WASHINGTON — The upbeat tone of the 2008 presidential campaign is about to shift.
While a frenzy of campaign activity in Iowa so far has carried more or less positive messages about the candidates, federal election reports show that several groups not officially affiliated with the contenders are ready to launch attack ads and mailers across the state.
Over the weekend, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) filed documents with the Federal Election Commission reporting that it will spend $40,755 on a mailing opposing Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. AFSCME is one of three large groups active in Iowa promoting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.
A political action committee called Democratic Courage, run by a supporter of former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., has reported that it will spend about $20,000 on a television ad opposing Clinton. Earlier this year, the group announced plans to run “hard-hitting, creative ads in key primary states highlighting why Sen. Clinton should not be the first choice of voters who want to end the war in Iraq, fight global warming, win universal health care — or beat the Republicans.”
The group, which has specialized in producing low-cost ads designed to attract media attention, has also placed a video critical of Obama on its website. In that ad, “Santa Barack Obama” is shown delivering lumps of coal to Iowa voters in the form of votes he cast that were opposed by the PAC.
Two conservative groups also got into the act, announcing that they will be financing advertising campaigns in the week before the Jan. 3 caucuses.
A political action committee affiliated with Republican Alan Keyes has declared its intention to spend $39,000 on phone banks and mailers opposing Clinton. And a PAC called , which describes itself on its website as a conservative group that targets liberal Republicans and Democrats for defeat, reported that it will spend $16,465 on mail opposing Clinton.
