Chamber Hits Dems With $2.4 Million Ad War

By Glenn Thrush

(The Politico)  Turns out that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce attack ad on Al Franken was just the tip of a six-state, $2.4 million iceberg on behalf of embattled GOP candidates.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee pushed back on our earlier item detailing the chamber's ties to Jeff Larson, the CEO of the Republican convention, who rents Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman a $600 D.C. apartment.

The Minnesota ad had nothing to do with Larson, said NRSC spokesman John Randall.

But Franken Communications Director Andy Barr counters: “Norm Coleman literally lives in the office of the Chamber’s consulting firm. So forgive us if we find it a little hard to believe that there was no coordination here.”

A breakdown of the big CoC buy:

Minnesota: $484,000. Ad hits Franken for failing to pay taxes in 17 states.

New Hampshire: $380,000. Calls John Sununu's Democratic challenger "Jeanne Shaheen, the taxing machine."

Colorado: $676,000. Describes Mark Udall as a "Boulder liberal" who hates offshore drilling.

North Carolina: $429,000. Positive ad praising Sen. Elizabeth Dole's health care record

Kentucky: $449,000. Spanks Democrat Bruce Lunsford's "anti-drilling" position.

Maine: ?. Positive ad for incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.