Bluestem remix: Chip Cravaack driving America over a cliff. . .now in New Hampshire

The SEIU MN State Council's Executive Director director sent Bluestem a press release and a URL of a Youtube for an ad the national union and Americans United for Change are running in Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District.

Looking at the ad, something seemed a little off. Congressman Cravaack is moving his family to New Hampshire, as Bluestem noted on Saturday in Teabagger turns carpetbagger: left off Patriot Program, Cravaack moves family to NH. The ad uses stock footage of a race down a coastal road in what looks to be California (and the union and AUC are running similar ads in targeted districts across the country).

Why not a cliff in New Hampshire?

Bluestem remixed the sound with more appropriate footage and some subtitles to provide a multi-level message:

Here's the original, with the press release below the fold:

CONGRESSMAN CHIP CRAVAACK RECKLESSLY DRIVING ECONOMY OFF CLIFF

Service Employees Union Runs New TV Ad Highlighting Cravaack Choice to Risk Minnesota Jobs and National Debt Default to Protect Tax Breaks for Millionaires, Big Oil Companies and Corporate Jets

Saint Paul, MN – With the August 2 deadline fast approaching for Congress to avoid defaulting on the nation’s debt obligations, which the business and economic communities warn could lead to another Great Recession and cost hundreds of thousands of Americans their jobs, a new TV ad is urging Congressman Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) to stop risking the American economy to protect big oil subsidies and tax breaks for millionaires, corporate jets, and companies that ship jobs overseas. The new ad, “Reckless,” begins airing Thursday on broadcast television in Duluth, in an effort sponsored by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Americans United for Change.

Mary Kay Henry, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU): "Partisan extremists like Congressman Cravaack seem willing to drive our economy right off a cliff unless they can enact their job-killing cut and gut economic policies. Congress should be focused on creating jobs, not finding ways slash Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Working families will not forget those who step forward for a balanced approach and those who wish to sacrifice the American Dream to satisfy an ideological agenda."

Tom McMahon, Executive Director, Americans United for Change: “Congressman Cravaack is playing a dangerous game of chicken with the economy by threatening to let the nation default on its debt obligations – and he’s risking it all for no other reason but to protect tax breaks for millionaires, Big Oil, hedge fund managers, and companies that outsource U.S. jobs. The consequences of failing to act cannot be overstated. The business, economic and financial communities warn that default could crash our economy, burn hundreds of thousands of jobs and, ironically, would mean hundreds of billions of dollars in new debt because it would permanently spike interest rates. The government warns it would have to immediately cease sending out Social Security checks and other benefits that our seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities are counting on. This is not a game. If Congressman Cravaack were really serious about getting the nation’s fiscal house in order, he would stop threatening to derail the economy and explode the nation’s debt by defaulting -- and he would start voting to end wasteful subsidies to big oil and close corporate tax loopholes.”

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Minnesota State Council works to improve the lives of working people and their families. The State Council coordinates the electoral, legislative and outreach work of the SEIU Locals in Minnesota to increase the effectiveness of their collective bargaining and new member organizing campaigns. By building the political involvement of over 30,000 SEIU members in schools, health care, and property services throughout the state, the State Council is working to improve the lives of all Minnesotans. The State Council’s board is comprised of elected leaders, members, and staff of the four SEIU Local Unions in Minnesota.

Comments

[Jeff Wilfahrt]

Oberstar living on the East coast...

Grandma would say that's the pot calling the kettle black.

Jeff Wilfahrt, Rosemount, MN

[Phoenix Woman]

Oberstar's not running for his old office any more.

[Sally Jo Sorensen]

And from many appearances, neither is Chip.

[Tony Sterle]

I really like the remix. It's a double whammy of poor political choices on Cravaack's part.

Some folks have suggested that he's moving to NH because he's considering a presidential run. This seems possible to me as his wife works in Boston--if he really wanted to spend more time with the family why not just move there? What do you think?

[Sally Jo Sorensen]

One of the things I've noticed is that few in Minnesota's progressive blogosphere are looking at Cravaack's lousy fundraising and his absence from the NRCC "defend" list, the Patriot Program (Bluestem did that in its first post about the move (click on first link in the above post). The NRCC and Chip both know he's toast.

So speculation that he's going to run for president--given his chronic inability to raise even the amount required to defend an out-of-a-major-media-market congressional seat--seems pretty baseless in light of the facts. Like Cravaack, Bachmann may not have a legislative record, but she is a rainmaker.