Conservative Groups Load Up For Major Anti-Health Care Ad Push

A host of conservative groups are ramping up their efforts to derail health care reform in Congress, spending more than $3.91 million for a fresh wave of ad buys in key states, according to data provided by a Democratic ad tracker.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is leading the charge. The pro-business group is devoting an estimated $2.78 million dollars on ads over the next week. This includes more than $235,000 for spots to air in Connecticut, more than $540,000 in spots airing in Louisiana, $234,000 in spots airing in Maine, and more than $244,000 in spots airing in Arkansas. The group is even targeting predominantly conservative Alaska, with an ad purchase totaling more than $86,000.

All told, the money represents an ad-buy escalation. One week prior, the Chamber spent roughly $480,000 less ($2.3 million total) on ads.

The Chamber isn't alone. Employment Policies Institute, another pro-business group run by non-profit front man Rick Berman, is also placing an estimated $500,000 worth of ads in a variety of key states. Starting on December 14 and extending to December 20, the group is making the following purchases, according to the Democratic source.

Arkansas: $96,130
Connecticut: $101,650
Louisiana: $89,785
Maine: $77,420
North Dakota: $70,520
Nebraska: $81,670
Ohio: $7,330

Finally, the senior-citizens issue group, 60-Plus-Association, is pouring an estimated $637,000 into ads running in Nebraska and Virginia starting on December 12 and extending to the 18th.

Combined, the expenditures represent a remarkably hefty sum of money, certainly when considering how long the health care debate has already lasted and how draining it has been on the resources of all groups involved. Health care reform opponents are already outpacing proponents when it comes to television purchases -- these buys seems likely to expand the margin.

Comments

[drricklippin]

04:37 PM on 12/13/2009

NO NATION THAT PROFESSES TO BE MORAL, CIVIL OR FAIR SHOULD NOT AT LEAST PROVIDE BASIC HEALTH CARE TO ALL OF ITS CITIZENS.

Why did the US fail to grasp this basic reality?

Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa
http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

[stephanie donato]

01:08 PM on 12/13/2009

When will the DEMS get it together and stop fighting each other. And why hasn't the health care reform been put to a vote by the people?Con­gress and the senate do not represent the people because if they did they would see how desperately we need this reform. I have a suggestion. Why don't they scrap the entire bill and start over again.Here is what the people DEMAND. WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEMAND THE SAME EXACT INSURANCE THAT THE SENATE AND THE CONGRESS RECEIVE FOR OUR FAMILIES. WE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE.CONSI­DERING YOU HAVE SOME OF THE BEST COVERAGE IN THE U.S WE WANT AND DESERVE THE SAME THING. LET'S SEE HOW FAST YOU CAN GET THE BILL PASSED NOW.

[iplaw]

08:42 PM on 12/12/2009

Now that they have won and killed all meaningful reform are they calling off the rally?

[Zooterpust]

04:26 PM on 12/12/2009

I say let the Tea Baggers and the conservatives win again. Let the entire health care industry collapse around or ears. Let millions more Americans file for bankruptcy protection after experiencing catastrophic illness. Let the insurance companies grow fatter, their executives more wealthy, their policies even more unaffordable so that even the most sound of corporations have to unload increasingly greater portions of the insurance costs onto their employees, who are very often tea baggers. And when the tea baggers themselves are without health care, let them rail against the unfairness of it all.

[Aaryck]

03:54 PM on 12/12/2009

It is amazing what people will believe from an ad without doing the research themselves and weight out the factual pros and cons. Progress and fear have never worked well together.

[KingLeopold]

10:27 AM on 12/12/2009

Good

[Farzan]

10:25 AM on 12/12/2009

"Our parents....." meaning hands off Medicare. Not batting an eye that medicare is a Gov program!

Missy, you take care of your parents by your own money, being such a boot-strap, rugged, read-meat-eating conservative lioness!

Do look up the word hypocrisy.

[realsocialist]

10:23 AM on 12/12/2009

These people are seriously sick, they are the reason why we need mental health reform in
this country.

[MadeandBakedintheUSA]

10:23 AM on 12/12/2009

Guess they did not need to advertise in MiSSISIPPI!

12-6-09 Sen. Wicker from Mississippi was asked on C-Span Washington Journal why his state ranked #50 for Healthcare!

You know what his answer was?

They FAIL at education!

Ranked #50 for EDUCATION!

[MadeandBakedintheUSA]

10:21 AM on 12/12/2009

12-6-09 Sen. Wicker from Mississippi was asked on C-Span Washington Journal why his state ranked #50 for Healthcare!

You know what his answer was?

They FAIL at education!

Ranked #50 for EDUCATION!

[nofltwlt]

09:16 AM on 12/12/2009

We ARE livestock on the PRIVATE INSURER'S farm.

[Grada3784]

09:37 AM on 12/12/2009

With the con protesters being the sheep, I think.

How they love to get sheared.

[Wendy Johnson]

09:46 AM on 12/12/2009

As long as the private Insurance Companies are in control, we're all sheep. The only difference is some of us are aware of the fact.

[Frederic]

05:32 PM on 03/15/2010

These guys fight for letting ten times the number of 911 victims die every year for lack of health care.

[barksalot]

08:56 AM on 12/12/2009

I love the caption "anti health care". People are not against reform they are against government run health care. Lowering the medicare age in a program with trillions in unfunded liabilities is just another Democrat sham to do the same thing.

[Chise67]

07:56 AM on 12/12/2009

Look at the states targeted. Tells a story within itself! It's always going to be in the mostly rural, lower income, lower educated states that provide the push to stop progress that is good for average folks. It's just to bad the way the house & congress are set up. Because the senate shouldn't be the final vote on legislation, the house should since it is more of a true representation of their constituency. Think about it, all you need to kill a bill is 41 votes. And even when you add up the Arkansas,N.D & S.D.'s, Utahs, Idahos, etc., they are still not representative of how the country is made up. We need to change how legislation is drawn up & actualized in the legislative bodies of congress.

[ratmonkey1]

08:17 AM on 12/12/2009

67-You are correct except for Connecticut which is a very
rich state.

[jaschrod]

06:53 AM on 12/12/2009

I am sure all of this money is coming from people who cannot afford health care in the first place. Hard working parents with kids, barely scraping by, elderly people living on limited income, unemployed.

[CheneysACoward]

06:19 AM on 12/12/2009

conservative groups and health care is an oxymoron.