With three weeks to go until the Pinellas County congressional election, a group with ties to prominent Republican strategist Karl Rove -- who is best known for guiding George W. Bush's two successful presidential campaigns -- is getting more involved.
Republican-aligned super-PAC American Crossroads announced on Tuesday it was launching a new television ad taking aim at former state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate running in the special congressional election for the seat that had been held for decades by the late U.S. Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla. Sink takes on Republican David Jolly and Libertarian Lucas Overby in the March 11 election.
The ad from American Crossroads, which has ties to prominent Rove, slams Sinks record in Tallahassee. The ad will be running over the next three weeks as American Crossroads spent $357,000 to run it in the Tampa Bay market.
Alex Sink sunk Florida, and now she wants to reward herself with a congressional seat, said Jonathan Collegio, a spokesman for American Crossroads. Floridians deserve better.
Sinks team responded on Tuesday afternoon, slamming David Jollys Washington backers for dumping another $345,000 onto the Pinellas airwaves this week in an email sent out to supporters.
They think with enough negative ads, they can sway voters and buy this election in the final days, the Sink team insisted.
Sink herself pushed back against American Crossroads and other super-PACs backing Jolly. Liberal leaning super-PACs, including House Majority PAC and Emilys List, are supporting Sink and running attack ads against Jolly.
Four different shady outside groups are pounding the Pinellas airwaves in support of my opponent, Washington lobbyist David Jolly, Sink pointed out on Tuesday before bringing up the Republican who defeated her in the 2010 gubernatorial election. Theyre trying to sway voters with Rick Scott-style mean machine attacks and buy this election in the final stretch of this race.
Sink called on supporters to send a blistering message to Karl Rove and the right-wing super-PACs coming after us by backing her campaign.
I will work to bring folks together to help break the gridlock and focus on solving the problems that matter, Sink insisted.
American Crossroads is not the only group continuing to go to bat for Jolly. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) continues to pound Sink, trying to link her to U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and President Barack Obamas federal health-care law. On Monday, Katie Prill, a spokeswoman for the NRCC, looked to pile on Sink for praising Obamas health care law last week.
Its troubling that Alex Sink thinks that Obamacare costing our economy jobs is an exciting prospect. Whats more concerning is that Sink will say and do anything to cover up the negative impacts of the law to please Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama in Washington, Prill said on Monday.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
