First Read : Ads

HCAN gives thanks and also attacks

Mark Murray — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:47:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark MurrayThe liberal-leaning group Health Care for American Now (HCAN) is up with a new TV ad in Arkansas that thanks Democratic Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor for "standing up to the insurance industry" and voting to proceed on debating the Senate health-care bill. But HCAN is also airing a TV ad in Nebraska blasting GOP Sen. Mike Johanns for voting to block debate on the bill. "Johanns voted to stop the debate on health insurance reform from even taking place," the ad's narrator...(read more)

'America's most powerful senator'

Domenico Montanaro — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:02:00 GMT

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro Harry Reid (D), the Senate majority leader, frames up the argument he'll make as Election Day 2010 nears -- (1) That he's "America's Most Powerful Senator", and (2) As a result, he has gotten lots done for the state. An ad like this shows one aspect of the difficulty in running against Reid -- that he'll spend LOTS of money and do whatever it takes. He's going to need to with his poll numbers being what they are. The Nevada Senate race ranks...(read more)

Conservative ads target Dem members

Mark Murray — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:40:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark MurrayThe 60 Plus Association, a conservative seniors group whose national spokesman is Pat Boone, is launching a $1.5 million ad campaign targeting 15 Democratic House members who voted for the health-care legislation that passed on Saturday. The TV ad argues that the bill cuts Medicare by $400 million, raises taxes on small businesses, and raises insurance premiums. The AFL-CIO, which supports the legislation, quickly responded to the ad with a fact-check. It contends...(read more)

Liberals press Reid on public option

Mark Murray — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:27:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark MurrayThe liberal group Progressive Change Campaign Committee is airing a new TV ad in Nevada, which urges Harry Reid to support a public option in the health-care negotiations. The ad asks: "Is Harry Reid strong enough?" As Senate majority leader, Reid is tasked with forging together the Senate Finance Committee health-care bill (which doesn't contain a public option) and the Senate HELP Committee bill (which does). Today's New York Times writes that Reid "could choose to leave...(read more)

McDonnell hits back in new TV ads

Mark Murray — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:24:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark MurraySocial issues -- especially the fallout over Bob McDonnell's (R) 20-year-old graduate thesis -- continue to dominate the race for Virginia governor. Consider the two new TV ads McDonnell is airing. The first blasts opponent Creigh Deeds (D) for running a "dishonest attacks" against McDonnell. The other one features McDonnell's daughter Jeanine, who served in Iraq, to counter the criticism the Republican has received for writing in that 1989 thesis that working women...(read more)

New Deeds ad targets McDonnell thesis

Mark Murray — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:01:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark Murray, Bobby Cervantes, and Ali WeinbergAs Virginia's gubernatorial contest has tightened, according to a new Washington Post poll, the Deeds campaign (D) -- for the first time -- is airing a new TV ad explicitly targeting Bob McDonnell's (R) controversial graduate thesis. It's one of three new advertisements the campaign is running in markets across the state, including pivotal Northern Virginia. "Virginians are asking lots of questions about Bob McDonnell's thesis," a narrator...(read more)

DNC trying to fire up the up base

Mark Murray — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:45:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark MurrayThe Democratic National Committee is up with a new one-minute TV ad featuring President Obama firing up his audience -- "Fired up, ready to go" -- at yesterday's health-care rally in Maryland. According to Salon's Mike Madden, who first reported on this TV advertisement, the ad will air on national cable and in the DC area, as well as on 40 liberal blogs. The ad coincides with the DNC's new “Call’em Out” campaign, which is says is intended “to set the record straight on...(read more)

MoveOn TV ad targets Republicans

Mark Murray — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:45:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark MurrayMoveOn says it will begin airing TV ads -- at a sizable buy -- targeting two Republican congressmen, Pat Tiberi of Ohio and Dave Reichert of Washington state. Here's one of the ads: ...(read more)

Deeds airs TV ad in NOVA

Mark Murray — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:01:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark MurraySpeaking of TV ads... In his first ad of the general election airing in the pricey Northern Virginia media market, Creigh Deeds (D) has a new spot on the issue of education. Meanwhile, Bob McDonnell's (R) campaign is focusing on the economy, issuing this release... McDonnell: Endorsed by Virginia's Small Business Owners; Voted for over $2billion in Tax Cuts; Carried Legislation to Kill Death TaxDeeds: Endorsed by Teamsters, SEIU and AFL-CIO; Voted for over $3.5billion...(read more)

Here's another health care TV ad

Mark Murray — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:20:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark MurrayWith Congress back in session and back working on health care, the strange-bedfellows group -- consisting of SEIU, the American Medical Association, PhRMA, Families USA, and the Federation of American hospitals -- has a new TV ad trying to debunk some of the misinformation in the health-care debate. The one-minute ad by the group Americans for Stable Quality Care will air in Indiana, Maine, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Colorado, Florida, Alaska, Iowa, Montana...(read more)