CA-36

NRCC Wades Into CA-36 With Messaging From Shocking Web Ad

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 23, 2011, 7:00AM

CA-36 candidates Craig Huey (R) and Janice Hahn (D)

The National Republican Congressional Committee may not be a fan of the way the shocking web ad targeting Democratic candidate Janice Hahn delivers its message in the CA-36 special election, but they've made it clear they approve of the attack behind the startling imagery.

Now they've put their money where their mouth is, launching an internet campaign that sells a toned-down version of the viral web video that had even Republican candidate Craig Huey's campaign crying foul.

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CA-36

NRCC: 'Give Us Your Cash, B--tch!' Web Ad Is A Bit Much, But It Makes A Great Point!

Ryan J. Reilly | June 16, 2011, 12:50PM

Republicans say Democratic congressional candidate Janice Hahn has hit "a new low" by alerting supporters to a conservative ad portraying her as a demonic stripper who is sexually assaulted by "gangsters" with automatic weapons.

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Anthony Weiner

No Win: GOP Tell Dems To Return Weiner Donations, Slams Them When They Do

Benjy Sarlin | June 14, 2011, 9:56AM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

If you're a Democrat hoping to get Republicans off your back by returning a donation from Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), it's best not to get your hopes up. After demanding a number of Democratic members wash their hands of the "tainted" cash, the NRCC is slamming those who actually take their advice for being spineless flip floppers.

The NRCC has made a big deal of pressuring Democrats to cough up the Weiner cash. Or, more precisely, emailing the press to demand the contributions be returned. For example, last week the NRCC put out a release calling on Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) and a number of other lawmakers to give up the money, saying they must choose between "returning the scandal-tainted donations [they] received from Congressman Weiner or silently condoning his colleague's lewd and bizarre behavior that could lead to a potential ethics violation."

The very same day, Sutton announced she was doing just that. Not good enough, NRCC spokesman Tory Mazzola said.

"It's clear that Rep. Sutton is only ridding her campaign coffers of this tainted cash because she's worried about her reelection," Mazzola wrote in e-mail to reporters. "She may have caved to GOP pressure as it relates to Rep. Weiner's scandal, but voters shouldn't count on her to do the right thing and oppose Nancy Pelosi's partisan, tax-and-spend agenda that amounts to more government and debt, instead of real job creation."

On Monday, the NRCC went after Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), saying he hesitated too long before giving back the money.

"After waiting a week, it's clear that he's not doing this because it's the right thing to do but instead because he's feeling the political pressures of the reelection fight ahead of him, especially when combined with his out-of-touch record of tax hikes and reckless spending," Mazzola said in a statement.

It wasn't the first time Democrats had been trapped in a no-win situation by the NRCC. Last month, Republicans blasted out emails slamming House Democrats who voted for a bill that would raise the debt ceiling -- and another batch targeting the Democrats who sided with the GOP and voted against it.

Asked about its practice of criticizing Democrats for following through on the GOP's own requests, NRCC communications director Paul Lindsay told TPM: "Democrats make a lot of bad decisions, and we hold them accountable for all of them."

Anthony Weiner

Republicans Look To Tar Democrats With Weiner Scandal

Benjy Sarlin | June 6, 2011, 5:35PM

Capitalizing off of Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) shock press conference admitting to sending lewd tweets to a college student, Republican officials are trying to tar Democrats with the lawmaker's scandal.

"It's time for Democratic leadership to explain why Congressman Weiner's actions never aroused any suspicion, and why they rushed to his defense while so many Americans were shocked and confused by his bizarre and disturbing behavior," Paul Lindsay, communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement.

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Medicare

PCCC Ad On Medicare Not Getting Pulled, Despite NRCC Complaints

Eric Kleefeld | June 3, 2011, 6:15PM

The liberal Progressive Change Campaign Committee has won a round against the National Republican Congressional Committee -- with the liberal group turning back an effort to get an ad targeting Republican proposals on Medicare pulled from broadcast.

As Greg Sargent reported, the NRCC wrote a letter to WMUR in New Hampshire and Comcast, complaining that a PCCC ad attacking Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH) for having "voted to end Medicare" was false and demanding that it be taken down.

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CA-11

Surprise! Republicans Run MediScare Ad On The Same Week They Call For A Truce (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | May 12, 2011, 4:38PM

Well, that didn't last long.

