Democratic Courage PAC
 

"Santa Obama's Christmas Spectacular" run on IA cable over the Christmas holiday; announced Dec. 21, 2007. 
 
 
 
 
 

[Music "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" on piano] Santa Claus (voiceover):  Ho-ho-ho.

Santa Obama has some presents for Iowans from his hedge fund donors.

Obama voted for Bush's energy bill, sending billions to the oil companies.

Then he voted with Bush to let credit card companies increase interest rates over 30 percent.

He even backed Bush's plan to expand NAFTA to South America, sending Iowa jobs overseas.

And his health care plan leaves millions out in the cold.

Male Announcer: Democratic Courage PAC is responsible for the content of this advertising.

 
Notes:  This low-budget ad from Democratic Courage features a Santa Claus figure putting lumps of coal in stockings of Iowans.  If it follows the pattern this will be a tiny buy on cable and rely on a free media boost.  From the press release:
"Our campaign about Hillary helped open the floodgates to a critique of her repeated capitulations to big business and waffling ways," Hurowitz said.  "With Hillary sinking, we want to make sure Iowans know how Barack Obama repeatedly sacrifices families' well-being on the altar of creating a polite tone inside the Beltway.  Is having senators make nicey-nice really worth exacerbating the climate crisis or putting people out of work?" 

The "Christmas Spectacular" spot focuses on a few issues in particular: 

Obama's vote for President Bush's 2005 energy bill, which contained more than $13.1 billion in tax breaks for the oil, coal, and nuclear industries, and $4 billion in subsidies for oil companies (U.S. Public Interest Research Group analysis, August 8, 2005. http://uspirg.org/uspirgnewsroom.asp?id2=18502)

Obama's support for an amendment allowing credit card companies to raise interest rates over 30 percent (Ken Auletta, "Barack Obama, Inc.: The Birth of a Washington Machine" Atlantic Monthly, November 2006 and Vote on Senate Amendment 31 to S. 256 (http://obama.senate.gov/votes/109/index.cfm?start=626)

Obama's support for one of President Bush's top priorities - expanding Nafta to Peru - even as Republicans were obstructing every major Democratic priority and Iowa workers, like those in Maytag's Newton, IA factory are losing their jobs in large part due to unfair foreign competition. See http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glenn-hurowitz/barack-obama-worlds-wor_b_67922.html, http://www.citizenstrade.org/pdf/AMTACPeruStatement_110107.pdf, http://www.citizenstrade.org/pdf/NFFCLetteronPeru_11062007.pdf, and http://www.citizenstrade.org/pdf/EnviroLettertoCongressaboutPeru1007.pdf.

Obama's health care plan fails to provide truly universal health coverage, leaving millions of Americans without health security. (Krugman, Paul. "Mandates and Mudslinging" The New York Times. November 30, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/opinion/30krugman.html)

From the Democratic Courage PAC website
About Us

Democratic Courage is dedicated to electing a progressive, courageous, and winning Democratic presidential candidate. It is made up of leaders and activists in the progressive movement. We believe that political courage is the key to political victory. Americans want a president who will stand strong for his or her beliefs - and not back down in the face of lobbyist pressure or Republican attacks.

About Hillary

Like many Democrats, we believe that Hillary Clinton has repeatedly given in too easily to pressure - and too often decides her policies not on the basis of what's right, but on the basis of what polls and focus groups tell her. As history shows, that's a dangerous road for Democrats and for the country. We believe there are other candidates who would be stronger leaders and have a much better chance of winning in 2008.

Our Plan

We're planning on running hard-hitting, creative ads in key primary states highlighting why Senator Clinton should not be the first choice of voters who want to end the war in Iraq, fight global warming, win universal health care - or beat the Republicans. As an independent PAC, we can run the kinds of hard-hitting but cost-effective ads that have turned countless elections. Unlike the corporate and special interest PACs that usually dominate political advertising, Democratic Courage PAC is a grassroots, citizen-based organization fighting for a more progressive America.
 

On the Democratic Courage PAC website you can also find out more about the principal figures involved in the effort:

President: Glenn Hurowitz - author of the new book Fear and Courage in the Democratic Party.  Previously served as deputy national field director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG).  Associate Director for WILD PAC.  South Florida Lead Organizer for MoveOn PAC in the 2004 presidential election.  In 2002, Hurowitz did a fellowship with Green Corps, the field school for environmental organizing.  Degree in political science from Yale University.

Vice Chair: Liz Butler 
Co-founder and Secretary of the Board of Directors: Sam Goldman 
Board Member: Eva Hernandez