Stimulus ad crosses state lines

A radio advertisement targeting Republicans across the country for voting against the stimulus bill last month misses the mark in Minnesota, where constituents are told to call a Pennsylvania legislator to voice their displeasure.

The 60-second spot, sponsored by Americans United for Change, has been running for weeks and takes Republicans to task for their association with radio host Rush Limbaugh’s most recent controversial comments.

But in Minnesota, an ad that starts off hitting Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) finishes by urging constituents to call Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.).

“Will Congressman Paulsen follow Rush Limbaugh’s lead again, and embrace partisanship and the failed policies of the past, or will he work with President Obama to set America on a new course? Call Congressman Dent,” the ad’s narrator says, offering the phone number for the congressional switchboard.

Both members of Congress have gotten strong Democratic challengers in recent years, but voters in Paulsen’s Eden Prairie-based district probably have little sway over Dent, whose Allentown-based district is more than 1,100 miles away.

“This probably wasn’t the type of ‘dent’ Big Labor was looking to put in Erik Paulsen’s polling numbers,” joked Ken Spain, of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Despite the hiccup, Americans United for Change has been a constant presence on the airwaves, slamming Republicans for not backing President Obama’s efforts to rebuild the economy. The group has targeted more than two dozen Republicans in the House and Senate while running national cable advertisements on everything from Limbaugh’s hope that Obama fails to the House GOP’s two consecutive “no” votes on the stimulus package…

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