I'm Not Endorsing, But Vote For Him Anyway

On his latest Focus on the Family Action radio broadcast, evangelical leader James Dobson says, "While I will not endorse either candidate this year...I can say that I am now supportive of Senator John McCain and his bid for the presidency."

With Dobson's definition of "supportive," who needs an endorsement? Dobson was reading from his October newsletter, which goes out to millions and lays out his reasons for supporting McCain and, even more vigorously, opposing Obama. Also on the radio recently, Dobson said, "I want our listeners to know that I have never, never been so concerned about the state of our nation," pointing to the willingness of many voters to elect "a leader, Barack Obama, who supports and will promote the most radical and unconscionable forms of abortion and policies that will result in many, many more babies dying."

Before that, Dobson dedicated another broadcast to talking with two women behind Born Alive Truth, a new 527 airing anti-Obama TV ads. Focus on the Family Action itself recently spent $112,000 airing a radio version of the ad in stations across Colorado. Now that's "supportive."

The abortion issue is at the top of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund's agenda as well, but the group has so far kept the debate out if its ads, even as it attacks McCain and running mate Sarah Palin.

Planned Parenthood's newest ad (below) focuses instead on the group's own study ripping apart McCain's health care plan. Airing in the Washington D.C. market, which covers Obama-friendly Northern Virginia, it features a nurse calling the McCain plan "bad medicine." And yes, Planned Parenthood did endorse Obama.

-- Will Evans

10:10 PM ET | 10-27-2008 | permalink

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Promoting An Ethnic Wedge Issue

A Republican Latino group with ties to the Bush Administration is airing ads alleging that Obama puts African Americans before Latinos and Africa before Latin America.

The 527 group, Latinos For Reform, is new this month and now it's running a Spanish-language radio ad in Pennsylvania and Colorado and a TV version in New Mexico. The ad translates, in part, as:

Barack Obama a friend of the Latino community? The record demonstrates the opposite. Did you know that after the 2000 census that showed a tremendous growth of Latinos in Chicago, Obama told reporters in Chicago that while everyone agrees that the Hispanic population has grown, they cannot expand by taking power from the African-American community. You heard right...but there's more. Did you know that Obama has never hired a Latino to a senior position in his office throughout his legislative career? Did you know that Obama has opposed trade with Mexico, Central America and Colombia, yet supports free trade with Africa?

The chairman of Latinos For Reform is Robert Deposada, who has served in the leadership of the Hispanic Business Roundtable and The Latino Coalition, and was formerly director of Hispanic affairs for the Republican National Committee. In 2001, President Bush appointed Deposada to a commission to advance the administration's plan for privatizing Social Security.

Deposada tells us that with Obama, "You start seeing that traditional relationship that you have between African-American elected officials and Latino elected officials. I think it's been a tension."

The treasurer of Latinos For Reform is high-powered Republican lobbyist Juan Carlos Benitez, whose firm brags that he "has exceptionally close ties to the White House." Benitez was a Pioneer -- he raised more than $100,000 for the 2004 re-election campaign -- and President Bush named him special counsel for immigration-related unfair employment practices. Benitez also raised between $50,000 and $100,000 this election cycle for McCain.

Deposada says he and other conservative Latinos are disappointed that McCain hasn't put more effort into courting the Latino vote.

"We were honestly so ridiculously frustrated," he says. "There's never been a Republican candidate with a better track record with the Latino community. Our big concern is that I can just picture the Republican Party after the election saying, 'If we couldn't get the Hispanic vote with John McCain, who is so pro-Hispanic, then why bother?'"

-- Will Evans

8:13 PM ET | 10-24-2008 | permalink

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The Riskier Of Two Risks

It's starting to feel like the presidential election has come down to this: Which candidate is riskier?

The McCain campaign calls Barack Obama "too risky for America," and that phrase is being echoed by independent groups like the National Republican Trust.

But the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees calls John McCain "risky on Social Security."

And here comes the AFL-CIO with this pronouncement: "John McCain's Plan Puts Retirees at Risk." That's from a mailer sent to 500,000 retirees in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina and Florida. It labels McCain as a "disaster" for retirees; not too long ago, another AFL-CIO mailer dubbed him a "disaster" for the middle class.

Click on the image to view the latest mailing:

The labor federation's ranks are also continuing phone calls and personal visits to undecided voters. They're clearly not taking any risks.

-- Will Evans

7:36 PM ET | 10-20-2008 | 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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When Speeches Come Back To Haunt

Obama said in Wednesday's debate that he would try to find "common ground" on abortion. But his words on the issue to a liberal advocacy group certainly didn't help him with a conservative one.

