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RNC Plans Ad Assault

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July 02, 2008 3:59 PM

ABC News’ Rick Klein Reports: The Republican National Committee is planning its first round of advertising to support Sen. John McCain’s candidacy, with an initial wave of ads set to run this weekend in four swing states, Republican officials tell ABC News.

The RNC’s initial buy of approximately $3 million will target the differences between McCain and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., on energy policy. The ads -- produced and purchased by the Republican Party’s newly established independent expenditure arm -- will air in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, according to GOP officials.

“Following Barack Obama's decision to become the only major party presidential candidate in history to not adhere to campaign spending caps, the Republican National Committee has begun an independent expenditure campaign in accordance with FEC regulations,” Brad Todd, who was named this week to head up the party’s independent expenditure arm, said in a statement provided to ABC News.

“The RNC will first advertise this weekend in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, highlighting the issue of energy security, which is emerging as a defining difference in the race for president,” Todd said. He declined to discuss the content of the ads in further detail.

Under federal law, the RNC can spend only $19.1 million in coordination with the McCain campaign. But it can spend unlimited sums through its independent expenditure entity, which legally cannot have any contact with RNC officials or the McCain campaign.

Such help will be critical for McCain particularly in light of Obama’s decision to reject public-financing spending limits. Some observers expect Obama to outspend McCain by a margin of 3- or 4-1 during the final two months of the campaign. With no major 527 groups emerging on the GOP side, the RNC will be charged with making up as much of that difference as possible.

Todd, a founding partner of the GOP ad firm OnMessage Inc., most recently handled ads for Gov. Bobby Jindal’s, R-La., 2007 gubernatorial race. In the 2006 cycle, his clients included Maryland Senate candidate Michael Steele and Michigan governor’s candidate Dick DeVos.

July 2, 2008 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (168)

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I hope the ads show that McCain is all about oil companies, gas tax holiday gimmicks, and off shore drilling that will do NOTHING to lower gas prices but screw up our environment.

Posted by: Betty | Jul 2, 2008 4:29:16 PM

And so it begins... The GOP picked the best issue to target Obama over. Energy is a surprising achilles heel for Obama.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

Posted by: matt | Jul 2, 2008 4:29:37 PM

Obama flip flopped... or at least he didn't keep his word. The RNC is doing what it needs to do. McCain'08 Clinton'12

Posted by: Giovanni | Jul 2, 2008 4:31:56 PM

This is not news! The RNC has nothing good to say about anyone, even McCain. So, in a pathetic attempt to stay in the game, they do what they always do - attack anyone who has a different idea or thought rather than focus on what McCain could do to show he is a better candidate. Washington is a joke because the RNC and the DNC don't give a hoot about the real issues we care about.

Posted by: blurp | Jul 2, 2008 4:32:41 PM

McCain should never accuse Sen. Obama of ‘flip-flopping’ when he has flopped on the following issues: MLK Holiday, Confederate flag controversy, S. African Divestment, GI Bill, Grassroots Lobbying Bill, Immigration, Gay Marriage, Abortion, Storage of Nuclear Waste, Military action against rogue states, negotiating with enemy dictators and terrorist, warrantless wiretapping, torture, Iraq War, Bush tax cuts, Estate tax, win-fall profit tax, privatizing social security, Balance Budget, Bush fundraisers, Offshore drilling and Swift boat ads/attacks. McCain clearly has been one of the most inconsistent presidential candidates throughout his political career and his track record proves that he cannot be trusted as he so aptly claimed about Sen. Obama.

Posted by: peoples_prez | Jul 2, 2008 4:33:35 PM

peoples_prez:

Go through and list sources for all of the things you mentioned. After you prove every single one of those look at this: http://giorocks.wordpress.com/2008/07/01/olie-a-thon/

And then decide who flip flopped more.

Posted by: Giovanni | Jul 2, 2008 4:37:25 PM

Good - Someone must Vet this radical fraud obama - before it is too late.
OBama CHANGES his message daily for political gain. Let the GOP - Attack - let the people know all about this fraud!

