Today, the campaign of Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Democratic nominee in Illinois’s 13th Congressional District, released a new ad highlighting Congressman Rodney Davis’ attempts to mislead voters about his record on health care — and how his allies were caught lying about Londrigan’s health care positions in TV ads.
“Career politician Rodney Davis took millions of dollars from special interests and insurance companies, then voted with them eleven times to eliminate critical protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Now that he’s running for re-election, Davis and his allies are trying to compensate for his disastrous record by lying about it, and about Betsy,” said Emma Brown, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign manager. “It’s time to replace Davis with someone who is focused on making healthcare more affordable, not lying and playing politics with this critical issue.”
The ad, “Caught,” is began airing today across the district. It highlights Davis’ eleven votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement, which would have eliminated protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Davis also voted for the Republican health care repeal bill last summer, which non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, independent fact checkers, and the AARP have all said would have weakened protections for those with pre-existing conditions, allowing insurers to discriminate against them and make their coverage unaffordable.
Career politician Rodney Davis. Caught lying. Those attacks on Betsy Londrigan? ‘That ad is categorically false.’ What’s worse? Davis is lying about his own health care record. Here are the facts: Davis voted eleven times to gut protections for pre-existing conditions. Eleven times to let insurance companies deny coverage. And eleven times to help his insurance company donors instead of you. Those are the facts. And Rodney Davis’ lies can’t change them.
* Background…
Davis Voted 11 Times To Repeal The Affordable Care Act Without Any Replacement:
Davis Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed Affordable Care Act. [H Con Res 25, Vote #88, 3/21/13]
Davis Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. [HR
45, Vote #154, 5/16/13; CQ Floor Votes, 5/16/13]
Davis Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed Affordable Care Act. [H Con Res 96, Vote #177, 4/10/14]
Davis Voted To Repeal Affordable Care Act. [HR
596, Vote #58, 2/3/15; CQ Floor Votes, 2/3/15]
Davis Voted For Budget Alternative That Repealed The Affordable Care Act. [H. Con Res. 27, Vote #141, 3/25/15; US News and World Report,3/25/15]
Davis Voted For Republican Budget That Repealed The Affordable Care Act. [H. Con Res. 27, Vote #142, 3/25/15; New York Times, 3/25/15]
Davis Voted For Republican Conference Report On Budget That Began Process To Repeal Affordable Care Act.
[S Con Res 11, Vote #183, 4/30/15; Bloomberg, 4/29/15]
Davis Voted To Repeal Major Pillars Of Affordable Care Act, Including Individual Mandate. [HR 3762, Vote #568, 10/23/15; Los Angeles Times, 10/23/15]
Davis Voted To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. [HR
3762, Vote #6, 1/6/16; CNN, 1/6/16]
Davis Voted To Overturn Obama’s Veto Of Bill That Would Repeal The Affordable Care Act. [HR3762, Vote #53, 2/2/16; Washington Post,2/2/16] Note: Reported as 63rd vote
Davis Voted To Begin Process Of Repealing Affordable Care Act. [S Con Res 3, Vote #58, 1/13/17; CNN, 1/3/17]
It’s laughable watching all these GOP candidates lie about their position on preexisting conditions. Next thing you know the GOP will be lying about how their tax cut giveaway to the wealthy will not increase the debt. Oh, wait…
I think this race is going to be closer than people expect. I get mailers weekly or more from the Davis campaign and other groups backing him. TV is flooded with ads for both candidates. Healthcare is a hot topic and that’s certainly the focus in this campaign.
Necessary ad, given Rodney’s recent ads. When my elderly mom asked me if Rodney’s ads on Betsy were true, I knew those ads were effective.
Has there been any recent polling in this race?
I’m praying that this ad is effective with voters.
The issue of guaranteed ability to purchase coverage despite pre-existing conditions is a life or death issue for a lot of people, including a family member of mine with cancer who lives in this district. Additionally, pre-Obamacare, when I finished school and hadn’t lined up a job yet but had the money to pay for insurance, I was denied the ability to buy coverage because of a bogus “pre-existing condition” excuse, I think just because I was a female of prime child-bearing age.
It makes me sick to my stomach how much bad faith Republicans like Davis have shown on this issue in voting for repealing these protections and supporting federal lawsuits to get these protections thrown out as unconstitutional at the same time they campaign as if they have acted exactly the opposite.
This issue is why as fed up as I get with Madigan and as much as federal Democrats disappoint me from time to time too, it’s really hard for me to envision voting for a Republican for federal govt. any time soon. It’s just too risky for my financial future no matter how many tax breaks the GOP promises me.
=Next thing you know the GOP will be lying about how their tax cut giveaway to the wealthy will not increase the debt.=
Ironically Rodney Inc. keeps hitting Betsy on debt for healthcare while Rodney Inc. supported plenty of borrowing for excessive wartime tax cuts. She should be hitting him on the totally misguided debt he has supported.
