Democratic group buys nearly $1 million in network TV ads attacking Christie

By Wally Edge | May 21st, 2009 - 12:01am
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The Mid-Atlantic Leadership Fund, a Washington-based organization with ties to Democrats, has purchased about $900,000 worth of New York and Philadelphia TV ads attacking GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie.  According to filings with the Internal Revenue Service, the political organization, which will not need to disclose their donors until July, is run by Sean Sinclair, a Democratic strategist who ran Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s 2004 re-election campaign.  The ad ties a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) complaint against Todd Christie, the candidate’s brother, to the award of a lucrative federal monitor contract to David Kelley, who as U.S. Attorney in New York declined to prosecute Todd Christie.

Reid served in the Senate with Gov. Jon Corzine.

Other names associated with the Mid-Atlantic Leadership Fund include: Amanda Flanary, a former Kentucky Democratic Party official; Mike Mikus, who worked for Mississippi Democrats in 2007, and Steve Bouchard, who ran Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in South Carolina.

There has been speculation for weeks that Democrats would seek to influence the Republican primary for Governor by spending some money to beat up on Christie, with the hope that he can boost Steve Lonegan's chances to win the GOP nomination.  A Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday shows Christie leading Corzine by seven points, although Corzine trails Lonegan by two points.

Seven years ago in California, Gov. Gray Davis was struggling to win the approval of voters as he sought re-election to a second term.  The candidate he most feared, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, had a 30-point lead in the race for the Republican nomination over conservative (and native New Jerseyan) Bill Simon.  Davis, facing minor candidates in the Democratic primary, spent $10 million on ads attacking Riordan.  That helped Simon win a 49%-31% victory over Riordan in the GOP primary.  Davis beat Simon in the general election, 47%-42%.

 

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What does this say about

Submitted by roryar on May 21, 2009 - 12:10am.

What does this say about Steve Lonegan that his greatest shot at winning the nomination comes from Democrats going after Christie? What does it say about Corzine, that he needs to his friends to come in and save his ass?

This move by the Democrats is too little, too late. When Gray Davis did this, he started much, much earlier. Christie is 23pts ahead of Lonegan, with only twelve days until the primary. What are they going to do? Run some ads against him and take him down to being only 17pts ahead of Lonegan? lol

Christie support is very,

Submitted by RussOCNJ on May 21, 2009 - 12:38am.

Christie support is very, very weak. Most people pick him because they think only he can beat Corzine. However, the guy who headed up George Bush's fundraising efforts in NJ has a lot of baggage. He is like a long line of loser Republicans and is essentially a sure loser.

Lonegan has a common sense message (in this day and age of nut cases mortgaging everyone's future common sense is now extreme, radical, insane, etc...) and maybe he can pull it off. At lease he is not with George Bush and Goldman Sachs.

Russ, stick to call in radio. Then grow up.

Submitted by PadrePeon on May 21, 2009 - 5:55am.

You need Democrats to give you the only chance you have left.

Actually, I am impressed . . .

Submitted by BergenRulz on May 21, 2009 - 6:48am.

. . . that the Democrats are actually taking credit for spending this money to fight Christie and support Lonegan.

The Democrats usual m.o. is to spend the months leading up to a Republican primary supporting the 'conservative' GOP candidate in an effort to keep the GOP eternally (and internally) split. Lonegan has played his part perfectly for the Dems.

No one knows or cares what federal monitors are

Submitted by SewarenScoop on May 21, 2009 - 7:57am.

Case closed. If this is the best they can come up with, its gonna be a long fall for Governor Corzine.

Support is weak?

Submitted by the oc on May 21, 2009 - 8:55am.

So crushing your candidate by 20+ points is weak? What does that say about your candidate?

Lonegan??..not Logical

Submitted by ConcernedColleg... on May 21, 2009 - 9:24am.

Well this may seem like one of Lonegan's last minute efforts to gain votes, this is also a sign that Democrats fear for Corzine's re-election. With the state budget hearings not going well along with the financial mess the so called "Goldman-Sachs guru" has gotten us into this may be the first signs of Democrats launching their campaign to keep Corzine in office.

It's an interesting

Submitted by roryar on May 21, 2009 - 12:20pm.

It's an interesting coalition that has formed between Lonegan and Corzine: Corzine launches negative ads against Christie to help Lonegan win the primary and in return, Lonegan maintains his negative attacks against Christie in an effort to make it easier for Corzine to beat Christie in the the general.

Don't be surprised if Corzine rewards Lonegan with a cabinet post at some point down the line.

sure roryar. lonegan does

Submitted by RussOCNJ on May 21, 2009 - 3:12pm.

sure roryar. lonegan does not cut those type of deals which why the regular republicans don't want him to scre up their gravy train.

It was Christie who tried to make an agreement with the NJEA for an endorsement. When negotiations fell through now Christie took Lonegan's issue of vouchers. Christie, as usual, just flip flops depending what backroom deal he cuts.

If Christie wins the tax money will just go to a bunch of Republican hacks rather than Democrat hacks.

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