Dems target vulnerable GOP senators with ‘Jimmy Kimmel test’ ads

The campaign arm of the Senate Democrats unveiled a new ad campaign Thursday targeting vulnerable GOP senators for their support of the bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare introduced by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.).

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s (DSCC) digital ad campaign will lead to internet users in 12 states seeing the ads when they use Google to search terms such as “health care,” “Jimmy Kimmel” and “repeal.”

The campaign is targeting lawmakers in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin, according to Business Insider.

{mosads}The ad push was sparked by Cassidy’s pledge that any health care bill he supported would pass the “Jimmy Kimmel test,” meaning that it would protect Americans with pre-existing conditions like Kimmel’s son. Cassidy made the promise on Kimmel’s show in May.

The ads, when clicked, link to a YouTube ad called “The Price,” which attacks the GOP’s latest attempt to repeal ObamaCare.

Kimmel ripped Cassidy in a scathing monologue on his show Tuesday night, accusing the Louisiana Republican of lying “right to my face.”

“He wasn’t very honest,” Kimmel said Tuesday. “It seemed like he was being honest. He got a lot of credit and attention for coming off like a rare reasonable voice in the Republican Party when it came to health care.”

Cassidy fired back Wednesday, insisting that Kimmel “doesn’t understand” the bill.

A spokesman for the DSCC told Business Insider that there will be “no rock GOP Senate candidates can hide under” in 2018 if Republicans continue to push forward with the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“There’s a reason Republicans’ toxic health care agenda would hurt Jimmy Kimmel’s family and hardworking families across the country: it spikes costs, imposes an age tax on older Americans, and guts coverage for pre-existing conditions,” spokesman David Bergstein said Thursday.

“If Republicans continue to push forward with their expensive and unpopular agenda, there will be no rock GOP Senate candidates can hide under to escape the voters who will hold them accountable in 2018.”