In an effort to further portray himself as a financial underdog in the Democratic primary for attorney general, Martin Oberman on Thursday unveiled a TV spot that was low budget by design.
For the 30-second TV commercial, the former Chicago alderman refers to opponent Albert Hofeld’s deep pockets while wryly citing his own financial limitations.
“I don’t have Albert Hofeld’s millions, and I can’t do all the television he does,” Oberman says, standing in front of a plain blue backdrop.
“So please pay attention because you won’t see this commercial very often.”
Oberman, now a lawyer in general practice, then outlines three issues he views as central to his candidacy: His intent to join a suit against the state for equitable school funding; his desire to combat the “corrupting influence” of casino gambling; and his promise to protect patient choice under national health care.
His commercial stands in sharp contrast to Hofeld’s highly produced spots.
In his ads, Hofeld, a personal-injury lawyer, has tried to deflect attention from his net worth, about $14 million, and the $4.6 million of his money he spent in 1992 on his failed U.S. Senate bid.
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Hofeld tells viewers he was raised in modest circumstances by a single mother who received no child support.
He says he was able to attend Harvard University only because he received a scholarship.
Oberman strategists believe pointing out Hofeld’s wealth and spending in the 1992 Senate race will put Hofeld on the defensive.
So Oberman’s campaign also created a radio spot featuring a narrator who impersonates the voice of Robin Leach, host of TV’s “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”
The narrator says, in part: “He’s back! Mr. Big Bucks from Winnetka, Albert Hofeld, the multimillionaire personal injury lawyer. “
Hofeld spokesman John Holden said Oberman’s ads sounded “as lackluster and irrelevant as (Oberman’s) campaign has been all along.”
He said Oberman’s use of wealth against Hofeld, “seems like a pretty desperate measure. He’s been trying to make this the focus of the campaign all along. . . . Are we surprised that he’s coming out with a full-blown negative campaign? Not at all.”
The Oberman TV spot is scheduled to go up over the weekend, and the radio ad was to start airing Thursday afternoon, said Don Rose, his media consultant.
Taking a toll: State Treasurer Pat Quinn, who’s running for the Democratic nomination for secretary of state, demanded Thursday that the state tollway authority eliminate all 15-cent toll plazas.
Such plazas “create traffic congestion, are dangerous, and cause pollution as people wait in line,” Quinn told directors of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority at their monthly board meeting in Downers Grove.
Tollway officials pointed out that closing the plazas could violate the state tollway act by opening portions of the toll roads to free usage.
Quinn’s opponent in the March 15 primary, state Sen. Denny Jacobs (D-East Moline), called the plan “a lose-lose proposition.”
Jacobs said the plan would force the state to divert highway funds “from Downstate roads and other roads in Chicago, suburban Cook County and the collar counties . . . and we’d have to look somewhere along the line for a drastic increase in the motor fuel tax.”
More money: Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Richard Phelan on Thursday reported new political donations totaling nearly $30,000.
The largest contributions of $5,000 each were from Albert Joseph of Des Plaines, and the Los Angeles law firm of Girardi, Keese & Crane.