NRCC Unit Pulls Bachmann Funding

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who was well on her way to being re-elected before she put her foot in her mouth on MSNBC's "Hardball" last week, now can't rely on funding from the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The NRCC canceled its Twin Cities TV advertising for Bachmann in the 6th District after the media firestorm that erupted following her joust with Christ Matthews over the "anti-American" views held by Obama's "friends" and even some in Congress.

Ads funded by the NRCC's Independent Expenditure (IE) unit were scheduled to run Monday through Election Day, and would have cost $50,000, according to the Star Tribune.

But the NRCC clarified to Political Machine that it had just reserved media time if it needed it, but no ads were actually purchased.

But the NRCC apparently also canceled or unreserved TV buys to help GOP Reps. Marilyn Musgrave in Colorado, Tom Feeney in Florida and Joe Knollenberg in Michigan – all of whom are at risk of losing their seats. An NRCC spokesman said about $1.2 million was set aside for Musgrave's race for two weeks, but after the first week, the plug was pulled. Michigan and Florida were similar situations in which air time was just reserved, but no ads purchased.

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PD toolbar!Funding was also reduced for House candidates in southern Minnesota and central New Mexico who are in tight races with Democrats seeking to replace retiring Republicans, and districts in Florida, Kansas, Louisiana and Texas where Democrats are vulnerable.

Here's a portion of a memo sent out today by NRCC communications director Karen Hanretty:

"Under federal campaign finance laws, the NRCC doesn't get to decide what does or doesn't get funded. As everyone (who understands campaigns) knows, the NRCC's Independent Expenditure (IE) is a segregated unit, firewalled off from the rest of the NRCC. Chairman Cole does not actually decide what does or doesn't get funded. Thanks to the campaign finance laws, Chairman Cole is prohibited by law from being involved in what the IE does."

The NRCC points out that it's being outspent by its Democratic counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, by 4-to-1.

"Our battlefield is the largest we've ever seen. The NRCC has 31 open seats to defend this year. The DCCC has five. That means our money gets stretched a lot further and will stay focused on those areas most in need of assistance," Hanretty said. "There are more paths to victory for Republican candidates than we have money to fund. Some candidates, like Congresswoman Bachmann, are sitting on more than $1 million cash on hand in districts that President Bush won in 2004 by double digits."

The IE has about $22 million to spend nationwide on TV, radio and mail for Republican candidates this cycle, many of which are located in expensive media markets. The Democrats have about $70 million.

In Bachmann's case, she was pretty much a sure thing up until this week.

An Oct. 12-13th poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies showed that Bachmann had a 11-point lead over showing that she maintains a strong 11-point lead against her opponent, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has pledged $1 million to help Tinklenberg, a former pastor and mayor. The DFL candidate has received $1.3 million in donations since Bachmann's "anti-American" comments.

"It's been raining money," said Beth DeZiel, 39, the campaign's deputy finance director, told the LA Times. "There's so much, we can barely keep up. It's unbelievable."

CQ Politics still has the race leaning toward Bachmann, even though it just moved its rating from "Republican Favored" to "Leans Republican."

"Working in Bachmann's favor is the fact that the district is hardwired with a Republican lean that may let her prevail despite a major uproar," CQ says.

Who knows if this is at all related to Bachmann, but AP also reports that vandals scrawled graffiti on the homes and garages of several members of Minnesota's congressional delegation this week, targeting both Republicans and Democrats with words including "scum" and "resign or else."

Representatives of Sens. Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar and Reps. Jim Ramstad, John Kline, Keith Ellison and Bachmann confirmed the vandalism Wednesday.

In an interview with a local Minnesota TV station, incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman – who is now in a close race with comedian Al Franken - distanced himself from Bachmann's comments.

"I would not, uh, label his views as anti-American," Coleman said. "I think clearly folks can look at past relationships and make some decisions about that but in the end I have a different respective on that.

"I do not think his hand would be the best hand in the tiller in these times of challenge. I think John McCain would offer greater stability and different experience ... and in the end, the voters will decide."

A recent Quinnipiac Poll gives Franken a 2% lead over Coleman – 38%-36% but the poll has a 3% margin of error, which means the race is in a statistical dead heat. CQ now rates the Minnesota Senate race as having "no clear favorite."

Franken has attacked Coleman for his support of President Bush and the Iraq war, and for supporting the Bush administration's bank bailout bill. Franken's campaign faltered this summer when his writings as a satirist reared their ugly heads. Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley is also siphoning some support from both Franken and Coleman.


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