DCCC targets House Republicans on budget

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching a combination of Web ads, robocalls and e-mails into the districts of 50 House Republicans over the next week, hitting GOP lawmakers over their proposed spending cuts.  

The effort comes as the conservative group Crossroads GPS launches radio ads in a dozen Democratic-held House districts Wednesday, targeting Dems for voting against the continuing resolution (CR) passed by House Republicans last week that cut this year's spending levels by $61 billion. 

Crossroads GPS is also running radio ads thanking 10 House GOP freshmen for their votes in favor of the CR. In all, the group has purchased some $450,000 worth of air time. 

The DCCC is billing its efforts as the next phase of its grassroots and ad campaign, "to hold vulnerable House Republicans accountable for backing partisan plans that make the wrong budget choices."  

The DCCC is launching robocalls in almost all of the 50 targeted districts, with Web ads running in the districts of another 14 Republicans — Reps. Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Scott Tipton (Colo.), Bill Young (Fla.), David Rivera (Fla.), Joe Walsh (Ill.), Judy Biggert (Ill.), Thaddeus McCotter (Mich.), Steve Chabot (Ohio), Mike Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Francisco "Quico" Canseco (Texas), Frank Wolf (Va.), Dave Reichet (Wash.), Paul Ryan (Wis.) and David McKinley (W.Va.). 

Late last month, the committee launched radio ads in 19 Republican-held House districts, mostly targeting GOP freshmen who occupy more Democratic-leaning districts. 

"Everyone knows we need to cut spending and reduce the deficit in Washington. And we can do that by reforming government, cutting wasteful spending, and getting rid of taxpayer subsidies for the big oil companies making record profits," says the call targeting freshman Rep. Bobby Schilling (R-Ill.). "But instead, Representative Bobby Schilling voted for a partisan plan to raid $694 million from public education."

Democrats need to pick up 25 House seats to win back the majority in 2012.

The National Republican Congressional Committee criticized the Democrats' ad buy.

“The more the Democrats push their big-government, big-spending policies that have destroyed jobs, the more out-of-touch and negligent they seem. In the meantime, Republicans are putting the brakes on the Democrats’ recklessness, just like their constituents asked them to do, by lifting the burden of debt on middle class families and creating an environment where businesses can create jobs again," said Joanna Burgos, a spokeswoman for the NRCC.

The NRCC launched robocalls into the districts 10 House Democratic targets, after releasing its first TV ad earlier in the week hitting Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah).

-- This post was updated at 3:03 p.m.