Va., Md. Senate Camps Dig Deep
2006-11-01
Source: Washington Post
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rss feedTelevision viewers in Virginia and Maryland are being inundated by a last-minute deluge of commercials from the U.S. Senate candidates and their national political party benefactors, who are pouring millions of dollars into the two states as the bitter fall campaign draws to a close.
The flood of money into the two states means that hardly anyone who watches TV in the next six days will be able to avoid seeing the candidates or their surrogates make a final plea for votes before Tuesday's election. In the Washington area media market, for example, even a casual TV viewer will see 42 campaign commercials for Republican George Allen or Democrat James Webb between now and Election Day, advertising specialists said.
"Each side is dishing it out," said Charlie Cook, who edits a nonpartisan national political newsletter. He said that the money pouring into Maryland and Virginia, especially from Democrats, is staggering. "It's almost as though Chuck Schumer has a printing press in his basement." U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) is chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
In Virginia, that committee has bought $2.6 million worth of TV and radio spots that began airing yesterday, bringing its contributions on behalf of Webb to about $6 million. The GOP counterpart has spent $1 million on ads for Allen.
In Maryland, the National Republican Senatorial Committee contributed $400,000 yesterday to air 93 TV spots on behalf of Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele (R) on stations in Baltimore and the Eastern Shore. Democrats have pumped $1.7 million into Maryland for U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.).
The money from Washington, combined with the substantial cash raised by the Senate candidates, reflects how critical Virginia and Maryland are to the national political parties. A Steele victory in Maryland could doom hopes for Democratic control of the Senate. A victory by Webb in Virginia could be a disaster for the GOP.
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