Karl Rove-group to attack Obama nationwide and in swing states

[Tender Branson]

Crossroads Buys $20M In Anti-Obama Ads

The conservative group Crossroads' GPS policy arm is going up with a significant $5 million advertising campaign next week, attacking President Obama on the economy, according to a copy of the ad shared with National Journal.

Over the next two months, the group's television campaign targeting Obama's record on the economy will total $20 million.

The first ad, which begins airing next Monday, shows a clip of Obama joking this month that some of the shovel-ready projects in the stimulus "was not as shovel ready as we expected" while highlighting rising unemployment and gas prices since he took office.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvnAE8olUxU

"Obama's $830 billion stimulus failed," a narrator says in the ad. "14 million out of work. America drowning in debt. It's time to take away Obama's blank check."

The ad will be running on cable nationwide and also in key battleground states that Obama is focused on holding for his re-election. They include: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, and Virginia. It will be running for two weeks.

The $20 million that the Rove-aligned group has committed to the ad campaign - well over one year before the presidential election - is a telling indicator of how much clout it will be wielding in the 2012 campaign. It raised about $70 million for the entire 2010 cycle on Senate and House races. In just one campaign, it's spending a significant sum of that to attack President Obama at this early stage.

And the money on this one ad campaign alone is more than three times the $6.2 million that the Republican National Committee, which usually funds ads like these, has in cash on hand. (That doesn't include the $18.5 million the RNC has in debt.)

The group today announced, at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast, it had pledged to raise about $120 million for the 2012 cycle as it attempts to amplify the Republican message in the presidential election, as well as battleground Senate and House contests.

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/06/crossroads-buys.php

[exopolitician]

Its going to be hard to sell this when the GOP has no real proposal to fix the problems themselves. Go for it.

[CatoMinor]

Its going to be hard to sell this when the GOP has no real proposal to fix the problems themselves. Go for it.

Just because you don't like them, doesn't mean they don't exist.

[exopolitician]

Its going to be hard to sell this when the GOP has no real proposal to fix the problems themselves. Go for it.

Just because you don't like them, doesn't mean they don't exist.

I havent heard much besides killing programs for the poor and slashing the sh¡T out of the budget, which has done SO well these past few months since the budget battle earlier this year. Contrary to popular belief, the economy actually was doing pretty good during the beginning of the year until the new Congress began. Republicans have no one to blame but themselves for the recent downturn. You cant expect to gain jobs when the programs you are slashing is costing jobs.

[milhouse24]

Its going to be hard to sell this when the GOP has no real proposal to fix the problems themselves. Go for it.

Just because you don't like them, doesn't mean they don't exist.

I havent heard much besides killing programs for the poor and slashing the sh¡T out of the budget, which has done SO well these past few months since the budget battle earlier this year. Contrary to popular belief, the economy actually was doing pretty good during the beginning of the year until the new Congress began. Republicans have no one to blame but themselves for the recent downturn. You cant expect to gain jobs when the programs you are slashing is costing jobs.

At least Obama approved and renewed those tax cuts for the wealthy.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Why do Republicans seem to think that slashing taxes for billionaires while flipping off the poor and elderly is a good strategy for reducing the deficit?

[Keystone Phil]

Why do Republicans seem to think that slashing taxes for billionaires while flipping off the poor and elderly is a good strategy for reducing the deficit?

Thank you, Ms. Wasserman-Schultz. Reince, do you have a rebuttal?

[krazen1211]

Its going to be hard to sell this when the GOP has no real proposal to fix the problems themselves. Go for it.

Actually, the GOP has a budget plan. The Democrats....don't.

[krazen1211]

Why do Republicans seem to think that slashing taxes for billionaires while flipping off the poor and elderly is a good strategy for reducing the deficit?

Medicaid is a $450 billion a year program. Taxes are about $40 billion and reward the best among us.

Math is fundamental!

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Why do Republicans seem to think that slashing taxes for billionaires while flipping off the poor and elderly is a good strategy for reducing the deficit?

Medicaid is a $450 billion a year program. Taxes are about $40 billion and reward the best among us.

Math is fundamental!

Except they've contributed massively to the deficit, haven't created a single job, and you seem to assume that the rich are the best among us when in fact they are often the worst.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Remember the Worthington Law.

[Badger]

Why do Republicans seem to think that slashing taxes for billionaires while flipping off the poor and elderly is a good strategy for reducing the deficit?

From Politico:

"More than 90 percent of its money this year came from just three billionaire donors: Jerry Perenchio, the former Hollywood talent agent and ex-chairman of the Spanish language television network Univision, whose trust contributed $2 million; Dallas area hotel magnate Robert Rowling, who gave $1 million; and Texas homebuilder Bob Perry, who donated $500,000.

All three have given generously to Republican and conservative causes in the past. Perry, who bankrolled tort reform efforts to limit lawsuits, was American Crossroads' biggest single donor last year, giving the group $7 million."

Next question?

[Tender Branson]

Democrats catching up in election spending race

(Reuters) - Democrats, badly outspent in congressional elections last year, fired their first shot on Wednesday against conservative groups in the advertising wars running up to the 2012 presidential election.

Priorities USA, a new political fundraising group run by a former aide to President Barack Obama, will spend $750,000 on its first television advertising in politically vital states like Iowa and Florida to help re-elect Obama.

Democrats were outgunned by tens of millions of dollars by Republican-backed independent groups at the midterm elections last year when Republicans won control of the House of Representatives.

They now appear to be catching up. Priorities is expected to report in coming days having pulled in some $4 million to $5 million in its first two months of operations, according to the group. Republican-backed American Crossroads reported last week that it took in $3.8 million since January.

"Democrats will not let (the) secret cash onslaught go unanswered this time," former Obama aide Bill Burton said in a tweet announcing the advertising push on Wednesday.

Priorities USA is the Democrats' answer to groups like American Crossroads, conceived in part by Republican operative Karl Rove, and Americans for Prosperity, backed by conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, owners of Koch Industries.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/29/us-usa-campaign-advertising-idUSTRE75S6YE20110629

[Tender Branson]

Crossroads also has a new ad out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNiC10yt2xk

[Seattle]

The ads have already started.... oh boy. 2012 will be the most annoying election yet.