LA-06, MS-01: Anything You Can Spend, I Can Spend Better

Swing State Project reports:

First up, LA-06:  $2K on field organizing, $22K on direct mail, and $104K on a media buy opposing GOP loser Woody Jenkins.  This brings the DCCC's total bill in the district to $279,547.  In total, the NRCC has spent $110,194 on defending this seat (not counting the money spent by Freedom's Watch here).

So in addition to the Democratic candidate himself, Don Cazayoux, having a healthy cash advantage over Republican counterpart Woody Jenkins, the DCCC is outspending the NRCC so far by a 2.5 to 1 ratio. That, in a solidly Republican district which hasn't seen a competitive race in 10 years (when Marjorie McKeithen nearly knocked off Richard Baker in 1998)...until now, of course.  

This ought to help counter the money that Freedom's Watch is tossing into the district, but the DCCC has also filed an FEC complaint against the Fleischerites at Freedom's Watch, for allegedly working in concord with the NRCC:

Federal election laws prohibit the independent group from coordinating its efforts with the NRCC, the campaign arm of House Republicans, or any political candidate.

The Democratic officials said the advertising script carried an electronic identifier that shows it originated in the Republican committee.

"Freedom's Watch is coming to the NRCC's rescue. The problem is that they're doing it illegally," said DCCC Executive Director Brian Wolff, adding that the group's "own document clearly shows that the script of their ad came from the NRCC."

For the nonprofit Freedom's Watch to use an NRCC script for their ad would be illegal, of course.

Frankly, though, I don't know what the big surprise is. Republicans have been using the same template ("LIBERAL! TAX AND SPEND! LIBERAL! SAN FRANCISCO! TAXACHUSETTS! LIBERAL LIBERAL COMMIE LIBERAL!") for their attack ads for decades. Is it so shocking that they're (literally) using the same script now?

Especially since they've got the NRCC's old stale crew running the show:

Freedom's Watch is now run by Carl Forti, who spent most of this decade overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars in TV campaigns for the NRCC, and Ed Patru, a former NRCC communications aide.

Shocking.

Freedom's Watch isn't getting involved in the race in Mississippi's First District-I guess Republican nominee Greg Davis just wasn't lunatic enough for their liking-so the DCCC and the NRCC get to fight head-to-head. And even in this R+10 district, the good guys are one-upping the bad guys. Again from the venerable SSP:

Next, the DCCC made a big splash in the MS-01 special election, spending $126,576 on producing and airing an ad attacking GOP candidate Greg Davis.  Earlier today, the NRCC posted a $62,000 expenditure against Democrat Travis Childers in this R+10 district.  The GOP wouldn't be wasting precious cash here if they didn't think there was a chance that Davis could lose this seat.

There is a chance that Davis will lose here, and Childers will win. I wouldn't say it's probable, but it's certainly possible.

Things are looking very rosy for House Democrats right now. We have credible candidates stepping up to run in Republican strongholds around the country. We have the resources not only to put them in a position to win, but to help bankrupt our Republican counterparts while so doing.

These districts shouldn't be especially competitive; the fact that they are indicates that the Republican Party really is backed up on its heels right now.

And we are fortunate enough to be able to spend twice what they do, even in their last-ditch efforts to protect some of the reddest of their turf.