Republicans launch early ad attack on Sen. Reid

Republicans on Wednesday launched an advertising attack against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that criticizes the lawmaker for comments on the stimulus.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is sponsoring the ad, which gets the 2010 advertising campaign off to an early start.

{mosads}The ad hits the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) for running ads criticizing GOP members who supported the $700 billion bailout and then notes that Reid voted for it.

It also criticizes Reid for suggesting the stimulus could balloon to more than $1 trillion. The Senate stimulus stands at nearly $900 billion.

Reid is a GOP target given his poor approval rating in Nevada, but Republicans do not have a strong challenger yet. Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R), who was indicted shortly after making it known he’d challenge Reid, is the only GOP candidate so far.

But the extreme early nature of the advertising against Reid is a testament to the NRSC’s focus on the Senate’s majority leader.

It also suggests that open season will continue on Senate leaders’ reelection campaigns, just one cycle after Democrats went hard after Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky).

The NRSC would not say how large the ad buy is, but it will be running Wednesday in the Reno market, as well as online.