Freedom's Watch

Several independent groups that have spent millions on anti-Mark Udall television ads during the past few weeks are reportedly leaving Colorado.

The 501(c)4 group Freedom's Watch and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which have spent more than $2 million on TV ads attacking the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee in the last two weeks of September alone, are pulling out of Colorado, the Denver Post reported Tuesday. The two groups are instead focusing on bolstering Republican U.S. Senate nominees in Oregon and North Carolina, the Post reported.

And ColoradoPols reported hearing "credible rumors" on Wednesday that the National Republican Senatorial Committee is pulling out of the Colorado U.S. Senate race as well.

NRSC spokesman John Randall declined comment on whether the NRSC was pulling out of Colorado.

"That's the first I heard of it," Randall said of the rumors.

Freedom’s Watch released a new television ad Wednesday trying to sway voters from U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) by highlighting his tax record.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jon Porter (R-Henderson) may have been one of only a handful of vulnerable members to support the bailout bill on Monday, but Porter's Democratic opponent insists the vote isn't a profile of courage.

"I don't see it as a vote that should be looked at in a vacuum," state Sen. Dina Titus (D-Henderson) said Tuesday evening in a telephone interview.

Titus argued that Porter was in the pocket of Wall Street and big business, saying the Republican had raked in contributions from the financial sector. Porter's vote, the Democrat said, was simply an extension of his allegiance to the financial industry.

Titus, embroiled in what is quickly becoming one of the nastiest and hard-fought House races in the country, was responding to a Wall Street Journal column Porter's campaign was circulating to reporters the day after Porter voted in support of the $700 billion rescue package. The column praised Porter and the six other vulnerable members who "stuck their necks out" and voted yes on the bill.

WASHINGTON – As the newspaper headlines change, so do political advertisements. The conservative advocacy organization Freedom’s Watch, which launched a nearly $700,000 television advertising buy in Colorado’s hotly contested Senate race last week focusing on national security, is throwing a new ad into its Colorado rotation with a more economic-oriented message. The 30-second ad, “Hey Elk,” takes aim at Democratic candidate Mark Udall for supposedly voting in favor of a $10 million earmark for an elk bridge.

The conservative non-profit advocacy group Freedom's Watch began airing a new television ad in Colorado on Thursday blasting Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Mark Udall's record on national security.

The ad, titled "Security," will be airing statewide as part of a weeklong ad buy in the "high six figures," according to Freedom's Watch spokesperson Tim Pearson.

The ad, which smacks of Saxby Chambliss' well-known attack ad against Max Cleland in the 2002 Georgia U.S. Senate race, shows pictures of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il while highlighting Udall's "no" votes on the Patriot Act, missile defense, "stronger border security," and "terrorist surveillance."

Freedom’s Watch released a new ad Wednesday urging Oregon voters to tell Jeff Merkley that tax hikes were bad policy, and points to a clip of the Democratic candidate advocating for taxes.

Conservative advocacy organization Freedom’s Watch responded to the rebuttal from U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley's campaign to the ad it released Tuesday, saying Merkley, who is state House speaker, was simply trying to spin his way out of a decision he made in the Oregon legislature to cut funds for a program to help seniors.

The anti-Jeff Merkley ad released by Freedom’s Watch Tuesday is deliberately deceiving voters Merkley's record on seniors in Oregon’s State House, according to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Portland).

Another national  group weighed in on Oregon’s Senate race Tuesday when it released an ad accusing Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) of cutting funds that would support home care for seniors.