DCCC To Run Radio/web Ads Against Boehner And 7 Republicans On Iraq Vote

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching a new radio, web and robo call campaign targeting House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and seven other Republicans for voting "present" on an Iraq War funding bill.

The ads will start this weekend - Memorial Day - and will run all week, except for Florida, where federal campaign rules means the ads will end on Tuesday.

In addition to Boehner, the DCCC is targeting GOP Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (Fla.) and Reps. John Shadegg (Ariz.), Lincoln Diaz Balart (R-Fla.), Tom Feeney (R-Fla.), Randy Kuhl (R-N.Y.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Steve Chabot (R-Ohio).

Democrats are trying to politically punish Boehner and these seven  Republicans, several of whom are considered vulnerable this November, for voting "present" last Thursday on a $163 billion war funding bill. Republicans complained that Democrats bypassed the Appropriations Committee and brought the war-funding measure to the floor as an amendment. Under pressure from their conservative wing, GOP leaders went along with the unusual floor strategy, knowing that their were not enough Democratic supporters to guarantee passage of the amendment, and the measure was defeated. The Senate is expected to approve the war package following the week-long Memorial Day recess, but Democrats want to make Republicans pay a political price now.

“The DCCC is running these ads to hold Republicans accountable for their hypocritical votes on the funding bill for our troops," said Jennifer Crider , the DCCC's communications director. "As Americans are bravely fighting the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Republicans chose to make a political point rather take a stand on funding for our troops. The men and women honorably serving their country don't have the luxury of taking a pass and they deserve better."

Crider would not say how much the DCCC would spend on the ad campaign, but several of the media markets where the ads are running, especially Miami and Chicago, are expensive, even for radio ads.