TPMDC Americans United For Change
Debt ceiling
With Default Closer Than Ever, Labor Targets GOP With New Ad Blitz
"Thank Rep. Eric Cantor When Your Check Doesn't Come" TV Ad
It's fair to say that if they're not paying attention already, the debt ceiling crisis will likely be on the minds of Americans this weekend as the August 2nd deadline for default draws nigh. And as they tune in, a coalition of labor groups hope to use a new TV ad campaign to remind Americans of their side of the story.
The coalition -- made up of AFSCME, SEIU, the NEA and Americans United For Change -- has dropped ads on eight states targeting Republican politicians over the debt ceiling crisis, which seems destined to drag on until the bitter end -- or maybe after, taking the nation into default. The message from labor: "If the Social Security checks, veterans' benefits, military pay Americans are counting on don't arrive after August 2, thank Republicans in Congress."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: AFSCME, Americans United For Change, Debt Ceiling, Debt ceiling, SEIU
Medicare
Significant New Progressive Ad Campaign Targets Republicans For Voting To End Medicare (VIDEO)
In a significant escalation of the progressive campaign to make Republicans pay a political price for voting to end Medicare, the progressive advocacy group Americans United for Change will run broadcast TV ads in the districts of Reps. Steve King (R-IA), Sean Duffy (R-WI), Chip Cravaack (R-MN), and Paul Ryan (R-WI).
"What are House Republicans thinking asking millions of seniors, the less fortunate and the disabled to make more sacrifices and the richest among us to make less," says AUC executive Tom McMahon in a statement.
If Republicans have their way, there would be no more guaranteed Medicare benefits for America's seniors, only a guarantee of paying more and more out of pocket for less care after being left to the mercy to the private insurance industry. There would only be a guarantee that millions of Americans would lose their jobs - only a guarantee that America's poor and disabled will live sicker and die younger while millionaires get another tax break they don't need and the nation cannot afford. This is not a path to prosperity, only a path to bankrupting seniors so Paris Hilton and BP can have another tax break. And there's nothing courageous about that.PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Americans United For Change, Budget, Chip Cravaack, Medicare, Paul Ryan, Republicans, Sean Duffy, Steve King, Town Hall Meetings
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
GOP Takes Harsher Stance Toward Islam
Politico reports: "The harsh Republican response to President Barack Obama's defense of a mosque near ground zero marks a dramatic shift in the party's posture toward Islam -- from a once active courtship of Muslim voters to a very public tolerance after Sept. 11 to an openly aired sense of mistrust. Republican leaders have largely abandoned former President George W. Bush's post-Sept. 11 rhetorical embrace of American Muslims and his insistence -- always controversial inside the party -- that Islam is a religion of peace. This weekend, former Bush aides were among the very few Republicans siding with Obama, as many of the party's leaders have moved toward more vocal denunciations of Islam's role in violence abroad and suspicion of its place at home."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from the White House at 9:15 a.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 9:30 a.m. ET, arriving at 11:15 a.m. ET in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At 11:50 a.m. ET, he will tour the ZBB Corporation Manufacturing Facility, and at 12:10 p.m. ET he will deliver remarks to workers. At 2:25 p.m. ET, he will deliver remarks at an event for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor. He will depart from Milwaukee at 3:25 p.m. ET, arriving at 7:10 p.m. ET in Los Angeles, California. He will deliver remarks at 10:05 p.m. ET, at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraising event.
Topics: 'Ground Zero Mosque', 2010 elections, Americans United For Change, Barack Obama, Islam, Roundup, Stimulus, Tom Barrett, WI-GOV
Susan Collins
Liberal Groups Target Snowe, Collins On Jobs Bill
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
With Republicans (and a couple Democrats) holding up legislation in the Senate that would extend unemployment benefits and provide needed aid to states, liberal groups are ratcheting up the pressure on GOP moderates to cross the aisle and break the impasse.
In a six-figure buy, Americans United for Change (AUC), and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) will run the television ad embedded below in Maine. The ad targets Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, who are both helping to block the legislation.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: AFSCME, Americans United For Change, Filibuster, Jobs, Olympia Snowe, Republicans, Susan Collins
Financial Reform
Pro-Financial Reform Groups Begin Pushback On GOP Filibuster (VIDEO)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
A day after Republicans voted in lockstep to block debate on financial reform, Dem-friendly interest groups are beginning, slowly, to target GOP members--highlighting their obstruction, and pushing them to break the filibuster. But though it would be a stretch to call these actions an onslaught, the filibuster itself is earning the GOP plenty of negative attention, with or without a coordinated messaging strategy.
The Service Employees International Union is asking members and supporters to pressure several Republicans, including Richard Burr (R-NC), Kit Bond (R-MO), David Vitter (R-LA), George LeMieux (R-FL), Bob Corker (R-TN), George Voinovich (R-OH), Scott Brown (R-MA), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), via phone call and online petition.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Americans United For Change, Democrats, Filibuster, Financial Reform, Republicans, SEIU, Senate
Health Care
Americans United Ad Hits Bachmann For Opposing Health Care Bill (VIDEO)
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)
Americans United For Change has a new ad against Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), one of the top stars of the right wing, attacking her for opposing the health care bill at the same time as she herself gets health insurance as a member of Congress.
"She may think she's an important politician in Washington," the announcer says. "But when it comes to health insurance, if it's good enough for her, shouldn't it be good enough for the rest of us?"