The new ad from the Family Research Council Action PAC uses a speech Obama gave to Planned Parenthood -- the crowd loved it -- in order to hurt him with pro-life voters.

"The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act," Obama says at a Planned Parenthood podium. That one sentence -- perhaps not exactly what you'd want to broadcast to swing voters -- has been picked up and distributed widely by many conservative organizations and publications. The ad concludes, "Barack Obama. Dangerous values."

Family Research Council Action's PAC plans to spend $100,000 on TV ads and a radio adaptation this week in Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. The group is targeting markets and stations where the Matthew 25 Network ran its pro-Obama ads. The aim is to "counteract their message," according to executive director David Nammo. The Matthew 25 Network has sought to promote Obama's Christian credentials. Its most recent ad features conservative Douglas Kmeic, who was legal counsel to President Reagan, arguing that anti-abortion voters should support Obama.

The Family Research Council -- the 501(c)(3) mothership to the FRC Action 501(c)(4) and the PAC -- sprang from the efforts of evangelical leader James Dobson, and it was once a division of Dobson's Focus on the Family. Dobson still sits on the board. Dobson is campaigning for John McCain, and his group recently produced radio ads to hurt Democrats in Senate races in Colorado, Minnesota, Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina.

Info about FRC's financing after the jump....

Continue reading "When Speeches Come Back To Haunt" »

5:01 PM ET | 10-16-2008 | permalink

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Letting Freedom Ring -- Loudly

The conservative advocacy group Let Freedom Ring has been quiet for a while, but apparently it was just saving up for the big clang. The group, which helped turn out battleground-state voters for President Bush in 2004, announced a $5 million ad blitz Tuesday, hitting Obama -- often without even mentioning him -- from nearly every conceivable angle.

One ad, already running in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and Colorado, focuses on legislation that opponents say will eliminate the secret ballot in union elections. The ad features a "man on the street" who thinks the policy would be a violation of privacy. Then comes the cryptic ending, "Decide for yourself, whether you want a president who supports card check, or one who supports free elections."

Unless you look up the candidates' positions on the bill (or read this post) you might not figure out that the bill is cosponsored by Obama and opposed by McCain. Let Freedom Ring probably doesn't get more specific out of respect for the tax code, which limits its ability to get overtly political, but does let it keep its donors secret. Up until now, we only know that retired physician and Republican donor John Templeton Jr. has partially funded the group.

There's also a similarly vague ad promoting the presidential candidate who supports offshore drilling, whoever he or she is.

Let Freedom Ring has produced not just several ads, but multiple series of ads to run from now through the end of October. In the second series, which will start next week with $1.5 million to burn, one ad features the conservative niece of Martin Luther King Jr. and a conservative black pastor arguing that voters (presumably black voters) should vote based on the Bible, not the "color" of the candidate.

Still another ad shows a conservative legal scholar...

Continue reading "Letting Freedom Ring -- Loudly" »

3:00 PM ET | 10-15-2008 | permalink

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PACs To The Rescue In Michigan

John McCain pulled his staff out of Michigan, but his backers aren't ready to give up. Two conservative political action committees are gearing up to sprinkle the state with anti-Obama and pro-McCain-Palin ads.

"We've stepped in to fill the void of the McCain campaign's forced retreat in Michigan, and we're going to put the state's 17 Electoral Votes back in play with our plan to spend over $500,000 in the Great Lake State," reads a recent fundraising plea by Our Country Deserves Better PAC, which was formed this year to defeat Obama.

Meanwhile, the Republican Majority Campaign recently sent out emails to supporters saying, "MICHIGAN NEEDS YOUR HELP! It is up to the rest of us to keep Mr. Obama from a free win in Michigan!"

Our Country Deserves Better promises to run a slew of different ads in Michigan. One recycles a favorite Republican theme: Obama's connections to notorious people. The ad stars former Weatherman radical Bill Ayers, Rev. Jeremiah Wright and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who is headed to jail. "Sorry, Sen. Obama," the ad says. "But if this is the kind of change you want for America, then you can keep the change."

Another ad features the PAC's chairman, former California state assemblyman Howard Kaloogian, telling voters, "Obama says our children must learn Spanish, so they can communicate with illegal aliens."

Other ads that will run in Michigan include one that ties Obama to what it calls the "failed administration" of Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) and one that says Obama will raise taxes.

And finally, the group produced a soaring tribute to Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, heralding her as a "fighter for America" who's not "intimidated by the liberal media."

Our Country Deserves Better is also...

Continue reading "PACs To The Rescue In Michigan" »

5:42 PM ET | 10-13-2008 | permalink

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McCain's "Waterloo"?

