All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

Both supporters and opponents of health care reform continue to flood the airwaves with new ads, after already spending hundreds of millions on television ads so far this year.

The progressive group Health Care for America Now, in conjunction with the labor union the AFSCME, is launching ads in 20 House districts today to say "thank you" to members who voted in favor of the bill on Saturday.

The ad titled "About More," shown at left for Rep. Dina Titus (Nev.), says supporting the bill is "about more than just health care. It's about helping small businesses survive and growing the economy."

The labor-backed group Americans United for Change is also airing ads to thank an additional 11 members, including Republican Rep. Joseph Cao (La.).

These ads follow a set of negative ads launched Monday by the liberal group MoveOn.org, targeting Democrats who voted against the bill, including Rep. Mike Ross (Ark.).

"A courageous group of representatives stood tall, and voted to help lower costs and ensure access to affordable health care for millions," the ad says. "Our representative, Mike Ross, stood small... and voted no. Call and tell him how little you think of his vote."

Ads against the Democratic measure continue as well. The new conservative League of American Voters is airing an ad against it in seven states and on national cable, Politico reports.

Supporters of reform have outspent opponents so far this year, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group. About $63 million has been spent on ads favoring Democrats' plans, while $52 million has been spent on ads opposed to them, the Washington Post reports. In total, more than $150 million has reportedly been spent this year on health care-related television ads.

While health care reform has taken center stage in Washington, the fierce fight over climate change legislation continues this week with more than $1 million in new attack ads launched today, Politico reports.

Four liberal groups -- the League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, MoveOn.org and Americans United for Change -- are running ads against five House Republicans who voted against the American Clean Energy and Security Act in June, to send the message that there is a political cost to opposing the measure.

The ads target Reps. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.), Denny Rehberg (R- Mont.), Roy Blunt (R- Mo.), Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.). They blast the congressmen for voting "'No' to the jobs we really need" in favor of supporting "big oil and energy interests."

While they attack the House members, the ads are running in states with moderate Senate Democrats who could be sympathetic to industries that oppose the legislation. Democrats in the Senate intend to address climate change next month.

Meanwhile, a progressive religious advocacy group is running radio ads to thank congressmen who voted in favor of the House bill.

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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a powerful business lobbying group, will begin airing a 30 second TV ad today criticizing the current health care reform plans in Congress and "calling for responsible health reform."

The ad will air in about 20 states, including Arkansas, Colorado, and Nebraska, and is targeted to areas where lawmakers are undecided on reform efforts.

The ad shows a balloon being inflated with words "tax increases, swelling deficits, government control" written on it. A voiceover notes that the Congressional Budget Office predicts the deficit will grow $239 billion if one form of health care reform is passed.

The balloon eventually bursts, as the voiceover says: "Tell Congress, 'Let's slow down and reform health care the right way.'"

The health insurance industry released a television advertisement today that expresses support for bipartisan health care reform and the expansion of insurance coverage.

Released by America's Health Insurance Plans, which represents 1,300 member companies, the 30 second spot supports reform that makes pre-existing conditions "a thing of the past."

"Illness doesn't care where you live, or if you're already sick, or if you lose your job," the ad states. "Your health insurance shouldn't either."

The advertisement paints a sharp contrast with the Health Insurance Association of America's "Harry and Louise" ads of the early 1990s, which helped sink support of President Clinton's health care plan.

Instead of directly addressing the insurance industry's opposition to a public option, the ad poses insurance companies as an ally of health reform and shows support for extending the health and financial security insurance provides to all Americans.

"If everyone's covered, we can make health care as affordable as possible," the ad states.

While the ad endorses key policy reforms such as new market rules and consumer protection, the insurance companies still oppose the Obama administrations proposed government health care plan that would compete with the private insurers.

A statement released by AHIP says that the reform highlighted by the ad provides "a workable framework on which policymakers can build without creating a government run plan that would disrupt the quality coverage Americans currently have and want to keep."

In addition to this commercial, the Republican National Committee has released an aggressive advertisement against President Obama's health plan, calling it a "risky experiment."

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The Republican National Committee launched an offensive against President Obama's government-run health insurance option, with a television ad that will be broadcasted in select markets in Arkansas, Nevada and North Dakota.

Titled "The Grand Experiment," the 30-second ad labels Mr. Obama's proposed reform as a “risky experiment with our health care,” saying that such a program will drive up the nation’s debt while unemployment rates remain at historic highs.

Dubbing the stimulus package as the "the biggest spending spree in our nation's history," the ad claims that the next generation will be forced to pay for new health care spending.

