Here's the latest in the race for U.S. Senate in Illinois ...

Cheryle Jackson posted her first TV ad late last week, which emphasizes her opposition to President Obama's escalation of the conflict in Afghanistan.  (UPDATE: To be clear, Jackson's spot is not on the air yet. As Capitol Fax noted last week, she is currently trying to raise the funds to make an ad buy.) Watch it:

Also of note, Jackson told the Daily Herald editorial board last week that she doesn't know if she will be called to testify in the trial of her former boss, Rod Blagojevich.  

Meanwhile, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has been circulating this video of GOP candidate Patrick Hughes lambasting Republican frontrunner Mark Kirk for his flip-flop on cap-and-trade this year.  The clip comes from a recent meeting with the Tribune editorial board:

Speaking of the DSCC, senior advisor Kathleen Strand appeared on WFLD's Fox Chicago Sunday this past weekend to discuss the race.  She acknowledged that the Democrats' standing in the state "isn't as strong as we'd want it to be," but expressed optimism about next year's general election. Strand also laid out what is sure to be the party's main line of attack against Kirk once the primary season has passed.  "We have seen, since he announced his race for the Senate, a drastic tack to the right for purely political reasons," she said.  "For some reason, Mark Kirk has been changing his position and flip-flopping so many times you don't know where he stands on any number of issues: from cap-and-trade, to his support for Sarah Palin, to unemployment benefits.  He's really shown himself to be a little bit more interested in personal politics and gain than in what the people of Illinois need." Watch it: