The Democratic National Committee is putting a second television ad on national cable today as the party keeps Rep. Joe Barton’s apology to BP alive and tries to capitalize on it in time for the midterm Congressional elections. The first effort led to donations in the “significant six figures,” the DNC said.
The ad, obtained by TPMDC, links Barton to Senate candidate Rand Paul (R-KY) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN).
The DNC was attempting to “amplify” White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s message over the weekend that Barton’s comments about the spill and the escrow account for claims being a “shakedown” are part of a governing philosophy.
“This is how Republicans would govern,” the narrator says in the 30-second spot.
A Democratic source said the first ad telling Republicans to “stop apologizing” prompted donors to open their wallets and energized party activists so much that the DNC wants to keep the flap in the spotlight. The party believes it’s a “golden opportunity to define the choice voters are facing this fall.”
The Democrats also think they’ve found the issue that can help turn around what’s been a tough slog for the party and the Obama White House and try to convince voters the GOP is the party of big oil. That message is one they will play on repeat “over and over again.”
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