It probably doesn't mean much to folks in Pennyslvania or Ohio, but in the battleground state of Colorado, John McCain's remarks on a multi-state water contract were a big deal. The League of Conservation Voters, which is essentially the political arm of the environmental movement, wants to make sure voters don't forget the controversy.

In August, McCain suggested his interest in re-negotiating the Colorado River Compact, which determines how states such as McCain's Arizona share the river's water with other states along the river. Just for instance: Colorado. Not only were Democrats in the Centennial State incensed -- Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer said McCain would get his re-negotiaton "over my cold, dead, political carcass." McCain backtracked, saying he wouldn't seek a re-negotiation, but one newspaper columnist suggested the issue could become McCain's "Waterloo."

The League of Conservation Voters' new ad proclaims, "Water -- Colorado can't live without it. And John McCain wants to take it from us." The ad includes a clip of McCain telling Colorado voters, "Thank you for the water, thank you for the water." That bit actually came from McCain's attempt to allay concerns about his water comments. Oh well.

-- Will Evans

5:16 PM ET | 10-13-2008 | permalink

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October Bombardment, Senate Edition, Colorado Chapter

There are so many Senate ads coming out right now that we had to slice off these Colorado ads for their own post.

The American Future Fund criticizes Democratic Senate candidate Mark Udall for being out of touch and financially unresponsible. AFF blames him for "no real reform, just bickering and bailouts for billionaires," and tells him to get "a reality check."

Campaign Money Watch, on the other hand, suggests Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer has ethics problems by tying him to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The ad says Schaffer defended sweatshops on the Mariana Islands after taking a "luxury trip" there arranged by Abramoff's firm. Back in the '90s, the Marianas government was one of Abramoff's big clients. Here's a more detailed, nonpartisan version of events.

You can check out Campaign Money Watch's funding here. Funders of the group's charitible affiliate include George Soros' Open Society Institute. Now let's take a look at the group's leadership...

Continue reading "October Bombardment, Senate Edition, Colorado Chapter" »

4:39 PM ET | 10- 9-2008 | permalink

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Unions Mobilize Against McCain-Palin

Organized labor is on the move for Obama.

The same day that the food and commercial workers union launched an anti-McCain ad, one day after a nurses union's attack, and two days after the AFL-CIO said it would blanket members with political mail, the National Education Association announced a "blitz" of 500,000 mailers lambasting McCain's health care plan in battleground states. Seperately, the union-backed Alliance for Retired Americans is running a TV ad critical of McCain's stance on Social Security.

The NEA's mailer, to be followed by phone calls and personal visits to undecided members, says that McCain will tax Americans on their health care benefits. An accompanying Web site lets you calculate the tax. (The mailer doesn't mention that McCain's plan includes a $5,000 tax credit for families to buy health insurance.)

Click on the image to view the mailer:

Even before this, the NEA blasted out 4.2 million mailers and made 2.1 million calls in its 2008 voter drive.

The Alliance for Retired Americans, meanwhile, will run a TV ad in Ohio and Colorado on local cable channels popular with older viewers. The ad includes a clip of McCain calling the Social Security system a "disgrace." It will be similar to this Alliance ad, which ran in Pennsylvania earlier this year:

The alliance was created by the AFL-CIO in 2001 as an advocacy organization for retired union members. Find out more after the jump...

Continue reading "Unions Mobilize Against McCain-Palin" »

8:42 PM ET | 10- 2-2008 | permalink

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Nurses Union Questions McCain's Health, Palin's Qualifications

Just in time for tonight's vice presidential debate, a nurses union is reminding voters that Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin would be "one heartbeat away" from the presidency. The nurses think this is not a good thing.

The ad by the California Nurses Association is quite a mishmash: Photos of McCain and Palin float in and out, to the pulse of a gospel-tinged song about being "one heartbeat away." There's audio of Palin wondering was a vice president actually does (the only spoken words other than the disclaimer). And attentive viewers who read the quickly disappearing text on the screen will discover that it's actually a negative ad, faulting Palin on a litany of issues, from creationism and censorship to earmark hypocrisy and abuse of power.

At one point, an image of McCain -- does he look stricken here? -- fades to black as a heart monitor flatlines. Ouch... And as if that weren't enough, the group's press release cites an actuary firm's assessment that "McCain would have a 1 in 4 chance of dying in office from natural causes."

In its own, more palatable way, the ad raises the same question posed by Brave New PAC last week: Is John McCain healthy enough to be president? The Brave New PAC ad was rejected by CNN and pulled by MSNBC.

