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President Obama talks about how Alexi stood up for Illinois workers.

MOLINE - Standing with working men and women from the Quad Cities, U.S. Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias today highlighted his job creation program while criticizing his opponent for supporting the failed economic policies that contributed to the region's high unemployment rate and rewarded companies that shipped jobs overseas.

"Nothing is more important right now than creating the next generation of good-paying American jobs, especially here in the Quad Cities," Giannoulias said. "Unlike my opponent Congressman Mark Kirk, I have stood up to corporate special interests and Wall Street banks and helped save and create hundreds of Illinois jobs."

ROCKFORD - U.S. Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias today highlighted his job creation program while criticizing his opponent for supporting the failed economic policies that contributed to the region's high unemployment rate and rewarded companies that shipped jobs overseas.

"Nothing is more important right now than creating the next generation of good-paying American jobs, especially here in Rockford," Giannoulias said. "Unlike my opponent Congressman Mark Kirk, I have stood up to corporate special interests and Wall Street banks and helped save and create hundreds of Illinois jobs."

Today's debate presented a clear choice for Illinois voters between a dishonest D.C. politician who refuses to stand by his Republican voting record and a leader who has stood up for Illinois families and small businesses. Below are 10 quotes from today's debate, representing 10 reasons why Alexi deserves your vote:

Alexi recently visited Collinsville to meet with workers and discuss the outsourcing of jobs overseas:

COLLINSVILLE -- A day after President Obama campaigned for Alexi Giannoulias to take Obama's old seat in the Senate, Giannoulias appeared with union workers in Collinsville to tout his jobs plan.

Giannoulias spoke among members of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 309 Friday afternoon, flanked by state Rep. Tom Holbrook, D-Belleville, and state Sen. James Clayborne, D-East St. Louis, remembering some workers who had lost jobs transferred to China and South Korea that he met when touring the metro-east during the primary.

"Unfortunately, it's a story that is all too common," Giannoulias said, citing the Economic Policy Institute in estimating 80,000 jobs lost in Illinois alone from 2001 to 2006.

COLLINSVILLE - Standing with working men and women from Southwest Illinois, U.S. Senate nominee Alexi Giannoulias highlighted his job creation program while criticizing his opponent for supporting the failed economic policies that contributed to the region's high unemployment rate and rewarded companies that shipped jobs overseas.

"Nothing is more important right now than creating the next generation of good-paying American jobs, especially here in Metro East," Giannoulias said. "Unlike my opponent Congressman Mark Kirk, I have stood up to corporate special interests and Wall Street banks and helped save and create hundreds of Illinois jobs."

Today we continue our series of highlighting the stark differences between Congressman Mark Kirk and Alexi on key policy issues as posed to both by the Chicago Tribune editorial board. Today’s topic:  the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the stimulus package and the extension of unemployment benefits.

The question posed by the Chicago Tribune:

How did you vote -- or, how would you have voted -- on the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program? On the $787 billion stimulus package? On extending jobless benefits?

CHICAGO - While Congressman Mark Kirk hits the campaign trail and airwaves claiming he will "tax less, borrow less and spend less," Illinois voters know that he has actually spent more, borrowed more and lies more about his failed economic record. 

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Nominee Alexi Giannoulias released his economic agenda designed to create jobs and grow small businesses in Illinois' Polish community, and also outlined his foreign policy initiatives designed to strengthen Poland's economy.

CHICAGO - After repeatedly promising to help Illinois small businesses struggling in these difficult times, Congressman Mark Kirk yesterday voted against the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 that would provide much needed tax breaks to help hire new employees and gain access to capital through a new loan fund.