Great Ad and true. Its magic beans to claim they can repeal the ACA and still require Ins Co’s to cover pre existing conditions.
- Way South of I-80 - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:39 am:
I get angry every single time I see the ad with Mrs Rodney Davis saying “it’s personal” because she has a pre-existing condition. It might be “personal” but his voting record clearly says it all. I wonder if she even realizes how untruthful her statements are - or if he has bamboozled his wife too?
- Say no to big government - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 12:20 pm:
So he voted for a bill that did a million things, and she picks out just one of those things. You can use this approach on any sitting legislator. And she will get away with this because nobody is smart enough to figure it out. Just because a legislator votes yes on a bill doesn’t mean he agrees with everything in the bill. The legislative process often involves compromise.
I know that it isn’t exactly a shock to see politicians talking out of their mouths and, er, other parts, pretty much simultaneously. But Davis’ ads are smarmy AND greasy at the same time. He is completely bought and owned by his corporate backers. And he has no interest in representing ANYONE who does not completely agree with him.
- So_Ill - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 9:52 am:
Good ad.
- slow down - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 9:52 am:
I don’t know if Davis wins or not but that is an effective ad which has the benefit of being absolutely true.
Casten should be running something just like it.
- Norseman - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 10:00 am:
It’s laughable watching all these GOP candidates lie about their position on preexisting conditions. Next thing you know the GOP will be lying about how their tax cut giveaway to the wealthy will not increase the debt. Oh, wait…
- Nishi - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 10:08 am:
I think this race is going to be closer than people expect. I get mailers weekly or more from the Davis campaign and other groups backing him. TV is flooded with ads for both candidates. Healthcare is a hot topic and that’s certainly the focus in this campaign.
- Decatur 5 - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 10:09 am:
Necessary ad, given Rodney’s recent ads. When my elderly mom asked me if Rodney’s ads on Betsy were true, I knew those ads were effective.
Has there been any recent polling in this race?
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 10:21 am:
I’m praying that this ad is effective with voters.
The issue of guaranteed ability to purchase coverage despite pre-existing conditions is a life or death issue for a lot of people, including a family member of mine with cancer who lives in this district. Additionally, pre-Obamacare, when I finished school and hadn’t lined up a job yet but had the money to pay for insurance, I was denied the ability to buy coverage because of a bogus “pre-existing condition” excuse, I think just because I was a female of prime child-bearing age.
It makes me sick to my stomach how much bad faith Republicans like Davis have shown on this issue in voting for repealing these protections and supporting federal lawsuits to get these protections thrown out as unconstitutional at the same time they campaign as if they have acted exactly the opposite.
This issue is why as fed up as I get with Madigan and as much as federal Democrats disappoint me from time to time too, it’s really hard for me to envision voting for a Republican for federal govt. any time soon. It’s just too risky for my financial future no matter how many tax breaks the GOP promises me.
- Deadbeat Conservative - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 10:29 am:
=Next thing you know the GOP will be lying about how their tax cut giveaway to the wealthy will not increase the debt.=
Ironically Rodney Inc. keeps hitting Betsy on debt for healthcare while Rodney Inc. supported plenty of borrowing for excessive wartime tax cuts. She should be hitting him on the totally misguided debt he has supported.
- Anotheretiree - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:35 am:
Great Ad and true. Its magic beans to claim they can repeal the ACA and still require Ins Co’s to cover pre existing conditions.
- Way South of I-80 - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:39 am:
I get angry every single time I see the ad with Mrs Rodney Davis saying “it’s personal” because she has a pre-existing condition. It might be “personal” but his voting record clearly says it all. I wonder if she even realizes how untruthful her statements are - or if he has bamboozled his wife too?
- weird - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:58 am:
Stay classy South of I-80
- Say no to big government - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 12:20 pm:
So he voted for a bill that did a million things, and she picks out just one of those things. You can use this approach on any sitting legislator. And she will get away with this because nobody is smart enough to figure it out. Just because a legislator votes yes on a bill doesn’t mean he agrees with everything in the bill. The legislative process often involves compromise.
- illini - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 12:25 pm:
Facts do still matter. As has been said here many times before “most voters do not do nuance” when making their choices - hoping this hits home.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 12:58 pm:
===So he voted for a bill that did a million things, and she picks out just one===
1) That’s how this works. Unless they start voting on one thing at a time, this stuff is gonna happen.
2) Did you miss the long list of votes?
- Def not a Dem - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 1:25 pm:
The fact that local stations and Hulu are still playing that ad, when it’s been proven that it’s chalk full of lies, is beyond me.
- Mr. Smith - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 2:18 pm:
Good ad. And it’s true.
I know that it isn’t exactly a shock to see politicians talking out of their mouths and, er, other parts, pretty much simultaneously. But Davis’ ads are smarmy AND greasy at the same time. He is completely bought and owned by his corporate backers. And he has no interest in representing ANYONE who does not completely agree with him.