DCCC launches robo calls against GOP members for ‘gamble’ on debt ceiling
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Saturday it will hit Republican members of Congress in 60 districts with robo calls on their positions regarding the debt ceiling.
Calling it the “We Don’t Quit” campaign, the DCCC said in a statement that the campaign aims “to hold Republicans accountable for playing games with the debt ceiling.”
{mosads}”Republicans quit negotiating with President Obama on raising the debt ceiling,” the script for the calls reads. “This is serious.”
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) broke off talks with the White House on Friday evening, but he said Congressional leaders “will forge a responsible path forward.”
It’s not the first time Republicans have walked out on debt negotiations. Last month, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) quit similar talks overseen by Vice President Biden. Cantor’s reason then was the same as Boehner’s now: The Democrats’ insistence on tax hikes to “balance” the spending cuts urged by Republicans.
Obama on Friday accused GOP leaders of being incapable of accepting any deal at all.
“One of the questions that the Republican Party is going to have to ask itself is can they say yes to anything,” Obama said during a hastily called press briefing after the talks disintegrated.
The calls say Republicans “would rather our economy default” than give up tax breaks for oil companies and corporate jet-owners.
The National Republican Congressional Committee fired back that it is Democrats who should quit.
“The fact that Democrats won’t quit is exactly why Americans are disgusted with Washington and the unfortunate situation our country now faces. Democrats won’t quit spending money we don’t have, and they won’t quit raising taxes and burdening Americans with policies that make a bad economy even worse,” said Paul Lindsay, the NRCC’s communications director.
The DCCC will run automated calls in Republican-held districts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
According to the DCCC, Obama won 83 percent of the targeted Republican districts in 2008.
The DCCC’s new campaign is targeting the following GOP House members:
Reps. Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Dan Lungren (Calif.), Elton Gallegly (Calif.), Buck McKeon (Calif.), David Dreier (Calif.), Ken Calvert (Calif.), Mary Bono Mack (Calif.), John Campbell (Calif.), Brian Bilbray (Calif.), Scott Tipton (Colo.), Cory Gardner (Colo.), Mike Coffman (Colo.), Daniel Webster (Fla.), Bill Young (Fla.), Vern Buchanan (Fla.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.), Allen West (Fla.), David Rivera (Fla.), Tom Latham (Iowa), Steve King (Iowa), Robert Dold (Ill.), Tim Johnson (Ill.), Bobby Schilling (Ill.), Kevin Yoder (Kan.), Dan Benishek (Mich.), Justin Amash (Mich.), Dave Camp (Mich.), Fred Upton (Mich.), Tim Walberg (Mich.), Mike Rogers (Mich.), Thaddeus McCotter (Mich.), Frank Guinta (N.H.), Charlie Bass (N.H.), Frank LoBiondo (N.J.), Jon Runyan (N.J.), Leonard Lance (N.J.), Joe Heck (Nev.), Michael Grimm (N.Y.), Nan Hayworth (N.Y.), Chris Gibson (N.Y.), Richard Hanna (N.Y.), Ann Marie Buerkle (N.Y.), Steve Chabot (Ohio), Jim Gerlach (Pa.), Pat Meehan (Pa.), Mike Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Lou Barletta (Pa.), Charlie Dent (Pa.), Kristi Noem (S.D.), Francisco Canseco (Texas), Blake Farenthold (Texas), Scott Rigell (Va.), Frank Wolf (Va.), Jamie Herrera Beutler (Wash.), David Reichert (Wash.), Paul Ryan (Wis.), Thomas Petri (Wis.), Sean Duffy (Wis.), Reid Ribble (Wis.) and David McKinley (W.Va.).
This story was updated at 5:15 p.m.
Mike Lillis contributed.
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