Rangel In PA Race

By Elizabeth Benjamin

The Republicans have taken their effort to slam Democratic congressional candidates for accepting campaign cash from embattled Rep. Charlie Rangel to the airwaves in the Keystone State.

This TV ad is being run by Republican Tom Manion, who is trying to unseat Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy.

Manion tries tie the $14,000 in campaign contributions Murphy received from Rangel, who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, to his “yes” vote on the $2 million earmark for the congressman’s self-named CCNY center.

That’s the first time I’ve seen anyone make that leap. So far, Republicans in Rangel’s home state have stuck to attacking Democrats via press release for refusing to return the cash they have received from the congressman and his PAC.

UPDATE: Here’s another Rangel ad, paid for by the NRCC, which seeks to make the same connection between the $16,000 the congressman contributed to Democratic Wisconsin Rep. Steve Kagen and Kagen’s “yes” vote on the CCNY center.

Watch the TV Ad