At nearly the exact same time 42 House Republicans were calling on President Obama to stop the heated rhetoric about their Medicare plan Wednesday, the National Republican Congressional Committee announced a new ad in California that accused a Democrat of "bankrupting Medicare" and putting benefits in jeopardy.

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Medicare

GOP Freshmen On Medicare Attacks: Let's Let Bygones Be Bygones

Brian Beutler | May 11, 2011, 11:11AM

Freshman members of the 112th Congress

House Republican freshmen admit that their so-called "MediScare" attacks on Democrats helped them win a big majority in 2010. Democrats had voted for the health care law, which included $500 billion in "cuts" to Medicare -- primarily slashing overpayments to private insurers -- and Republican challengers never let them forget it.

Now, they say, it's time to let bygones be bygones.

Nearly a dozen House Republican freshmen held a press conference outside the Capitol Tuesday morning to "wipe the slate clean," and "hit the reset button."

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NRCC

NRCC Learns How To Attack Dems Over The Budget (AUDIO)

Brian Beutler | April 26, 2011, 9:27AM

Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR)

Just before the House adjourned, Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) voted against the Congressional Black Caucus budget, the Congressional Progressive Caucus budget, the House Democratic budget, the Republican Study Committee Budget, and the House GOP Budget -- the only one of the five options on the table that passed.

That gives Republicans an opening to attack him for refusing to cut spending without mentioning that their own budget does extremely unpopular things -- like reducing deficits over the course of decades by unloading health care costs on to seniors.

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2012

DCCC Outraises NRCC in First Quarter

Benjy Sarlin | April 14, 2011, 11:41AM

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

House Democrats may be back in the minority, but apparently they haven't lost their fundraising touch. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced today that they had raised $19.6 million for the quarter, outpacing their GOP counterparts who raised $18 million.

The National Republican Congressional Committee still has more cash on hand, however, at $9 million to the Democrats' $4.6 million. They each hold about $8 million in debt.

The NRCC touted their March fundraising numbers as their best ever, while the DCCC sought to portray their strong quarter as a sign the House might again be in play in 2012. A recent polling analysis by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling suggested that Democrats were in a position to potentially threaten the Republican majority given the GOP's dwindling approval ratings.

NC-02

Dispute Over Video That Undid Dem Rep Pits Tea Party Against GOP Establishment

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 9, 2010, 9:05AM

Renee Ellmers; Rep. Bob Etheridge (inset)

Last week, while one tea party winner in North Carolina should have been celebrating the final vote tally, she instead found herself at the center of one more battle between insurgent conservatives and elements of the Republican establishment. The National Republican Congressional Committee -- which reportedly had a hand in a devastating video this summer of a Democratic congressman physically confronting college-age men -- is now at apparent odds with the Republican candidate who benefited from the video's fallout. And the NRCC has drawn the ire of tea partiers and big-name conservatives like Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh.

Renee Ellmers, a registered nurse and first-time candidate, squeaked past Rep. Bob Etheridge (D) last Tuesday night, a result that is not yet set in political stone. Both sides are gearing up for a recount, a costly and potentially long process that has publicly pitted Ellmers against the National Republican Congressional Committee and eventually led Palin and Limbaugh -- who spent much of the year taking on establishment groups -- to attack the NRCC yet again. Now, the Republicans swear everyone has made up, but not before a nasty couple of days that played out like a mini 2010.

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Pete Sessions

Pete Sessions Declines Run For Whip, Will Stay Head Of NRCC

Brian Beutler | November 8, 2010, 9:18AM

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)

NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions announced this morning that he will not make a run for Majority Whip and will instead remain head of the NRCC for another term. The announcement means the GOP will avoid a tough leadership fight with Rep. Kevin McCarthy, according to ABC News.

That was soon-to-be Speaker John Boehner's preference, and, as GOP sources predicted just before the election, the GOP leadership is transitioning fairly smoothly into the majority.

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NRCC

NRCC: We're Going To Keep Our Big Gains In McCain Districts

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2010, 11:50AM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

On a conference call with reporters just now, National Republican Congressional Committee Executive Director Guy Harrison touted the strength and extent of the party's big House victories last night -- and predicted that the GOP would have staying power in many of the conservative districts they picked up.

"When you really look at this at the start, this is exactly what we said the opportunity was. We had 48 races where McCain won, and a Democrat was sitting in that seat," said Harrison. "We have only 10 that survived that, and those will be the first on our pecking order next cycle."

