The Center for Public Integrity

A Skamokawa, Wash., reader alerted us to a statewide robocall by American Crossroads, a conservative group flush with cash that opposes the re-election of Democratic Sen. Patty Murray.

While much of our focus has been independent groups with millions of dollars to invest in campaign ads, today we note a relatively cheap “robocall” message from Michigan political action committee whose most recent filing showed just $4,340.33 in the bank.

More than 20 years ago, a Ridley Scott-directed ad warned of possible “Deficit Trials” in 2017. The controversial spot, paid for by W.R. Grace and Co., offered a 60-second glimpse of a world where the future generation put 1986 leaders on trial for bequeathing a massive national debt obligation. Major networks refused to air the ad, calling it “too controversial.”

A Des Moines TV station is refusing to air an attack ad against Republican Sen. Charles Grassley created by two liberal groups unless they change what the station says is an out-of-context sound bite by the senator.

Crossroads Grassroots Political Strategies (GPS), a conservative group that has poured millions of dollars into attack ads, is airing a new spot mocking the glut of negative advertising as a way to amplify its own attack on Democrat Harry Reid. Backed by Republican strategists Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie, Crossroads GPS is tax-exempt 501(c)(4) advocacy group connected to American Crossroads. The group’s new 30-second ad encourages Nevada voters to defeat the Senate Majority Leader, who is currently seeking a fifth six-year term.

Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group with links to the billionaire co-owner of industrial giant Koch Industries, has launched an ad attacking Democratic Rep. Zack Space of Ohio for voting in favor of climate change legislation.

The Republican-affiliated American Action Network has unleashed a 30-second ad against freshman Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, who represents the liberal-leaning Virginia suburbs outside Washington, D.C., for his votes on the economic stimulus and health care reform bills.

A reader in Harriman, N.Y. alerted us to a conservative independent group’s new TV ad urging the defeat of former pop musician and second-term Democrat John Hall. In the 1970s, Hall had several hits such as “Dance With Me” with the band Orleans before going on to represent New York’s 19th Congressional District.

A second Republican-allied group has unleashed an attack ad targeting Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. The new ad criticizes Murray’s 18 years in the U.S. Senate and was bought by American Action Network, one of four major conservative groups that recently pledged to spend a combined $50 million in the final weeks before the Nov. 2 election. One of American Action Network’s partners in the late October spending spree against Democratic candidates is Crossroads GPS, which paid for an earlier ad criticizing Murray for contributing to the national debt.

It must be Ken Buck week here at You Report central. A reader in Colorado followed up yesterday’s post about an education group’s attack ad against the Republican candidate for Senate by alerting us to another one.