Barletta the Target of Shutdown Ad (With Video)

Americans United for Change (AUFC), a national liberal PAC, released a TV spot on Wednesday that criticizes Rep. Lou Barletta for his involvement in the government shutdown.

The ad aligns Barletta with the Tea Party, and blames him for promoting their uncompromising agenda. It looks and sounds like a radio ad set to a slideshow as a narrator lists Barletta’s supposed transgressions.

“Lou Barletta joined with Tea Party Republicans in Congress and shut down our government, putting hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work, putting critical benefits for veterans, seniors and the disabled at risk, denying cancer treatment for kids, and halting food inspections,” a narrator says.

Barletta initially flirted with moderate compromise in the wake of the government shutdown. He joined 4 other Pa. Reps in saying that he would be willing to vote for a ‘clean’ CR that would fund the government with no preconditions.

However, on Tuesday, Barletta went back on this offering, saying he would oppose a clean CR and would instead support a bill that cut the medical device tax from Obamacare.

The medical device tax compromise was proposed by Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Lehigh) as a means to end the shutdown and give Republicans something they want.

“The House passed several bills to keep the government open. The Senate rejected each of them, shutting down the government,” said Barletta campaign spokesman Lance Stange. “Rep. Barletta remains committed to discussing how we can re -open the government and pay our bills whenever the Senate decides to have that conversation.”

The ad is airing on broadcast television in the Harrisburg market, AUFC said. Similar ads are on the air against 9 other incumbents nationally. The group said total spending on the campaign is in six figures.

National Democrats hope the shutdown mess will put the House in play. But only an ambitious list of targeted incumbents is likely to include Barletta, who is not considered vulnerable by most observers.

One Response

  1. How low can the democrats go? Considering the House passed a bill to continue funding, and Harry Reid said “why would we want to do that?” effectively saying that making a statement is way more important than people.

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