SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The state that launched Barack Obama toward the White House could deliver a painful rebuke in November.
Democrats are struggling in Illinois, thanks to a combination of bad politics and bad luck.
Gov. Pat Quinn is trailing his Republican challenger. The race for Obama’s former Senate seat is neck-and-neck. Republicans are targeting at least three U.S. House seats.
Illinois Democrats face anger over the Rod Blagojevich (blah-GOY’-uh-vich) scandal, Quinn’s call for higher taxes and the failure of the bank where Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias (jeh-NOO’-lee-us) once worked.
