Posted Aug. 13, 2009 at 12:35 PM

http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/08/13/blue-dog-ad-campaign/

Mike Allen reports in Politico that PhRMA and other White House friendly groups are going to launch a $12 advertizing blitz for August in support of the White House plan:

PhRMA’s participation is key, because the group has promised to kick in as much as $150 million for advertising and grassroots activity to help pass the president’s plan.

The debut ad is meant to shore up support among the conservative House Blue Dog Democrats, and to target swing senators. So it’s airing in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota and Virginia. The first buy is expected to run for two weeks, with a weekly spend of around $3 million.

No it's not. Here are the ConservaDem and GOP Senators in the targeted states, and also the Blue Dogs:

State

ConservaDem

GOP

Blue Dogs

Alaska

Begich

Murkowski

0

Arkansas

Lincoln, Pryor

0

Berry, Ross

Colorado

Udall, Bennet

0

John Salazar

Indiana

Bayh

Lugar

Ellsworth, Hill, Donnelly

Louisiana

Landrieu

Vitter

Melancon

Nevada

Ensign

0

0

North Dakota

Conrad

 

Pomeroy

South Dakota

Johnson

Thune

Herseth Sandlin

Maine

0

Snowe, Collins

Michaud

Montana

Tester, Baucus

0

0

Nebraska

Nelson

Mike Johans

0

Virginia

Warner

0

Glenn Nye

In looking at the Blue Dogs who happen to be targeted by the ads, it's important to remember that they have been PUSHING PhRMA's deal with the White House since early July.

So how about the seven Blue Dogs on the Energy & Commerce Committee who held the bill "hostage?" In the end, four agreed to the deal, three did not:

Of the four who voted for the Deal -- Mike Ross and Baron Hill get ads; Zach Space and Bart Gordon do not.

Of the three who held out and voted against the deal -- Charlie Melancon gets ads; Jim Matheson and John Barrow do not.

The Blue Dogs who happen to get ads in their districts are a mixed bag. Mike Michaud actually supports a public plan.

This has nothing to do with Blue Dogs, they are only incidental to an ad buy. It's a persuasion campaign giving Republicans and ConservaDems cover for voting for the "bipartisan" Baucus deal. The notion that it's targeting Blue Dogs is only to give "liberal" health care reform advocates cover for letting their names be used on this.