The U.S. Chamber of Commerce isnt waiting to find out who will challenge U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando, this November.
The business advocacy organization just wants someone representing Florida in Washington who doesnt support Obamacare, who will be more in line with the business view of free markets and free enterprise.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced Wednesday it is pumping big bucks into Florida with its first multimillion-dollar ad blitz of the 2012 cycle, aimed at Nelson and a pair of Democrats running for the U.S. House: former Rep. Alan Grayson and longtime state and local politician Lois Frankel.
This effort is part of our early aggressive and high-impact effort to set the terms of the debate and more importantly draw a sharp contrast with those who support free enterprise and those who support big government, said Scott Reed, the senior political strategist for the U.S. Chamber.
Reed, a longtime GOP strategist who managed Bob Dole's 1996 presidential bid, was speaking during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.
We believe these efforts in Florida are going to start a healthy dialogue about Senator Nelson and his votes against the free enterprise system, he added.
Representatives for Nelson were not immediately available to comment; neither were those from the Florida Democratic Party.
The ads began running Wednesday.
"Spots" against Nelson will be aired in the Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola and Mobile areas, and Alabama markets. The ad designed against Frankel will be shown in the West Palm Beach market; the one against Grayson in the Orlando area.
The chamber would not state how much the blitz, part of a multistate effort, will cost.
Rob Engstrom, chamber national political director and senior vice president of political affairs and federation relations, called the national campaign the largest in the 100-year history of the chamber.
The chamber is now targeting nine U.S. Senate seats and 31 congressional districts across the country.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that ad buys by the chamber in eight Senate races and 12 House races have cost about $10 million.
The buy should be considered a boost to either of the top GOP challengers for the seat, as U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, R-Naples, had $1.38 million in his campaign account as of April 1 and former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux had $1.19 million.
Meanwhile, Nelson has $9.5 million in the bank.
Mark Wilson, Florida Chamber of Commerce president, said he supports the U.S. Chamber effort.
This election in Florida in 2012 is all about a choice, Wilson said. Those who want America to fail and want America to be more like France, and on the other side, we have those who want to champion small-business owners, who want to champion for private-sector job growth.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
