom in less than prosperous circumstances, he grew up to serve in the US Navy, attend the University of Washington and Gonzaga University, work in state government and serve in the Bush administration, ultimately becoming a financial advisor.

Now, he’s on yet another path-- one that could lead him to Congress. Running in a potentially packed field to succeed outgoing Rep. Brian Baird, Castillo clearly doesn’t mind a challenge. I spoke to him recently to discuss his candidacy, his position on some big issues, and some perhaps less dry subjects (you’ll have to read to the end of this post to learn more about those). As in my interview with Jaime Herrera (which I’ll post later), I asked a standard set of questions, and got some good insight into who Castillo is, why he’s doing what he’s doing, and how he plans to win. One of the themes that consistently pervaded my conversation with him was the importance of preserving opportunity—something deeply personal to him, but which also may resonate with quite a few voters in his part of the state....