The conservative group Americans for Prosperity -- backed by the Koch brothers -- launched a new campaign in Michigan on Tuesday to attack Congressman Gary Peters for supporting the Affordable Care Act. The move comes after the group ran into some problems with its most recent ad campaign against Obamacare and Peters, which some media outlets and Democrats characterized as false.
The Michigan chapter of Americans for Prosperity unveiled the new ad that features Shannon Wendt of Grand Rapids, mother of five, who says her family was forced to give up her health care plan for a less affordable one. In the ad, she places the blame squarely on Democrat Gary Peters, who is running for an open U.S. Senate seat the Republicans want to capture. She doesn't mention other Michigan politicians voting for the legislation that passed the Senate by 60-39 and the House by 219-212.
Peters' vote is destroying the middle class, Wendt says in the commercial, adding that the change "feels like a kick in the gut."
The Michigan chapter of Americans for Prosperity said it's spending $1.5 million on this TV and online campaign. Americans for Prosperity is backed by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch.
In announcing the campaign, AFP-Michigan State Director Scott Hagerstrom said in a statement:
“Shannon has worked hard over the years to build a middle-class life for her family here in Michigan. But because of the president’s Lie of the Year, the Wendts have to pay more each month. They deserve to choose the plan that works for them, not to be stuck paying for the endless failures of ObamaCare. It’s been months since we began our accountability effort here in Michigan, and yet there still hasn’t been a word of explanation from Congressman Peters for the damage his vote is doing to Michiganders. Is he ever going to take responsibility and start working to fix this for Michigan?”
The group recently had a TV ad that featured Julie Boonstra of Dexter, a cancer patient, who denounced her new health care policy under Obamacare, caling it "unaffordable."
Marisa Schultz of the Detroit News reported that Boonstra was actually going to save more than $1,000 this year under Obamacare. And Sen. Harry Reid accused her of lying.