This new ad from the nurses group is running in some of every advocacy group's favorite states: Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The California union and its national affiliate, the National Nurses Organizing Committee, have 80,000 members in 50 states. The association is an outspoken advocate for government-financed, Medicare-style universal health care. During the presidential primaries, the union ran advertisements criticizing the top Democratic candidates, including Obama, for not going far enough with their health care plans.

-- Will Evans

1:04 PM ET | 10- 2-2008 | permalink

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Evangelical Leader Goes All In For McCain

And to think that anyone thought James Dobson would sit out this presidential race.

The Christian Right leader and his advocacy group, Focus on the Family Action, are planning a multi-state strategy to help elect McCain, and to prevent Democratic gains in Congress while they're at it.

The group's September newsletter spells out some nightmare scenarios it says could happen with an Obama adminisration: Supreme Court Justice Hillary Clinton; open homosexuality in the barracks; a Freedom of Choice Act invalidating all abortion limitations.

The newsletter then explains the group's action plan for defeating Obama: 1. Harness the media with crafty "marketing ingenuity." 2. Directly target voters "in a big way in up to 16 states with key U.S. Senate and House races." That will include mailers, emails and "carefully targeted radio ads."

Click on the image for the full newsletter:

For the mailers, Focus on the Family Action has prepared special messages for battleground states. In the Colorado version, for example, Dobson writes:

As a Colorado voter, you are right in the middle of one of the most important and closely watched Senate races in the country. The stakes in this contest could not be higher. If Barack Obama wins the White House -- a very real possibility -- the U.S. Senate will be the last defense against his liberal agenda on abortion and marriage. Sen. Obama has already promised to support the Freedom of Choice Act, which would overturn every pro-life law on abortion in the nation. He has also pledged to abolish the Defense of Marriage Act and to allow open homosexuality in our military. The only hope of stopping this radical onslaught will be a strong showing of commonsense conservatives in the Senate.

Of the Senate candidates, Dobson writes that Republican Bob Schaffer "maintained a consistently pro-life and pro-family record in Congress" while Democrat Mark Udall "established an audaciously liberal record." An accompanying chart contrasts their views on marriage, abortion and taxes. Click on the image below to view the mailer:

Similar mailers lambast Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Democratic Senate candidates Al Franken of Minnesota and Kay Hagan of North Carolina. Still other mailers target House races in Texas, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Michigan and Florida -- all with an emphasis on Obama. View them here.

It's unclear, however, how many of these mailers will go out. The September member newsletter contains this postscript:

You should be aware that contributions have been well below budget all summer, which has put us in a position where we may have to scale back some of the plans I've mentioned. Your gift now, however, can still help ensure that we are able to go full force with the full plan -- right up to November 4.

Dobson's money plea, plus that suggestion of a black-robed Hillary Clinton on the high bench, constitute an admirable piece of the direct-mail writer's craft.

-- Will Evans

1:56 PM ET | 10- 1-2008 | 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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Unions Unleash The Troops For Obama

The nation's most powerful labor unions are ratcheting up their efforts to elect Barack Obama with massive voter outreach campaigns.

The AFL-CIO labor federation announced a new assault on John McCain today, saying it will blanket battleground states with mail, phone calls and personal visits to sway swing voters in the Democratic direction.

A mailer (below) hammering McCain on his health care plan is going out to union voters in Colorado, Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Florida. The slogan on the back of the mailer says, "John McCain Isn't For Us."

Another million flyers will be distributed at workplaces. Volunteers aim to make more than 150,000 phone calls and visit homes throughout the Midwest.

Separately, the Service Employees International Union reported spending $500,000 on Sunday to canvass voters in support of Obama. Both SEIU and the AFL-CIO have said this year's efforts will be their largest voter mobilization campaigns ever.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports today on union payments in recent years to political firms and nonprofits with personal connections to the union's leadership. We tracked SEIU's current web of political influence and money here.

-- Will Evans

4:05 PM ET | 09-30-2008 | permalink

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Anti-Abortion Group Targets Democratic Senate Hopefuls

Enter the conservative values voters. The Susan B. Anthony List has rolled out more radio ads targeting Democratic candidates for Senate in battleground states. The ads run on Christian radio, telling listeners that the Democrats -- in that catchphrase of the social right -- don't "share our values."

An ad lambasting Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO), running for Senate in one of the hottest races in the country, features a mother and daughter getting coffee:

Daughter: I'll have a large, no-foam, triple, skim latte. Mom?
Mother: (chuckles) I don't even know how to order here. (sighs) I feel sick anyway.
Daugher: (impatiently) What now?
Mom: It's that Mark Udall fellow...Do you know he voted to allow partial birth abortions six times?
Daughter: Abortion in the ninth month? That will make you sick.

