Looking at the barrage of last minute television ads by the group “Independent Women’s Voice” attacking Ed Case are a reminder that the GOP sees Case as the only viable challenger in this race.

The group’s report to the Federal Election Commission on May 7 reports expenditures for production and subsequent media buys for “Case Closed”, targeting the former congressman.

IWV paid a total of $237,500 to Victory Media Group for handling this attack ad, according to the report.

The group’s web site points to a report in the Washington Examiner:

IVW took a poll showing that Case had more potential to gain votes than the other Democrat, state Senator Colleen Hanabusa, who is part of the longtime Hawaii Democratic machine which held the governorship and the legislature from 1962 to 2002. Case, who opposed the machine-backed incumbent Senator Daniel Akaka in the 2006 Democratic primary, potentially had some credibility as a reform-minded candidate.

Independent Women’s Voice says it’s nonpartisan, but its self-description doesn’t come across that way.

…IWV is dedicated to promoting limited government, free markets, and personal responsibility. Our most significant efforts include advocating for authentic feminism that embraces children and respects men; school choice and education reform; and, sound, non-politicized science; and, fights against higher taxes and wasteful government spending.

The group identifies itself as the “sister organization” to the Independent Women’s Forum.

Right Wing Watch, a project of People for the American Way, offer this summary of IWF:

The Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) is an anti-feminist organization housing various “experts” who weigh in on a wide array of issues ranging from feminism and family issues to economics, environmental policy, and international affairs. IWF bills itself as the “home to the next wave of the nation’s most influential scholars— women who are committed to promoting and defending economic opportunity and political freedom.”

Politico.com noted that Lynn Cheney is director emerita of IWF.

A check of the group’s Facebook page includes several messages from Tracy Nakano Bean, a Republican who is challenging incumbent Jill Tokuda in Senate District 24 (Kailua-Kaneohe), linking herself to the conservative group’s positions.

Earlier this year, IWV was forced to drop one of its attack ads against a Michigan Democrat after it was found to contain inaccuracies.

The ad was played on a handful of radio stations across the 7th Congressional District, including WKHM, but was pulled from the air after Schauer’s office contacted the stations.

It stated the freshman Democrat voted for a bill that “asks Michigan voters to pay for Nebraska’s Medicaid” — which is not true. The provision, also known as the “Cornhusker kickback” added by Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, was part of the Senate version of the health-care bill, and of course Schauer, being a member of the House, voted for the House bill that had no such provision.

Workers for a Better Hawaii, funded by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, is also making independent expenditures in the congressional campaign. Its radio ads attack both Djou and Case, according to its reports filed with the FEC.