The NRSC's Secret Plan to Help Kelly Ayotte

by: VABBY

Mon Sep 21, 2009 at 16:49:33 PM EDT

NRSC boss, John Cornyn claims that he has not endorsed Kelly Ayotte but his actions say otherwise.   He has publicly referred to her as one of his top recruits, organized large-scale fundraisers for her in Washington and dispatched NRSC political operatives to her campaign.  It is clear Cornyn is working behind the scenes to help his handpicked candidate beat her primary challengers.  

Tomorrow, Ayotte will attend three fund-raisers in Washington. One of her fund-raisers will be hosted by Senators Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn at the NRSC Headquarters; another will be hosted by Washington-based lobbyist Rick Murphy, whose client list has included both the tobacco and pharmaceutical lobbies; and her third fund-raiser will be hosted by an unknown party at Charlie Palmer Steakhouse, the well-known hangout of K Street lobbyists and Washington's power elite.  As Cornyn's top recruit, Ayotte will undoubtedly rake in millions from these three events.  

The NRSC has also dispatched two of its top fundraising and political operatives to help the first time candidate out-raise her seasoned primary opponents.  Laura Van-Hove, a top fund-raiser for the NRSC who specializes in high-dollar event fundraising, was dispatched to help Ayotte fund-raise in Washington.  While Neva Foley, the former NRSC Associate Political Director, was sent to work as Ayotte's campaign Operations Director.  

Backdoor support from John Cornyn and the NRSC will allow Kelly Ayotte to raise millions from Washington special interest groups, say GOP sources.  One GOP activist told the Union Leader: "When Charlie Crist (of Florida) got into the Senate race with the NRSC's support earlier this summer, they raised $4.3 million in just 50 days. There is no reason why she'll be any different."

Frustration with Ayotte's lack of conservative credentials has also prompted several other Republican candidates to eye Senate runs, including Sean Mahoney, Ovide Lamontagne and Bill Binnie.  Both Mahoney and Lamontagne have been billed as true conservatives by GOP activists, and GraniteGrok has referred to Ayotte's potential primary opponents as authentic conservative candidates with solid track records.  

Ayotte's ties to National Republicans will be a major liability for her as the GOP primary begins to ramp up, which is why the NRSC has done its best to seem impartial to Ayotte's candidacy while working to help her campaign behind the scenes.  But Ayotte's primary challengers have already seized on her relationship with National Republicans.  This weekend, Sean Mahoney, one of Ayotte's potential Republican challengers took a shot at her D.C. handlers, telling the Concord Monitor that his Senate campaign wouldn't rely on "elites in Washington" to be successful.

The backing of National Republicans will allow Ayotte's campaign to raise millions but their support is unlikely to win over Granite Staters.   New Hampshire voters have historically rejected candidates who appear to be too closely tied to the D.C. establishment.   Which begs the question:  can Ayotte buy the support of NH Republicans since she hasn't been able to gain it on her own?

(Posted by Victoria Bonney, New Hampshire Democratic Party)