TV ad released today targets John Ensign on public option

Monday, Oct. 5, 2009 | 12:01 a.m.

Ensign Commercial

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Health Care for America Now launched this ad Oct. 5 targeting Sen. John Ensign on health care.

WASHINGTON -- Republican Sen. John Ensign is unlikely to vote for the health care reform legislation making its way through Congress, but he is being hit with TV ads this week that target his opposition to a possible public plan option.

The ads begin today and will run for a week in Las Vegas and Reno. They hint at Ensign’s disclosed affair and suggest a link between the senator’s opposition to the health reform bill and the more than $800,000 he has received in health insurance industry campaign contributions.

“Why did John Ensign side with the insurance companies instead of us?” the ad says. “Follow the money.”

Ensign is a member of the Senate Finance Committee that is scheduled to vote on the bill this week.

The $110,000 ad buy comes from Health Care for America Now, an umbrella organization that supports including the public plan option as part of health care reform.

The public plan would be a government-run insurance option that would compete with private insurance plans to cover the uninsured. Opponents call it socialized health care.

The ads are unlikely to sway Ensign, who has strongly opposed the legislation that he calls a government takeover of health care. But they may hit at the Republican Party in Nevada, which has struggled with electoral losses, fallout from Ensign’s affair and organizational problems.

Discussion: 15 comments so far…

By emvance

10/5/09 at 3:21 a.m.

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You People have to stop drinking the Kool-aid ... As you say health care reform will bankrupt this country STOP STOP
By formervegas76

10/5/09 at 3:33 a.m.

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me people[emvance] say we need universal health care paid by some kind of sales tax, plus making rich people pay their fair share. both parties to blame here.
By BarryS

10/5/09 at 4:01 a.m.

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there was a public option for his co-adulterer and her family. As employees, they benefited. It's just us regular Nevadans who are excluded. How about having mommie and daddie pay for his medical care instead of the public.
By judgesmales

10/5/09 at 4:44 a.m.

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This left-wing "umbrella" group can run all the TV spots they want, and deservedly so because of the idiot Ensign's zipper problem, but it won't make a bit of difference to the health care takeover scheme.

Don't worry folks, no genuine public option will be included in the legislation, even though they'll try to sell it to the public that way.

Because of the principled Blue Dogs, there simply aren't enough votes for a public option in the Senate, no matter what Sen. Harry Greid says, and the Dems can't afford to drag this out for too long and leave president Barry Hussein Soetoro hanging. They'll have to move past this failure fast, hoping the voting public will have a short memory in 2010 (think again).

At some point, the Dems are going to have to pass the "best bill they've got," even though it will alienate every left-wing loon who backed Soetoro because they want free health care and every centrist who voted for supposed "change."
By lcdrmandingonamvet

10/5/09 at 5:24 a.m.

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WRONG AD! Ad should be calling for Obama, Biden, Reid, Holder, and Gates to show some NADS. This weasel has committed HIGH CRIMES and Misdemaenors (BLACKMAILED). He should have been stripped of his security clearances back in August 2009. Ditto for (R-OK) US Sen. Coburn, who aided and abetted EnSWINE in covering-up the hoochie-mama (audltrey). Federal law requires that Ensign make the report of BLACKMIAL to the FBI, DoD-DIA(Defense Intelligence Agency), and Congress, and like Larry "men;'s restroom enthusiast" Craig, Ensign didn't. CYA Galore! Hey Obama! Hey Holder! Don't Uncle Tom us out.
By Birdiedreamin

10/5/09 at 5:39 a.m.

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johnnie boy ensign doesn't care about the citizens of nevada...
he is a snot nosed spoiled punk...
he has health care...
and he doesn't want those who don't have it to be able to get it...
he wants those without insurance to die...
to die quickly...
johnnie boy ensign is a fraud...
a total and complete fraud...
this little maggot was granted every single advantage in life...
rode mommy and daddy's coat tails all the way to the us senate...
but that wasn't enough for this snot nosed punk...
he had to have his best friend's wife too...
and when he got caught he fired both of them...
just ruined their lives...
then this little maggot went running to mommy and daddy to fix his boo boo...
all while a member of "the family" cult...
and a "promise keeper" to boot...
what a sad clown ensign is...
oh by the way...
where the hell is the ethics investigation!!!
By ecm

10/5/09 at 7:57 a.m.

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They can run all the ads they want, it won't make a difference to me. Public option is nothing more than a take over. NO THANKS!
As an aside,why would you try to pass the best bill possible? Slow down, get all the facts and do this right.
By afveteran

10/5/09 at 9:25 a.m.

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The American taxpayer does not need, nor want, the government involved in the healthcare insurance business. Free enterprise is doing the job, and only the liberalized leftwings want socialized medicine.
By mikegino

10/5/09 at 9:43 a.m.

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No free health care for the indolent, obese, and substance abusers. No reparations for Mandingo.
By BarryS

10/5/09 at 12:16 p.m.

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hey AF vet, you get federal socialized medicine. first through the AF and now through the VA. fed pays for insurance, fed pays the doctors, and fed pays for facilities. That is true socialized medicine: gov't pays and all healthcare workers are go't employees. How about joining the "free enterprise" system and buy you and your family non-government insurance to be used with non-government doctors and non-government hospitals. Just remember, if you have even a hangnail it will cost 1500/per person/per month.
By wulfmankarl

10/5/09 at 2:20 p.m.

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Hidden Agenda Uncovered! Joey Panto's alter ego Mahendra gets a leading healthcare advocate to admit that although her group publicly supports the public and private "options", they really want the whole system to eventually go public, ie Single Payer!
http://02e56fa.netsolhost.com/blog1/inde...
By realitychecknevada

10/5/09 at 2:45 p.m.

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Have any anti public plan commentators read anything from Wendell Potter? He worked for a very long time in the insurance industry. His point of view should really be heard before deciding an opinion.
By lvspectator

10/5/09 at 2:53 p.m.

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Fight Socialism! End MediCare Now!

The Republicans have NO health care plan.
If you get sick, just die quickly.
That's all the Republicans have to offer!

Republicans are only fiscally conservative in opposition. In power, deficits don't matter, and they waste money like drunken sailors...
By realitychecknevada

10/5/09 at 3:08 p.m.

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Here is the link to an interview with Wendell Potter. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/071020...
By porter1rockwell

10/6/09 at 4:58 p.m.

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realitychecknevada,
GREAT post, GREAT context. I saw that interview live and what an open and honest discussion.
How could anyone deny what has been wrought on the AMERICAN public through greed , cronyism and outright manipulation of and by our leaders. It goes WAY beyond investment rights and profitability. IT is ALL about controlling you and I and keeping us inline to gouge. 20%?? Most contractors work on a 3-5% profit margin.Can you say elitists!!!