Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock is getting new help today from one of the outside groups that attacked Dick Lugar for his benefit during the GOP primary race.  The Club for Growth adds an interesting twist to the Senate race because the Washington-based political action committee led by former Indiana Congressman Chris Chocola.  He lost his seat in Congress to Joe Donnelly, the candidate now under attack in Club for Growth ads.

The new ads seek to undo the bi-partisan image Joe Donnelly touts in his own ads calling him a “typical Washington liberal.”  It’s an $800,000 ad buy.  For Chocola and the Club for Growth it’s an attack on an old opponent.  Chocola beat Joe Donnelly in 2004 and lost to him in 2006.  Reached by phone in Elkhart, he said it’s not personal, “This is about the country.” said Chocola. “It’s not about me or him.  It’s about having policies that get us back on track.”

That’s the same reason Club for Growth attacked Dick Lugar in the spring.  Then, Mourdock welcomed the help and now his campaign spokesman says the Club for Growth ads are accurate.  New Mourdock ads contain a similar message saying, “Washington politicians like President Obama and Congressman Donnelly had their chance but they’ve only made things worse.”

A Donnelly campaign spokesman says the ads are evidence that Mourdock’s Washington supporters have hit the panic button.  The Democrat wants to focus on jobs.  “Richard Mourdock wants to play a national game,” says Donnelly.  “He wants to get involved in national discussions.  I want to make sure the family in Bedford, or Evansville, or Mitchell has a chance to have a good job next year.”

But if Joe Donnelly is to win the Senate race he must defeat Chris Chocola again.