The League of Conservation Voters has made a large ad buy against Rep. Tim Holden (D-Pa.), the latest in a series of hits against the 10-term lawmaker, who faces a tough primary challenge and the spending power of an anti-incumbent super-PAC.
The league is attacking Holden for his environmental record just days before the April 24 primary.
The group, which has criticized Holden in the past, is spending $230,000 on the ad, a substantial buy that will go a long way in the Scranton media market. It slams Holden for backing President George W. Bush's energy policies while voting against President Obama's.
"Would you rather have George Bush's energy policy or President Obama's? Congressman Tim Holden voted for Bush's energy plan that gave billions in taxpayer subsidies to big oil companies, but Congressman Holden voted against President Obama's plan to increase funding for clean energy," the ad's narrator says. "On Tuesday, say no to Bush's Big Oil energy policies and say no to Tim Holden."
Holden has long represented a Republican-leaning district based in Harrisburg, and has developed a centrist voting record in Congress.
But his district got significantly more Democratic in redistricting, and he's facing a tough challenge from wealthy attorney Matt Cartwright (D). He's also become a target of the Campaign for Primary Accountability, the anti-incumbent Super PAC that took out Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) in her primary.