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Americans United For Change, Health Care, Michele Bachmann
Michele Bachmann
Americans United Launches Radio Ad Against Bachmann's 'Wean' Comments About Social Security (AUDIO)
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)
Americans United For Change has a new radio ad up in Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-MN) district, hammering the Congresswoman for saying that the country should "wean" people off of Social Security and Medicare.
"Congresswoman Bachmann actually said we should be 'weaned' off our Social Security and Medicare," a woman says. "She wants to privatize Social Security and replaced Medicare with some kind of voucher system that won't even cover the full cost of medical care or prescriptions."
This radio ad could leave the impression that Bachmann would want to take current retirees or those about to retire out of the system. From her previous statements, it would appear that she would preserve the program for those people who already receiving benefits.
To be exact, Bachmann said: "So, what you have to do, is keep faith with the people that are already in the system, that don't have any other options, we have to keep faith with them. But basically what we have to do is wean everybody else off. And wean everybody off because we have to take those unfunded net liabilities off our bank sheet, we can't do it."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Americans United For Change, House '10, MN-06, Medicare, Michele Bachmann, Social Security
Joseph Cao
Americans United To Run Another Ad Praising GOP Rep. Joseph Cao
Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA)
Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) is getting more support for his status as the only House Republican to support health care reform -- from the pro-Barack Obama, labor-backed group Americans United For Change.
Americans United has already run an ad in support of Cao, as part of their ad campaigns praising key swing members who voted in favor of the bill. And they'll be having another one soon, too, the Hotline reports.
Cao is widely seen as a vulnerable incumbent going into 2010, having been elected in an upset against an indicted (and later convicted) Democratic incumbent in a district that voted 75% for Barack Obama.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Americans United For Change, Health Care, House '10, Joseph Cao, LA-02
Americans United For Change
Americans United Thanks Key Yes-Voters On House Health Care Bill In New Ads
Americans United For Change has a new round of TV ads, thanking key House members for voting in favor of the health care bill, with a clear focus on moderate swing votes.
"Congressman __________ knows it's time to reform health care," the announcer says admiringly. "It's time to take power back from the insurance companies. No more denying coverage when you're sick. Time to put medical decisions in the hands of you and your doctor."
The House members on the ad campaign list are Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA), the only Republican to vote yes, and a longer list of Democrats: Chris Carney (PA), Kathy Dahlkemper (PA), Zack Space (OH), Steve Driehaus (OH), Baron Hill (IN), Brad Ellsworth (IN), Marion Berry (AR), Vic Snyder (AR), Ciro Rodriguez (TX) and Tom Perriello (VA).
Interestingly, all the members on that same list voted in favor of the Stupak Amendment, restricting insurance coverage for abortion and arousing the ire of many liberals. But for the labor movement, it doesn't look like that amendment is a deal-breaker at the moment.
Topics: Americans United For Change, Baron Hill, Brad Ellsworth, Chris Carney, Ciro Rodriguez, Health Care, House of Representatives, Joseph Cao, Kathy Dahlkemper, Stupak amendment, Tom Perriello, Vic Snyder, Zack Space
Health Care
New Union Health Care Ad: 'Harry, Harry He's Our Man'
Labor group Americans United For Change are up with a new radio ad in Nevada praising Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid for running the health care reform "marathon" in the Senate and says pro-public option advocates are "lucky" to have Reid carrying "the baton."
Greg Sargent reports:
The none-too-subtle message: Getting health care reform through the Senate will make Reid a hero -- if it includes a public option.PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)
Topics: Americans United For Change, Harry Reid, Health Care
AHIP
Advocacy Groups Jumping On AHIP Report
The Columbus Day holiday hasn't kept politically powerful organizations from slamming AHIP today over the group's new report criticizing the health reform bill up for a final vote in the Senate Finance Committee tomorrow. In the past hour, powerful lobbying groups representing nurses, seniors and progressives have put out statements blasting the AHIP report.
From the California Nurses Assoc., the largest nurses union in the country: "Our legislators should respond to this bullying and stop coddling a useless industry whose sole function is to make enormous profits from the pain and suffering of patients while providing little in return."
From the AARP: The AHIP report
is not "worth the paper it's written on."
From Americans United For Change: "The bottom line is that the insurance industry wants to kill health insurance reform so they can continue to be free to exclude people with pre-existing conditions, free to rescind policies when people get sick, free to use their exemption from the anti-trust laws to monopolize markets, free to continue increasing profits for Wall Street -- and free to give their CEO's tens of millions in compensation. "
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)Topics: AHIP, Americans United For Change, Health Care, Senate Finance Committee
Humana
Americans United Ad Dresses Up Anti-Reform Forces For Halloween
The campy new TV ad from Americans United has to be seen to be believed. The ad, running in Orlando, Louisville and Washington, presents the CEO of Humana and Republican leaders as being dressed up as monsters for Halloween.
The ad fires back at Humana for telling its senior citizen clients that Democratic health plans would cut their Medicare coverage. "But we shouldn't be surprised. Whether it's the insurance companies or their Republican allies, the case against health insurance reform always gets down to one word," the narrator says, followed by the sound of a woman screaming over spooky music.
Most notably, Humana CEO Michael McCallister is dressed up as the Devil. Also, John Boehner probably wouldn't appreciate the drag element of making him a witch.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Americans United For Change, Health Care, Humana, Medicare/Medicaid
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