This morning, Alexi had a great chat with radio host Bill Press about the issues that matter most in the election. You can hear the full interview below:

Bill: Listen as you move around to obviously, not just Chicago but downstate, upstate, around Illinois, what’s on people’s minds? What are the big issues you’re dealing with?

Alexi: Jobs, jobs, jobs...

Today, Alexi unveiled his plan to restore fiscal discipline in Washington, D.C.   You can read his detailed plan over in our Issues Section here.  Below are his remarks at the Rotary Club of Chicago:

I am very honored to be here. I am honored and humbled to be the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate for what will be one of the most important races in the country this year. And as all of us know – whether you are an entrepreneur, have your own small business, whether you work for a large corporation, whether you’re retired – we all care about this country’s fiscal future. I’m here today to talk about some of the challenges that we’re facing, some of the decision that have been made, and some common sense, core approaches towards dealing with our national budgetary issues in the future.

On the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic speech at the Lincoln Memorial, conservative TV personality Glenn Beck is holding a "Restoring Honor" rally aimed at adding fuel to the movement of hate, divisiveness and fear-mongering he has championed for years.

It's no secret that Congressman Kirk has stumbled in his delicate balancing act between portraying himself as a "moderate" to voters at large while still trying to rally a conservative Republican base.

As part of his 16-stop Illinois Jobs Tour last week, Alexi joined hosts Doug and Debbie on KMOX's Total Information A.M. During his interview, Alexi explained why he's running for Senate and discussed his plans to create jobs and keep corporate money out of our elections.

Last week, Senator Durbin and I crisscrossed Southern Illinois, holding roundtable discussions and meetings with folks across the state. Not surprisingly, the top issue on everyone's lips is jobs.

While the national unemployment rate stands at 9.5%, here in Illinois, numbers released last week show unemployment at 10.4% in the Prairie State. While that is a slight dip since July, the fact remains that far too many people from Chicago to Champaign are out of work.

Allow me to state the obvious: despite the fact that Democrats control the House and Senate, conservatives control what gets sent to the President’s desk.

Legislation that starts off strong is watered down by conservative Democrats in the House and Senate. It’s then whittled down to ineffectiveness in order to try and get a handful of Republican votes on board.

My solution: I’m going to create a robust Senate Progressive Caucus that will hold the line and fight for progressive policies that help all Americans.

Hello, everybody!  Hello, Chicago! Thank you very much.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Everybody have a seat.  Have a seat, everybody.

It is good to be back home. It is good to be back home, and I am so proud to be standing here with the next Senator from the great state of Illinois, Alexi Giannoulias.

Now, we’ve got some other important personages here, so I want to make sure to make mention, because they have been great friends for many years to me and to so many of you.

REMARKS BY ALEXI GIANNOULIAS:

Thank you very much; it is great to see so many friends and supporters. I want to begin by thanking the finest mayor in the United States of America. Someone who cares deeply about this city, someone who fights every single day for people on the west side of Chicago, south side of Chicago, someone who loves this city, loves being the mayor, someone who I'm very proud to call my friend, Mayor Richard Daley. Thank you, Mayor.

Today's decision by Judge Walker finding Prop 8 unconstitutional is a big step forward in the march towards marriage equality. We have a lot to celebrate as progressives and more importantly, as Americans.

But we know that this decision doesn't mean the fight for equality is over.