Politico's Jonathan Martin reports that Republicans have found their latest tactic for raising campaign cash from lobbyists: embracing Robert Gibbs' acknowledgment on Meet the Press that the GOP has a shot at retaking Congress this fall.
Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), a close ally of House Minority Leader John Boehner who was tasked to "sell the fight," has been making the case at a regular Thursday meeting of the National Republican Congressional Committee and Republican-leaning lobbyists.
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"Now you not only have confirmation from the polling data, but the top spokesperson for the administration saying that Democrats are in trouble," Walden said of Gibbs’s comment on NBC’s "Meet the Press" on Sunday that there are enough seats in play to swing control of the House. "We hope [lobbyists] will reassess their giving based on these atmospherics."
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"I know they don’t want to be caught by surprise," the Republican said of access-minded lobbyists. "They have to answer to their clients."
He added: "Everybody wants to look like they saw it coming, and it’s our job to help them look smart."
So I guess we've finally got an example of some bipartisan common ground. Sure, the GOP is urging lobbyists to pony up campaign cash, and Gibbs is urging Democrats and left-leaning independents to get out and vote, but they both can agree on one thing: nobody wants to get caught by surprise by a GOP victory in November.