RNC's Independent Arm To Spend $3 Million On Ads Starting This Weekend

This weekend, the independent expenditure arm of the Republican National Committee will unveil an ad or ads focused on energy security that will run as part of a roughly $3 million advertising buy centered on battleground states.

The exact nature of the spot(s) is not yet known, but yesterday GOP media consultant Brad Todd, who is running the RNC's independent expenditure unit, released this statement, which suggests the blitz will contrast the two major candidates on energy policy:

"Following Barack Obama's decision to become the only major party presidential candidate in history to not adhere to campaign spending caps, the Republican National Committee has begun an independent expenditure campaign in accordance with FEC regulations. The RNC will first advertise this weekend in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, highlighting the issue of energy security, which is emerging as a defining difference in the race for president."

The Obama campaign, anticipating that the ads will be highly critical of their candidate, released this statement in response:

"It has been reported that the Republican National Committee will begin running television ads in a number of battleground states this weekend. As John McCain's own advisors have noted, the RNC and the McCain campaign operate as one unit. And since these ads will likely be attack ads that contradict McCain's pledge to run a respectful campaign, he can, and should, immediately reverse his plan to air them. In fact, a few months ago, McCain urged GOP state party committees to run a respectful campaign, stating, 'I have pledged to conduct a respectful campaign. And I have urged, time after time, various entities within the Republican Party to also do that.' Clearly, the RNC should adhere to the same standard."

Since the ad is coming from the RNC's indipendent expenditure unit, the RNC can plausably distance itself from the content of the spot – even though the RNC is paying for it. Todd's group, for legal reasons, cannot coordinate with the RNC or McCain's campaign.

UPDATE: And here it is: