Subject: [big campaign] Public Campaign Action Fund names McConnell first "insurance puppet" in web ad campaign
From: David Donnelly <[email-masked]>
To: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:14:51 -0500
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

Sen. Mitch McConnell Named First 'Insurance Puppet' By Watchdog Group As
Health Care Debate Begins
 
Online advertising campaign in Kentucky and Washington, D.C. asks if health
insurers are pulling the strings

Washington, D.C. -- Public Campaign Action Fund, a national campaign finance
watchdog group, named Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) its
first "Insurance Puppet" in an online advertising campaign targeting
Kentucky and Washington, D.C.

"Senator McConnell has taken $523,000 from health insurers, and given more
than 50 floor speeches spouting their talking points," said David Donnelly,
Public Campaign Action Fund's national campaigns director. "As the Senate
begins its second day of debate on health care reform legislation, the
insurance interests are getting their money's worth from their 'Insurance
Puppet,' Mitch McConnell."

The campaign finance watchdog group will release an "Insurance Puppet" each
day at InsurancePuppets.com for the rest of the week in an effort to educate
the public about the impact of the health insurance industry's campaign
contributions on the health care debate. The industry has donated $17.7
million in campaign contributions to the Senators taking part in the current
debate, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

The online campaign will use both context words and search terms to deliver
flash and text advertising to web users in the home state of each Senator
and in Washington, D.C. Additional Senators will be named "Insurance
Puppets" on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

"The debate over health care legislation has highlighted the problem of
money in politics, and the need for comprehensive change in the way
elections are financed," Donnelly added. "It's time for Congress to pass the
Fair Elections Now Act."

Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced the Fair
Elections Now Act in order to reduce the pressures of fundraising on federal
candidates. It provides qualified candidates the option to run for office
with a mixture of small donations and public funds.

To learn more about Sen. McConnell's insurance money and the Fair Elections
Now Act, visit http://www.insurancepuppets.com.

Public Campaign Action Fund is a national nonpartisan group dedicated to
advancing comprehensive campaign finance reform. It also campaigns to hold
elected officials accountable for the special favors they give to wealthy
campaign donors. 

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