AFP Launches Obamacare Ads Against Red-State Senators

Americans for Prosperity is spending more than $2 million on ads targeting two vulnerable Democratic senators in red states.

Sens. Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana are being used by the conservative group to focus on the problematic launch of the new healthcare law. Both are up for re-election in 2014, and GOP victories would help the party in its bid to regain control of the Senate.

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AFP is spending $1.7 million in North Carolina, around $500,000 in Louisiana, and another $100,000 toward grassroots and social media. The ads began this week and are to air for three weeks.

"If I had to vote for the bill again, I would vote for it tomorrow," says Landrieu about Obamacare in the spot being run against her.

The voice-over continues, "Tell Sen. Landrieu we deserve better than Obamacare."

The ad against Hagan echoes Americans for Prosperity's "Exempt Me, Too!" campaign that it began in a series of ads launched in July.

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"Who gets stuck with the bill? Families and small businesses," the ad says of Obamacare. "Kay Hagan: taking care of Washington insiders, not North Carolina families."

"Both ads are unique, but the goal is the same: We want to make sure to hold both of these senators accountable over the long term for their votes that first passed Obamacare into law and now have upheld that law repeatedly," Tim Phillips, president of AFP told Politico.

Politico noted that both senators have supported modifications to Obamacare since its troubled website launch, such as extending the open enrollment period.

The group last week launched ads aimed at four congressmen, thanking Republicans Steve Southerland of Florida and Mike Coffman of Colorado for consistently opposing the new healthcare law and criticizing Democrats Ron Barber of Arizona and Scott Peters of California who have supported it.

"I've said a number of times before that repealing Obamacare is a long-term effort," Phillips added. "These ads, both on network and cable, along with social media and grassroots, is a continuation of what we believe is going to be a long-term effort required to eventually repeal Obamacare."

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