The mother and daughter also show up for coffee in North Carolina, where the mother is sick about Kay Hagan, who's challenging Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole. That race is surprisingly tight right now.

The List also has new ads against Senate candidates Bruce Lunsford in Kentucky and Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire, plus incumbent Mary Landrieu (D-LA). Listen to them here.

The Susan B. Anthony List exists to promote anti-abortion Republican women candidates. It was formed after the 1992 elections, when EMILY's List helped to elect a large contingent of pro-choice Democratic women to Congress. It stumbled and reorganized in 1997 as 501(c)(4) advocacy group with attached political action committee.

The leadership is thick with political connections and experience. Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president, formerly worked as staff director for the Congressional Pro-life Caucus. The executive committee is chaired by Cesar Conda, a former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, and Barbara Comstock, a well-known political consultant whom the Washington Post once called a "one-woman wrecking crew targeting Democratic leaders" when she worked for the Republican National Committee. The committee includes the wives of several GOP lawmakers and consultants.

-- Will Evans

3:51 PM ET | 09-29-2008 | permalink

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Trash-Talking The Colorado Senate Contenders

It's a tough choice for Colorado's Senate seat. There's Democrat Mark Udall, who won't protect us against terrorists. And then there's Republican Bob Schaffer, who doesn't care if sweatshop workers are forced to have abortions. Must be true, right? It said so on TV...

Two harsh new ads are out in the red-hot Senate race, one from casino-magnate-funded Freedom's Watch hitting Udall and the other from union-funded Patriot Majority taking on Schaffer.

The Freedom's Watch ad starts with scenes of gun-toting crowds and flag-burning in the Mideast: "Radical Islamic terrorists. They hate us, and want us to die. We have to be strong, and ready. But Mark Udall? He voted no on the Patriot Act; no to funding body armor; no to strenthening border security." Just to make things clear, the ad throws in images of the leaders of Iran and North Korea, plus Osama bin Laden, whom the ad places in crosshairs.

The ad comes on the heels of a mass mailing of DVDs by another group, warning of radical Islam. Though the DVDs didn't mention candidates, the issue is clearly just one step away from an attack ad.

Check out Patriot Majority's anti-Schaffer ad after the jump...

Continue reading "Trash-Talking The Colorado Senate Contenders" »

2:00 PM ET | 09-25-2008 | permalink

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Targeting -- And Maybe Influencing -- Hispanic Voters

A new Spanish-language radio ad recalls Latino icons Roberto Clemente, Selena and Cesar Chavez, then gives a call to action: "This year, it is up to you to decide if we stay where we are or if we continue to move forward...Move foward and vote."

So whom would Selena choose -- Barack Obama or John McCain? The group running the ad campaign, New Policy Institute, is officially nonpartisan and isn't mentioning candidates. But there's little doubt what its motives are.

The Institute is run by Simon Rosenberg, who worked on the presidential campaigns of Michael Dukakis and Bill Clinton, as well as at the Democratic National Committee. Rosenberg also founded the New Politics Institute, a liberal think tank, and the New Democrat Network (now simply NDN), an advocacy organization partially funded by unions.

The radio ad is running in Colorado -- and soon in other states, according to the institute. If Coloradans don't want to hear it, they shouldn't listen to Spanish-language radio: the campaign is supposed to be "saturation-level."

This campaign is a project of the Tides Center, a California organization that sponsors a multitude of progressive advocacy programs. Tides is run by Drummond Pike, who co-founded the liberal phone company Working Assets and sits on the board of the Democracy Alliance along with other high-net-worth Democrats.

But what if the radio ads turn out pro-McCain Latino voters? Clearly, the organizers don't worry about that. As NDN's Andres Ramirez wrote in June, "It is clear that McCain has been unable to differentiate and/or distinguish himself from the Latino community's negative view of the GOP. If these trends continue, this will make the five heavily Hispanic states of Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Florida much more Democratic - a shift that, alone, could give Barack Obama the presidency."

-- Will Evans

2:46 AM ET | 09-24-2008 | 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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Pharma Pumps Big Money Into Ad Campaign

The ads by America's Agenda: Health Care for Kids may seem like fuzzy thank-you notes to members of Congress for supporting the State Children's Health Insurance Program. But no one spends this kind of money just to say thanks.

The industry association Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has dropped $11.3 million into the ad campaign, according to a new filing by the group. That pays for a lot, including ads supporting senators running for reelection including Gordon Smith (R-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Max Baucus (D-MT), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Jack Reed (D-RI), as well as Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO), who is running for Senate. There are even more ads praising senators not up for reelection and members of the House.

