The Establishment Strikes Back

‘Don’t take the risk,” warns the American Action Network in a new television ad against Indiana state treasurer Richard Mourdock. The 501(c)(4) organization is spending $590,000 on advertising to thwart the Republican insurgent’s campaign against incumbent senator Dick Lugar. The reason? GOP strategists worry a Mourdock victory would jeopardize the GOP’s chances at winning control of the Senate.

The attacks themselves aren’t particularly strong. Mourdock has problems “showing up for work,” the ad claims: “Mourdock skipped 66 percent of his official board meetings.” Yes, Mourdock usually doesn’t attend the state Board of Finance meetings personally, but neither does ex-officio member Governor Mitch Daniels. “Since 2007, the State Treasurer’s Office has been represented by Treasurer Mourdock or a senior staff member at over 99% of the board meetings for which he or his designee serve as a member,” Mourdock’s campaign has noted in response. (For what it’s worth, Democratic senator Sherrod Brown’s campaign is making the exact same allegation against Republican challenger Josh Mandel, the state treasurer of Ohio.)

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