Conservative group targets Obama's vacation
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/21/art.ad.cnn.jpg caption="A new ad is directed at Obama while he vacations on Martha's Vineyard."](CNN) - If President Obama wants to catch the White Sox-Red Sox games next week while he vacations in Martha's Vineyard, he'll probably see the latest ad to attack his health care reform proposals.
Conservatives for Patient's Rights, a group founded earlier this year by former health insurance executive Rick Scott, says it will spend close to $150,000 next week to air a 30-second television spot in the Boston media market coinciding with Obama's vacation in the area.
Video: Rick Scott wades into health care debate
Among the stations the group plans to air the ad on is NESN, the network that will broadcast the four-game series next week between Obama's Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox.
Called "Surf's Up," the ad's narrator appears to mock Obama's beach vacation "while concerns mount about his health care plan."
"The beach is nice this time of year," says the female narrator. "But while president Obama vacations, concerns mount about his health care plan. Mr. President, when you go back to D.C., drop your government-run public option plan."
The group has spent upwards of $4 million on combating the Democrats health care proposals this year.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs brushed aside the ad at Friday's daily briefing.
"I don't think the American people begrudge the president taking some time with his family that's well earned and well deserved for a few days to see and spend time with them," said Gibbs.
(Updated at 11:55 a.m. ET with Gibbs response)
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Isn't that sort of an oxymoron, "Conservative for Patient's Rights"?
What I would love to see in health care reform ads–from both sides–are facts. Remember those? Little statements that tell us the truth, verifiable information, not just more of the general conservative BS that is so often spouted.
The people who attack the president for having a vacation are not patriots. They are scum. They lie and have no sense of ethics. Screw them.
Just more GOP cheap shots.
More childish gimmicks.
Yeah? Really? And "Conservatives" (doubt that one, seriously – Barry Goldwater would slap many of these people if he were still among us for stealing the name "conservatives" for nothing more than a far right wing extremist stance) have exactly what plan for overhauling the U.S. healthcare system that is better? Lots of whining. No action. Better call a 'WAAAAAH-mbulance" on these people. Lot of hot air. Lot of them in the pockets of over-rich so-called healthcare companies. Lot and lot of Americans in need of quality healthcare getting absolutely nothing but the shaft. They are wasting our time and money and they do not really care about us. Enough with the flim-flamming and bamboozling. Stop it already!
I think the President deserves and needs a vacation. There always seemed to be an uproar when Bush simply went to his own home for a weekend which was silly. Anyone who thinks the President is really disengaged on vacation is ill informed.
These people of course thought nothing of Bush taking off the entire month of August as the troops he sent to Iraq fought and died.
Liars and hypocrites abound in the republipig party it is the one thing they are the best at.
Despicable people
Let him stay on vacation. Most of his voting base stay on vacation. In fact what ever he's being paid I say we pay him half to stay home and out of Washington.
He's one of the worst Presidents America has ever had. He just wants to be cool.
It's not like President Obama has been heading to his ranch in Crawford, Texas for lenghtly stays during a "Major Combat Operation"
Hey "Insurance Companies for Patient's Rights," how about you make a commercial aimed towards Congress? There are 535 people who ALSO went on vacation when they should be working towards reforming health care.
yeah because Bush never took multiple vacations while our nation was in combat in two theaters and facing a recession.
Give me a break.
LAME. At this point last year, W would have been on vacation for at least 2 months. There is NOTHING lacking in the President's work ethic (thank God).
Of course these clowns ran similar ads when Bush spent 2 of his 8 years on vacation..........yeah right...........
these insurance executives are only looking out for the public good.....right, next fairy tale............
As if George Bush and other Presidents didn't take vacations....need I say more. Why don't these groups attack President Obama's smile, walk, accent, et al. They are just prejudiced souls...plain and simple.
Sheer class. Does anyone remember how much time Bush 2 spent on vacation? Conservatives never cease to amaze me...
Where were these conservative posers when the Bush/Chaney team went on their record setting "days off"?? Hanging around the Texas compound or out shooting a friend in the face?
Actually the US is was better off because the Bush/Cheney admin was so AWOL, as bad as their term in power was just think how bad it could have been if they had considered the Presidency as a full time job!?
More right-wing nut job denial of facts and truth. Who cares what Fox news and the Limbaughs of their world tell these "conservative groups" to be angry about!
There isn't anything the GOP (Party of NO) would do to try to discredit, even criticize his taking of a vacation all the while they take their vacation and fail to send him a healthcare bill acceptable to the American People! BULL!
Do you need more proof the insurance companies are pulling the strings of the Republican manchine and derailing and progress the american people have hoped to make.
There is nothing wrong with criticizing the president for being on vacation...as long as Mr. Scott criticized President Bush for spending nearly 1/4 of his presidency on vacation. If not, then SHUT UP! Let's all listen to a man who's company was fined the largest amount by the U.S. gov't for fraud.
More obstructionism from the right-wing nut jobs promoting their social Darwinist agenda.
Let the poor die and suffer, let the middle-class whither financially under the burden of an unsustainable health-care system, and let the rich profit off the backs of the middle-class.
When the middle-class ceases to exist these same Republican retards are going to wonder why violent crime is on the rise. I'm sure they'll find a way to blame the liberals; they always do.
Surf's Up, dude! So is unemployment! But not your poll numbers.
One and done.
This is just another extension of our very own Domestic Terrorists (GOP). The President of the USA is entitled to a vacation, in peace, with his family. This just further illustrates how low the opposition will go. Unfortunately for the GOP, voters have developed a dislike for politics with personal attacks, and they've also developed a very long memory in regards to how low others are willing to stoop.
Lies, distortions, and commercial interruptions = GOP.
When you think that Bush spent MONTHS in his ranch during his presidency and is known as having been away more out of the White House than in it is pitiful. How many days has President Obama taken as a vacation since January? This is ONE WEEK. Proves that these people are not interested in Health care but that they hate Obama.
A public option is needed in this reform bill, but it might be better to expand medicare and medicaid. Ads run against healthcare reform are paid for by the very selfish. Let the run but we still need to reform the healthcare in this country. A country with higher infant mortality rates and lower lifespans then many of the other countries in the world that have universal healthcare.
I wonder how many ads this group placed between 2001 and 2009 when President Bush spend nearly 1000 days (about 1/3 of his presidency) either at Camp David or at his Crawford Ranch? I'm guessing 0.