The legislators benefiting from the complimentary ads were chosen because they voted for a bill expanding the children's insurance program (which was vetoed by President Bush) but are under pressure to abandon that support, according to a spokeswoman for America's Agenda.

"We felt these were the ones that needed to be told to continue to support SCHIP," said Nicole Korkolis. "It's a call to action."

The organization is a business-labor coalition, so it's a bit novel that some ads praise Republicans that unions are opposing and others support Democrats that pro-business groups hope to oust. For example, one of the America's Agenda's board members is the head of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers. That union helps fund American Rights At Work, a pro-labor group running ads against Republicans Smith and Collins, among others.

Korkolis, though, says this has nothing to do with elections. "It's a coincidence that it's during the election cycle," she says. "We're not trying to support candidates in their races."

Can't hurt though, less than seven weeks before Election Day.

-- Will Evans

7:22 PM ET | 09-18-2008 | 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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Union-Pharmaceutical Coalition Praises Democrats

Update 9/16/08: Here's a new twist on this campaign. America's Agenda also has cookie-cutter ads up supporting the Republican incumbent senators in Oregon and Maine. Union-funded groups have run ads to help Democrats beat those incumbents, but here you have unions joining in a coalition to help the Republicans. We're perplexed.

A new advocacy group, run by union leaders and the pharmaceutical industry, is running ads praising Democrats in hot Senate races for supporting a children's health insurance program.

The group, America's Agenda: Health Care for Kids, gives a boost to Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), the only endangered Democrat incumbent in the Senate, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO), who is running for Senate. The ads praise all three for voting to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which passed Congress but was vetoed by President Bush.

America's Agenda: Health Care for Kids is a nonprofit organization incorporated in August, dedicated to reauthorizing SCHIP. (It's a spin-off of America's Agenda: Health Care for All.) Its president is Doug Dority, who used to lead the United Food and Commercial Workers union. John Flynn, president of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, is on the board.

A bit more odd is that an executive from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America is also on the board -- and that the group so far is entirely funded by a multi-million dollar contribution from PhRMA. The prescription drug industry certainly supports SCHIP, but it isn't really known for helping elect Democrats.

The strange-bedfellows coalition is reminiscent of Divided We Fail, an advocacy campaign run by business associations, a union and AARP. But this ad campaign looks a lot more oriented toward helping specific candidates.

It's one thing to support incumbents like Landrieu and Lautenberg. But why drop into a hotly contested Senate race like Colorado's? Let us know if you figure it out.

-- Will Evans

6:19 PM ET | 09-15-2008 | permalink

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SEIU, Planned Parenthood Come To Obama's Aid

The McCain-Palin ticket advances. Obama-Biden starts slipping. Enter Obama's outside helpers...

Helper #1:

The Service Employees International Union, an incredibly politically connected and active union, announced a $2 million ad buy in swing states against McCain.

The ad hammers McCain on the economy, using a quote of him saying "I know a lot less about economics." Then it shows Obama touting his plan to cut taxes for middle class families.

The ad is clearly meant to counter the fact that, according to polls, many people who would get tax breaks under Obama's plan tend to believe he will raise their taxes. It will run in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Mexico, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Helper #2:

Planned Parenthood Action Fund took it upon itself to defend Obama against a recent McCain attack ad claiming that the Democrat's only education-related accomplishment was a bill to teach sex education to kindergardners. The McCain ad was debunked by FactCheck.org.

Planned Parenthood's response ad points out that the sex education bill aimed to help kids avoid molestation by teaching them about inappropriate touching. The ad then poses the question: Is McCain "just another politician who will say anything to get elected?" (It's rhetorical.)

A spokesperson for the group says the ad (below) is running in Pittsburgh and Denver -- and will keep running as long as the McCain ad is on the air.

-- Will Evans

4:38 PM ET | 09-15-2008 | permalink

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Club For Growth Uses Eminent Domain To Assail Dem

The anti-tax, small-government organization Club for Growth has a message for Coloradans: You could lose your home if you elect Democrat Mark Udall to the Senate.

The Club is using the threat of eminent domain -- the government's power to take over private property under some circumstances -- to clobber Udall in a new ad. After recounting the cases of an elderly man who lost his house and a family business that was forced to close, the ad says, "Liberal Mark Udall votes to make it easier for government to take private property."

The last ad Club for Growth unleashed on Udall was bankrolled by Swift Boat Veterans For Truth patron Bob Perry. Did he scrounge up a few more hundred thousand dollars for this one? We'll let you know when we find out.

-- Will Evans

3:49 PM ET | 09-10-2008 | permalink

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New Wave Of Ads On Union Elections

The Employee Freedom Action Committee has rolled out a new wave of TV ads blasting Democratic Senate candidates for supporting legislation that would make it easier for unions to organize workers. The ads blame Democrats for wanting to eliminate secret ballots in union elections -- and many of them feature a photo of the candidate with his or her mouth awkwardly open.

