Campaigns, Outside Groups Pull Negative Ads in Colorado
This post has been updated.
After the tragedy that unfolded in Aurora, Colo., political ads will temporarily disappear from Colorado's airwaves.
The campaigns of both President Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney announced Friday morning that they have requested Colorado TV stations stop airing all their TV ads for the time being.
Read more about the Aurora shooting here.
"We have asked affiliates in Colorado to pull down all of our advertising for the time being. Not just contrast spots. It takes time for stations to be able to do this, but we are making every effort," said Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki Friday morning. The campaign initially announced that it would only pull "contrast" ads-negative spots focused on Mitt Romney-before saying it would pull all TV ads running in Colorado.
Those include two entirely positive Spanish-language ads. The ubiquitous negative ad that features Romney singing "America the Beautiful," and which focuses on reports that Bain-owned companies dealt in overseas outsourcing, began running in Colorado a earlier this month.
The ads won't necessarily stop right away. Depending on individual stations and their staffing, it could take a day or two for some of the ads to stop appearing on Colorado airwaves.
After the campaigns' announcements, three outside groups quickly followed suit.
American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, the GOP-aligned super PAC and 501(c)4 nonprofit groups that were co-founded by Karl Rove, says it has requested suspensions of its TV and Internet ads in the state.
"In moments of tragedy like the Aurora shooting, we all stand together as Americans and are reminded of the precious gifts of life, family and community that we share," said Steven Law, president of both groups. "We pause to honor and pray for those whose lives have been tragically cut short, as well as those who must bear this terrible loss. And we give thanks for the powerful spirit of compassion and concern that unites us all in our country and reaches out to those who are in the crucible of suffering."
The pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA Action also has requested Colorado TV stations pull its ads. The group had just released a Spanish-language TV ad Friday morning in conjunction with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which was slated to air in Colorado and which criticized Romney for not releasing more years of his tax returns.
Neither the pro-Obama 501(c)4 nonprofit Priorities USA nor the pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future are currently airing any TV ads in the state.
Colorado is among a handful of swing states that have been saturated with negative campaign ads this summer.
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