Jun 28, 2007

Politico - Dems prepare attack ads against GOP targets

Jun 28, 2007

Politico - Dems prepare attack ads against GOP targets

Democrats are preparing to accuse more than a dozen vulnerable Republican House members of not supporting veterans in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's first issue ad buy of this election cycle.

The DCCC will launch the campaign of e-mails, radio ads and “robocalls” in at least 14 GOP-held House districts next week, according to Democratic officials.

The new effort will focus on some of the top Democratic targets in 2008.

Democratic officials did not detail how much the DCCC planned to spend on the week-long effort, including radio ads, about 50,000 automated phone calls known as “robocalls” and Internet ads. The DCCC will also send two million e-mails as part of the new campaign.

Targeted by the radio ads are Republican Reps. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Sam Graves (Mo.), Robin Hayes (N.C.), Joseph Knollenberg (Mich.), Jon C. Porter (Nev.), Jim Walsh (N.Y.) and Don Young (Alaska).

Republican Reps. Thelma Drake (Va.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), John R. Kuhl (N.Y.), Marilyn Musgrave (Colo.) and Heather Wilson (N.M.) will be the focus of robocalls and Internet ads. And Republican Reps. Phil English (Pa.) and Mike Ferguson (N.J.) will be targeted only on the Internet.

Wilson, who barely won reelection last year, has already been featured in two DCCC radio ads highlighting her involvement in the U.S. attorney scandal.

“Next week, Republicans are going home to talk up their support for our nation’s troops and veterans. But their constituents deserve to know that the Republican record on veterans is all talk and no action,” said DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). “America’s troops and veterans deserve more than patriotic speeches this Independence Day."

The DCCC gathered information for the ad campaign by scrutinizing several years of votes on veteran issues by the targeted lawmakers, DCCC officials said.

For instance, the script of one radio ad, provided by the DCCC, berates Graves for voting against a combat bonus for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“So who would oppose full benefits for all of our nation's disabled veterans? Who would oppose a combat bonus for our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan? Congressman Sam Graves,” the ad says.

“Congressman Graves voted against a $1500 bonus for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. And Graves voted against giving all veterans their full disability and retirement benefits.”

The ad goes on the urge Graves’ constituents to call and “tell him he owes our soldiers and veterans more than patriotic speeches this Fourth of July.”

A spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee could not be immediately reached for comment.

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