U.S. Chamber of Commerce Looks To Sway Congressmen With Ads

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is trying to sway some Congressmen to vote ‘no’ on this week’s healthcare proposal. The Chamber is running TV spots across Tennessee, calling on Democrats to reject the proposed overhaul.

If you watched the Yankees beat the Phillies in the final game of the World Series, you might have seen this ad:

“Millions of lost jobs. The highest unemployment in 25 years. And Congress’s latest healthcare bill makes a tough economy worse.”

The ad mentions specific Democratic representatives. In Memphis it targets John Tanner, while it in Knoxville it aims at Lincoln Davis. And in Middle Tennessee it called on viewers to contact Bart Gordon and Jim Cooper, asking them to reject the House plan.

The U.S. Chamber is running ads like this on national cable, and in 19 states.

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Steve Cohen is the only Tennessee Democrat who has announced he’ll vote for the measure. The rest are members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, which as a group has had problems with the bill from the beginning.

Bart Gordon of Murfreesboro and Union City’s John Tanner have both said they will vote “no” because they feel the measure is too expensive. Lincoln Davis of Pall Mall hasn’t made a firm statement; in the past he’s singled out several aspects of the bill that he considers deal-breakers.

Nashville Democrat Jim Cooper has said he’s undecided. In the last day or so, Tennesseans who support the bill have targeted him as a possible swing vote, leaving messages at his office urging him to vote for the health care overhaul.

Nina Cardona contributed to this report.

Earlier: Economics of a Losing Team
Later: Tennessee’s Congressional Delegation Votes Mostly “No” on Healthcare Changes