American Crossroads and its sister group Crossroads GPS, two well-funded Republican outside groups, are up with major ad buys in three key Senate races: Montana, Indiana and New Mexico.
Crossroads GPS is spending $866,000 combined to blame Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) on the rising national debt and rip them for backing Democrats' health insurance reform law and the stimulus package. In New Mexico, American Crossroads introduces former Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) to voters with a positive bio spot that has approximately $250,000 behind it. Wilson won her primary on Tuesday.
The ad buys suggest that the behemoth Republican-affiliated group sees both New Mexico and Indiana as potentially competitive races — it's their first ad buys in either state. Most observers see Wilson as a slight underdog, but Republicans are high on her candidacy. Indiana became a state in play when Indiana state Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R) beat incumbent Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.).
The pro-Wilson ad, like her own ads, makes no direct reference to her years in Congress and instead focuses on her Air Force experience, although it does tout her fight against "wasteful Washington spending" and her "independent record of standing up to her own party," a sign of the crossover appeal she'll need to win in the Democratic-trending state.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee blasted the ads.
"Voters in Montana, Indiana, and New Mexico understand that Karl Rove and special interests are investing in Denny Rehberg, Richard Mourdock and Heather Wilson because they back an anti-middle class agenda that will cut Medicare benefits, privatize Social Security, and provide billions in giveaways to big oil companies and the wealthiest Americans," said DSCC spokesman Matt Canter.
