The media has quickly coalesced around a consensus that this Tuesday’s special election for Kirsten Gillibrand’s old House seat is the first real electoral test for President Obama.
Indeed, there are many important issues here, like the stimulus bill and the Republican case that the AIG bonuses can be blamed on the Dems. But the White House’s own clout is now in the mix, thanks to the recent endorsement by President Obama of Democratic candidate Scott Murphy, and the radio ad from a few days ago starring Vice President Biden.
So here are some recent updates:
⢠The Murphy campaign announced that Kirsten Gillibrand is campaigning with him today.
⢠Chuck Schumer is helping out, too, appearing with him at a diner.
⢠The National Republican Trust PAC, a right-wing group running independent attack ads, threw in another $283,648.25 this past Thursday and $13,976.00 yesterday, bringing their total spending in the race to $779,306.10. Here’s their most recent TV attack ad, accusing Murphy of not only being for the AIG bonuses, but praising the law allowing it:
There is also a radio version.
⢠SEIU just put in $75,000 — the first expenditure at all by the national union, as the Dems and their associated interest groups play catch-up with the GOP in the final hours.
⢠The Albany Times Union has a round-up of the total spending from the national parties and interest groups over the course of the whole race, showing how much more the GOP has spent here. Republicans total over $1.6 million, while Dems are at under $1 million.
⢠As for the candidates themselves, Murphy has raised $1,567,961.73, while Tedisco has raised $1,083,974.09 as of the most recent filings from each campaign. So Murphy himself has outspent Tedisco, while the national GOP groups have made up the difference for their guy.
