Democratic House candidates are being lambasted in Republican campaign commercials for having voted to raise the national debt ceiling even though these votes came at the behest of Speaker John Boehner,
Politico reported.
Capitol Hill insiders from both parties say the ads are hypocritical and could make it difficult for the GOP leadership to garner Democratic support for future debt limit votes. The ads, whose message is being repeated in House races around the country, are spearheaded by the National Republican Congressional Committee and such groups as Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS, Politico reported.
Republican campaign commercials against Illinois Democratic Rep. Bill Enyart portray him as being unfeeling toward the middle class because he voted to raise the debt ceiling "three times."
California Rep. Ami Bera was similarly taken to task for voting to "increase the debt ceiling." Another California member, Scott Peters, is attacked for voting with "Nancy Pelosi in Washington to raise the debt ceiling, while debt increased over a trillion." And Arizona Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is likewise derided for votes in favor of raising the debt limit.
Kirkpatrick's communications director D.B. Mitchell responded: "This type of hypocrisy is exactly why Arizonans are fed up with Washington insiders. The [National Republican Congressional Committee] hopes voters don't realize that Republican leadership voted for the same thing they're now attacking Ann for supporting," according to Politico.
The GOP's congressional campaign committee defended the ads. "Democrats and Republicans couldn't be further apart on the issue of spending, said spokeswoman Andrea Bozek.
"Democrats caused the problem we are in with the policies they support, like Obamacare and the failed stimulus, and want to continue to give President Obama a blank check. Republicans know Washington has a spending problem and will continue to fight for a balanced budget," Politico reported.
The Republican leadership will likely need Democratic support in 2015 when the debt ceiling will have to again be lifted. During the most recent vote in February to raise the cap on the total amount the U.S. government can borrow, Boehner had the support of 193 Democrats and only 28 Republicans, Politico reported.
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