Today, the Florida Democratic Party is hitting vulnerable, top-targeted Republican Congressman Steve Southerland’s district with this flyer. FDP asks if Southerland’s constituents have seen this Tea Partier Congressman who campaigned on changing the ways of Washington in 2010 — only to become part of the problem. He’s accepted thousands from corporate special interests like Koch Industries, voted to protect tax breaks for millionaires and Big Oil billionaires, and voted to end medicare as we know it.
This flyer comes on the heels of the DCCC’s major ad buy against the embattled congressman, who has also come under fire from the FDP yesterday for going Washington. Flyer and background below, here’s an online version: http://www.fladems.com/page/-/documents/MISSING.pdf.
BACKGROUND:
This quarter, Congressman Steve Southerland accepted $2,000 from corporate special interest Koch Industries. [Southerland Q1 2012 FEC Report, accessed 4/17/2012]
Southerland Voted for the House Republican Budget that Continued Special Tax Breaks for Big Oil. On April 15, 2011, House Republicans voted for the budget plan authored by Rep. Paul Ryan. Robert Greenstein, President of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities wrote that it was noteworthy that the Republican budget secured no deficit-reduction contribution at all from closing special interest tax breaks, such as breaks for big oil companies. [H Con Res 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/20/11]
Last Year, Southerland Voted to End Medicare. On April 15, 2011, Southerland voted in support of a budget, which according to the Wall Street Journal, “would essentially end Medicare.” If enacted, this budget would begin affecting millions of seniors almost immediately by increasing the costs on prescription drugs and long-term care. For future beneficiaries, the plan will significantly increase out-of pocket costs for health care, which according to the Congressional Budget Office would more than double under the Republican Plan. [H Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11; Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11; National Journal, 6/2/11; CBO, 4/5/11; see also: Los Angeles Times, 4/7/11; Congressional Joint Economic Committee, 5/20/11]