The conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity wasted little time firing off one of the first big salvos in 2014 ahead of the November midterm elections, targeting three Democratic senators up for re-election with a seven-figure television ad campaign on President Obama’s troubled health care law.
The campaign hits Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana over President Obama’s now-debunked promise that if people liked their health care plans, they could keep them under Obamacare — a claim the Tampa Bay Times’ PolitiFact dubbed 2013’s “Lie of the Year.”
“We’re putting pressure on senators who repeated that lie and doubled down on Obamacare even as it became obvious that the law was hurting millions of Americans,” said AFP President Tim Phillips. “The story of Obamacare is one of less choice, rising premiums and broken promises. AFP is committed to a long-term effort to stop this law.”
The announcement presages what will surely be one of the defining issues for the elections this year. Democrats and the administration have been touting the millions of Americans who have signed up for coverage under the law, while Republicans have highlighted its horrendous rollout and problems with the federal Healthcare.gov website, as well as stories of people losing their existing health plans.
AFP officials say the multimillion dollar campaign will run in “major media markets” for the next three weeks. The group says it spent more than $16 million on a series of television ads in the fall “holding politicians accountable” for supporting the law and thanking others who opposed it.
The spots can be viewed at:
Shaheen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDlEF3nQYLA&feature=youtu.be
Hagan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jODEmS_J_ho&feature=youtu.be
Landrieu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LOXQ_jom8k&feature=youtu.be
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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