The Club for Growth, a conservative group that advocates for smaller government and lower taxes, yesterday unleashed an ad attacking Republican Rep. Joe Schwarz (Mich.) for voting against amendments stripping earmarks from appropriations bills.

Schwarz voted against amendments offered by conservative Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) to eliminate $500,000 for renovations to a municipal pool in Banning, Calif., and $1 million for the aquarium in Mystic, Conn.

It is the first instance Flake’s staff knows of a Republican taking political heat for opposing the amendments. They and similar ones have so far suffered overwhelming defeats on the House floor, but the prospect of attack ads could lead more lawmakers to think twice about saving pet projects that Flake has highlighted as wastes of tax dollars.

The Club for Growth declined to reveal the size of its ad buy but said the ad would air all over Schwarz’s district.