From The Hill:
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has cancelled its last planned week of ad buys in Michigan’s 9th congressional district, according to the Associated Press.
The NRCC had previously cancelled almost $320,000 in spending on behalf of Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.) between October 14-27, while still preserving a planned $314,000 in spending for the last week before the election.
The NRCC has now cancelled that last buy, spokeswoman Karen Hanretty confirmed to the AP, amidst redirections of independent expenditures in districts nationwide.
If you were looking for further evidence of just how disastrous Tom Cole’s reign at the NRCC has been, look no further. If the NRCC had done a better job of keeping pace with the DCCC’s fundraising, they would never have been forced to make the tough choice of cutting loose a veteran incumbent like Knollenberg.
He probably would have retired next election anyway giving the Dems another good shot at the seat if he held on this year. They probably figured this was a seat they were going to lose very soon anyway.
because he is a more reliable conservative. The districts are very close — R+2 and R+0 — but Walberg is the Club for Growth-er. I think this is their logic in propping up Chabot: they know they won’t get as rightwing a rep in such a marginal district again.
Honestly, they’re damned either way. Cole was hamstrung on recruitment this year, I think we’d all agree. But his fundraising has been almost non-existent.
How easy would it be to raise money for the NRCC after the Bush administration and Delay and co. so thoroughly screwed up the country and discredited the GOP? No one has ever thought it was likely that the Republicans would retake the House in 2008. Who’s going to put money behind a strategy of minimizing the losses and hoping to come back in 2010 or 2012?
Knollenberg’s from the toniest Detroit suburb, Bloomfield Hills. If Republicans can’t win there (even 74 year old ones) they are in Bush 41 parlance “in deep doo doo.”
I’m inclined to believe they will lose both but may figure the number of congressional districts will be shrunk and this one could be wiped off the board anyway. If the reason is ideological, the GOP is wiping the country club wing into oblivion. Moderates were hit much harder than conservatives in 2006, were hit harder by 2008 retirements, and may well be hit harder by 2008 election returns. Mike Castle is a little old to be a “poster boy.”