Supporters of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito are launching a pre-emptive strike against their liberal adversaries, who are expected to put forth a deluge of anti-Alito ads later this week.
As part of its 18-state barnstorming tour featuring 29 of Alito’s former clerks, Progress for America is also premiering a nine-day, $500,000 advertising campaign. The ad, called "Drip," started airing today and will continue through next Monday on CNN and Fox News.
In an effort to put pressure on senators in key battleground states, Progress for America has purchased airtime on local cable stations in Louisiana, North Dakota and Maine. In Louisiana, Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu, is considered a possible vote in favor of Alito. I’ve already covered North Dakota. In Maine, two RINOs - Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe - are considered vulnerable to liberal pressure tactics.
Here’s the text (watch the video):
“Every day, desperate liberals make up a steady drip of attacks against Judge Samuel Alito.
“Want the truth?
“Respected Supreme Court analyst Stuart Taylor, of the non-partisan National Journal: Alito ‘is widely admired by liberals, moderates, and conservatives who know him well as fair-minded, committed to apolitical judging, and wedded to no ideological agenda other than restraint in the exercise of judicial power.’
“Confirm Judge Samuel Alito.”
The second ad comes from the Judicial Confirmation Network, which earlier today released a radio ad featuring Rev. Bill Owens of the Coalition of African-American Pastors. The ad began running today and will continue through Friday on Christian and gospel radio stations in Arkansas.
Here's what Owens says in the ad (listen to it here): “Please take the time to contact both Senator Lincoln and Senator Pryor and tell them to not join forces with these extremists. Tell them you want a champion, a protector of religious liberty on the Supreme Court. Ask them to vote for Judge Alito.”
Gary Marx, executive director of the Judicial Confirmation Network, said the ad is running in Arkansas to serve as a “friendly reminder that Judge Alito's record of protecting religious liberty is more reflective of mainstream Arkansas values than the hostility to religion of his opponents.”
He added: “This ad speaks directly to Judge Alito’s terrific judicial record in defense of religious freedom for all Americans of every faith. We have just seen in the current Christmas and Chanukah seasons that hostility to religion or religious expression is alive and well - and that hostility is led by the organizations now opposing Judge Alito. Senators are soon going to be deciding if they support Judge Alito and his record in defense of religious liberty, or whether they will side with the extremists opposing him.”
