Healthcare TV ad wars underway

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In the roiling mix of political crosswinds that may come to characterize the 2009-2010 elections -- in which a Republican quit one congressional race to campaign for the winning Democrat, and in which the president’s party was turned away in the two gubernatorial elections held -- a new union-backed ad for a Republican congressman is Exhibit No. 3.

It’s not just any Republican congressman. It’s the one who voted for the Democratic leadership’s healthcare bill in the House. In the aftermath of the vote, a Democrat-allied group is campaigning against Democrats who voted against the bill, the Democratic Party is targeting Republicans in Obama-backing districts who opposed the bill and a coalition of Democrat-allied unions is boosting the Republican who voted for it.

In the ad that the unions are airing in New Orleans, Republican Rep. Anh ‘Joseph’ Coa is hailed for joining the narrowly winning side of the 220-215 House vote for the healthcare bill. Cao knows ‘it’s time to take power back from the insurance companies,’’ the ad tells viewers in his district, ‘time to reign in skyrocketing insurance premiums ... time to stand up to the insurance companies and fight for us.’’

See the ad in the Swamp, along with the Democratic National Committee’s targets of Republican congressmen whose districts supported President Obama’s election and who voted against the healthcare bill.

-- Mark Silva