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MO-04

GOP Ad: Dem Ike Skelton Has 'Made Us Proud' -- Now Defeat Him (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 18, 2010, 3:55PM

NRCC ad, "Ike Skelton's Real Record"

A new ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee, attacking Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO), shows the challenge that the GOP faces in trying to dislodge some of the big senior House Democrats that they've targeted in this seemingly Republican year. Even in an ad calling for Skelton's defeat, they still praise his service in office.

"Ike Skelton -- over three decades in office, he's made us proud," the announcer says. At this point, you might think it's an ad for Skelton. But then the knife gets twisted.

"But now our country faces new and urgent problems. Massive spending, Pelosi's stimulus, mounting debt, job-killing energy taxes -- and Ike Skelton voted for them all. Ike voted with Pelosi 94% of the time. After 33 years in office, maybe it's time for Ike Skelton to come back home."

Will this ad be effective? Or will too many viewers just hear the "he's made us proud" at the beginning, and tune out the rest?

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FL-08

NRCC's Anti-Grayson Ad Stars Creepy Clown (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 18, 2010, 3:18PM

NRCC ad attacking Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL)

The National Republican Congressional Committee has a new attack ad against Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), the fiery liberal who is being challenged by top-tier GOP recruit Dan Webster. And while this ad seeks to obviously turn voters against Grayson, it might especially alarm a particular sub-group of the electorate: People with clown-phobias.

The ad goes after Grayson's rabble-rousing image by having a person dressed up in clown makeup and a business suit, possibly meant to be a stand-in for Grayson. (From a distance, you can't tell if the clown actor is a man or a woman -- but the whole scene sure is creepy.) The ad also goes after the recent news over Grayson's "Taliban Dan" ad, which led to attacks that Grayson was selectively quoting Webster out of context.

"You've seen the headlines. Freshman Congressman Alan Grayson is a national embarrassment," the announcer says, as the clown comes into view. "But it's not just Grayson's behavior that's out of line -- it's his votes. Grayson backed a government takeover of health care. Grayson wanted a more radical takeover than the plan Congress passed. Grayson pushed a national energy tax that would cripple Florida's economy. We can't let Alan Grayson embarrass Florida anymore."

An interesting part of the ad, of course, is that the news quote about Grayson's anti-Webster spot being "one of the worst ads I've ever seen, one of the most dishonest," was cited to Sean Hannity -- who as we all know, is a paragon of honesty and virtue when it comes to using quotes from those he opposes.

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DSCC

Outside Groups Dominate Campaign Ad Spending In 2010 (CHARTS)

Brian Beutler | October 18, 2010, 10:04AM

Karl Rove

Anonymous outside interests have gone from being a relatively minor source of funding for campaign-season television ads to being the dominant player in 2010, according to figures compiled by the Sunlight Foundation.

A new (and effective) Democratic messaging strategy -- criticizing Republicans and their conservative backers for letting outside, anonymously funded groups run ads attacking candidates -- isn't an example of a party desperately looking for a new bogeyman. It's backed up by data, freely available from the Federal Elections Committee.

The sea change is largely the result of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, overturning a ban preventing pressure groups and corporations from running so-called independent expenditure ads for or against a candidate (these are distinct from issue ads, which only mention candidates vis-a-vis their policy positions). As a result of that shift, the official party committees and candidates face direct contribution limits and must disclose their funders. PACs have a bit more leeway -- they still face disclosure rules, but no donation limits and can make unlimited independent expenditures. Groups organized as non-profits, though, are unencumbered: they can take in as much money as they want, without having to disclose any of their donors.

The result has been extraordinary.

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Republicans

Republican 'Contender' Dons Duckie Pajamas, Parties With Scantily Clad Women

Brian Beutler | October 15, 2010, 1:35PM

Republican House candidate Blake Farenthold on the cover of We the People magazine.

Who among us hasn't donned duckie pajamas for a night out with scantily clad women, then run for Congress?

Well, in the event that you haven't, consider the case of NRCC's latest big "contender," Blake Farenthold running against Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-TX).

The picture comes from a pajama party at a local bar in May 2009, and quickly made its way from the source -- thecrushgirls.com -- to a publication called We The People and from there to the DCCC and Ortiz himself.

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Republicans

Republicans Scrub Nazi-Impersonating House Candidate From Young Guns Website

Brian Beutler | October 9, 2010, 4:21PM

Rich Iott

That didn't take long.

