A group called American Working Families said it’s not campaign-related.

Gov. Corbett is in the middle of his first term. Now, he finds himself the target of a strong attack ad funded by a Washington-based group called American Working Families.

“We’re launching a two-week ad campaign, drawing attention to Gov. Corbett’s record with middle class people. He’s one of the worst governors in the country when it comes to helping the middle class and he’s been making things harder for them,” the group’s founder, Bud Jackson, said.

[worldnow id=7340422 width=385 height=255 type=video]

Jackson, the group’s founder, said Corbett is duplicitous, a charge the ad makes directly.

“Corporate friends and campaign donors – he chose to give them tax breaks. His staff – pay raises. And a new SUV for himself and his wife while eliminating health care for our children and cutting our schools by more than $1 billion,” Jackson said.

The ad, which is meant to be educational and not political, is timed to influence the budget season in Harrisburg.

“It’s time Pennsylvania citizens stood up and took notice of what’s going on, especially as we head into the budget session,” Jackson said.

However, it is unknown who is paying for these ads.

KDKA-TV’s Jon Delano: Who’s paying for these ads?

Jackson: All the money is being generated from people inside Pennsylvania.

Delano: Their names?

Jackson: We’re not releasing their names. A lot of them are fearful of a vengeful governor. But also we’re not legally obligated to, and we’re not going to.

The ad is called a 501-c-4 issue ad. That means as long as the ad does not urge you to vote for or against somebody, the donors can remain anonymous.

The substance of the ad is one that the Legislature will be addressing in the next few weeks.

The budget is supposed to be approved by June 30.

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From 0 to 29: this week's Republican front-runner

Posted by:  Bud Jackson

Texas Governor Rick Perry executed a flawless strategy getting into the Republican primary campaign for president.  Now, a new Gallup poll has him surging into a 12-point lead over former front-runner, Mitt Romney.

Perhaps just as important, if not more important, Perry also enjoys more intensity in support — which is quite important when it comes to turning out ones vote on primary election day.

Perry’s supporters are more than twice as intense in their commitment to Perry than Romney supporters are with their candidate, also according to Gallup.

Of course the lack of Romney supporter intensity is not surprising.  It’s one of the main reasons Perry was able to get into the race and vault to the top.  It’s also why the Republican field remains fluid.  There is no 800-lb. guerilla in this race and nobody ever believed Romney had the support needed to walk away with the nomination.  He has money to go long.  So will Perry.

Perry and Romney are top-tier candidates.  Bachmann is struggling to join them.  But names such as Palin, Guiliani and who know who else? may still drop into the race during the coming days/weeks.  Each of these people has the potential to raise the money needed to extend their campaigns longer into the primary season than Republicans would like to see.  All the personalities are strong, some quirky, and even unpredictable which virtually guarantees volatility.

(So at least President Obama has that going for him as he works to shift into Campaigner in Chief.)

Bottom-line: The Republican primary contest is likely to be a long, costly, bloody road to the nomination.  While Perry is viewed as the front-runner this week, it could change with a sudden jolt — just as it did to Mitt Romney.

As the 2012 campaign kicks into gear, Republicans can look forward to getting their lunch handed to them for defending Wall Street.  The question is:  will all the campaign money that finds them from Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, etc. be a net-win for their candidacy?

Democrats need to be unequivocal in their criticism of Republicans’ reckless and blind support for Wall Street.  President Obama should double-down on Wall Street reforms and the need for stricter government oversight.  There’s no room for compromise with the banking barons.  They’ve already cost us too much.

Add our Arkansas Business sister publication, the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal, to those encircling the microblogging phenom, focusing on the growth of the service (Pew numbers) and a prominent NW Tweeter, Elise Mitchell, who we follow on Twitter here and who in her spare time runs Mitchell Communications Group of Fayetteville:

Despite its sophomoric moniker, Twitter is really a business tool, she said, which can be used to build a community around shared interests. The hook? Twitter’s microblogs, called tweets, limit you to 140 characters, so you’ve got to be succinct.

A recent post on Mitchell’s page read: “Looking for ways to measure ROI for businesses of social media participation? Great blog post: http://tinyurl.com/btel7q.”

“I assure you, you will get more out of it than you ever put into it,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell’s not the only one in her shop who’s Twittering, as you can tell by the company blog. Meanwhile, we’ll note some new additions to the Arkansas Twittersphere, and you can see my Unofficial Official Arkansas Twitter Directory for more.

John Brummett: He started this month, but I only caught up with him a week or two ago. Be patient. He’s not quite figured out linking, and sometimes he refers to Web sites without naming them!

Bud Jackson: Lt. Gov. Bill Halter’s lottery henchman and political gun for hire. But: Intrigue! He might not let you follow him! So far, we’re lucky.

Robert Herzfeld: The Saline Couty Circuit Judge is getting his feet wet, holding forth on “Lost.” Just what is the deal with that crazy island?

Skip Rutherford: Chief Friend of Bill and Think Tank Dad is musing on the city’s best desserts, some political matters and goings-on at the Clinton School of Public Service, where’s he’s Dean.

The Northwest Arkansas Times: The formerly independent newspaper has been under Walter Hussman’s thumb for years now, but that hasn’t stopped them from Twittering! See also: WholeHogSports.

Mark Martin: The Republican state rep has been getting hammered by Maximus for his bad spelling (glass houses …) but keeps on keeping-on.

Steve Arrison: Presumably the same Arrison at the Hot Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau, but sadly no updates yet — unless we’ve been blocked. Horror!

KNWA: The Nexstar-owned Northwest Arkansas TV operation has two flavors so far, KNWAWeekends and KNWAFOXDirector (Bruce Thomas). One is more active than the other.

Dana Sargent: TV anchor at another Northwest Arkansas TV station. It’s okay if you’re impressed.

Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle, is under fire for leaving the impression that she hasn’t been proud of her country until now, when Democrats are beginning to rally around her husband’s campaign.

Speaking in Milwaukee, Wis., on Monday, she said, “People in this country are ready for change and hungry for a different kind of politics and … for the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.”

Greeted with rousing applause after making the comment in Milwaukee, Obama delivered an amended version of the speech later that day in Madison, Wis.

“For the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country … not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change,” she said. “I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment.”

Obama was born in 1964, meaning her adult life began in 1982. Critics quickly seized on the newfound national pride.

“I am proud of my country,”  John McCain’s wife, Cindy, said at a campaign stop in Brookfield, Wis., Tuesday. “I don’t know if you heard those words earlier … but I am very proud of my country.”

Peace and Freedom Thought:

Knowing that the Republican front runner was a former military man and POW alone should have forced Mrs. Obama to think through her remark a bit better.  This was a gigantic gaffe for a liberal who will now be branded, and maybe appropriately, by many as un-American.