Influence Alley

Chris Frates On Power, People And Influence From Capitol Hill To K Street

Brown to Outside Groups: Butt Out of My Senate Race

By Chris Frates // April 5, 2012 | 6:03 p.m.

Memo to third party groups that want to support Scott Brown: don't. That's the word Brown's Senate campaign put out last week after the American Petroleum Institute announced it was running ads in the Bay State.

The Republican senator and Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren have a handshake agreement to discourage third party advertisements aimed at influencing their Senate race. Anytime a third party group runs an ad that benefits one of them, that candidate must use their campaign funds to make a charitable donation. The pledge has already cost Brown $35,000.

In a memo to outside groups posted on his campaign website his campaign manager writes:

No one should have any doubt about Senator Brown's commitment to the Pledge. Third party groups attempting to support Senator Brown's re-election that spend in Massachusetts while the Pledge remains in effect are hurting him and his campaign.

Make no mistake: By signing this pledge, Professor Warren's campaign has waived their biggest advantage - unlimited third party spending. What that means is that Democrats cannot rely on unaccountable, unlimited outside spending to do their dirty work. We intend to keep it this way.

This race is exactly where Senator Brown wants it to be - a one-on-one race between himself and Professor Warren. Now all he needs is for those who support him to let him win it.