New American Future Fund ad pressures Peterson over health care

The Iowa-based American Future Fund –  a conservative, free market group that ran ads here last year on behalf of Norm Coleman’s senate candidacy and against that of eventual winner Al Franken — is again running ads in Minnesota. This time the aim is to solidify Rep. Collin Peterson’s opposition to his party’s health care reform proposal.

Released to coincide with President Obama’s health care speech last night, the ads will run in Peterson’s district as well as those of Reps. Mike Ross, D-Ark., and Baron Hill, D-Ind., and hinge on comments made about Blue Dog Democrats by Rep. Pete Stark. Late last month the California Democrat criticized moderate party members who pushed for revisions to the Democratic health care reform package: “They’re for the most part, I hate to say brain dead, but they’re just looking to raise money from insurance companies and promote a right-wing agenda that is not really very useful in this whole process.” The ads conclude: “Tell Congress: No government-run health care.”

The commercials, which will also air in Washington, D.C., were produced by a group that has ties to both the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads in 2004 and the Willie Horton ad in 1988. Two AFF media consultants are linked to that group. One should be familiar to Minnesotans: Ben Ginsberg, one of Coleman’s election contest lawyers, was, at least as of last summer, legal counsel for the group. He served as chief outside counsel to the Bush-Cheney campaign, but resigned in August 2004 when it was revealed that he was also providing advice to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which sponsored error-riddled attacks on the military service record of 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

Last March the DFL filed a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission over AFF’s pro-Coleman ad, alleging the noprofit violated federal election law by failing to register and report as a political committee. The FEC ruled in AFF’s favor.