GOP pursues Obama tactic for Giffords seat

PHOENIX -- Republicans are focusing on President Barack Obama, not Gabrielle Giffords, and sensing a chance to capture the former congresswoman's seat in southern Arizona.

Voters decide in Tuesday's special election whether Republican Jesse Kelly, who narrowly lost to Giffords in 2010, or Democrat Ron Barber, a former Giffords aide asked by her to pursue the seat, will finish the remainder of her term.

Giffords relinquished the seat in January to concentrate on her recovery from a gunshot wound to the head. She and Barber were injured in the January 2011 shooting outside a Tucson grocery store that killed six people, including a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge, and wounded 11 others.

Giffords has shunned most public appearances in the race, but in the closing days is stepping out to help Barber. She joined him at a get-out-the-vote rally Saturday.

Holding onto the seat is crucial for Democrats if they want to regain control of the House. The party needs a net gain of 25 seats in November to grab the majority from Republicans, who now hold a 240-192 advantage with three vacancies, including Giffords' seat. Reflecting the closeness of the Arizona contest, Democrats made a last-minute appeal for money that referred to Kelly as a "radical tea party Republican" and said Barber would fight to continue Giffords' legacy in Congress.

Republicans who scoff at Democratic claims about winning the House have set their sights on Arizona. A victory Tuesday would give party leaders a chance to claim momentum five months before November and fine-tune their plan to link Democratic candidates to Obama.

"Rubber-stamp Ron Barber. More failed Obama policies that hurt Arizona," says the latest television ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Republican-affiliated groups have spent $1.3 million, compared with $900,000 by Democratic-affiliated groups. The outside spending has helped Kelly counter Barber's fundraising edge. Barber had $390,000 cash on hand at the end of May to Kelly's $83,000.

More than 123,000 people had returned ballots since early voting began May 15, and it's anticipated that nearly two-thirds of the votes cast will be done through the early voting.