Protecting one of the biggest GOP trophies of the midterm elections, the conservative group Crossroads GPS launched a radio ad in Chip Cravaack's northern Minnesota congressional district today, fighting back against a Democratic ad unleashed earlier in the week. Crossroads, linked for former Bush advisor Karl Rove, says the ad buy is part of a $90,000 campaign in 19 congressional districts across the nation – the same 19 districts that were targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). The DCCC ads took aim at Republican freshmen for backing spending cuts in education and research, which Democrats say will cost jobs. The Crossroads ad takes the Republican line that "bailouts and government spending" are snuffing out America's entrepreneurial spirit. Sounds pretty tit for tat, except that Crossroads GPS, which also ran ads during Cravaack's run against Minnesota Democrat Jim Oberstar, says its new ad buy dwarfs that of the DCCC. According to Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio, the DCCC's entire ad buy was less than $10,000, or about $450 per district. Hot Dish is trying to confirm this with the DCCC. Update: A DCCC spokesman does not dispute Crossroads' dollar figures, but adds, "If the DCCC ads... are so inconsequential then Karl Rove's shady outside group wouldn't have rushed in to defend Cravaack. "
