Trying To Make Idaho Competitive

Yes, Democrats are more optimistic than ever about capturing Republican Senate seats, maybe even enough to reach the filibuster-proof 60-seat majority.

But Idaho?

Majority Action, a liberal 527 organization, has trained its attack ads on vulnerable Republican senators in North Carolina and Oregon. But now the group is airing an ad (below) against the Republican Senate candidate in Idaho -- and Jim Risch is certainly not looking vulnerable.

Risch, the current lieutenant governor, has a nearly two-to-one lead over his Democratic opponent, former congressman Larry LaRocco, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll. (The race also includes an independent who legally changed his name to Pro-Life.)

Though Risch is running to replace Sen. Larry Craig -- you might remember his sex scandal? -- NPR political editor Ken Rudin rates the race Strong Republican. Not exactly the place you want to spend hard-earned money on a Democrat.

Or maybe it depends: How much money is enough to take that shot? Majority Action just reported its latest haul:

New Ad Ties OR Senator To Bush

The battle continues over whether Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) is closer to Obama or Bush.

Smith, for his part, would like voters in his Democratic-leaning state to believe he's buddies with Obama.

But Majority Action, the union-funded 527 organization, has fired back with another ad tying Smith to President Bush. Smith "voted to authorize George Bush's war in Iraq" and "voted for billions to fund Bush's reckless war," the ad says. But lest you think this is a campaign ad intended to hurt Smith in November, the end of the ad urges us to "tell Gordon Smith to support Senate Bill 3125" -- whatever that is. (Here's an earlier Majority Action attack on Smith, from June.)

-- Will Evans

3:39 PM ET | 09-10-2008 | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

Liberal 527 Ties Republican Senators To Bush

The liberal 527 Majority Action has a new ad criticizing Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) for siding with President Bush "92 % of the time." The ad is nearly identical to one the group ran in June against Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) -- except Majority Action calculated that Smith voted with Bush only 85 percent of the time. (Smith, in his own ads, likes to show how he partners with Obama.)

Both ads also ding the senators for voting for oil industry tax breaks and against increased fuel mileage standards. Watch the Oregon ad, which was back on the air last week, below.

-- Will Evans

12:42 PM ET | 09- 2-2008 | permalink

comments () | | e-mail

Majority Action Ties Dole to "Big Oil"

Majority Action aired this ad criticizing Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) for taking campaign contributions from oil companies and voting to give tax breaks to the industry. The ad started running Aug. 7th.

-- Will Evans

1:54 PM ET | 08-12-2008 | permalink

comments () | | e-mail