American Crossroads and the Map

The New York Times reports:

Carl Forti, who helped orchestrate spending decisions for American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, two groups linked to Karl Rove, said the goal all along was to expand the political map, putting Democrats on the defensive. Even if Democratic candidates ultimately won some of those races, he said, the spending by Republican-leaning groups was still useful.

“All of those things impact the whole playing field,” Mr. Forti said. “It’s not just wins and losses.”

Together, the Crossroads groups reported spending about $36 million on 40 House or Senate races, according to Federal Election Commission records. Republican candidates won 23 of them, or about 58 percent.

The Crossroads groups initially focused on Senate races, before turning to House contests. But some of their late investments in the House seem to have made a difference, like in Minnesota, where they went after Representative James L. Oberstar in a television advertisement last week, and in California, where they attacked Representative Jim Costa. Both are veteran lawmakers who raised far more than their challengers. Both men lost.