Tuesday, May 04, 2010

DSCC dumping cash into Specter's campaign

I came across this strange bit of news in Hotline On Call. Is the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee that concerned about the challenge from Rep. Joe Sestak that they have to put money behind Sen. Arlen Specter's campaign in this month's primary in Pennsylvania? Is the DSCC going to put the same effort behind the primary campaigns of other Dems facing tough primary challenges, such as Michael Bennet of Colorado and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas?

The DSCC is spending a significant amount of money to ensure a former GOP Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) wins his May 18 primary, sources with knowledge of the move tell Hotline OnCall.

One source said the DSCC is using coordinated funds to help Specter keep a robust TV presence. Ads that tout Specter's candidacy now say they are paid for by the DSCC; last week, the disclaimers on the same ads indicated Specter's campaign had paid for them.

All told, Specter and the DSCC spent about $407K on the joint ad buy last week. A second source said the DSCC's contribution is about three-quarters of that amount, or around $300K.

Dems backing Specter may be worried that Rep. Joe Sestak (D) is preparing to unleash a slew of late ads in the fortnight before the primary. A new poll released today already shows Specter's decisive lead is sagging; he leads Sestak by a 47%-39% margin, just 4 weeks after holding a 17-point advantage.
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