Crossroads GPS, American Crossroads launch $8 million ad buy in eight Senate races

By Alexandra Jaffe - 10/23/12 09:43 AM ET

American Crossroads, the Karl Rove-backed super-PAC, and its nonprofit arm, Crossroads GPS, are pouring $8 million into eight competitive Senate races nationwide — the groups' biggest Senate effort yet.

Crossroads GPS will target Heidi Heitkamp (D) in North Dakota, Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) in Indiana, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) in Ohio, Rep. Shelly Berkley (D) in Nevada, Angus King (I) in Maine and Tim Kaine (D) in Virginia with $5.8 million in ads, and American Crossroads is targeting Sen. Jon Tester (D) in Montana and Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) in Wisconsin with $2.2 million.

Against Tester, American Crossroads charges that the senator received campaign donations from banks and other special interests while pushing legislation that would help them — specifically legislation to protect banks' swipe fees.

"Tester got bankers' cash while he wanted Montanans to get swiped," the ad says.

In Wisconsin, the group targets Baldwin for what it characterizes as voting to raise taxes to pay for her "extreme agenda in Washington," which includes the bank bailout, President Obama's healthcare reform law and higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans. The ad closes with Baldwin's now-infamous exclamation, "You're damn right!" uttered at a rally of progressives in Wisconsin.

In Maine, Crossroads GPS targets King primarily for what Republicans have in the past characterized as a "sweetheart deal," though that phrase isn't used in the ad. It charges that King helped a wind farm project receive federal funds during his time as governor, a claim he's pushed back against.

"Ignoring his subjects and cluttering Maine's scenic beauty while King made sure he could live life, well, like a king!" the ad closes.

The Nevada ad highlights, as many Republican ads have against Berkley, her ethical issues, highlighting the fact that a nonpartisan government watchdog named her as one of the "most corrupt" lawmakers in Washington.

Against Kaine, Crossroads GPS highlights the former governor's support for cutting defense spending and the effects of sequestration in Virginia.

And in North Dakota, Indiana and Ohio, the group largely accuses Heitkamp, Donnelly and Brown of siding with Obama on policies that would raise taxes and cost jobs in the state, particularly focusing on Obama's healthcare reform law.