GOP focuses on Obama in pursuit of Gabrielle Giffords seat
Republicans are focusing on President Barack Obama, not Gabrielle Giffords, trying to secure the former congresswoman’s seat in southern Arizona.
Photo/RonBarberforCongress.com
Arizona voters are going to the polls on Tuesday for a special election to determine whether Republican Jesse Kelly, who narrowly lost to Giffords in 2010, or Democrat Ron Barber, a former Giffords aide asked by the lawmaker to pursue the seat.
“Rubberstamp Ron Barber. More failed Obama policies that hurt Arizona,” says the latest television ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Republican-affiliated groups have spent $1.3 million compared with $900,000 by Democratic-affiliated groups. The outside spending has helped Kelly counter Barber’s fundraising edge. Barber had $390,000 cash on hand at the end of May to Kelly’s $83,000.
Giffords relinquished the seat in January to concentrate on her recovery from a gunshot wound to the head. Giffords and Barber were injured in the January 2011 shooting rampage outside a Tucson grocery store that killed six people, including a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge, and wounded 11 others.
More than 123,000 people had returned ballots they received by mail, and it’s anticipated that nearly two-thirds of the votes cast will be done through early voting.
Kelly says he would seek to repeal Obama’s health care overhaul law and oppose any effort to end the tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush. Barber talks about changing some parts of the health law, requiring the wealthy to pay more to produce revenue and lowering taxes on the middle class.
Photo/http://www.votejessekelly.com
