Scott Brown

GOP Fractures Further Over Payroll Tax Mess

Brian Beutler | December 20, 2011, 3:23PM

Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

House GOP aides basically admitted this to reporters yesterday, but it bears repeating. The reason they fashioned a Rube Goldberg-esque procedural device to kill the Senate payroll tax cut compromise is that they know they're now in political free fall on the issue. By doing things the way they did, at least vulnerable House Republicans can say that they didn't vote against a tax cut for the middle class.

This was probably the only way House GOP leaders were ever going to get the minority of their caucus on board with the vote. And if you want proof, look no further than the handful of Republicans who defected from their leadership Tuesday. Or, better yet, vulnerable Senate Republicans who are in cycle in 2012.

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House Majority PAC

Democratic Super PAC Sticks GOPers With Ryan Budget In Ad Blitz (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 27, 2011, 6:00AM

U.S. Capitol building

On the heels of the $20 million economic-themed ad blitz by Karl Rove's political money machine this week, Democrats are taking to the air with their own attack ad campaign targeting Republicans over the budget.

The six-figure campaign by House Majority PAC, a Super PAC which can take in unlimited amounts from donors thanks to the Citizens United ruling, launches Monday with ads taking on eight Republican members of Congress across the country.

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Medicare

PCCC Ad On Medicare Not Getting Pulled, Despite NRCC Complaints

Eric Kleefeld | June 3, 2011, 6:15PM

The liberal Progressive Change Campaign Committee has won a round against the National Republican Congressional Committee -- with the liberal group turning back an effort to get an ad targeting Republican proposals on Medicare pulled from broadcast.

As Greg Sargent reported, the NRCC wrote a letter to WMUR in New Hampshire and Comcast, complaining that a PCCC ad attacking Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH) for having "voted to end Medicare" was false and demanding that it be taken down.

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Medicare

Progressives Take Medicare Fight To NH Republican (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 2, 2011, 12:23PM

Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH) has become the latest Republican to face his vote for Medicare-ending House budget in the form of a TV ad. In the first major ad buy since Democrats used the issue to pull off a surprise win in the NY-26 special election, progressives are targeting Bass over his vote for Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) budget plan, which eliminates Medicare and replaces it with a voucher system.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy For America say they hope to do significant damage to Bass, as well as bolster their choice to replace him, Ann Kuster. She's the progressive star who barely lost to Bass in 2010 after defeating Sen. Joe Lieberman's presidential campaign chair for the Democratic nomination. Kuster's running again this year.

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2010 elections

Sign Of The Times: Dems Could Lose Both New Hampshire House Seats

Eric Kleefeld | April 22, 2010, 1:14PM

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)

A new set of numbers from Public Policy Polling (D) finds a sharp indication of how Democratic fortunes have been declining: In the state of New Hampshire, where the party dramatically picked up both House seats and made other huge gains in 2006 and 2008, both seats could very well slip away this time around.

The First District is held by Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, who defeated incumbent Republican Jeb Bradley in 2006 and is seeking her third term this year. The Second District is currently held by Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes, who defeated incumbent Republican Charlie Bass in 2006 and is now vacating the seat in order to run for Senate. Both seats could potentially go to the Republicans.

"In the Democratic wave year of 2006 New Hampshire's Republican house delegation was wiped out," writes PPP president Dean Debnam. "2010 looks like it may be a GOP wave year, and the Democrats could face the same fate."

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