Dems play up rift between past and present GOP leaders in TV ad

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) released a new television ad Saturday, portraying current Republican leaders as out of touch with its own party's luminaries.

The ad references the recent warm statement by former Republican leaders in favor of healthcare reform in comparison to current Republicans' opposition to the plans before Congress.

Congressional Republicans, the “Party of No,” were put on their heels this week as one prominent Republican after another endorsed reforming our health insurance system, as the Congressional Budget Office report on one reform bill showed it would reduce the deficit and expand coverage and as public opinion polls showed support for reform growing as the GOP's handling of the issue continues to decline," said DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse.

The ad, mirroring President Barack Obama's weekly radio address, makes reference to words of support for health reform from Senate Majority Leaders Bob Dole (R-Kansas) and Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), as well as former GOP Health and Human Services Secretaries Tommy Thompson and Louis Sullivan.

Woodhouse played up the differences between past and current GOP leaders as an example of present Republican plotting to block healthcare reform.

Nothing, Woodhouse said, will deter Republican leaders "from their reckless and self-serving attempts to ‘kill’ health insurance reform for their own political gain.”

View the ad below: