Arkansas Senate candidate John Boozman is the latest Republican to make the budget a campaign issue — he's even trying to raise money off it.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.) said on Tuesday that Democrats would take the unusual step of putting forth a "budget enforcement resolution" rather than a budget blueprint that looks beyond next year.
Boozman, a four-term congressman, sent an e-mail to supporters Wednesday "commend[ing]" Hoyer "for his honesty."
He then pivoted to an attack on Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), his general election opponent.
"Where would Senator Lincoln stand on raising your taxes?" he wrote. "She voted to pass the President’s Big Government agenda, so you better believe the President will call on her to now that it is time to fund his agenda."
He closed by promising to "stop the president from raising your taxes to pay for more government programs," and asked for contributions.
Spending issues cut both ways in the Arkansas Senate race. Boozman angered conservatives in his home state when he voted for the creation of the Troubled Asset Relief Program in 2008.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has zeroed in on his primary opponent's appearance in an infomercial for a shady company promising "free money grants" to prospective customers.
The McCain camp released two new TV spots Wednesday that use footage from a 2007 infomercial, which featured J. D. Hayworth telling viewers the product was not "too good to be true."
Hayworth, a former congressman, appeared in a 2007 spot for National Grants Conferences, a Florida-based company that was investigated by several states for its business practices.
The ads are airing statewide and represent a significant investment by the McCain camp — one of the versions is 60 seconds long.
"J.D. Hayworth: Pork barrel spender, lobbyists, huckster?," the announcer says.
Hayworth: "It is real."
Announcer: "Character matters."
California-based Republican consultant Fred Davis is producing McCain's TV ads.
Earlier this week, Hayworth trumpeted the release of a poll that showed him trailing McCain by 11 points.
Nevada gubernatorial candidate Rory Reid (D) is on the air with his first campaign ad and it's missing one thing: his last name.
Reid, the son of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), doesn't say his name at any point during the ad, but it prominently features his campaign logo, "Rory 2010."
Observers noticed that throughout the gubernatorial primary, Rory Reid seemed to distance himself from his father, who faced high disapproval ratings from voters.
It looks like, for now, Rory Reid is staying with that strategy, although Harry Reid's numbers have been steadily improving and strategists believe Sharron Angle's winning the Republican Senate nomination will help return Sen. Reid to Washington.
Rory Reid's website also neglects to mention his last name on its main banner, which reads "Rory 2010."
The bio section also lacks Rory Reid's last name. It's titled "Meet Rory" and doesn't mention his parents in the paragraph about his personal life. "Rory, 47, grew up in Nevada attending public schools, as do his three great kids. He attended Brigham Young University, graduating with a dual degree in international relations and Spanish, and continued his studies there through law school. He and his wife, Cindy, have been married for 22 years," the bio reads.
Otherwise, Rory Reid's first ad is a positive one, featuring children asking questions about the state's future.
As conservative activists begin shifting their focus from Utah to Colorado's upcoming Republican Senate primary, so will Sen. Jim DeMint and his Senate Conservatives Fund.
DeMint is backing Weld County prosecutor Ken Buck against former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, and just as it was in Utah, his backing is likely to be an issue in the race.
In a statement Wednesday congratulating Lee on his victory, DeMint said, "Mike came from behind to win this race because of his unwavering support for the Constitution and the principles of freedom. Mike was the target of some very malicious campaign attacks, but he kept his focus on fighting for Utah families and prevailed."
The "malicious" attacks referred to a Bridgewater mailer hitting DeMint's support of Lee. The mailer also accused DeMint of wanting to use Utah as a "dumping ground" for nuclear waste.
In Colorado, Norton has been taking serious fire from conservatives, as has the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) is holding a joint fundraiser with Norton June 25.
Despite recent poll numbers that have Buck ahead of Norton by double-digits, Norton's candidacy offers a somewhat tougher test for conservative activists. Norton has plenty of money and some serious consulting heft behind her bid.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced its support on Wednesday for a Democratic incumbent in Congress.
The business group, which has allied itself with Republicans more often than Democrats on major legislative initiatives this Congress, backed Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.) for reelection.
“We’re endorsing Dan Boren because he has a record of standing up for the people of Oklahoma in these challenging economic times,” Chamber VP and political director Bill Miller said in a statement. “As a leader of the Blue Dog Democrats, he is an invaluable lawmaker who has a common sense approach to job creation and getting America back on the road to recovery."
Boren's been one of the most conservative lawmakers of the centrist Blue Dog coalition in the House, breaking with his party on healthcare, climate legislation and a whole host of other issues.
The Chamber has vowed to spend big in this year's elections on behalf of their agenda this fall.
Both parties are having problems with their base in North Carolina's 8th district.
Businessman Tim D'Annunzio (R) pointedly refused to endorse former broadcaster Harold Johnson after he lost to him in the GOP House runoff on Tuesday.
"I will say first and foremost that I cannot endorse Harold Johnson and his underhanded campaign tactics," D'Annunzio said in a statement. "What he's done is a continuation of politics as usual, and for that I will not be supporting him."
Johnson, who will face Rep. Larry Kissell (D-N.C.) in November, had called D’Annunzio "a troubled man" in TV ads that describe "a history of drug use and time in prison."
The Democratic incumbent has his own problems.
Kissell had a mediocre showing in his May primary. And earlier this month, the Service Employees International Union qualified an independent candidate to run against him. Kissell angered unions and progressive Democrats by voting against the healthcare reform bill in March.
Most Viewed RSS Feed »
