With the House set to vote Wednesday on repealing health reform, Democrats plan hometown attacks on many of the 62 House Republicans representing districts President Barack Obama carried on 2008.
The Democratic National Committee is monitoring tweets and interviews by the targeted Republicans, and has begun to push for news coverage of the statements back home. Democrats plan press events hosted by state parties, including appearances by “real people” who would lose care if the law were overturned.
“We will make clear to the American people that as their first order of business, Republicans have decided not to focus on jobs and deficit reduction, but on re-litigating partisan battles,” a party official said. “Rather than focusing on working together to continue our recovery and create more jobs, they are engaged in a futile political game for partisan gain. This is exactly the type of petty political game … that the American people are sick of. ”
Kevin Smith, communications director for Speaker John Boehner replied: "Democrats still couldn't be more out of touch with Americans who are struggling in this difficult economy. ObamaCare is already devastating small businesses and destroying jobs.
That's why Americans support repealing ObamaCare and replacing it with common-sense reforms that actually lower costs and protect jobs."
A Democrat who helped plan the strategy said: “The administration is continuing to implement the law, and it’s already benefiting people. And it’s never a good position to be in – regardless of what party you’re in – to take things away from people to please your political base.
“It’s going to be very difficult to undo the Affordable Care Act. Because once you start pulling individual strings – whether it’s the hospital association, or the provider groups, or nurses, or the disease community, or community health centers – all of those groups care what’s in the bill. And … you’re going to hear from them. … They’re [ticking] off some pretty powerful constituencies.”
The party official said: “[T]he DNC will be running a full rapid-response operation with monitoring and fact checks, run a full surrogate program and engage our national list.
We are also considering paid national media and to reach into districts as warrants. We will also have our online outreach at our disposal, including paid targeted/member-district specific advertising if necessary. … [Organizing for America] will be hosting phone banks, … days of action and other organizing activity from now through the vote and beyond.”
The official said the party plans to broaden the argument from health-care reform to “holding Republicans accountable for looking out for the special interests and appeasing their extreme right wing Republican base on a host of issues.”
Mike Allen POLITICO
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