Washington (CNN) - Mitt Romney's campaign bought its first broadcast ad time in Wisconsin as it dramatically escalated its ad presence in the state.
It purchased $695,000 worth of ads that started running Saturday and will go through next Tuesday’s primary, according to a Republican media consultant not affiliated with a campaign or a super PAC who is tracking campaign ad buying.
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The campaign spent $100,000 for commercials this past weekend, according to CNN's ad consultant Kantar CMAG, splitting that amount between its new positive ad painting Romney's record as governor of Massachusetts as proof of his fiscal conservatism and one attacking Rick Santorum.
The attack ad uses a clip from the CNN Arizona debate when the former Pennsylvania senator admitted he voted for bills that included funds for family planning although he personally opposed such programs. "When you are part of the team sometimes you take one for the team," Santorum said during the debate.
The stepping up of the Romney campaign's ad efforts in the state comes as both sides start focusing more attention and effort in Wisconsin with its April 3rd primary just a week away. Late last week it had only invested $34,000 for cable ads there. The Romney buy means ads will be seen throughout the state.
Mirroring the same kind of attack, the super PAC supporting Romney is spending heavily in the state with its ad also taking direct aim at Santorum. It bought almost an additional $1,000,000 for ads beginning Tuesday that will bring its total for broadcast and cable time in the state to $2,292,000.
The pac also bought another $867,000 worth of broadcast and cable ad time in Maryland, which also votes next Tuesday April 3rd, according to the GOP ad tracker. That brings Restore Our Future's total in Maryland to $1,324,000. No other campaign or super PAC has any commercials running there.
Santorum's campaign had bought only $54,770 for cable time in the state for commercials running through Monday and was trying to raise $250,000 for a new statewide cable buy.
"We need to raise $250,000 before midnight to make certain voters in Wisconsin…hear the truth about who Rick Santorum is and what he stands for," Santorum campaign senior adviser John Brabender wrote in an email solicitation Sunday.
The super PAC backing Santorum–the Red, White and Blue Fund–bought $500,000 of broadcast and cable time for commercials set to begin airing in the state Tuesday.
Earlier in the day the group had said it would commit $300,000 for ads but decided to bump up the amount.
Both the Santorum campaign and its allies hope the demographics of Wisconsin - for example, the state's large percentage of blue collar workers - could help the former Pennsylvania senator have a strong showing in a primary that is shaping up to be a key battle..
From CNN Politics
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Anyone trying to get Walker's endorsement?
Mittens and the rest of the GOP have not spoken about republican state rep. Don Pridemore and his anti woman legislation.
Romney is the candidate chosen by the fat-cats and there's nothing the other can do about that situation. The Koch brothers et. al. have always known they could out-spend everybody else – thanks to the Supreme Court. Since the non-wealthy portion of the Republican base is easily convinced of pretty much anything, especially the Teavangelicals and the racists/birthers, they will use "swift boat" lies and dramatic stories to excite the fearful in the Red States. The flaw in their plan is the rational moderates and independents. They don't fall for the lies and they will hold Republicans accountable for trashing our economy – then obstructing the recovery. The "evils of contraception" won't work on the more educated crowd.
Walker came to Florida to get several hundred thousand from the Kochs. So he and Mittens have a lot in common.
The flip flopper's fiscal conservsticism means fire American workers and send their jobs overseas to be done by cheap labor.
He better not tick off sanatorium. He wants to be his vp
Regarding funds for family, you had your teo Cadillac wife have contributed money to Planned Parenthood. Yiunjust don't remember one day from the other and what you said not
just this morning but you contradict yourself in the same sentence. The US doesn't apologize but we apologize. M
Willard looks like a true hypocrite standing in front of a "Repeal & Replace ObamaCare" banner.
I bet all yuo Santorum supporters are loving Citizens United right about now, eh? Reap what you've sewn.
But hey...I'll agree with Santorujm on one thing...we really need a personhood amendment:
Corporations ARE NOT PEOPLE, my friends.
Mittens has spent almost $60 million in negative ads now, and still has not sewed up the nomination. Those Rove like lies are not paying off as well as they did for Bush.
For the first time, the lying GOP is using the word "Replace." If you believe that, I'll bet you believe Hanoi Hannity on Fox foreign owned media.
Think the GOPers will give us any of their options for replacing ACA? Me neither.
Keep up the good work Romney!! The Repeal & Replace sign needs to be front and center EVERYWHERE you speak. A guaranteed ticket for you to the Whitehouse and Obama to Chicago.
Repeal and replace the republican party.
It would be nice if CNN kept a running ticket of each candidate's and their PACs' spending numbers. Right now it appears Rmoney is outspending the others anywhere from 2-1 to 7-1. Give us more numbers, CNN!
The man has already shaken his Etch-a-Sketch a little bit and add the word "Replace"!!!!! Way to go Mr. a win is a win.
"The Repeal & Replace sign needs to be front and center EVERYWHERE you speak."
------------------------------------
I agree. It should read: "Repeal & Replace with Romneycare." How do you think that will bode over with conservatives?
with Liberals like Wire and Grover on here, i feel its my duty to stand up for the silent majority. The sooner the Republicans who are way behind quit messing around insulting our intelligence that they think they can win , the bettter. Romney cannot lose this, if you think he can then you have been taking a few too many tokes!! We must focus and organize and get ready for the real battle against the liberal / socialist / social engineers that are in the White House!!! ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT!!
"The Repeal & Replace sign needs to be front and center EVERYWHERE you speak."
He should speak in front of the Medicare main offices then, because that's precisely what the GOP/Teatrolls want to do to Medicare. And hey, while he's there, he can advertise that his next stop is the SS office.
King Tabby Nackle Mitt invented Healhcare Reform, what a lying sac of S-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Obama needs to concentrate on getting us out the mess we are in as a country and quit playing the race card in the Treyvon Florida case, which is STATE JURISDICTION! how many 17 yr olds die in this country in these terrible ways? Lots do, but because this child was a minority (african american) the country has gone crazy. I am very sorry this happened and we need to find out what happened, but what the heck? What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty. The black community wants to lynch this Zimmerman and have put out posers "Wanted dead or alive". Hey Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson- go home and quit trying to look important!
Romney is like a grab bag at the dollar store, you never know what you will get.
A vote for Romney is a vote for GWBush/Cheney policies.
Major media are controlled by minority. They never tell you truth. Base on my observation, the Mitt Romney i s just a dog of wall street.
Who is this guy what would he replace it with Romneycare? This guy wants to run the country. It was good only for my state dont copy it,because if you do I will come out and say it was a mistake.
mpepper – I only post because 'truth' doesn't tell the truth and 'fair' is biased. Thanks for reading my posts.
How much will it cost what's left of the middle class to repeal? and what would you replace it with?