Harry Reid's Majority PAC Unintentionally Vilifies Vulnerable Dems In Latest Attack Ad

Harry Reid’s Senate Majority PAC has a new ad in New Hampshire attacking Scott Brown for his vote against repealing subsidies for energy companies.  The former senator from Massachusetts is now running in New Hampshire for the seat occupied by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. 

Because Shaheen voted for repealing the subsidies, the argument goes – she’s not “out for big oil” like Scott Brown, who is accused of being in the pocket of big oil.

The super PAC’s ad states: “Scott Brown’s carrying some big oil baggage. In Massachusetts, he voted to give companies big tax breaks. They make record profits. He collects over $400,000 in campaign contributions…Scott Brown — out for himself and big oil at our expense.”

What the ad conveniently forgets to mention is the fact that vulnerable Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Mark Begich (D-AK) are also “carrying some big oil baggage” because they too have taken money from the oil and gas industry, and agreed with Brown on the legislation. 

Via The Daily Caller:

The ad attacks Brown over his May 17, 2011 vote against repealing certain subsidies for oil companies. Forty-five Republicans and three Democrats voted against it, including Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu and Alaska Sen. Mark Begich.

Both Landrieu and Begich spoke out publicly against the bill and have taken money from the oil and gas industry, like Brown.

According to OpenSecrets.org, Landrieu has taken more than $1.3 million from the oil and gas industry (dwarfing the amount of money Reid’s Super PAC assailed Scott Brown for accepting.) Begich has taken almost $350,000.

Adding to the hypocrisy, via Open Secrets, here, here and here, we find that Shaheen, Landrieu and Begich’s PACs have all donated to each other’s campaigns! Shaheen And Mary Landrieu even share a joint fundraising committee; The New Hampshire/Louisiana Victory Fund.

That’s a lot of  dirty “big oil” money co-mingling with Shaheen’s clean and pure as the wind-driven-snow campaign cash.   Shouldn’t Shaheen give Landrieu and Begich’s dirty “big oil” money back?

Breitbart News questioned the Senate Majority PAC ad against Brown last week, because of the appearance of illegal coordination between the PAC and Shaheen’s campaign. 

This week, the New Hampshire Republican State Committee submitted a formal complaint to the FCC, alleging the Shaheen campaign “engaged in coordinated political advocacy communications that amount to illegal contributions.”