The Union Leader Corp.

Description

John DiStaso, the New Hampshire Union Leader's senior political writer, began writing "Granite Status" in 1982. His influential reports on behind-the-scenes politics in the first-primary state are must reading every Thursday for insiders from Concord to Washington, D.C. Watch for "Granite Status" updates on UnionLeader.com whenever New Hampshire political news breaks. By JOHN DISTASO Senior Political Reporter 6 hours, 53 minutes ago HAMMERING HODES. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and Rep. Paul Hodes is being targeted again, this time in a nearly $1 million two-week television ad buy by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A 30-second spot, called "Live Free or Die," has an announcer saying that Hodes' motto is "tax, borrow or spend" and hits him on supporting the Obama health care plan, a "job-killing energy tax" and a budget that "pushed America's debt to $13 trillion." Chamber spokesman J.P. Fielder said the focus is on Hodes' "support for policies that will stifle job creation in New Hampshire." Fielder would not talk about the size of the buy, but sources say it is for two weeks on Boston television and cable outlets and appears to total about $940,000. Separately, Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, a group with ties to former Bush advisor Karl Rove, this week sent direct mail to New Hampshire voters hammering Hodes on spending issues and tying him to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. - - - - - - - - - NO HELP. As outside conservative groups spend millions attacking Hodes and other Democrats, no outside groups are currently airing advertising attacks against Ayotte on Hodes' behalf. As reported last week, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has committed about $170,000 to help Ayotte pay for her new television ad, "Paths." But the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has been nowhere to be found in New Hampshire since the beginning of the general election. It appears to be focusing on holding on to threatened Democratic seats in states such as Connecticut and West Virginia, rather than trying to pick up Republican seats. We'll see if that changes in Hodes' favor in the final weeks. But no doubt last week's WMUR Granite State Poll showing Ayotte with a 15 percentage point lead didn't help. This leaves Hodes on his own trying to fight an air war and direct mail onslaught. Ayotte has a new ad that pokes fun at Hodes' claims to be a "fiscal conservative." In it, she says with a laugh, "Hodes became a 'fiscal conservative' about 20 minutes ago." This new ad and her "Paths" ad went up on Boston television on Tuesday. - - - - - - - - - BIG "RIGHT WING" MONEY. MoveOn today will bring to the state Bill Halter, who nearly defeated corporate Democrat Blanche Lincoln in the Arkansas Senate primary this spring, to talk about the effect of what the group calls "corporate front group" spending. MoveOn says that at an event in Nashua, it will release a new report "detailing the amount of money corporate and right-wing front groups are spending in the New Hampshire Senate race, all in support of Kelly Ayotte.

Fact sheet

Products & services

Similar companies nearby