On Thursday, the progressive VoteVets organization launched a $2 million ad campaign in seven states and District of Columbia focused on support for "a comprehensive energy bill that will cut our dependence on oil, and calling out those who are putting contributions from oil interests above America's interest." The ads use local veterans to press the organization's point of view in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, South Dakota and Wyoming.
VoteVets began four years ago with the express purpose of putting Iraq and Afghanistan veterans critical of U.S. defense policy into Congress. Beginning in 2006, it has endorsed, contributed money to or run advertising favoring more than a dozen candidates, including several who won their elections, such as Patrick Murphy, Joe Sestak, Tim Walz, and Chris Carney. A little more than two years ago, the group started VetVoice, a blog for veterans of the two ongoing wars and their families, friends and supporters.
Here is the ad for Kentucky.
The campaign was launched days after the oil industry revealed that it spent $154 million lobbying Congress in 2009-much of it in opposition to comprehensive energy legislation.
"The fight to get off Middle East oil is a matter of life and death for those of us who serve this country," said Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org. "Every day Congress delays action is another day they are siding with oil companies and against our veterans," continued Soltz.
The ads use the so-called "Christmas Bomber," Umar Abdulmutallab, as a reminder that terrorists continue to target America, and that every day we continue our dependence on Middle East Oil, we continue to send money to nations with ties to terror. Yet many in Congress seem more interested in taking oil money from companies that do business in countries with ties to terror than they are in support a bipartisan effort to cut our dependence on oil and reduce pollution.
All the ads can be viewed here.