We learned yesterday that the Republican running against Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) has the unique hobby of donning an SS costume to honor fallen Nazis. Until last night, the GOP included the candidate, Rich Iott, on a list of promising potential members called Contenders -- a notch below their so-called Young Guns. Now he's gone, without a trace.

You can get away with a lot in conservative politics these days, but it turns out spending your weekends dressed as a Nazi, celebrating the brave Waffen 5th SS Panzer Division is still a bridge too far.

Screengrabs of the cached version of the Young Guns site from October 3, and the site as it currently reads, appear below. Click on them to enlarge.

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Pete Sessions

Top GOPer Pete Sessions Makes Racially Insensitive Remarks About Dem Incumbents

Brian Beutler | October 7, 2010, 5:14PM

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)

It's true that Democrats are spending ad money in a number districts recently considered safe. But NRCC chairman Pete Sessions dramatized that fact in a peculiar way in an interview with Roll Call today.

Sessions said that it's telling that the DCCC is spending money on "African Americans like Sanford Bishop. And when you have to retreat back to ... your hard base you're having to make tough decisions."

Democrats are seizing on the remark.

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Baron Hill

#Fail: Republicians [sic] Take On Baron Hill In Indiana (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | September 30, 2010, 3:57PM

The National Republician Campaign Committee is running an ad against Democratic House incumbent Baron Hill of Indiana.

No, that's not our typo, it's theirs.

Hill has served his district since 1999, but was booted from Congress for one term by Republican Mike Sodrel in 2005 only to return to Congress in 2007. Now the GOP is trying to take the seat back yet again by tying him to Democratic leadership.

So confident are Republicans that they can convince Hoosiers to fire Hill that they've let their copy editors take a month-long vacation ahead of recess.

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2010 elections

NRCC Has Reserved $35 Million In Ads

Eric Kleefeld | September 24, 2010, 5:53PM

House Minority Leader John Boehner

The House GOP is seriously working on a large-scale playing field for this midterm election, Roll Call reports, with the National Republican Congressional Committee having now reserved a total of $35 million in advertising for 55 districts.

The NRCC had previously reserved $22 million in 41 districts, and has now expanded that even further.

Notably, only one district among the 55 is currently held by the GOP -- that of Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), who is running for Senate in Illinois and vacating a district that was previously won by both Barack Obama and John Kerry in presidential elections.

Of course, there is another way to look at this, too. In 2006 and 2008, Republicans lost a total of more than 50 districts, with the Democrats taking over nearly every seat they possibly could. As such, the GOP is in a position where they have nowhere to go but up. And lucky for them, they're in a political environment where they're expected to really go up.

2010 elections

National Dem Committees Raising More Money Than GOP

Eric Kleefeld | September 20, 2010, 6:57PM

Clockwise: Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

The national Democratic Congressional campaign arms are headed into the home stretch of the campaign bringing in more money than their GOP counterparts -- numbers that could potentially make the difference in key races.

On the House side, the DCCC out-raised the NRCC in August, by a margin of $8.32 million for the Dems to $6.64 million for House Republicans. The DCCC remains way ahead in cash on hand, with $39 million to the NRCC's $25.6 million.

For the Senate, the DSCC edged the NRSC in August, with $7.42 million for the Dems to $6.05 million for the GOP. However, the NRSC has slightly more money on hand, with $24.5 million against the DSCC's $22.92 million.

Nancy Pelosi

GOP Presses House Dems To Hold One Vote On Extending All Bush Tax Cuts

Brian Beutler | September 20, 2010, 12:32PM

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) with members of the Republican House leadership

Republicans are underscoring Democratic disunity on tax cuts by challenging them to hold an up or down vote on preserving all of the Bush tax cuts.

The National Republican Congressional Committee today rolled out a new website called "Democrat Tax Tracker." It contains a spreadsheet listing the names of dozens of House Democrats in marginal districts, paired with their recent voting records on the estate tax and President Obama's 2009 budget, and a big question mark: whether the member has called for an up or down vote on extending the 2001 Bush tax cuts.

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2010 elections

TPM's Top 10 House Races To Watch

Christina Bellantoni | September 13, 2010, 8:37AM

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

It might be a painful night for House Democrats on November 2. Most analysts are predicting a Republican takeover of the House, with as many as 80 or so seats in play, and the GOP only needing to win 39 to seize back control. The TPM Poll Average shows voters nationwide prefer generic Congressional Republican candidates over Democrats 47.3%-40.7%.

