New Hampshire Union Leader: Hodes set to resist 'attack ad' flurry

U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes says he won't be swayed by what he called an insurance industry-funded "attack ad" using "lies, distortion and fear" to try to force him to oppose health care reform.

"I'm not going to be bullied into changing my position," Hodes, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, told reporters today.

Chamber-led business coalitions called "Employers for a Health Economy" and "Start Over!" have made an initial 10-day buy for the 30-second issues advocacy ad urging viewers to call Hodes and tell him to oppose the Democratic health care bill. It began airing today on WMUR television.

The National Journal reported earlier this year that an insurance industry group, American Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), contributed $10 million to $20 million into the chamber coalitions to pay for a series of ads. The Journal said the money game from Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Kaiser Foundation Health Plans, United Health Group and Wellpoint.

Ads similar to the one targeting Hodes are airing in 16 other states focusing on other House members, and a national version of the ad, urging viewers to "tell Congress" to oppose health care reform, is airing on national cable networks, according to chamber spokesman Blair Latoff.

She said the total nationwide buy for the latest ads costs between $4 million and $10 million.The ad shows workers with concerned looks on their faces as a narrator says, "Americans still losing jobs, more businesses struggling. We thought Washington understood. But this week Congress is trying to use special rules to ram through their same trillion dollar health care bill.

"Billions in new taxes, more mandates on businesses. Health care costs will go even higher, making a tough economy even worse," the narrator says.

Hodes took an aggressive stance against the ads. He held a conference call with reporters to say the ads "are really the latest example of big health insurance trying to block real heath care reform."

He issued a news release saying the ads "are full of misleading facts and figures, meant to stonewall reforms and preserve a system that has let insurance profits soar while middle-class families and small businesses in New Hampshire suffer."

And Hodes' U.S. Senate campaign then issued emails to supporters seeking contributions to help him "fight for a system that protects the health of you and your family - not the pockets of Big Insurance."

But chamber spokesman Latoff said, "It's important for Congressman Hodes to realize that they are about to make a tough vote and the American people have been very vocal in opposing this legislation. Poll after poll shows that. If he wants to represent businesses and his constituents, he needs to vote 'no.'

A Rasmussen Reports poll of 500 Granite Staters this week showed that 53 percent opposed, while 44 percent supported, "the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats."

Chamber executive vice president Bruce Josten added, "There is absolutely no substantive improvement in the latest iteration of health care legislation from the previous attempts that have been soundly rejected by the business community and the American people."

But Hodes said that "big insurance" recorded a 56 percent increase in profits last year and New Hampshire families will see a 48 percent increase in premiums over the next five years without reform.

Hodes said the chamber and its members and allies are using their "deep pockets for all kinds of lies and distortions. They've got plenty of money to do it."

But, he said, "I'm not going to stop fighting for health care reform."

As President Barack Obama and Democratic congressional leaders appear ready to adopt health care reform through the reconciliation process, which would require only 51 Senate votes, Hodes said Granite Staters are not "all that focused on the process."

State Republican Party spokesman Ryan Williams responded that Hodes' "arrogant remarks about reconciliation insult the intelligence of New Hampshire voters. Every public opinion poll shows that Granite Staters support bipartisan reform and oppose the government takeover of health care that Paul Hodes is trying to shove down their throats."