Tolbert: RGA Continues to Chip Away at Ross

The Republican Governors’ Association has launched another ad hitting Mike Ross and his ties to Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Sources tell the Tolbert Report that the ad buy is significant in the neighborhood of $200,000 across Arkansas broadcast and cable markets.  This is in addition to the $600,000 they have already spent.

“In Washington, Nancy Pelosi is a liberal’s liberal, and during his time in Congress, Mike Ross was her go-to guy,” said RGA Communications Director Gail Gitcho. “Pelosi may have been able to count on Mike Ross to simply follow in stride when it came to propping up irresponsible and costly legislation, but Arkansas voters need someone in the governor’s office who answers to them, not the extreme Left.”

I will pause here to go ahead and tell you what the Ross campaign response will be.

They will ask you to ignore the times Ross voted for Pelosi as House Speaker when she was elected in 2007 and subsequently re-elected (when the Democrats had the majority and it counted), and instead focus on his vote in 2010  for Blue Dog Democrat Heath Shuler (after the Democrats lost the majority and it did not matter).  So noted.

Regardless, the ad also hits Ross on his votes with Pelosi for the Auto Bailout, Wall Street Bailout, and Mortgage Bailout.  It is interesting as these are the same three issues that the DGA makes a pitiful attempt to loosely associate Asa Hutchinson with in their ad.  The DGA base their attack on the fact that Asa once work for a firm that supported these bills, even though he did not actually lobby for their passage.  The RGA, by contrast, base their ad on the fact that Ross was in Congress and voted for all three.

Anyway, the new ad buy is another sign that the RGA is committed to get involved in the Arkansas governor’s race with significant resources.  I will also note that ads now from both the RGA and DGA will primarily focus on hitting the other parties’ likely nominee as both Asa and Ross have primary opponents, so the party group cannot technically support one candidate over the other.