Many of the Democrats who won in the Obama 2008 tidal wave are the most vulnerable, and the Democrats who captured Bush-won districts in 2006 aren't breathing much easier. But Democrats see glimmers of hope in open seats, and may win some of their own.

TPM chose 10 House races to watch this fall. They will be competitive, likely entertaining, and are bellwethers to help determine whether the nation sees Speaker Pelosi or Speaker Boehner at the dais come January.

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2010 elections

'Speaker Boehner'? Republicans Sell Access In Hopes Of Winning Back House

Christina Bellantoni | July 29, 2010, 9:15AM

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) with Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the background (D-CA)

House Republicans are attempting to nationalize the fall elections in hopes of winning back control of the chamber, with a new effort to raise money called Boehner for Speaker. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has a lot at stake in November, and he's going all-in.

Donors giving big bucks or helping to raise at least $100,000 for the National Republican Congressional Committee will get "meetings with Boehner, calls from senior aides with updates on the campaign and 'VIP access to all events, including roundtables, briefings, breakout discussions and interactive panel discussions," according to Politico, which obtained some materials Boehner's office was shopping around for the new campaign.

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Fundraising

Dem Campaign Organizations Have More Cash Than GOP Counterparts

Eric Kleefeld | July 21, 2010, 10:59AM

Clockwise: Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

The conventional wisdom may well be that the Republicans are poised to make some big gains against the Democrats in the House and Senate this fall. But for now, the Dems' campaign arms remain way ahead in cash on hand that could potentially make a difference in tight races.

The National Republican Congressional Committee just narrowly out-raised the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in June, taking in $9.15 million against the DCCC's $9.02 million. However, the DCCC has a whopping $33.78 million cash on hand, almost double the $17.04 million for the NRCC.

On the Senate side, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee took in $7.1 million in June, more than the $4.03 million for the National Republican Senatorial Committee in June. The DSCC has $21 million on hand, slightly surpassing the $19.7 million on hand for the NRSC.

Tea Party Caucus

NRCC Chair Pete Sessions Joins Tea Party Caucus

Eric Kleefeld | July 20, 2010, 3:53PM

Reps. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) and Pete Sessions (R-TX)

Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-MN) newly formed Tea Party Caucus has just picked up yet another member from the Republican leadership: Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), the chair of the House GOP's campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Sessions is the second member of the leadership to join, following House GOP Conference Chair Mike Pence (R-IN).

As The Hill points out, Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is not joining, but according to his office this is because he has a policy of not joining caucuses other than the Republican Conference itself. Another member has joined from outside the leadership, Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA), who has warned about President Obama potentially forming an authoritarian government.

Additional reporting by Evan McMorris-Santoro.

George W. Bush

Cornyn: George W. Bush Stock Rising (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | July 19, 2010, 12:24PM

Democrats were already pretty pleased with the fact that NRCC chairman Pete Sessions pushed for a return to Bush era policies over the weekend. Now they have more ammunition. On C-SPAN's Newsmakers yet, NRSC chairman John Cornyn went a step further.

"Look, I think President Bush's stock has gone up a lot since he left office," Cornyn said. "People appreciate his resolve and commitment in the face of a national security threat like 9/11. He had his challenges no doubt. We have learned a lot about things we could have done better as Republicans in terms of fiscal responsibility...I think a lot of people are looking back with a little more -- with more fondness on President Bush's administration, and I think history will treat him well."

Looks like both Democrats and Republicans want the 2010 elections to be a referendum on the bush administration. Video below the fold.

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2010 elections

GOPers And Dems Agree: 2010 Should Be A Referendum On Bush

Brian Beutler | July 19, 2010, 8:50AM

Sen. Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and President Barack Obama

Republicans and Democrats alike seem content to let the November elections hinge on a question the answer to which once seemed obvious to voters: Was the Bush era good for the country?

Though for most of President Obama's tenure Republicans were eager to run away from that question, they now act as though the answer makes them bulletproof. With the economy still in crisis, and polls showing Republicans poised to pick up many seats this November, GOP leaders have found the nerve to explicitly argue that what the country needs is a return to the same policies that triggered country's woes in the first place.

"We need to go back to the exact same agenda that is empowering the free enterprise system rather than diminishing it," said NRCC chairman Pete Sessions on "Meet the Press" Sunday morning.

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Sunday Shows

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | July 16, 2010, 3:22PM

Vice President Joe Biden

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: Vice President Joe Biden.

