Club For Growth

The Club for Growth PAC is extending its buy of on-air television ads against Democrat Frank Kratovil beyond the initial  $100,000 ad campaign they launched earlier this month.

Kratovil, the Queen Anne's County state Attorney, is currently running against state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) for the open 1st Congressional District seat. The Club for Growth has championed Harris since the primaries, sending millions of dollars his way. Kratovil has called the Club for Growth an extreme conservative economic group.

Nachama Soloveichik, communications director for the group, says they have put a lot into the race since the primary and want "to make sure Harris crosses the finish." She says her organization hasn't done any polling, but that the race "looks competitive."

Frank Kratovil claims his Republican opponent isn't just offering the wrong solutions for America's economic crisis, he's trying to make a profit off the mess he helped create.

"We are in an economic ditch right now, and Andy Harris and the Club for Growth only have one solution: Keep digging," Kratovil said in a statement

The sharp tone is not new to the 1st Congressional District race. Kratovil has condemned Harris in the past for taking money from the Club for Growth PAC. At a fundraiser in July, Kratovil called the organization an "extreme economic group that goes around the country knocking off moderate Republicans."

Two organizations are hitting the Granite State airwaves with advertisements targeting Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen on the issue of spending.

“On the economy, Jeanne Shaheen’s positions just don’t add up,” an announcer says in a 30-second television advertisement launched by the conservative Club for Growth today.

“As governor, Shaheen enacted the first statewide property tax. Proposed the first ever sales tax. Said she would sign the first state income tax. But that’s not all. Shaheen opposed lawsuit reforms, making it harder for New Hampshire businesses to grow. Tell Jeanne Shaheen, we need lower taxes and lawsuit reform to help our economy.”

The ad is set to run for two weeks on broadcast and cable television stations throughout New Hampshire. The media buy totals $400,000.

The anti-tax group Club for Growth released another television ad criticizing Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Mark Udall on Tuesday; this time, the group urges viewers to tell Udall to "stop expanding eminent domain abuse."

The $400,000 ad buy will run for two weeks on broadcast TV in the Denver market, Club for Growth said in a press release.

It's the second ad Club for Growth has released criticizing Udall; last month, the group made another $400,000 two-week ad buy taking Udall to task over earmarks.

Udall's campaign did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.

So, the Club For Growth is peeved that "the party's most steadfast elected economic conservatives" will not have prominent speaking roles at the Republican National Committee Convention in two weeks. No surprise there -- the Club is always goading their party in one way or the other.

"With the Republican Party’s brand in shambles, it is important for the Party to showcase those leaders who are currently in office fighting to preserve the limited-government, free-market principles the GOP used to stand for," the release said.

But they probably should have stopped themselves there.

5th Congressional District candidate David Schweikert is getting some help from the conservative Club for Growth in a new cable ad running in the district.

The ad, entitled "Keep Fighting," praises Schweikert for his fiscal responsibility as Maricopa County treasurer and a member of the Arizona House.

"It is important to tell people in Arizona about David Schweikert’s positions on taxes so they can call him and encourage him to keep fighting for tax relief and economic freedom,” said Pat Toomey, president of Club for Growth.net, the organization's online wing. “Schweikert’s record on taxes stands out as principled and economically conservative. We hope taxpayers will call Schweikert and ask him to keep fighting for tax relief,” continued Toomey.

Republican congressional candidate David Schweikert has benefited greatly from the early endorsement of the Club for Growth.  The conservative organization has helped Schweikert raise much needed money in a crowded primary.  Now the Club will be coming to help out with some television ads.  The following is an ad the Club will be running for Schweikert starting this week.  H/T Sonoran Alliance.

ROYAL OAK - Speaking at a weekend fundraiser where he tried to stress a bipartisan political approach, state's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) accused his Republican opponent of being outside the political mainstream and practicing "politics as usual."

"If you look at my opponent's background, he thinks things are going great in this country," Kratovil said of state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville). "He believes we don't need change and I believe we do."

Kratovil continued criticizing his opponent. "If you look at votes my opponent has had in the Maryland legislature on a whole host of issues, it demonstrates extremism that I don't think benefits the majority of the people in this district," he said.

Harris Campaign Manager Chris Meekins defended his candidate in an interview with PolitickerMD.com.

"Andy's record on both fighting for lower taxes and less wasteful government spending is exactly what voters in the 1st District want," Meekins said.

There are number of political taboos -- too many to count, probably. One would be not to joke about Al Qaeda monitoring C-SPAN, and another would be to stay away from touching on race when criticizing folks.

The Club for Growth, the independent conservative organization that advocates low taxes and limited government spending, is crowing over the primary victory of U.S. House candidate Tom McClintock.

With McClintock opponent Doug Ose investing nearly $3 million of his own personal wealth to blast McClintock, the club helped to fill a significant spending void for McClintock, who was relying on contributions to power his bid. The club bundled $200,000 for McClintock’s effort and ran $100,000 worth of television ads on his behalf.

“The Club for Growth PAC is proud to have supported conservative stalwart Tom McClintock. We are confident he will win his general election race in November and will be a conservative star in the United States Congress just as he was in the California Legislature,” said the club in a statement following McClintock’s Tuesday victory.