EAST MOLINE - Congressman Bobby Schilling's hard work during his freshman year in the US Congress is paying off, and preliminary poll numbers show it. A Public Opinions poll released by the congressman's re-election campaign shows he's passed the 50 percent mark, leaving his liberal Democratic challenger Cheri Bustos in the dust at 35.
The state's powerful Democrats drew the new 17th CD to favor Democrats, and the same district poll showing Republican Schilling 16 points ahead of his Democratic challenger showed President Barack Obama ahead of GOP challenger Mitt Romney by 10 points.
Schilling's name ID is at 86 and his favorability in the new part of the 17th is over 50.
Bustos has a tough hill to climb that will demand lots of campaign cash. Thus far, her most generous donor besides the DCCC has been the pro-abortion PAC EMILY's List.
