Dems attack Mourdock on Chrysler bankruptcy fight

Indiana Democrats attacked Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock on Monday for opposing the 2009 Chrysler bankruptcy, a position they see as his biggest weakness.

Mourdock was state treasurer when Chrysler filed for bankruptcy.

Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker released legal invoices from Mourdock's attempt to block the Chrysler deal, which he says put the state in a bad spot. Democrats plan to follow the rollout of the legal invoices in the next six weeks with a statewide tour targeted at communities that would have lost the most jobs if Mourdock's 2009 legal challenge was successful.

"I think this goes to the judgment of the two candidates," Parker said, shortly after ticking through a legal document Monday. "Richard Mourdock was politically motivated. They wanted to blow up the company; it would have cost us thousands of jobs."

Mourdock has credited his 2009 fight against the Chrysler bankruptcy with building his national profile. He has said consistently since then, including throughout his successful primary battle against U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, that he would do the same thing again if given the chance.

Mourdock "stood on principle and fought for Indiana's retired teachers and state police officers against the federal government takeover of Chrysler," Mourdock spokesman Chris Conner said in a prepared statement.

The state Democratic party released a series of invoices it says shows the fight cost the state $2.8 million. The treasurer's office contests that figure, saying only $2.05 million was spent on the case after the law firm, White and Case, agreed to reduce its costs.

Both campaigns are entering a critical final stretch, with four months to go before November's election. The equivalent play by Republicans has been grilling the Democratic candidate, U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, for voting in favor of the federal health care law.

The new push from the Democrats came as Donnelly's campaign announced it raised roughly $900,000 in the last three months and has $1.2 million cash in the bank. The Mourdock campaign announced it raised $1.6 million in that same period but did not immediately say how much cash it had on hand.