Health Care Ad Wars: Lots Of TV In A Few Swing Districts

TV ads are up and running--in a big way--in the districts of moderate House members, as interest groups either thank them for their votes on the House health care bill or attack them for voting the "wrong" way.

At least 17 House members will have ads running in their districts next week, as a couple new campaigns are getting underway. Here's what those members--most of whom are considered vulnerable in 2010--have to look forward to.


The Service Employees International Union says will spend around $1 million on a week of TV ads thanking eight members of Congress in swing districts for their "yes" votes, most likely starting on Friday.

Those members are Reps. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), Baron Hill (D-IN), Mike Michaud (D-ME), Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), Dina Titus (D-NV), Paul Hodes (D-NH), and Tom Perriello (D-VA).

The liberal pressure group Americans United for Change and the labor union AFSCME, meanwhile, say that together they will spend between $600,000 and $700,000 on TV ads in those districts over the next week, plus ads in the districts held by Reps. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Joseph Cao (R-LA), Vic Snyder (D-AR), and Gerry Connolly (D-VA)--all of whom voted "yes." See one of the ads below:


The 60 Plus Association, a free-enterprise seniors group that opposes Democratic health care reforms, is spending $1.5 million to air TV ads in all of the above districts, except those held by Cao, Murphy, Berry, Hodes, and Michaud--those districts will see phone calls urging seniors to call their representatives--plus TV ads in the district of Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA). Reps. Joe Klein (D-FL), Bob Etheridge (D-NC), and Christopher Carney (D-PA) will also get phone calls in their districts. The campaign was announced last week. Here's the ad targeting Snyder:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, meanwhile, is airing TV ads in 11 districts in 10 states attacking Democrats for voting in favor of the House health care bill Nov. 7, plus more TV ads in nine districts across five states thanking Democrats who voted against it. It has not publicly announced which districts those ads are running in.