• CBS, Face The Nation: Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM), former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ).

• CNN, State Of The Union: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD).

• Fox News Sunday: House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC), House Republican Conference Chair Mike Pence (R-IN).

• NBC, Meet The Press: National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-TX), Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ), National Republican Congressman Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-IN), Democratic Congressional Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

NRCC

NRCC Creates Campaign Outreach Program -- For Safe-Seat Candidates

Eric Kleefeld | July 7, 2010, 4:07PM

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)

The National Republican Congressional Committee, which is tasked with electing Republicans to Democratic-held House seats and protecting vulnerable GOP-held seats, has now rolled out a new program -- for candidates in open safe GOP seats.

The new Young Guns Vanguard program, an NRCC press release announced, will "assist candidates running in Republican-leaning open seats as they head into the fall. It kicks off a working relationship between the NRCC and these Vanguard candidates, as well as their future colleagues in the House Republican Conference, in advance of the election."

The first seven candidates announced for the program are all in seats that are GOP-leaning or fully safe for the Republicans.

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Joe Barton

Top Republican: Barton's Seat On Energy Committee Is Safe

Brian Beutler | June 23, 2010, 9:00AM

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)

NRCC chairman Pete Sessions, whose job it is to increase GOP ranks in the House, says Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) will likely retain his post as the top Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee. Asked last night after a House vote if Barton may face further repercussions for apologizing to BP CEO Tony Hayward, Sessions told reporters that Barton's already paid his penance.

"I don't think that's the direction we're headed in," Sessions said. "...I believe that Joe has adequately addressed the issue."

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2010 elections

'94 Or Bust: Republicans Drafting New Contract With America In Effort To Retake Congress

Christina Bellantoni | April 22, 2010, 8:35AM

Republicans who think they can reclaim the majority this fall want to reprise a major element that swept them to power in 1994 as a new Democratic president suffered in the polls. Voters can expect to see this fall a new "Contract" pledging the GOP would be better stewards of taxpayer money and would shine sunlight on Congressional dealings.

But what's still unclear is whether it will be a Contract with America or the Contract from America. While House Republicans are drafting a new Contract with America they'll drop after Labor Day, top conservatives are glomming onto a potentially competing document that promises health care repeal and opposes a cap-and-trade system for climate change. That Contract from America was created in part with help from tea partiers and is making the rounds on the Internet.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) became the first member of Congress to sign yesterday, lauding that it was "created by the people" thanks to more than 450,000 people who submitted ideas online.

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PA-12

GOP Ad Goes After Health Care Bill In PA-12 Special Election (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | April 12, 2010, 1:33PM

PA-12 House candidates Mark Critz (D) and Tim Burns (R)

The National Republican Congressional Committee is making the health care bill a bit issue in the upcoming May 18 special election for the Pennsylvania House seat formerly held by the late Democratic Rep. John Murtha, with a new TV ad attacking Dem nominee and ex-Murtha staffer Mark Critz.

"Americans said 'no' to government-run health care. But Congress and liberals like Mark Critz didn't listen," the announcer says. The phrasing makes it seem almost as if Critz is already the incumbent, though he was not in Congress for these votes. (Murtha voted for the House health care bill this past November, and there is no reason to think he would have voted otherwise on the final bill in March if he had not passed away in February.)

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Republicans

Tony Perkins On Steele's RNC: 'If You Can't Run A Party, You Can't Run A Country'

Christina Bellantoni | April 1, 2010, 5:45PM

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins

Family Research Council's Tony Perkins today defended his group's decision to ask donors give to individual candidates instead of to the Republican National Committee given recent problems there.

Speaking on MSNBC this afternoon, Perkins said the RNC -- and its spending and the flap over a staffer expensing a trip to a bondage-themed nightclub -- is "tone deaf" to social conservatives.

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2010 elections

NRCC Raising Money In Wake Of House Vote On Health Care

Eric Kleefeld | March 22, 2010, 9:23AM

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)

House Republicans are already raising money off of last night's passage of the Democratic health care bill, with National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) sending out a fundraising e-mail after the vote.

"This past week Democrats ignored millions of phone calls, email and letters from everyday Americans, but they listened to their big time contributors like Organized Labor and the Trial Lawyers," Sessions wrote. "Your support is critical to ending Pelosi's reign as Speaker. Democrats made their choice, today is your chance to tell them, in terms they understand, how you feel about their choice - and in November you get to make your choice."

Check out the full e-mail after the jump.

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