And we’re not talking about dark money here. This is out-in-the-sunlight $$$.<\/p>\n
From Daily Kos Elections:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Senate<\/strong>: The Senate Leadership Fund, which is the main super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the GOP establishment, has made another round of TV ad reservations<\/a> on behalf of three red-state Republicans:<\/em><\/p>\n IN-Sen<\/strong>: Mike Braun: $7.1 million<\/em><\/p>\n TN-Sen<\/strong>: Marsha Blackburn: $4.2 million<\/em><\/p>\n WV-Sen<\/strong>: Patrick Morrisey: $5 million<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Indiana and West Virginia feature two vulnerable Democratic incumbents, Joe Donnelly and Joe Manchin, respectively. However, Tennessee’s inclusion raises an eyebrow, since it’s a Republican-held open seat in a state that backed Trump by a wide 61-35 margin. Nevertheless, reservations can be canceled if conditions change, and SLF will almost certainly expand the amounts it is spending as Election Day grows nearer.<\/em><\/p>\n It’s pretty disgusting, isn’t it? And this is before the Koch Bros weigh in with their promised $900 million to insure the purchase of GOP senate seats, just as they did in 2016 when their October surprise downed Evan Bayh, Russ Feingold and Jason Kander.<\/p>\n What’s the solution? Not yelling about how evil money is, and how Democratic Party entities and congresspeople who raise money for campaigns are equally evil to Republicans.<\/p>\n Because when a candidate runs a sleazy TV ad against his opponent — and has the bucks to run that ad over and over and over — his opponent must<\/em> respond<\/a>. Because if he doesn’t, the attack enters viewers’ minds and sits there, unquestioned.<\/p>\n So where does the money come from to respond to attack ads? Yes, from me, to be sure. I just sent twenty-five bucks each to a couple of deserving candidates who need it. I’m sure you did, too. And I’m sure our twenty-five bucks will be more than sufficient to answer Mitch McConnell’s PACS and the Koch Bros’s dark money, especially since each of us can legally donate $2700 to a candidate. And I’m sure each of us is fully donating to every candidate we like throughout the US. Which would come to at least $81,000 for senatorial candidates and $1,080,000 to around 400 House candidates (leaving out the ones who are running unopposed).<\/p>\n I’m being sarcastic.<\/p>\n Until Citizens United<\/em><\/a> is taken apart or overturned, good candidates who are running in tight races require money. It’s disgusting but it’s reality.<\/p>\n Because while grass roots organizing sounds and feels morally superior, the grass roots (and my $25) aren’t enough to answer TV attack ads. And negative TV ads buy elections.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" And we’re not talking about dark money here. This is out-in-the-sunlight $$$. From Daily Kos Elections: \u2022 Senate: The Senate Leadership Fund, which is the main super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the GOP establishment, has … Continue reading \n