Freedom's Watch runs robocalls against Dems

Freedom’s Watch, the conservative advocacy group that has vowed to spend millions against Democratic congressional candidates this fall, will be running robocalls this week in 16 congressional districts where Democratic incumbents seem vulnerable or where an open seat has given rise to a competitive election.

The robocalls will focus on the issue of high gas prices. Ed Patru, vice president for communications at Freedom’s Watch, said the group sees this as an especially hot issue for voters: “We believe that energy, and specifically the high price of gas, is the number one issue in the country right now.”

There are two scripts for the robocalls: one that runs against congressional incumbents, and another that runs against challenger who hold state elective office.

A sample call against Dina Titus, the Democratic candidate in Nevada’s Third District, asks listeners, “Did you know Nevada gas taxes add more than 32 cents to every gallon of gas?” Accusing Titus of not working to alleviate the high price of fuel, the call concludes by telling listeners to call the state legislator, adding: “If we can’t depend on Dina Titus to stand up for us today, when can we count on her?”

Patru said Freedom’s Watch does not generally disclose its campaign expenditures, including the cost of these calls. The list of targets, however, is extensive, and it includes vulnerable freshman House members like Don Cazayoux (D-La.), Nick Lampson (D-Texas), and Steve Kagen (D-Wis.), as well as nine promising candidates in districts from Oregon to New Jersey.

The full list of targets is after the jump.

Targets:

CT-05 Chris Murphy (incumbent)

LA-06 Don Cazayoux (incumbent)

ME-01 Tom Allen (incumbent, running for Senate)

MS-01 Travis Childers (incumbent)

TX-22 Nick Lampson (incumbent)

TX-23 Ciro Rodriguez (incumbent)

WI-08 Steve Kagen (incumbent)



AL-05 Parker Griffith

KY-02 David Boswell

IL-11 Debbie Halverson

NV-03 Dina Titus

NJ-03 John Adler

OH-01 Steve Driehaus

OH-16 John Boccieri

OR-05 Kurt Schrader

NJ-07 Linda Stender