Illinois Ten Democratic House: Sheyman highlights Jewish refugee roots in first ad

below, from Sheyman campaign…..

Ilya Sheyman Launches Campaign Ad, Becomes First Candidate on Air in Illinois’ 10th District

Television ad campaign highlights community organizer Sheyman as only progressive in March 20 Democratic primary

WAUKEGAN, IL (February 13, 2012)–Ilya Sheyman, Congressional candidate in Illinois’ 10th District, launched the first television ad of the Democratic primary on Monday.

The 30-second ad, titled “American Dream,” points to community organizer Sheyman’s own story as a Jewish refugee from the former Soviet Union, and highlights his progressive track record, organizing millions of Americans for real health care reform as the former national Mobilization Director at progressive advocacy organization MoveOn.org.

The ad, which will air continuously on cable networks in the communities of the 10th District for the remainder of the five weeks before the March 20 election, can be viewed online at www.ilyasheyman.com/americandream.

That Sheyman’s Waukegan-based campaign is the first to strike on television should come as no surprise. With more than 12,000 individual donors, Sheyman has out-fundraised all of his opponents by a wide margin for the past two consecutive financial quarters, and is the only candidate in the race to have earned significant labor support, from unions like AFSCME Council 31 and the Illinois Federation of Teachers, among many others.

Sheyman has also received endorsements of local and national leaders, including former Democratic National Committee Chair Gov. Howard Dean, Illinois Congressman Danny K Davis, Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Raul Grijalva and Rep. Keith Ellison, as well as Congresswoman Donna Edwards and Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin.

For more on the Sheyman campaign, please visit www.SheymanForCongress.com.

—

AD TRANSCRIPT:

Ilya Sheyman

There’s no one definition of the American Dream.

My family came here as Jewish refugees. For us, that dream was opportunity.

For others, it’s a home, a job, a secure retirement.

But now, the American Dream is under attack.

That’s why I organized 5 million Americans for real health care reform and worked to improve our public schools.

In Congress, I’ll fight to protect social security and pass a jobs bill.

I’m Ilya Sheyman. I approve this message because we need a proven progressive in congress to fight back.

CITATIONS:

There’s no one definition of the American Dream.

My family came here as Jewish refugees. For us, that dream was opportunity.

Sheyman arrived in Illinois as a child in 1991, escaping religious persecution in Moscow with his family. Ultimately, they settled in the town of Buffalo Grove in the 10th District.

For others, it’s a home, a job, a secure retirement.

But now, the American Dream is under attack.

Current 10th District Republican Rep. Robert Dold has voted repeatedly to strip funding for the core programs that working families rely on. He supported Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan in 2011 that would have ended Medicare as we know it and supports repealing President Obama’s health care reform program.

That’s why I organized 5 million Americans for real health care reform and worked to improve our public schools.

As national Mobilization Director, Sheyman led progressive advocacy organization MoveOn.org’s 5 million members to rally for health care reform with a public option. As an organizer with education reform group A+ Illinois, Sheyman built local coalitions of parents and teachers to advocate for improved public school funding in Illinois.

In Congress, I’ll fight to protect social security and pass a jobs bill.

Sheyman has said he will defend Social Security against any cuts. He has made the passage a federal jobs bill a key piece of his platform. Sheyman advocates for a jobs bill that will put millions of Americans back to work-in classrooms, on police forces, repairing our roads and bridges, and building high speed rail lines.

I’m Ilya Sheyman. I approve this message because we need a proven progressive in congress to fight back.

Former Democratic National Committee Chair Gov. Howard Dean endorsed Sheyman in May of 2011, and has called Sheyman “the only progressive” in the race.

Sheyman is running against the more conservative Brad Schneider, who has a track record of supporting Republicans in past races. Brad Schneider donated to multiple Republican candidates for Federal office who were proponents of privatizing Social Security, ending Medicare and who opposed the Affordable Care Act. This includes a 2001 donation of $1000 to Rep Mike Rogers (R-MI), a 2002 donation of $1000 to Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-MN), a 2008 donation of $250 to Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE), a 2009 donation of $250 to Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT), and over $3,000$ in donations to Sen. Mark Kirk’s Congressional and Senate campaigns between 2002 and 2009.

Mike Rogers: http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?22990746842

Mike Johanns: http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?28020260142

Robert Bennett: http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?29020431314

Mark Kennedy: http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?22990654735

Mark Kirk for Congress:

http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?23991055721

http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?24990993875 http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?25970663414 http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?26930683509 http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?28990526172

http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?28993642305

Mark Kirk for Senate: http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?29991955031

###