NRSC move heats up battle for control of Senate
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/07/27/art.fiorina.file9.gi.jpg caption =" The NRSC will spend nearly $2 million in the final days of California’s Senate race to bolster Carly Fiorina’s candidacy."]Washington (CNN) - The battle for control of the Senate is getting even more interesting, thanks to a move by the National Republican Senatorial Committee to reserve nearly $3 million to pay for television commercials to run in the closing days of this year's midterm election campaigns in California, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The NRSC confirms that nearly $2 million will be spent in California alone, where poll suggest the battle between three-term Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, the GOP challenger, is nearly deadlocked.
"Barbara Boxer's partisan and ineffective record has finally caught up with her, and we believe this is the year California turns the corner on its economy by electing a new leader in the Senate. We're preparing to go on offense and ensure Carly Fiorina has the resources she needs to win in November," NRSC Communications Director Brian Walsh tells CNN.
But Democrats are questioning the GOP move.
"Their whole pitch about Fiorina was that she's a self funder and they wouldn't need to spend any money. She's a multi-millionaire, so why are they pouring cash into her?" a Democratic source tells CNN.
The NRSC is also expected to spend just over half a million dollars in Washington and $470,000 in Wisconsin, two other states where they are hoping to win back Senate seats. Patty Murray of Washington and Russ Feingold, both three-term Democratic senators who have large campaign warchests, face competitive contests this year as they bid for re-election.
At the end of last month, the NRSC reported having $19.7 million cash on hand while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reported just over $21 million in the bank.
The Republicans currently control 41 seats in the Senate and need to win back 10 seats to take control of the chamber.
–Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
Barbara is going to Box Fiorina out!
boxer. is ... old ...mean,,, arrogant,, been there way to long,,, get a real job or retire old lady...
There has to be some concern that Fiorina can't make it on her own anymore. What does she have to run on anyhow? Wasn't she the one that was fired as the head of HP because of questionable practices that invaded privacy of the employees? Wasn't there the problem with HP taking on too much debt when Compaq was acquired? So much for being a successful CEO. Not like that would translate well to being a Senator.
Carly Fiorina was fired from HP because she made some very poor decisions in running that company. It would be a mistake to elect her as senator from our most important state.
Say what you want, but Fiorina has her own record of incompetence to deal with. It would be a shame to put her in a position to bring our country down.
How can the citizens of California elect Fiorina? Do they remember she was fired for being incompetent while running HP?
It will be intersting to see if the senate seat in California is for sale. With Carly Florina's money in play, she is attempting to do what Republicans do, buy their way into power. Let's see if the voters of California want that kind of leadership.
Hey – here's an idea. She can outsource California Government to India and then down-size the whole state by splitting it up between Mexido, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Just get her bonuses and save the land her house is built on. WOW
I thought during the 2008 election season the Republicans were running such a poor campaign they must be taking a dive, intentionally loosing to stick the Democrats with all the negative the USA was in. Now I'm seeing the Democrats screwing up three times as much. Mabe they're taking a dive to intentionally give it back like pllaying hot potato. Neither party wants the blame.
The Republicans have already demonstrated they can control the Senate with only 40 votes, so I fail to see their urgency.
Would someone please tell me how someone whose business decisions tanked two profitable compaines by merging them can have a clue about getting our government out of financial trouble?
That's a waste of money, Carly will never ever ever beat Boxer, this is California you're talking about, and this is Boxer you're talking about, not some spineless Harry Reid in the state of Nevada.
It does not matter that the RepubliCAN'Ts MAY, MIGHT, POSSIBLY take over – they're still the Party of NO and you can't say NO forever!!!
I still don't see how this person can run for office after the fiasco and scandal at HP. To be honest...I don't see how she's not in jail for that.
Hey isn't that the woman who made fun of Barbara Boxer's hair? Man people who live in glass beauty salons shouldn't throw stones.
Oh boy, this is where we get to find out how many stupid and gullable Californians there are. She was FIRED from H-P for incompetence.
Regardless of what you think of Barbara Boxer, if she is replaced by a Republican, say goodbye to Choice, say goodbye to Health Care, say hello to a widening gap between the rich and poor in America.
You must do whatever you can to reduce the number of GOP victories this fall. Pick a democrat and send them some campaign money.
GOP needs to win 10 seats to take control of the chamber and now they are putting efforts (fight) in only 3 States! What kind of calculation is that!
however you may feel about Boxer, you cannot want Carly
have you looked at what she did to HP?
did you know she spied on her own employees and HPs board of directors?
she drove HP into the ground and was VERY difficult to be rid of once it became apparent how ineffective she was
she took a company like HP, healthy strong and crippled it
as bad off as California is, she will compound our problems
Unto every politician there is a season.
Senator Boxer's season is over.
If this is the best candidate the republicans can come up with, they are on their way to becoming extinct.
Honestly, this is the first Republican woman I've seen who
looks like a democrat. What the hell is happening in America ?
What has Boxer done in the Senate besides run her silly mouth. Well, she's gotten extremely rich off of the taxpayer and supported policies that have eroded our economy. She's also one of the most arrogant people I've heard–"call me Senator, I think I've earned it." Really Boxer?
Fiorina is an honest candidate that has ideas that will pull CA out of incredible debt as well as help our US economy. She's actually worked in the private sector–the group that supplies revenue to the government for all of their salaries and programs.
VOTE FOR FIORINA!
Carly Fiorina is a failed corporate executive who destroyed HP's stock value before she was fired. She illegally spied on HP's board of directors and was despised by many of HP's employees. Why would anyone capable of rational thought think she is qualified to represent the great state of California?
Californians have apparently adopted the "let's live like the people in the ghettos do" attitude for many years and their own state is failing to the point they don't have many citizens who will attempt to be involved in good governance to the point their old politicians have to get back in the races long after they should have retired. Boxer doesn't make much sense anymore because she can't really tie her ideas to the Obama agenda but keeps trying. Boxer needs to be ousted, for sure and that old should be retired former governor Brown can't get enough of controlling other citizens.