Republican Super-PACs have spent $5 million attacking Clinton (from the left) boosting Bernie

[Bill USA]

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/20/bernie-sanders-gets-some-outside-help-he-didnt-ask-for/

Senator Bernie Sanders often boasts that he has no “super PAC” supporting his candidacy and he has vigorously tried to keep any from forming. But he has been getting some unsolicited if mischievous help from Republican groups actively promoting the Vermont senator’s surging campaign.

America Rising, a Republican political action committee, reacted with glee on social media on Tuesday to a CNN/WMUR poll that showed Mr. Sanders with a large lead over Mrs. Clinton in New Hampshire, sharing the news with “BREAKING” qualifiers and links to news stories.

Karl Rove’s American Crossroads recently created an ad parroting Senator Bernie Sanders’s critiques of Mrs. Clinton’s ties to Wall Street, made repeatedly last week in the days before Sunday’s debate.

~~
~~

All of it, of course, is intended to get under Mrs. Clinton’s skin and promote the Democratic candidate they believe would be weaker in a general election. Republican groups and super PACs have spent nearly $5 million targeting Mrs. Clinton so far this cycle. They’ve yet to spend a dollar on advertising attacking Mr. Sanders.

~~
~~

The effort on the right to attack Mrs. Clinton from the left has actually been underway for a while, with groups like American Crossroads and America Rising targeting digital content criticizing Mrs. Clinton’s positions on the Keystone oil pipeline, for example.
(more)

[font size="+1"] Leading Bernie and supporters to the slaughter. The GOP: when it comes to scumbag politics there's none better.[/font]

[Matariki]

1. Hence the need to get rid of super pacs

Clinton supports them. Sanders opposes them. I trust him to work toward putting an end to them.

[Attorney in Texas]

5. Amen! For every penny of PAC money spent against Clinton how many PAC dollars have been spent

promoting her third-way centrist agenda and attacking the platform of the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party?

[BillZBubb]

2. Your implication is pretty naive.

The republicans are convinced Hillary will be the nominee. Their attack adds help Sanders only as a side effect. They want to keep him in the race as long as possible, sure. But they want to damage Hillary as much as possible first and foremost. They are planting their attack themes in the minds of voters. They'll come back with them full throttle in the campaign.

Bernies' supporters don't need, don't want, and don't seek republican help.

[kcjohn1]

4. Clinton people keep telling us

She is inevitable and eventually nominee. Just matter of time. I have heard that Sanders lost when he didn't blow her out in Iowa. Others pointed to crushing 5 point loss in NV. People are pointing to Super Tuesday when she will blow him out. I have seen the 538 99% chance of Clinton win in Super Tuesday states.

Given all that, why they are surprised when Republicans target Clinton vs Sanders? If Clinton is going to be the nominee, doesn't it make sense to start attacking her now? Why would they waste their money on Sanders who has 1% chance of winning?

Think through it. GOP/Karl Rove types are thinking exactly like the Dem establishment. For them the primary is just coronation for Clinton.

[Gothmog]

6. The GOP really wants to run against Sanders since he is the weakest possible general election nomine

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-karl-rove-attack

The Hillary Clinton campaign on Tuesday said that recent attacks from conservatives show that Republicans are hoping Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will win the Democratic nomination because they believe he would be easier to beat in the general election.

In a Tuesday evening statement, the Clinton campaign's communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, mentioned an ad from the Rove-aligned super PAC American Crossroads, which accused Clinton of being in Wall Street's pocket. Palmieri said the ad suggests that Republicans want to face Sanders in the general election.

"While Senator Sanders tries to make a case on electability based on meaningless polls, Republicans and their super PACs have made clear the candidate they’re actually afraid to face. The Sanders argument falls apart when the GOP spokesman is trying to help him and the Republicans run ads trying to stop Hillary Clinton in the primary," she said in the statement.

Karl Rove is running an attack ad against Clinton in the Iowa primary. Rove is doing this for one purpose which is to weaken the strongest candidate

[SidDithers]

7. Nailed it...nt

Sid