Posted by: Molly | Jul 2, 2008 5:02:48 PM

how dare the republicans whine about someone spending more money they sicken me.they are makeing sure its kept under the hat all the other funds they will use in campaign adds, every thing they are about is against american workers, the entire party are 2 faced liarslook what they did with total control of washington for 6 years. now they blame the dems for not getting anything done when infact they are blocking any legislation to help americans, they are corperate santa clauses, what a pathetic pack of voltures

Posted by: joe | Jul 2, 2008 5:03:47 PM

The real assault has been going on for 7.5 years, the assault on our basic freedoms, the environment, the middle class, etc. Who cares about the next round of Swift Boat lies? I have already heard enough, and no amount of negative advertising from the garbage mongers on the right will ever win my vote.

Posted by: DM | Jul 2, 2008 5:04:55 PM

Molly says: "Obama CHANGES his message daily for political gain."

So I'll re-post peoples_prez's excellent comment, just for her:

"McCain should never accuse Sen. Obama of ‘flip-flopping’ when he has flopped on the following issues: MLK Holiday, Confederate flag controversy, S. African Divestment, GI Bill, Grassroots Lobbying Bill, Immigration, Gay Marriage, Abortion, Storage of Nuclear Waste, Military action against rogue states, negotiating with enemy dictators and terrorist, warrantless wiretapping, torture, Iraq War, Bush tax cuts, Estate tax, win-fall profit tax, privatizing social security, Balance Budget, Bush fundraisers, Offshore drilling and Swift boat ads/attacks. McCain clearly has been one of the most inconsistent presidential candidates throughout his political career and his track record proves that he cannot be trusted as he so aptly claimed about Sen. Obama"

Posted by: wilder5121 | Jul 2, 2008 5:06:25 PM

John SIDNEY McCain III needs all the help he can get. Since he is such a weak candidate about all the RNC can do is try to tarnish the image of his opponent. McCain will give lip service to running an honorable campaign even while the RNC runs "independent" negative ads. Are we sure McCain wasn't on a swift boat in Vietnam? He sure seems ready to adopt their strategies in order to get elected.

Posted by: fletc3her | Jul 2, 2008 5:21:12 PM

obama joined and abandoned the same church purely to further his political career.....change you can believe is more of the same....

Posted by: chris | Jul 2, 2008 5:28:29 PM

The RNC gonna say Obama has an illegitimate black "love child"...like they did with McCain in 2000?

Posted by: wilder5121 | Jul 2, 2008 5:32:34 PM

The RNC gonna say Obama is a "Manchurian Candidate...brainwashed by the Viet Cong"...like they did with McCain in 2000?

Posted by: wilder5121 | Jul 2, 2008 5:35:45 PM

Where in this article is the word 'assault' used? This yet another example of irresponsible journalism.

Posted by: tadlar | Jul 2, 2008 5:36:10 PM

Well we all knew it was coming. The only thing the gop is really good at. The lies and innuendos. When it comes to stretching the truth and outright lying noone excells more than they do. That is why the favorite button on my tv remote is the MUTE button.

Posted by: con me not | Jul 2, 2008 5:40:03 PM

Hillary supporters,

This coming ad blitz would have been against Hillary and Bill had she won the Democratic nomination. When the GOP starts attacking Michelle, I hope you realize they would have treated Hillary the same way. The Republicans know how to attack. They have had plenty of practice with Hillary.

Posted by: tony | Jul 2, 2008 5:40:46 PM

Interesting that the republican spin machine is now using the phrase "Obama’s decision to reject public-financing spending limits."

The real truth is that Obama is being financed by the public on an uprecedented scale, while 90% of McCain's money comes from PACs and Lobbyists who would have used the broken "public financing" to limit Obama while spending vast sums "off the radar".

Obama made a shrewd and wise choice and I wouldn't have respected him if he caved to this lie that use of "public financing" is somehow "playing by the rules".

Posted by: CJ | Jul 2, 2008 5:42:49 PM

4 More Wars! 4 More Wars! Spend some time attacking that.

Posted by: Joe Cass | Jul 2, 2008 5:50:33 PM

Well it's about friggin' time! I was wondering if the RNC and Repubs were ever going to finally start fighting back. We are going to need everything we can to fight these hateful Marxist Stalino-facist bastards from stifling dissent, silencing those who disagree, and robbing us of all of our freedom. These MoveOn.org groupies do this all in the name of their self-proclaimed and condescending belief that only a holy, pious government that implements their twisted version of morality is the end all, do all solution to all of our problems and the alpha and the omega that must be obeyed.

Posted by: Crusader | Jul 2, 2008 5:52:55 PM

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