The group -- run by the firm of Rick Berman, who heads a number of industry-funded nonprofits -- is pushing a similar message as the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace. The two groups share twin goals: defeating the Employee Free Choice Act and damaging Democratic chances to pick up Senate seats. The new ads are running in Kentucky, Oregon, Maine, Mississippi and Colorado.

On the other side, the union-backed American Rights At Work just launched a series of print and billboard ads promoting the legislation as a boon to a struggling middle class. Labor argues the measure would allow workers to choose a union without as much harassment from corporate management. The Service Employees International Union gave $250,000 to American Rights At Work in 2007.

-- Will Evans

4:47 PM ET | 08-27-2008 | permalink

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Pro-Clinton Group Finds New Target: McCain

A 527 group that backed Hillary Clinton and attacked Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries now pivots to target Republican John McCain.

The American Leadership Project (not to be confused with the newly visible anti-Obama group American Issues Project, or for that matter, the American Project on Leadership and Issues or the Project on Issues and American Leadership, both of which we just made up) is running a radio ad that sums up McCain's energy policy as "more money for Big Oil, more problems for us." It criticizes McCain's support for offshore drilling and tax breaks for oil companies.

English and Spanish versions of the ad are running in Colorado during the Democratic National Convention this week.

During the primaries, the group's pro-Clinton and anti-Obama ads were funded primarily by labor unions such as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees ($2.2 million); the American Federation of Teachers ($400,000); and the International Union of Painters ($250,000), among others. The biggest individual donor was S. Daniel Abraham, the founder of Slim-Fast and a long-time Clinton supporter, who gave $100,000.

The group's president, political consultant Roger Salazar, previously was a spokesman for President Clinton, former California Gov. Gray Davis, and John Edwards' 2004 primary campaign.

During the primaries, the Obama campaign accused the group of violating election laws. Obama's campaign finance counsel compared ALP to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth -- just about the worst thing one Democrat could say about another. But now, all may be forgiven. ALP's Web site urges voters to call Obama and "tell him to keep fighting for the issues that matter to the middle class," almost exactly what the American Leadership Project said of Clinton in its primary ads.

How times have changed.

-- Daniella De Franco and Will Evans

1:31 PM ET | 08-25-2008 | permalink

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Clinton Backers Threaten Split With Party

The Denver Group, a political action committee led by Hillary Clinton activist Heidi Li Feldman, aired a TV ad last night demanding a roll call vote to determine the Democratic Party's nominee at next week's national convention in Denver.

The ad shows the Declaration of Independence and suggests that Hillary Clinton supporters could leave the Democratic Party if "democratic principles are not upheld." It ends threatening that, without a roll call vote to pick the party's candidate, "come November the Democratic Party could face a revolution."

-- Will Evans

4:38 PM ET | 08-23-2008 | permalink

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CO Dem Can't Get Relief From American Future Fund

Outside groups just can't get enough of the Colorado Senate race.

Just one week after the American Future Fund went after Democratic candidate Mark Udall for opposing oil exploration, it has a new TV ad today attacking Udall's changed position supporting some new drilling. The ad says the bipartisan compromise plan Udall backs would impose "crippling regulations" on offshore drilling and would "raise taxes that consumers could pay."

-- Will Evans

1:27 PM ET | 08-21-2008 | permalink

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VoteVets Blasts CO Republican On Veteran Issues

VoteVets launched a new TV ad in Denver and Colorado Springs targeting Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer. The ad features Iraq veterans from Colorado accusing Schaffer of helping an oil company profit in Iraq. It also criticizes his votes on veterans issues.

-- Daniella De Franco

1:15 PM ET | 08-20-2008 | permalink

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Freedom's Watch Hits Colorado Democrat Again

Freedom's Watch began running a new television ad today that lambasts Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) for skipping a vote on whether to adjourn Congress before discussion of an energy bill. Set to the tune of "Skip to My Lou," the ad is a follow-up to Freedom's Watch's similarly themed ad from last week. According to the group, the new ad will run statewide in Colorado this week.

-- Daniella De Franco

4:12 PM ET | 08-19-2008 | permalink

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New Union-Funded 527 Blasts CO Republican

A new 527 organization funded by labor unions ran its first TV advertisement this week blasting Colorado Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer for ties to "Big Oil."

The Colorado First Project, formed in May, has taken in $250,000 from the Service Employees International Union and $100,000 from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The group's president is a Colorado yoga teacher, Allyson Levine, and its attorney is Mark Grueskin, who was hired by the Democratic National Convention Committee as counsel for the Denver convention. The group doesn't have a Web site and is trying to operate with a low profile.

