Harry Reid breaks the bank to save Democrats’ Senate majority

Super Corruption in Action

• Democrat Super PAC pours millions into Michigan, Iowa, Colorado ahead of midterm elections.
• Every business or labor union looking to suck on the public teat is pouring cold, hard, corrupt cash into Harry Reid's PAC.

Senate Majority PAC, far and away the biggest-spending super political action committee of the election cycle — at nearly $25 million — has begun pouring millions of dollars into Michigan, Iowa and Colorado, signaling just how quickly Democrats have shifted to defense heading into November’s elections.

The super PAC, which has deep ties to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, is increasingly limiting its offensive efforts and is instead trying to create a firewall in Colorado, Michigan and even New Hampshire, hoping to halt a potential GOP wave that would net Republicans the six seats needed to capture the chamber and remove Reid from his leader’s post.

Since July 1 alone, the super PAC has spent more than $671,000 attacking Terri Lynn Land in Michigan, $824,000 against Rep. Cory Gardner in Colorado and about $1 million against Republican Joni Ernst in Iowa reports the Washington Times.

Lieutenant Colonel Joni Ernst of Iowa is a top target of Harry Reid.

They’re even entering the fray in New Hampshire, where Republican Scott Brown is trailing incumbent Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen by double digits in some polls. The group has spent about $350,000 since July 23 and $1 million this cycle on independent expenditures devoted to attacking Brown.

The investments in new territory reflect just how much the political environment has shifted since earlier this year, when Democrats had hoped to challenge two GOP-held seats in Kentucky and Georgia and to easily hold seats being left vacant by Democratic retirements in Iowa and Michigan.

“I think if Senate Majority PAC were to continue to spend in New Hampshire, that could be a firewall situation, but I think the majority would have been lost by then if we’re talking about New Hampshire going for Scott Brown,” said Nathan L. Gonzales, deputy editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report.

Though super PACs are not allowed to coordinate with candidates or campaigns, Senate Majority PAC was founded by a former chief of staff to Reid, and its treasurer is a longtime strategist for the Nevada Democrat.

One proof is that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the official campaign arm of Senate Democrats, and other groups supporting Democrats have outspent their GOP counterpart and other groups backing Republicans by a combined $8.2 million in Michigan and Colorado alone, the Republicans said.

Elsewhere, the PAC is spending $2.1 million in Louisiana to help Sen. Mary L. Landrieu and $1.9 million in Arkansas defending Sen. Mark L. Pryor. It has also contributed millions to Put Alaska First, a super PAC boosting incumbent Sen. Mark Begich, and has spent about $2.5 million in an effort to oust Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky.

Other investments are a bit more puzzling. The group recently spent about $200,000 attacking GOP Rep. Shelley Moore Capito in a Senate race in West Virginia that appears to be well within Republican hands.