Suppose you're an endangered Republican Senator from MN

Suppose you're a endangered Republican Senator from Minnesota. Suppose you wanted to attack your opponent who has drawn even with you despite you and your buddies relentless attacks. Suppose you didn't want to pay for it because you want to save as much as possible of your corporate donations for attacks during the final weeks of the campaign. Suppose you didn't want the attack to come from you.

Suppose you're the businessman who would receive substantial financial gain if a certain endangered Minnesota Republican Senator were to be reelected. In other words, suppose you are the businessman who has received over $1.5 million worth of business from this endangered Republican Senator from Minnesota. Let's also suppose that your wife works for this Senator. Let's further suppose that this Senator rents a place from you in DC. Let's suppose even further that your company office-shares with the endangered Senator's campaign. Let's finally suppose your company does a lot of business with the Chamber of Commerce.

Suppose you're the Chamber of Commerce. Wouldn't you want to attack your endangered Republican friend's opponent? Wouldn't you want to help a businessman who stands to lose a large chunk of business if this endangered friend loses?

It appears that Sen. Norm Coleman has been working with Jeff Larson's company (FLS Connect) to create a Chamber of Commerce sponsored attack ad against Al Franken. FLS Connect does a lot of work for both Sen. Coleman and the Chamber of Commerce.

A top client of GOP convention CEO Jeff Larson -- the same St. Paul, Minn. operative who rented a $600 room-plus-commode to Minn. Sen. Norm Coleman -- is uncorking a second round of negative ads against Coleman opponent Al Franken.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a client of Larson's communications consulting firm FLS-Connect, has begun running a 30-second spot ridiculing Franken's failure to report his stand-up income in 17 states.

The chamber has just bought $42,500 in ads on the local ABC affiliate in Minneapolis and is also running spots on FOX stations and on outlets in Duluth and Rochester.
(Politico)