Washington Democrats have targeted “30 vulnerable Republicans” for their latest series of robocalls, and two New Yorkers — Staten Island’s Michael Grimm and upstate’s Ann Marie Buerkle — are in their sights.
Our Alison Gendar reports:
To land in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s crosshairs, each of the Republicans signed lobbyist Grover Norquist’s
pledge, which Dems said protects tax breaks for the uberrich at the expense of the middle class and the elderly.
“The Super Committee debate in Washington unmasked Republicans’ real priorities – more tax breaks for billionaires and Big Oil at the expense of the Medicare guarantee for seniors and creating jobs for the middle class,” said DCCC Chairman
of Long Island.
“Republicans want seniors who depend on a Medicare guarantee to be the first to sacrifice while billionaires wouldn’t have to sacrifice a penny. House Republicans are going to face a chilly reception from voters for trying to defend the indefensible,” he said.
Absent from the list was Rep.
, a GOP novice who won what had been Anthony Weiner’s traditionally Democratic NY-9 seat in Brooklyn and Queens. Turner, who also signed the Norquist pledge, may be targeted in later campaigns, sources said.
The script against Grimm (NY-13) goes like this:
“Hi, this is Rick calling on behalf of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee calling about Congressman Michael Grimm and Republicans forcing the Super Committee to fail.
“Americans demanded a bipartisan, big, bold, and balanced plan to reduce the deficit and grow our economy – but that’s not what we got. The Super Committee failed because Republicans insisted on extending the Bush tax breaks for millionaires and refusing to include a jobs proposal – while ending the Medicare guarantee! That’s something that Democrats stand strongly against.
“By rejecting a balanced approach, Republicans chose to protect the wealthiest one percent at the expense of seniors and the middle class. Now they’re even talking about raising the payroll tax.
Please call Congressman Grimm at (718) 630-5277 and tell him it’s time to focus on us.”
The campaign includes robocalls, live calls, web ads and an online “action center” where voters can write letters railing against GOP priorities in the House. The targeted calls begin today.
Update
: “The DCCC has proven that they have no zero integrity and no moral compass,” Grimm told the Daily News. “They claim that I somehow am one of the reasons that the supercommittee failed, but I was standing practically right next to [Minority Whip] Steny Hoyer as part of a bipartisan effort saying, ‘Let’s go big on a deficit reduction plan. Let’s put everything on the table,'” Grimm said.
Given his bipartisan efforts, Grimm argued, “you can’t say the DCCC is misinterpreting or stretching the truth. It is a outright, boldfaced lie, and the constituents know that.”
The full list of districts in this campaign follows:
Paul Gosar (AZ-01)
Dan Lungren (CA-07)
Jeff Denham (CA-10)
Scott Tipton (CO-03)
Mike Coffman (CO-06)
Steve Southerland (FL-02)
Dan Webster (FL-08)
Vern Buchanan (FL-13)
Allen West (FL-22)
David Rivera (FL-25)
Robert Dold (IL-10)
Judy Biggert (IL-11)
Tim Johnson (IL-13)
Bobby Schilling (IL-17)
Dan Benishek (MI-01)
Tim Walberg (MI-07)
Jon Runyan (NJ-03)
Joe Heck (NV-03)
Michael Grimm (NY-13)
Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-25)
Jim Renacci (OH-16)
Mike Kelly (PA-03)
Michael Fitzpatrick (PA-08)
Charlie Dent (PA-15)
Scott DesJarlais (TN-04)
Quico Canseco (TX-23)
Sean Duffy (WI-07)
Reid Ribble (WI-08)
David McKinley (WV-01)
Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03)