"The decision's been made that the ads speak for themselves," says Grueskin. "Unlike a lot of political groups that need to puff themselves in them media, this is a group that decided not to do that."

Continue reading "New Union-Funded 527 Blasts CO Republican" »

1:24 PM ET | 08-15-2008 | permalink

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Group Blames Colorado Democrat For Gas Prices

The American Future Fund announced a new TV ad today criticizing Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) for supporting policies that keep gas prices high and urging him to vote for offshore oil drilling. Udall is Colorado's Democratic candidate for Senate.

-- Will Evans

6:40 PM ET | 08-14-2008 | permalink

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Teachers Union Drops Ad On Colorado Senate Race

The National Education Association, the largest teachers union, is one of several independent groups jumping into the Colorado Senate race, which is considered a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. This NEA ad has been running since Aug. 5, criticizing Republican candidate Bob Schaffer for being in the pocket of "special interests," such as the oil industry and supporters of school vouchers.

-- Will Evans

3:55 PM ET | 08-14-2008 | permalink

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Freedom's Watch Dings CO Democrat

Freedom's Watch produced this ad criticizing Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) for missing a vote on whether Congress could adjourn before handling an energy bill. Udall is running for Senate.

-- Will Evans

7:50 PM ET | 08-12-2008 | permalink

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Group Criticizes CO Candidate For Energy Votes

The American Future Fund is running this radio ad criticizing Colorado's Democratic Senate candidate Mark Udall for voting against increased oil exploration. The ad launched on July 30th.

-- Will Evans and Daniella De Franco

7:19 PM ET | 08-12-2008 | permalink

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Former Swift Boat Donor Finds New Target

Mark Udall, meet Bob Perry.

Udall, a Democratic member of Congress from Colorado, is running for Senate this year in a race that is attracting out-of-state money from all sides.

Perry, a Texas developer, gave $4.4 million to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth to help defeat John Kerry in 2004. FEC reports reveal that the Texan dropped $400,000 this month to air an ad criticizing Udall for "wasteful" spending.

Perry gave the money to the Club for Growth. The group said in a press release that the ad will be up for 2 weeks.

Watch the ad:

--Will Evans

4:52 PM ET | 08-11-2008 | permalink

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Group Uses Union Issue to Target Democrats

The Employee Freedom Action Committee, which goes by different names in each state, is airing ads targeting Democratic Senators and Senate candidates on the issue of secret ballots in union elections. The ad is running in the following locations under these names:

KY: Kentuckians for Employee Freedom, targeting Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford
LA: Lousianans for Employee Freedom, targeting Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
ME: Mainers for Employee Freedom, targeting Rep. Tom Allen (D-ME)
MS: Mississippians for Employee Freedom, targeting former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove
NH: Granite Staters for Employee Freedom, targeting former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen
OR: Oregonians for Employee Freedom, targeting state Speaker of the House Jeff Merkley

The ad below is adapted to name the Democratic Senate candidate in each state.

UPDATE:
The same ad, targeting Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO), began airing Aug. 13 under the name Coloradans for Employee Freedom.

-- Will Evans

2:15 AM ET | 08- 1-2008 | permalink

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Conservative Group Takes on Colorado Democrat

Coloradans for Economic Growth airs an ad criticizing Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) who is running for Senate. The ad says Udall voted to raise taxes.

-- Will Evans

1:30 AM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink

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Planned Parenthood Airs Anti-McCain Ad

Planned Parenthood Action Fund airs and ad that shows McCain trying to answer a question about whether health insurance companies should cover birth control. The ad ran in Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico and Wisconsin.

9:46 AM ET | 07-16-2008 | permalink

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Ad Campaign Urges Better Schools

An advocacy campaign called Strong American Schools has a non-partisan ad urging improvement in the nation's education system. The ad ran in Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin.

-- Will Evans

12:04 AM ET | 07-14-2008 | permalink

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Enviro Group Ties Republican To "Big Oil"

The League of Conservation Voters airs an ad tying Republican Bob Schaffer -- a candidate for Senate in Colorado -- to "big oil." It says Schaffer voted for tax breaks for oil companies and has taken campaign contributions from the industry.

-- Will Evans

1:37 AM ET | 07- 7-2008 | permalink

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Ad Encourages Women To Vote

Women's Voices. Women Vote aired an ad encouraging women to vote. In July, it ran in Michigan, Ohio and on cable. It previously ran in Colorado.

-- Will Evans

3:00 AM ET | 07- 1-2008 | permalink

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