“Brace For More Attack Ads” Peter H. Stone MARCH 1, 2010

Opposing the Obama Health Care Plan Opposing Obama: Business Groups Attacked the Plan “Business and conservative groups that spent tens of millions on advertising last year attacking health care reform bills.” Key Groups: Employers for a Healthy Economy “Employers for a Healthy Economy, a business coalition led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is expected to launch millions of dollars worth of television and other media ads later this month and is now raising funds to do so.” “The business coalition spent an estimated $100 million last year (2009) on attack ads in conjunction with another chamber-led coalition.”

Opposing the Obama Health Care Plan Prime Target of the Anti-Health Care ads: Blue Dog Democrats “Sources close to the chamber say that the coming ad drive will focus heavily on the House where a group of two to three dozen Blue Dog Democrats are viewed as pivotal votes.”

Opposing the Obama Health Care Plan Other Groups that Oppose Obama’s Health Care Plan: Conservatives “Separately, conservative groups that spent hefty sums last year against the same House and Senate bills have already begun to flex their muscles. Example: American Future Fund (AFF) “The American Future Fund, an Iowa based conservative non-profit, spent about $500,000 on national cable TV and other ads in the week preceding the Feb. 25 (2010) White House health care summit.” AFF and Scott Brown: “AFF spent close to $2 million on health care related ads and about $1 million on spots last month (January 2010) in Massachusetts to help Republican Scott Brown win his Senate seat.”

Opposing the Obama Health Care Plan Other Groups that Oppose Obama’s Health Care Plan: Conservatives Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) Led by Grover Norquist, ATR has runs ads attacking health acre reform. Americans for Prosperity (AFP) “Americans for Prosperity spent $250,000 on three days of cable TV ads in late February.” 60 Plus Association: Targeted Moderate Democrats “60 Plus Association launched a $500,000 ad drive aimed at 18 moderate House Democrats who previously voted for the House bill last year.”

Opposing the Obama Health Care Plan Other Groups that Oppose Obama’s Health Care Plan: Conservatives The Family Research Council: Focused on Abortion “The Family Research Council, which poured $1 million into two TV commercials last year focused mostly on abortion, is expected to launch radio ads this month that will target about twenty to thirty House Democrats.”