WASHINGTON — Democratic-aligned campaign committees have targeted two Minnesota Republicans over their votes in favor of  a Republican budget plan (See update below).

Americans United for Change and the government workers union AFSCME released a television ad Monday hitting freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack and three other congressmen for their votes on the Paul Ryan budget plan, which has drawn Democratic opposition for its proposed changes to Medicare. The ad will run on Duluth television until Wednesday.

It’s a reasonably small ad buy — only $50,000 spread over four congressional districts (compared to the $40,000 buy national Republicans took out last week to target Rep. Collin Peterson alone), but it’s indicative of the way Democrats will target vulnerable Republicans for their votes on the budget.

Here’s the ad:

YouTube video

“These types of political attacks are why Minnesota seniors are so frustrated with Washington special interests groups and their scare campaigns,” Cravaack campaign adviser Ben Golnik said. “While Congressman Cravaack is working with Democrats and Republicans to protect Medicare, these special interest groups back a plan that cuts Medicare by $500 billion and gives control over seniors’ care to 15 unelected bureaucrats in Washington.”

Meanwhile, Rep. John Kline finds himself the target of a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee radio ad on his budget vote. From The Hill:

The DCCC is targeting more Republicans in potentially vulnerable seats with radio ads: Dan Benishek (R-Mich.) and Reps. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.), Tom Latham (R-Iowa), John Kline (R-Minn.), Joe Heck (R-Nev.), Francisco “Quico” Canseco (R-Texas) and Reid Ribble (R-Wis.). Most of those districts are slightly Republican-leaning, and Democrats indicate with this attack they believe it can play well with senior swing voters who might be more conservative on other issues.

Update: Republican sources note that the DCCC’s ad buy is a mere $100 in the Twin Cities — just enough to say they’re going on the airwaves. National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Andrea Bozek said Minnesotans “can’t even buy a tank of gas” for what the DCCC is spending on the buy.

Kline’s district gained a sizable contingency of Democratic voters after redistricting and is technically a toss-up, but most analysts leave the fifth-term lawmaker off lists of vulnerable Republicans this fall.

Devin Henry can be reached at dhenry@minnpost.com. Follow him on Twitter: @dhenry

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1 Comment

  1. That $500 billion being cut

    is to the overly expensive, privatized Medicare Advantage plans. The cut will greatly reduce payments made to these programs for providing such goodies as gym memberships to recipients. These privatized programs were intended to lure younger, healthier Medicare recipients away from standard Medicare. The result would be to weaken standard Medicare by siphoning off funds needed to provide care for all.

    Democrats who voted for the Ryan budget are seriously misinformed.

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