SPRINGFIELD – With control of the U.S. House potentially hanging in the balance, some Illinois congressional races have gotten ugly.

Ads are flying back and forth, accusing opponents of wanting to cut off health care for the elderly or being a crony to now-imprisoned governors. They allege that the other guy is radical, a hypocrite and even one of the meanest candidates in Illinois history.

While the candidates aren’t shy about criticizing one another, most of the attack ads are from national political organizations. That gives the candidates some distance from the worst of the mudslinging.