by Mark Silva
In the roiling mix of political crosswinds that may come to characterize the 2009-2010 elections -- in which a Republican quit one congressional race to campaign for the winning Democrat, and in which the president's party was turned away in the two gubernatorial elections held -- a new union-backed ad for a Republican congressman is Exhibit No. 3.
It's not just any Republican congressman. It's the one who voted for the Democratic leadership's health-care bill in the House. In the aftermath of the vote, a Democrat-allied group is campaigning against Democrats who voted against the bill, and a coalition of Democrat-allied unions are boosting the Republican who voted for it.
In the ad that the unions are airing in New Orleans, Republican Rep. Anh ''Joseph'' Cao is hailed for joining the narrowly winning side of the 220-215 House vote for health-care legislation. Cao knows "it's time to take power back from the insurance companies,'' the ad tells viewers in his district, "time to reign in skyrocketing insurance premiums.... time to stand up to the insurance companies and fight for us.''
It's an overwhelmingly Democratic district, and Cao holds the seat largely because of the former Democratic congressman's corruption conviction.
And the unions backing the Americans United for Change campaign for health-care reform would like to see Cao keep the seat of former Rep. William Jefferson, judging from their ad that will air there this week, part of an 11-district TV ad campaign thanking members of Congress for voting for the Affordable Health Care for America Act.
Six of the ads also are supported by AFSCME, with a total $350,000 budgeted to air them on a mix of broadcast and cable stations in the districts, the group says.
"It's also a message to all members of Congress that supporters of health insurance reform will have their backs if they choose in the end to side with the AARP, the American Medical Association and the clear majority of the American people,'' says Jeremy Funk, a spokesman for Americans United for Change.
The beneficiaries of the union ads, in addition to Cao, are these Democrats: Rep. Chris Carney (PA-, with ads airing in Scranton, Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-3), with ads in Erie, Zachary Space (OH), with ads in Columbus, Steve Driehaus (OH), with ads in Cincinnati, Baron Hill (IN), with ads in Louisville, Brad Ellsworth (IN), with ads in Terre Haute, Marion Berry (AR), and Vic Snyder (AR), with ads in Little Rock and Jonesboro,
Ciro Rodriguez (TX) with ads in San Antonio, and Tom Perriello (VA) with ads in Roanoke.
MoveOn.org and the Democratic National Committee are taking quite another tack in the aftermath of the House vote, however -- targeting opponents of the health-care bill in districts which they view as vulnerable in the mid-term elections.
MoveOn.org is airing a 30-second TV spot targeting the 39 Democratic congressmen who voted against the House's bill Saturday night. The first group targeted in the ad is seven congressmen of the 39 who voted no.
The DNC is targeting 32 House Republicans in districts which President Barack Obama carried in 2008 with a "multi-media campaign'' of press releases, Op-Eds and letters to the editor, emails and local events challenging the incumbents.
The party's targets: Reps. Dan Lungren (CA-3), Elton Gallegly (CA-24), Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (CA-25), David Dreier (CA-26), Ken Calvert (CA-44), Mary Bono Mack (CA-45), John Campbell (CA-48), Brian P. Bilbray (CA-50), Michael N. Castle (DE-AL), C.W. Bill Young (FL-10), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18), Peter Roskam (IL-6), Mark Steven Kirk (IL-10), Judy Biggert (IL-13), Donald Manzullo (IL-16), Tom Latham (IA-4), Dave Camp (MI-4), Fred Upton (MI-6), Mike Rogers (MI-8), Thaddeus McCotter (MI-11), Erik Paulsen (MN-3), Lee Terry (NE-2), Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-2), Leonard Lance (NJ-7), Pat Tiberi (OH-12), Jim Gerlach (PA-6), Charlie Dent (PA-15), J. Randy Forbes (VA-4), Frank R. Wolf (VA-10), Dave Reichert (WA-8), Paul D. Ryan (WI-1), Tom Petri (WI-6)
"You would think a member of Congress should think twice about voting against health insurance reform that their families and small businesses so desperately need and want,'' the DNC's Hari Sevugan says. "But you have to think to vote against health insurance reform in a congressional district won by President Obama just a year ago could be a political death knell at a time when Americans are clamoring for solutions to vexing issues like health care.''
With a House vote behind it, a tougher Senate vote ahead and the task of reconcilation between the two beyond that, the White House maintains that it still is holding to an "end of the year'' deadline for passage of a bill.
Comments
Can anyone explain to me why this past summer my paycheck got bigger cause my Federal tax rate went down when Obama passed the stimulus bill? Did Obama lower my taxes????
Posted by: Gus | November 10, 2009 10:23 AM
Underway !!? They have been the content of our commercials since Bush&Cheney left town !! The difference being, those commercials, obviously or subtly, that are against Healthcare Reform are being paid for, by the Healthcare Corporations, which are not only passing on the cost to us, the consumers, but are also writing-off that cost, as a business expense. Those Corporations sure know a good " government-run " program, when they see one, don't they ?? !!
While those in favor of Healthcare Reform, for the most part, are funding their commercials through donations, voluntarily. Once again, capitalism has turned our democracy on its head !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | November 10, 2009 11:10 AM
And the AARP is backing the Obamacare plan because they sell supplimental insurance coverage to their members for all the stuff that Medicare does not cover.
The same stuff that Obamacare will not cover, therefore, requiring supplimental insurance coverage for American seniors to survive! AARP boast's about MILLION'S of member's and that's where the money is!
Boy, there's alway's a buck to made when you have the in's on government programs!
Hey Don! a challenge to you. Try to make a comment that does not invoke the Bush-Cheney diaper rash you carry in your shorts!
Posted by: springfield | November 10, 2009 12:32 PM
IT IS NOT REFORM, it is a take over. And 52% of the people opposed this bill. Its democrats drinking the kool-aid that are buying in to the spin from their own party. Only 25% Strongly Support the plan while 42% are Strongly Opposed. The latest numbers show support from 81% of those in the president’s party. The plan is opposed by 90% of Republicans and 58% of unaffiliated voters. And this poll was done before Saturday's vote what will the numbers say in this weekly poll by Rasmussen.
And lets not forget that it was only Rasmussen (again) that got all the races on the 3rd right.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | November 10, 2009 9:49 PM
I wonder how much of the money they spend on these adds could go twoards funding real solutions like this?: http://cli.gs/23yYaM/
Posted by: Stephanie Hunter | November 10, 2009 10:53 PM
I applaud Cao for standing up for whats right- this is what American's need to survive and thrive! http://www.newsy.com/videos/lone_republican_votes_for_health_care_reform
Posted by: Ashley | November 11, 2009 6:20 PM
Why isn't John Adler, D-NJ being targeted. He voted against health care reform?
Posted by: Don Dileo | November 13, 2009 9:43 AM