The Cameraman Always Wins

Why do people assault cameramen? Don't they realize they have cameras?

It's a continuing mystery, as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce uses one angry-man-versus-cameraman confrontation to blast union-friendly legislation and the Democrats who support it.

The new ad, airing in states like Minnesota and Oregon with key Senate races, shows footage of Kentucky AFL-CIO President Bill Londrigan with his hands all over someone's camera, threatening, "I'm going to take this camera and stick it somewhere where you don't want it." The ad is meant to suggest that workers could face this kind of treatment from "union bosses" -- if Senate Democrats can enact a bill that would let workers simply sign a petition to unionize a workplace, rather than hold a secret-ballot vote. Londrigan was reportedly not amused.

The Chamber is in the midst of its biggest election-season effort yet, committing some $35 million to help pro-business candidates in House and Senate races. A big part of the campaign focuses on opposing that pro-union bill, called the Employee Free Choice Act. (It's awkward to oppose "free choice," so one business group re-names it the "Employee FORCED Choice Act," helpfully retaining the orginial acronym.)

A top issue on Election Day? Hardly. It doesn't even make this list in those "top issues for voters" polls. But it's a huge issue to the business community, which is busy trying to sell it as something voters need to care about.

We've had the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace pound away against the legislation. And the business-backed Employee Freedom Action Committee has raised $20 million and is spending it on TV ads. (Here's the action committee's latest.) Americans for Job Security also got into the act with new ads targetting the Act. All of groups are using the issue against Democratic candidates in hot Senate races.

Meanwhile -- perhaps ironically? -- the AFL-CIO just launched a multi-state radio campaign "urging citizens to vote and telling them how to be prepared to protect their vote on Election Day."

-- Will Evans

7:45 PM ET | 10-24-2008 | permalink

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Senate Roundup: The Usual Attacks And A Puzzler

The campaign clock is running down, and it's tough keeping up with the new ads. Here's a new crop from Senate races -- advertisers include the American Future Fund, League of Conservation Voters, Chamber of Commerce, Freedom's Watch and Susan B. Anthony List.

Let's start with one that presents a logical challenge.

The American Future Fund released a new ad in its ongoing campaign against Democratic Senate candidate Mark Udall in Colorado. The ad implies Udall is bad on education, needs a "reality check," and then -- curiously -- urges him to support Senate bill 12.

First of all, the bill was introduced by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in February and hasn't gone anywhere since. Second, the bill's only education provision is an "enhanced charitable deducation for corporate contributions of computer equipment for educational purposes." Third and perhaps most important, Udall is a member of the House of Representatives, not the Senate. He wouldn't be able to vote for S. 12 unless he gets elected, an ambition the American Future Fund hopes to thwart. Right?

Meanwhile, the League of Conservation Voters produced an ad tying Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) to "Big Oil;" Freedom's Watch, in a rare positive ad, boosts Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) as an anti-tax crusader; and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hits Minnesota Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken on taxes and being funny.

Franken also takes a beating in a radio ad by the Susan B. Anthony List, which supports anti-abortion Republicans. A woman calls in to the "Delusional Politician Hotline" to report an angry, foul-mouthed politician with "funny glasses" -- that would be Franken. The woman is concerned about Franken's support of abortion rights. "'Does sort of make his support of pornography make sense," says the hotline operator. The woman asks fearfully, "Is he -- serious?" The laconic operator responds: "He's a comedian, ma'am."

-- Will Evans

4:40 PM ET | 10-18-2008 | permalink

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September Saw Smorgasbord Of Attack Ads

New ads and new groups burst onto TV screens in September. Independent groups bought about $23 million worth of election-oriented airtime during the month, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group. Let's take a look back...

T. Boone Pickens has been burning a hole in his pocket, if not the ozone. After he bought more than $5 million worth of airtime in September for his campaign advocating wind power and natural gas, we wondered whether Boone would go dark -- he was hit with big financial losses at his day job. Now the wondering is over. Boone spent nearly another million dollars on advertising on the day of the presidential debate last week to propel viewers to his plan.

Boone, a longtime Republican mega-donor, recently said something we never though we'd hear him say: "Whether you're supporting the Democrat or the Republican, I don't care."

Most of the other groups buying airtime tend to care a lot more.

On the left, the Service Employees International Union is the top spender in the presidential race, with $1.3 million in airtime attacking McCain on the economy.

On the right, the prize goes to newcomer Rightchange.com, which spent nearly $900,000 on an obtuse anti-Obama ad and just announced a new one. The 527 is run by Republican state legislators in North Carolina and a pharmaceutical executive who provides the funding.

The runner-up on the right is Vets For Freedom, which spent close to $600,000 on ads critical of Obama in September. The latest of the group's increasingly hard-hitting ads accuses Obama of having "skipped" 45 percent of Senate votes while managing "to show up to vote against emergency funding for our troops." As usual for VFF, the ad is worded to be about legislation -- a Senate resolution praising the surge -- rather than about the White House race. Still, the ad makes several points that mirror a McCain campaign attack ad, which was deconstructed by Factcheck.org. Vets For Freedom plans a $2.2 million national buy -- starting with heavy emphasis on California, a state that has been considered a sure bet for Obama.

