Residents of Las Vegas and Reno will start seeing new TV ads today criticizing Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) for his votes against the public option in committee.
The progressive coalition Health Care for America Now! has announced a $100,000 media buy to run its ad for a week, after Ensign voted "no" to the public option last week in the Senate Finance Committee's (ongoing) markup of health reform legislation.
One might wonder: what's the point of pressuring a GOP senator everyone knows will vote against the public option, and probably against any Democratic plan, on the Senate floor--one who's not up for reelection until 2012?
Ensign's poll numbers
dropped soon after news of his affair broke, and a New York Times story recently reported more questionable activity--help Ensign gave to the husband of his liaison--so the former National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman could be vulnerable down the road.
But in this case, HCAN might be getting twice its money's worth: Nevada's other senator,
Harry Reid (D), is predicted to face a tough reelection battle in
2010--a race rated as a "toss-up" by the Cook Political Report--and as
Senate majority leader, he'll face the daunting task of shepherding
a viable health care bill through the Senate floor, and with it, lots
of pressure to compromise. From the liberal perspective, the less of that pressure, the better. A public
option is supported by Nevadans, according to Research 2000--and stirring that stew a little bit couldn't hurt.
HCAN says it wanted to pick a Republican on the Senate Finance Committee to make an example of, and that it decided on Ensign even before the latest indiscretions broke (which made him an even riper target). But with this ad, HCAN might be getting the benefit of a double dip.
Thanks for letting me know about the ad. I'mm be calling, faxing, email and writing to let Senator Ensign know that I fully support his decision to fight this communist public option program. Down with socialism .. and down with publications like yours that give press these George Soros funded anti-American anti-capitalist Acron affliates. Enough of this crap.
Thank you for for letting your readers know about HCANs ad exposing Sen. Ensigns large contributions from the health care industry. Big money from corporations tilt our democratic process in favor of these companies. I will be writing, emailing and calling my democratically elected US Representative and both my US Senators to let them know I support a national health care plan that includes the public option. Articles and advertising that present factual information help people make informed decisions and weed out misinformation, distortions and out right lies. Keep up the good work.
Ensign's a man of Christ, not some communist socialist sympathizer muslim like Obama. Heck yeah I support Ensign and everything he does. The Liberal NY Times is making this stuff up. There's no way a Christian right-wing Republican would have an affair with a staffer, and then try to buy off the staffer's husband, who's also a staffer, by funneling lobbying contracts to him! Lies, all of it, trying to tarnish a good man.
I think Senator Ensign upon hearing that an opposition group is running an ad reminding voters that he opposes a federal takeover of the health care system is probably thinking something along the lines of “please b’rer HCAN, don’t throw my in the briar patch!”
A republican against socialized health care? Oh I bet he is real worried over that ad. I'm sure he's shaking in his shoes about now.
Haha... mom4t and almatt... you guys are funny!
i hope... otherwise, you're nuts.