DE-Sen: Teabaggers scramble for O'Donnell in last week

[WI_DEM]

Teabaggers are doing everything they can to hand the Delaware Senate seat to the Democrats this year.

The Tea Party Express says it’s only begun to fight in Delaware’s Republican Senate primary – and is promising a flurry of ads, direct mail, a pair of rallies and even a radiothon on behalf of underdog Christine O’Donnell over the coming days.

Despite aggressive push-back from the state party and a fresh poll calling into question her general election viability, the same national tea party group that helped propel candidates in Nevada and Alaska reiterated its commitment to O’Donnell on Tuesday, noting it has only spent a quarter of the resources it plans to deploy on her behalf.

The Republican front-runner, Rep. Mike Castle, would be the favorite in the general election. And after seeing Lisa Murkowski go down in Alaska, he's not taking the primary for granted.

Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) and the Tea Party Express purchased more air time last night for what's shaping up to be a nasty run up to next Tuesday's primary.

Castle bought another 1,000 gross ratings points in the Salisbury, MD, market, which covers southern DE, according to a Dem source who monitors ad buying. That cost him $75K.

The Tea Party Express, which is doing the bidding of Christine O'Donnell (R), purchased 427 gross ratings points on cable only in the Salisbury market. That cost them $32K.

Both ad buys start today and run through primary day next Tuesday.

The ad buy brings Castle's total spent on the air in the primary to about $250K. Hotline On Call reported last week that Castle purchased about $180K of air time.

Meanwhile, the GOP establishment is freaked out about the potential primary upset, and has employed the Wall Street Journal to beat the shit out of O'Donnell.

A two-time loser statewide, Ms. O'Donnell has a history of financial troubles and recently told the Weekly Standard her home and office were vandalized, though she hadn't reported it to police. She recently accused a conservative local talk radio host that he had been "paid off" by Mr. Castle's supporters after he asked her tough questions.

So GOP primary voters must decide if they want to vote for Mr. Castle, a moderate who would help Republicans organize the Senate and who opposed ObamaCare but who will give them heartburn on some issue in the future. Or they can vote their heart even if it means giving up a Senate seat.

The odds are with Mike Castle, but they were also with Lisa Murkowski in Alaska. The GOP establishment won't get caught off guard in Delaware, but whether their increased vigilance is enough to stave off the latest teabagger revolt will be ultimately determined next Tuesday.

Root hard for O'Donnell
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