Audio: New SEIU Radio Ad in Arkansas Challenges Obama’s Ad for Lincoln

http://workinprogress.firedoglake.com/2010/05/06/audio-new-seiu-radio-ad-in-arkansas-challenges-obamas-ad-for-lincoln/

By: Michael Whitney Thursday May 6, 2010 1:51 pm

The ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h-5RTYWHGQ&feature=player_embedded

On Tuesday a radio ad hit the airwaves in Arkansas, featuring Barack Obama encouraging voters to support Blanche Lincoln in the Democratic Senate primary later this month. In the ad, which we covered at the time, Obama laughably claims that Lincoln “took on big insurance companies” in health care, and that “Blanche is leading the fight to hold Wall Street accountable,” in addition to the even more hilarious assertion that Lincoln “stands on the side of workers.”

SEIU, which is supporting Lincoln challenger Bill Halter, cut their own ad to directly challenge Obama. You can hear the ad exclusively at Firedoglake. (Note: images in the video were added by Firedoglake to accompany SEIU’s audio.)

Chris Good at The Atlantic contrasts the ads:

Obama says Lincon is “leading the fight to hold Wall Street accountable and make sure that Arkansas taxpayers are never again asked to bail out Wall Street bankers”; SEIU’s ad says Lincoln “voted to bail out Wall Street.” Obama says Lincoln is “standing on the side of workers who’ve lost their jobs in this recession”; SEIU’s ad says Lincoln “turned her back on the middle class.” Obama says that “on health care, Blanche took on big insurance companies by voting to end discrimination against Arkansans with preexisting conditions”; SEIU’s ad says Lincoln “refused to take on the big insurance companies” even though she “says she supported health reform.”

The Arksanas primary is heating up, with just 13 days until voting ends. Halter needs all the air support he can get, with corporate interests flooding the state in support of their best bud Blanche. This SEIU ad is a good, much-needed counter to Obama’s ad for Lincoln.

As staunch an Obama supporter as I am, that was just dumb.

I hope enough people will understand that and vote for Bill Halter.