Rahm Emanuel's request came on the same day that Obama himself told a meeting of Democratic senators that he didn't like seeing dollars used by liberal groups to target congressional Democrats. Rahm warns liberal groups to stop ads

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel warned liberal groups this week to stop running ads against Democratic members of Congress.

The powerful top aide to President Obama made his feelings known at the weekly closed-door strategy session of an array of progressive organizations, according to two sources who were there.


Emanuel’s request came on the same day that Obama himself told a meeting of Democratic senators that he didn’t like seeing dollars used by liberal groups to target congressional Democrats.

Some on the left believe administration officials are making such statements only as a favor to Democratic legislators whose votes they’ll ultimately need.

But the White House indicates to POLITICO that it truly believe the ads aimed at Democrats are counter-productive and largely ineffectual. There is no winking and nodding when Obama and Emanuel deliver their message, say West Wing officials.

Moderate Democrats who are elected and re-elected in GOP-leaning districts and states earned their spurs in part by running away from liberal orthodoxy and are unlikely to be moved by outside progressive groups, goes the White House thinking.

It’s a delicate issue for Obama, who wants his own supporters to aggressively lobby their representatives during the August recess but also doesn’t want to create a backlash among centrist Democrats who relish their independence and the power that comes with being a swing vote.

Organizing for America, the president’s political arm, is engaged in an intensive grassroots effort to rally support for healthcare reform legislation, going so far as to air ads in the states and districts of targeted Democratic members of Congress. But the spots were tame, not mentioning the names of the members, and White House officials indicated that they were being run to give their allies air cover to support the legislation.

Representatives from progressive groups say they have not heard directly from Obama officials on their Democratic ads, but the White House points to Emanuel’s statement Tuesday when asked whether they’ve made their feelings known to third-party organizations.

The liberal groups say they have no intention of pulling down ads aimed at Democrats – and note that they’re also targeting Republicans.

“We continue to run ads supporting health care reform in states and districts of both Republican and Democratic members of Congress,” said Jacki Schechner, spokeswoman for Health Care for America Now.

Democracy for America, the organization founded in the wake of Howard Dean’s presidential bid, is partnering with another progressive group to target Democrats and has tangled with Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who suggested the ads being aired against him made it less likely that a healthcare bill would pass.

“We have not heard from the White House,” said Jim Dean, the chair of Democracy for America and the former DNC chair’s brother. “The ads are part of a much larger campaign that we are conducting to mobilize one million DFA members to engage all congressionals – Republicans and Democrats alike — in various ways (meetings with staff, petitions, ads, etc.) to support the President's plan.”