Ensign says GOP colleagues failed him

NRSC Chairman John Ensign (Nev.) said Friday that he would not be able to make good on a promise to match Democrats “dollar for dollar” this year, blaming his GOP colleagues for not chipping in.

Last month, Ensign placed his faith in Republican senators, committing to spending as much as Democrats and hoping they would contribute enough to make up the large difference in war chests between the NRSC and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC).

{mosads}He now says that’s no longer feasible and placed the blame squarely on his colleagues’ shoulders.

“I recently challenged my colleagues to step up to the plate and help me provide the resources our candidates need to compete in races across the country — to match the DSCC expenditures in targeted races,” Ensign said in a statement. “It has become clear that my call has gone largely unanswered. I have no control over the timing or content of [independent expenditure] ads, but I have had no choice but to decrease the total budget of our IE Unit. It is still my hope that my Republican colleagues will engage in this election and help match what the Democrats are doing. If they do, I will adjust our budget accordingly.”

The NRSC closed the cash-on-hand gap slightly in July, but the DSCC still has a nearly 2-to-1 cash advantage, with $43 million to $24.6 million. Democrats have the added benefit of defending only 12 seats, versus the 23 the GOP is battling to hold onto. Just one Senate Democrat, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, is vulnerable this year, while Democrats believe they have a chance of gaining up to eight seats.

Ensign made his initial statement about matching DSCC expenditures the last day of July, though, so that report did not reflect GOP senators’ response to his prodding.

The NRSC chairman’s statement comes as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which oversees House races, has held a consistent advantage over its counterpart, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). The NRCC, however, did raise more money than the Democrats did in July, narrowing the cash-on-hand gap by about $4 million.