Will health care reform be the first casualty of the U.S. Supreme Court's campaign finance decision in Citizen's United? Now, if corporations and their advocacy groups support or oppose a particular piece of legislation, they can now directly threaten politicians with a limitless ad campaign against their re-election. This is happening now as the U.S. Chamber specifically targets Democratic politicians in order to try to defeat health care reform. The U.S. Chamber now can both fund astro-turf groups to attack reform, as well as directly buy ads to defeat Democrats supporting progressive legislation like health care reform.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2011353431_adamsmithunswayedbychamberofcommerceblitzonhealthreformbill.html
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Adam Smith said Monday he likely will support the health-care bill that the House may vote on as early as this week -- despite being the subject of an advertising blitz by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce to kill the legislation.
Smith, D-Tacoma, is the only member of Washington's congressional delegation to be singled out for the Chamber's anti-reform ads, on which the business group plans to spend as much as $10 million to air on national cable networks and local stations and which targets wavering lawmakers in 17 states.
Smith voted for the House health-reform bill in November despite "strong misgivings" that it was too costly, too complicated and didn't go far enough to slow Medicare spending and curb inefficiencies. The bill passed by a narrow 220-215 vote.
Now Smith and other House members are gearing up for a revote, this time on the version that the Senate passed in December, as a way to circumvent Republican opposition to reform.