John Ensign

Though admittedly financially disadvantaged, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee promised yesterday that his organization would not be outspent in Kentucky by its Democratic counterpart during this fall's campaigns.

"Chuck Schumer and the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee have recently placed television buys totaling approximately $44.8 million in targeted Senate races across the country," said chairman and U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) in a statement. "I will not allow our Republican candidates to be outspent by the DSCC this cycle. Therefore, it is my intention to give the NRSC's IE [independent expenditure] Unit the total budget to match the DSCC dollar for dollar in every state they run ads."

The DSCC's $44.8 million ad buys accounts for a large chunk of their recently reported $46.2 million warchest - an amount that far outweighs the $24.6 million available to Ensign's organization.

U.S. Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.): Getty Images PhotoNational Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee chairman and Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) today defended Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-Louisville) controversial attack ad on his opponent, Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville), arguing it shows a contrast in approaches to the energy between the two candidates.

"Lunsford believes part of the solution is raising taxes," said Ensign during a morning conference call with reporters. "The solution is finding more supplies of energy."

McConnell's ad - the first of the general election campaign - allocates some responsibility for Kentucky's gas tax system to Lunsford, given his work as a legislative liaison in 1980, when the current structure was implemented. That structure ties the Commonwealth's gas tax rate to the wholesale price of gasoline rather than setting a flat rate, with revenue going to road projects.

The ad charges the tax changes have cost Kentucky residents "hundreds of millions."

So much for Mitch McConnell's hopes to become the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate. His campaign chief, NRSC Chairman John Ensign (R-NV) told a Washington newspaper last week that he didn't the Republicans to pick up enough Senate seats in November 2008 to take control.