You don't always need to spend a lot to get a lot of attention. Both MoveOn.org and Born Alive Truth got a big bang this month for few bucks. But Brave New Films is probably the best example. The political film company created a ruckus with an ad focusing on McCain's skin cancer. The ad was so hot it was rejected by CNN, bashed by Fox and dropped after a debut on MSNBC. Airtime cost: $5,000. Attention: priceless.

Check out Senate ads after the jump...

Continue reading "September Saw Smorgasbord Of Attack Ads" »

9:55 PM ET | 09-30-2008 | permalink

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U.S. Chamber Hammers Mark Udall Yet Again

Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) is the lucky recipient of a third and more-hard-hitting-than-ever attack ad from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

This one portrays Udall as a friend of Iran and Venezuela for his votes against U.S. oil exploration. (Udall now supports some new drilling, but that just gets him tarred by his opponent as "U-Turn Udall," which this ad echoes.) The ad concludes, "Every time he's blocked American energy production, he's made the tyrants and sheiks happy. But we've paid the price."

The Chamber of Commerce certainly has paid a price.

It has spent more than $3 million on ads in Senate races since late August, mostly helping Republicans and hurting Democrats. The exception is in Louisiana, where the Chamber spent all of $66,000 supporting Senate Democrat Mary Landrieu. In contrast, the Chamber had already spent $450,000 against Udall before this ad came out, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group.

-- Will Evans

3:09 PM ET | 09-18-2008 | permalink

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U.S. Chamber Piles On In Union Issue

When it comes to the union secret ballot issue, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants a piece of the action, too.

There are already two groups targeting Democrats with ads saying they will restrict workers' rights by taking away secret ballots in union elections.

Now comes the Chamber, with an ad taking on the Democratic Senate candidate Mark Udall in Colorado. He supports the pro-union bill. The ad shows people on the street calling the measure "outrageous," "an invasion of our privacy," and "against our rights and liberties."

But don't worry, Mark. They're probably not all Colorado voters, since the same faces show up in an identical ad against Minnesota Democrat Al Franken.

Parenthetically, the Chamber has issues with Udall's cousin too. It has an ad criticizing the energy votes of Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM), who is also running for Senate.

And one other thing: Recognize that serious voice in the background? It's the same one starring in ads by the American Future Fund and American Issues Project. Who is that guy?

-- Will Evans

2:56 PM ET | 09-16-2008 | permalink

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Chamber Of Commerce Finds Affection For Democrat

Earlier, we wrote about how the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was cranking up its ad campaign in Senate races, but hadn't launched any ads supporting Democrats yet. Well, over the weekend, the Chamber spread the love around.

The trade association is running not one but two ads boosting Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), the only Senate Democrat who has to worry much about her seat. One commends Landrieu's record on health care in much the same way other Chamber ads praise Republicans on the issue.

The other ad lauds Landrieu for supporting increased oil exploration, thereby creating jobs and "energy security." Again, an issue where conservative groups usually praise Republicans and attack Democrats.

But the Chamber doesn't have the same kind feelings toward the Democratic Senate candidate one state over. In Mississippi, the Chamber's ad blames former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove for losing 51,000 jobs during his tenure. (In a nice bit of symmetry, Musgrove's campaign website claims he created 52,000 new jobs.) In any case, after saying Musgrove represents "fewer jobs...higher taxes...reckless spending," the ad urges: "Tell him to start protecting Mississippi jobs."

It's a typical ending for a campaign-related ad by an outside group, designed to show that the ad is about a legislative issue rather than an election. The lawyers like it like that. It usually works when the candidate is a legislator or governor or something, but it's not clear how Musgrove -- unless he actually gets this job -- could "start protecting Mississippi jobs."

-- Will Evans

11:43 AM ET | 09- 3-2008 | permalink

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Chamber of Commerce Senate Campaign Heats Up

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce unleashed a slew of new TV ads in key Senate races this week, part of a $20 million-plus campaign to protect congressional incumbents and elect candidates who are pro-business.

Though the Chamber supports some Democrats, all of the ads this week go the other way. The only Democratic senator who seems to be in real jeopardy, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, doesn't get any TV help from the Chamber, at least in this round.

The Chamber has two new ads in New Hampshire. One of them tags Democrat Jeanne Shaheen as a "taxing machine" (it rhymes with her name). The other ad praises incumbent John Sununu, the Republican, for his record on health care.

Likewise, in Minnesota, a Chamber ad ridicules Democratic challenger Al Franken for wanting to raise taxes while not paying some of his own. Another lauds Republican incumbent Norm Coleman for "working to keep the government out of your medical decisions."

Two more ads, one supporting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and another promoting Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR), compliment the Republicans for opposing government interference in health care. It's an interesting tack, since Democrats think health care (and government involvement therein) will be a winner for them.

Look for more Chamber ads down the road...

-- Will Evans

UPDATE: Here's the Al Franken ad...

1:35 PM ET | 08-28-2008 | permalink

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