[Even though all polls at this date show Americans overwhelmingly do not want this bill to pass…]
Mike Allen
Aug 13, 2009
A new coalition on Thursday launched $12 million in television ads to support President Barack Obama’s health reform plan, in the opening wave of a planned tens of millions of dollars this fall.
The new group, funded largely by the pharmaceutical industry, is called Americans for Stable Quality Care. It includes some odd bedfellows: the American Medical Association, FamiliesUSA, the Federation of American Hospitals, PhRMA and SEIU, the service employees’ union.
The decision of labor and progressive groups to join with industry groups could draw new heat about the president’s package from the left.
The ads began airing at about 11 a.m. ET Thursday.
The group is likely to be the biggest spender in support of health reform. The campaign will serve as a counterweight to the critics at town meetings, which are getting saturation news coverage while Congress is out of town.
In a reversal from former President Bill Clinton’s 1993-94 health care debacle, the group’s campaign is likely to mean that White House supporters keep the upper hand on the airwaves.
PhRMA’s participation is key, because the group has promised to kick in as much as $150 million for advertising and grass-roots activity to help pass the president’s plan.
The debut ad is meant to shore up support among the conservative House Blue Dog Democrats and to target swing senators. So it’s airing in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota and Virginia. The first buy is expected to run for two weeks, with a weekly spend of around $3 million…
…The ad was made by GMMB, which was a lead agency for Obama for America. Partners include Frank Greer and Jim Margolis.
Entire article is here.
