The National Republican Senate Committee cancelled approximately $1.2 million in television advertising which was set to run for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Michels.
The NRSC has two objectives, according to UW-Madison political science Professor Charles Franklin. One goal is to keep Republican control of the Senate and the other is to pick up any additional Republican seats if possible.
\We're assessing the playing field on a day-to-day basis to determine which states we are going to pour resources into in order to make the greatest impact,"" said Dan Allen, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
He added this decision is not final and the NRSC may try to give Michels a boost before the election.
The NRSC will most likely use the $1.2 million originally slated for Michels to insert into other Senate races where the election is much tighter, Franklin added.
""I think the reason the NRSC pulled their support is because recent polling has been going all downhill for Michels,"" Franklin said.
John Kraus, spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., was more callous with his speculation.
""The NRSC learned what the people of Wisconsin know and that is we are the largest grassroots campaign in the history of the state and we are running a very strong campaign,"" Kraus said. ""They decided not to take that on.""
Kraus added this development says something about the strength of the Feingold campaign and that even people from Michels' party believe that he is unfit for the senatorial position.
The Michels' campaign could not be reached for comment.
Franklin said both candidates have been keeping their advertising fairly clean and have actually been quite similar to each other. Michels has run ads similar to the style of Feingold's because both candidates have a dutiful, yet witty way, of getting their message across.
However, Michels' message may be heard less frequently by Wisconsin voters this election season.
Michels is in no danger of dropping out of the race, but no campaign can lose $1.2 million in advertising and not feel it, Franklin said about the severity of the loss.
""You don't pull that kind of money away from a campaign without implicitly throwing in the towel,"" he added. ""But I'm not counting Michels out. The voters will have the final say.""
