The Senate Majority PAC, the national Democratic Party’s chief group charged with recapturing the U.S. Senate, is offering at least lip service on behalf of Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, in his quest to oust U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
Over the weekend, the political action committee sent exclusively to St. Louis Public Radio a seven-page statement attacking Blunt’s record on veterans issues, and challenging the praise bestowed on him in an $800,000 TV and radio ad blitz launched by an outside conservative group.
The Senate Democratic group even sought to pick apart, point by point, the ad that has been airing around Missouri by the pro-Blunt group, One Nation.
One Nation’s ad portrays Blunt as pro-veteran. The aim of the outside group appears to be, in part, is to counter Kander’s possible advantage as a military veteran with combat experience. One Nation’s ad does not mention Kander, nor did One Nation's spokesman.
The Senate Majority PAC contends that Blunt has hurt veterans by voting against various bills, including his recent vote in September against a government funding bill.
"A review of his almost two decades in Congress show that while Senator Blunt has always been quick to claim he supports Missouri veterans, he has repeatedly voted against plans to improve healthcare access, boost economic opportunities and increase education benefits for those who have served our country in uniform," the Majority PAC asserted.
The Majority PAC is a regular campaign committee that has to identify its donors. One Nation is a 501C4 that doesn't have to identify its contributors.
Kander, by the way, raised campaign cash over the weekend with another veteran with U.S. Senate aspirations, Tammy Duckworth, a Democratic candidate in neighboring Illinois. The Illinois U.S. Senate seat at stake in 2016 is currently held by Republican Mark Kirk.
Blunt is deemed to be in a stronger political position than Kirk, and has far more campaign cash in the bank than Kander. Both parties will be watching to see whether the Senate Majority PAC opts to spend money on Kander, or limit its aid to news releases.
