Rand Paul helps out Pat Roberts with 6-figure ad buy

TOPEKA, Kan., Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Tea party favorite Rand Paul is throwing his political weight behind Pat Roberts in the Kansas Republican's struggle to retain his Senate seat in Tuesday's election.

RandPac, Paul's political action committee, has produced a new ad touting Roberts' opposition to sending aid to countries "where radicals storm our embassies, burn our flag and kill our diplomats" -- a reference to votes on funding for Egypt, Pakistan and Libya.

The ad is a "six-figure" buy that will run on broadcast, cable and online through election day, said Doug Stafford, executive director of RandPac.

Roberts is in an unexpectedly tight battle with independent Greg Orman, who broke ahead after Democratic nominee Chad Taylor dropped off the ballot. Orman, who has not said which party caucus he would join if he won, has since managed to hang on to a razor-thin edge with a week to go before the vote.

Sen. Paul, a potential 2016 candidate, has been a frequent visitor to Republican campaign stops around the country, appearing in more than 30 states this cycle, RandPac said.

RandPac will also air ads in New Hampshire, Iowa, North Carolina and for his Kentucky colleague Mtich McConnell, and the senator appears in ads for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

He is also scheduled to campaign in Kansas on Tuesday.