Protecting A Republican Incumbent

In North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole looks newly vulnerable to a national Democratic surge, conservative outside groups are coming to her defense -- predictably, by attacking her Democratic challenger. The groups' ads don't even mention Dole.

Freedom's Watch has a new TV ad painting the Democratic candidate as a tax-and-spender: "Kay Hagan voted for over 50 higher taxes and fees -- on income, birth, medical care, cars, food, even death," the ad says. "Hagan's budgets grew government over 40 percent, almost doubled state debt, and brought economic growth to a halt."

Meanwhile, Americans for Prosperity recently extended a radio ad buy that also hits Hagan on taxes, and adds in criticism over her stance on offshore drilling.

"You know that feeling you get when you fill your tank and your jaw drops when you see the costs," the ad says. "Thank Kay Hagan if those eye-popping gas prices continue for years." Listen here.

Americans for Prosperity has more than passing interest in drilling. Its foundation's chair and founder is David Koch of Koch Industries, which runs oil refining and pipeline companies.

Another Americans for Prosperity Foundation board member is Richard Fink, a Koch executive who serves as a director of the refining subsidiary. Fink helps control AFP's purse strings. He is president of the Koch-affiliated Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation, which gave AFP's foundation $2.2 million from 2005-06, according to the Foundation Center.

-- Will Evans

3:30 PM ET | 10- 6-2008 | permalink

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New Group Tied To Oil Industry Runs Ads Promoting Drilling, Attacking Democrat

A new advocacy organization with strong ties to the oil industry is funding pro-drilling radio ads, including one criticizing the energy votes of Colorado Democratic Senate candidate Mark Udall.

The recently formed American Energy Alliance is run by Thomas Pyle, a former aide to Republican Tom DeLay who recently lobbied for the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association and Koch Industries.

The group supports free-market energy policies, including increased offshore oil drilling. Its ad says, "Gas prices are hurting Colorado families. But Congressman Mark Udall has voted 34 times against additional energy exploration and production." The ad cost nearly $200,000 according to the group's government filing.

The Alliance also has a new radio ad praising Mississippi's Republican senators, and previously ran ads against Udall and his cousin, Democratic New Mexico Senate candidate Tom Udall.

American Energy Alliance is an offshoot of the Institute for Energy Research, also run by Pyle, who served as a policy analyst for Delay when he was House majority whip. A 501(c)(3) organization, the Institute received $95,000 from ExxonMobil in 2007 and $65,000 the year before. ExxonMobil is no longer a funder, according to the organization. The Institute is also running radio ads promoting drilling.

The Institute has also received money from the Brown Foundation, which was started by the founders of the construction and energy company Brown & Root; the Searle Freedom Trust, funded by the late conservative philanthropist Daniel Searle; and the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation, which is run by executives of Koch Industries, an oil industry giant.

Wayne Gable, who lobbied for Koch Industries along with Pyle, is on the board of both the Institute and the Alliance. Koch is also behind the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, which has run pro-drilling ads in Senate races.

Several staff members of the Insitute, including Pyle and American Energy Alliance board member Lisa Wallace, previously worked for former Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), who ran the House Committee on Resources and was an arch enemy of environmentalists.

-- Will Evans

6:21 PM ET | 09-22-2008 | permalink

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Pinch-Hitting For The Party

An unusual number of conservative groups this week put up attack ads in Senate races around the country. Among them: the American Future Fund, Americans for Prosperity, Freedom's Watch, and two anti-union organizations.

Now comes confirmation of the puzzle's missing piece. These independent ads are running just when Senate Republicans can't afford to do hit pieces of their own.

John Ensign of Nevada, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, blames other Republican senators. He didn't name names, but issued this statement Friday morning:

I recently challenged my colleagues to step up to the plate and help me provide the resources our candidates need to compete in races across the country -- to match the DSCC [Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee] expenditures in targeted races. It has become clear that my call has gone largely unanswered. I have no control over the timing or content of IE ads, but I have had no choice but to decrease the total budget of our IE Unit. It is still my hope that my Republican colleagues will engage in this election and help match what the Democrats are doing. If they do, I will adjust our budget accordingly.

Both the NRSC and its House counterpart are hurting this year, compared to the Democratic Hill committees. June 30 cash-on-hand figures were $24.6 million for the NRSC, $46.2 million for the DSCC.

When Ensign refers to "independent expenditures," he's talking about one of the more bizarre arrangements created by the campaign finance system. But it's also the legal vehicle for the national parties to run attack ads and be only semi-accountable for them.

A party committee (say, the NRSC) puts together an independent-expenditure team, gives them some millions of dollars and -- literally -- sends them across town to set up shop. Anything the IE team does is legal, provided there's no coordination with the NRSC mothership.

But if there's not enough money for that, as Ensign now says, the NRSC has to depend on the kindness of, well, not quite strangers, but outsiders.

-- Peter Overby

6:29 PM ET | 08-22-2008 | permalink

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New Hampshire Race Attracts Another Outside Group

Americans for Prosperity released a new radio spot last week criticizing former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen for her energy plan, including her opposition to offshore drilling. Shaheen, a Democrat, is currently running for Senate.

Americans for Prosperity is spending $122,000 on the ad, according to a recent Federal Election Commission filing. The group -- which has received financial backing from conservative billionaire and former Libertarian vice presidential candidate David Koch -- promotes free market policies, lower taxes and limited government spending.

-- Daniella De Franco

1:52 PM ET | 08-20-2008 | permalink

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Radio Ad Praises NC Republican

Americans for Prosperity has this ad praising Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) for her plan to lift the ban on offshore oil exploration. The group said Aug. 7 that it would spend $150,000 on the ad.

-- Will Evans and Daniella De Franco

8:36 PM ET | 08-12-2008 | permalink

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