Update 5:13 p.m.
A pro-Mitt Romney group will start running ads attacking President Obama’s jobs record in Michigan beginning tomorrow.
Recent polls show the president leading his Republican challenger in Michigan. And the Romney campaign has focused its own TV ad spending elsewhere.
Charlie Spies is co-founder of the Restore Our Future "Super PAC." Super PACS can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions and individuals.
Spies says polls suggest Romney is still competitive in Michigan:
“Right now it shows Michigan with a slight Obama lead, but certainly within the margin that it’s competitive. And we’re very optimistic about the upper Midwest…both Wisconsin and Michigan.”
Spies says recent campaign stops in by Vice President Joe Biden and his wife show the Obama campaign is still worried about losing Michigan.
10:48 a.m.
Michigan Radio's Steve Carmody spoke with Restore Our Future reps this morning.
They confirmed that they will start running a new ad in Michigan markets starting tomorrow.
It's a one million dollar ad buy.
They told Carmody they expect to do a similar ad buy in Michigan next week.
10:09 a.m.
Conservative 'Super PACs' supporting Mitt Romney's presidential run recently pulled their ads out of Michigan.
It was an indication the state wasn't polling well for the Republican candidate.
But Sarah Wheaton over at the NY Times blog "The Caucus" writes some Super PAC money might be coming back.
Despite losing traction in the polls after the nominating conventions, Wheaton says Romney has one clear advantage over President Obama - "outside groups with much more money to spend supporting his candidacy and tactically placing their bets in states where they believe he has a chance to win."
Right now, Michigan appears to be a long shot bet for these groups.
Restore Our Future’s $720,000 investment in Michigan is particularly remarkable. Mr. Romney’s campaign and his other allies seem to have all but given up on the state, even though the candidate grew up there and his father, George Romney, was once governor. The Romney campaign itself, which is running state-specific spots in those states it ostensibly considers to be the most in play, left Michigan off that list. ...But the ability of super PACs to raise and spend freely gives them flexibility to invest in some long shots. And it could also provoke the Obama campaign to spend some precious ad dollars on a state it considers relatively safe.
It remains to be seen how the polls will play out in Michigan after a video of Romney was released of the candidate making some potentially politically damaging comments while talking at a private fundraiser earlier this year. The Romney camp quickly put together a press conference to respond to the video.
