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Tuesday, May 31, 2005

DCCC: Health Insurance for the Troops

From the subscription-only Hotline:

Using Memorial Day as a backdrop, the DCCC went up in 12 CDs over the weekend to pick at Republicans for opposing military benefit expansion.

John Havens, who identifies himself as a retired adjutant general in the Missouri National Guard, says in the 60-second radio spot that "thousands of brave National Guard members and reservists" serving on active duty "lose the same health insurance other soldiers can count on" when they return home. An announcer, noting that Congress recently "defeated a plan to extend health coverage to members of the Guard, the Reserves and their families," mentions a Republican who opposed the plan and asks listeners to tell the member "he owes those who serve our nation more than Memorial Day speeches. "

The spot takes issue with the members for opposing a procedural motion to H.R. 1815 that would have expanded the TRICARE insurance program to National Guard members and Reservists.

The targets?

According to a DCCC spokeswoman, the spot airing in airing this week in a "strategic buy" covering the home districts of 12 GOP lawmakers: Vito Fossella (NY 13), Sam Graves (MO 06), John Hostettler (IN 08), Tim Murphy (PA 06), Bob Ney (OH 18), Richard Pombo (CA 11), Dave Reichert (WA 08), Rick Renzi (AZ 01), Rob Simmons (CT 02), Mike Sodrel (IN 09), Charles Taylor (NC 11) and Ed Whitfield (KY 01). Different versions of the spot mention each representative by name.

These 12 Representatives should be ashamed -- our troops deserve better.

Posted at 04:33 PM in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington | Technorati

Comments

Bob, do you know what the roll call number is ?
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/index.asp

Posted by: Pounder at May 31, 2005 06:42 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Graves needs to go. I wish I could vote against him, but I'm an aggitator in the Missouri 5th, an inner city, solidly democrat district in the KC area, held by "Hizzonor the Mayor" the Reverend Emmanuel Cleaver. (In this city he will always be "the Mayor" because he held the office for years, and besides that, even if he were to be the first black president, the locals here would say "Yeah, but that's only national. Now when he was the Mayor...")

But hey, even if I can't vote against him, I can rail against him in the - what are we calling the blogosphere after today? And I can travel to his district as a volunteer when the election nears. I'll do whatever I can to turn him out.

Posted by: Global Citizen at June 30, 2005 08:40 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment