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HEALTH CARE
Conservative group targets Democrats
A conservative seniors group is launching an ad campaign against some House Democrats who voted for the party's health-care reform bill Saturday, accusing them of cutting Medicare and saddling future generations with hefty deficits.
The 60 Plus Association -- an advocacy group that calls itself the "conservative alternative" to AARP -- plans to spend $1.5 million on television ads targeting eight Democratic lawmakers and on phone calls against seven more, all in districts with relatively large populations of seniors. The first spot, against Rep. Earl Pomeroy (N.D.), is set to begin airing Thursday morning, while the rest -- targeting Reps. Vic Snyder (Ark.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Brad Ellsworth (Ind.), Baron P. Hill (Ind.), Dina Titus (Nev.), Tom Perriello (Va.) and Gerald E. Connolly (Va.) -- are scheduled to launch Thursday night or Friday.
"The House passed a 2,000-page health-care bill that cuts Medicare $400 billion; raises taxes on small business, killing jobs; and makes insurance you have cost more," the announcer says in the TV spot. Seniors then appear to say that the targeted lawmaker "betrayed us" and that his or her state "won't forget" the vote. The automated phone calls will feature a similar message, delivered by singer Pat Boone, 60 Plus's national spokesman.
Though the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee have vowed to go after Democrats who voted for the health-care measure, the 60 Plus effort is the first major paid advertising campaign from the right since the House vote.
Multiple liberal groups have already gone on the air to thank Democrats who voted yes and criticize those who voted no. Conversely, 60 Plus is launching an ad thanking one Democrat, Rep. Charlie Melancon (La.), for voting against the House bill.
The 60 Plus Association is active on an array of policy fronts, advancing conservative positions against the estate tax and climate-change legislation as well as health-care reform. The group regularly squares off against AARP, which gave the House's health-care bill a critical boost by endorsing it last week.
-- Ben Pershing
'DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL'
Congressman vows repeal effort in 2010
A senior Democrat said Wednesday that Congress will move next year to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which prohibits openly gay people from serving in uniform.