Children are seen in the background of the video with a voice-over stating, " they’ve loaned Barack Obama their future, without even knowing it. Trillions for rushed government bailouts and takeovers, banks, the auto industry.”

In addition to the ad launch, RNC Chairman Michael Steele strongly criticized the president's health care plan at the National Press Club this morning today, calling Mr. Obama's plan "socialism."

"Obama-Pelosi want to start building a colossal, closed health care system where Washington decides. Republicans want and support an open health care system where patients and doctors make the decisions," Steele said.

The video is accompanied by a RNC Web site, the Barack Obama Experiment website, aimed at raising opposition to Mr. Obama's health care reform. On the Web site, Steele describes the president's plan as proposing "more debt, more risk, and more experimentation."

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A consortium of liberal groups called the Coalition for Constitutional Values has released a campaign-style ad in support of President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.

The 30-second spot features audio of the president discussing what he seeks in a nominee as Sotomayor's accomplishments and biography appear onscreen, along with photos of the judge.

The accomplishments listed as the president speaks of seeking "someone with a sharp and independent mind" include the fact that Sotomayor was first appointed by George H.W. Bush, a Republican president.

As Mr. Obama is heard saying he wants someone who understands that justice is about "how our laws affect the daily realities of peoples' lives," it is noted that Sotomayor's father died when she was nine years old.

The spot goes on to call Sotomayor principled and fair-minded and say she is "keeping faith with our Constitutional values." It will run on national network news and cable news beginning today, according to the coalition, at a six-figure cost. Watch it below.

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Both liberals and conservatives took to the airwaves today with a series of new advertisements about government spending.

Liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org released a TV ad about health insurance in Iowa, Montana and Washington D.C., where the hottest battles over health are expected to be fought. The 30-second spot features two undertakers fretting that public health care will drive them out of business.

“A public health care plan means affordable health care for everyone. And you know what that means,” says one undertaker, fretfully.

“More healthy people living longer,” responds his unhappy coworker. That prompts the first man to say, in reference to President Obama, “this guy’s killing us.”



“Senators [Max] Baucus (D-MT) and [Chuck] Grassley (R-IA) are at the center of the fight for real health care reform," said Justin Ruben, Executive Director of MoveOn, in a statement. "They have a responsibility to stand with the overwhelming majority of Americans who want the choice of a public health insurance plan – but instead, Senator Grassley and Congressional Republicans have been standing with the insurance companies and special interests.”

Not to be outdone, the National Republican Congressional Committee is running five radio ads targeting the fiscally conservative "blue dog" Democrats for supporting the $787 billion stimulus bill. The ad, run in the districts of Marion Berry (AR-01), Charlie Melancon (LA-03), Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL), Zack Space (OH-18) and John Tanner (TN-08), charges the legislators with being House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's "lap dogs."

Click here to listen to one of the NRCC ads.

The Democratic National Committee is readying a television ad trumpeting President Barack Obama's accomplishments as his first 100 days comes to a close.

The 60-second ad, titled “The First 100 Days: Laying A Foundation For Change”, shifts between clips of campaign promises followed by video or Mr. Obama signing related legislation into law.

The president's economic recovery act is chief among the ad's highlights, along with the signings of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, making it easier for women to sue for equal pay, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg this morning joined relatives of those murdered at Virginia Tech two years ago to unveil a new ad pushing for the closure of the so-called gun show loophole.

CBS' "60 Minutes" explored the loophole, which exists in Virginia and a number of other states, in last night's broadcast. It allows those who are not professional gun sellers to sell weapons – including assault weapons – to buyers without a background check.

As detailed last night, the loophole means that so-called "occasional sellers" can sell guns out of their home or cars and at gun shows without background checks. At gun shows, many "occasional sellers" walk around carrying the guns over their shoulders. Attached to the guns are signs advertizing their availability.

The new ad, which comes both on the second anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre and the tenth anniversary of the killings at Columbine high school, features Omar Samaha, whose sister Reema was one of the 31 people killed at Virginia Tech.

"Her killer got his guns because of a gap in Virginia's gun background checks," Samaha says. "There's still another huge loophole – the gun show loophole, which allows convicted criminals to purchase guns completely unchecked."

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A group called the National Organization for Marriage, which worked to overturn gay marriage in California, is out with a controversial new ad that suggests opponents of same-sex marriage are now being victimized for their beliefs.

"There's a storm gathering," one woman says as the spot opens. Says another woman: "I am afraid."

Later in the spot, a man says same-sex marriage advocates "want to bring the issue into my life." He is followed by a woman who says "my freedom will be taken away."

Another woman says same-sex marriage advocates "want to change the way I live." A teenage girl intones, "I will have no choice."

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