WASHINGTON _ A Republican super PAC aligned with House leadership is preempting the new Democratic messaging point with its own digital ad.
Democrats are expected to unveil their new slogan, "A Better Deal" on Monday. And the Congressional Leadership Fund is launching a digital ad in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's district and in 12 others that President Donald Trump won in November.
The ad, which will be up for two weeks, is titled "Resistance" and features images of violent protests and activists including filmmaker Michael Moore and other anti-Trump celebrities. A CLF spokesperson declined to comment on the size of the digital ad buy.
"The Democrats are the party of the resistance," the narrator says in the ad. "Radical extremists who destroy buildings, burn cars and divide America. Hollywood celebrities who are blinded by their hatred of the president. Nancy Pelosi and the Washington Democrats answer to them."
"There's no new agenda," the narrator continues. "Behind the poll-tested slogan are the same old, liberal ideas."
Pelosi, who has been the Democratic leader since 2002 and served as the first woman speaker, is a frequent campaign target for Republicans who argue that the California Democrat is too liberal. And CLF is once again taking aim at Pelosi as Democrats look to unveil their revamped agenda.
"The simple truth is that a Democrat is someone who is beholden to Nancy Pelosi, wants to raise your taxes, is blinded by their hatred of the president, and regularly loses elections," said Corry Bliss, CLF executive director.
In addition to Pelosi's district, the ads will run in 12 others that Trump won and are represented by Democrats including: Minnesota's 1st, 7th and 8th districts; Pennsylvania's 17th; Wisconsin's 3rd; Iowa's 2nd; New York's 18th; New Hampshire's 1st; New Jersey's 5th; Arizona's 1st; Nevada's 3rd; and Illinois' 17th District.
But Democrats see 2018 as a potentially winning midterm election year. They need 24 seats to win back the House, and are targeting a wide array of districts, including 23 GOP districts that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton won that November.
For Democrats, the anti-Trump energy and renewed grassroots activism, combined with historic midterm trends in which the president's party loses seats in his first midterms, set the stage for a successful 2018.
