Freedom's Watch

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is releasing its own batch of radio ads in response to the conservative group Freedom's Watch, with spots airing in 10 districts, including U.S. Rep. Chris Carney's (D-Dimock) 10th Congressional District.

In announcing the ads, the DCCC called recent Freedom's Watch spots deceptive and misleading. In addition to radio ads, the group has also launched robo-call campaigns against candidates across the country.

The DCCC did not immediately say when the ads would be released. But not included in the response ads is U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski's 11th Congressional District. Kanjorski has been a target of both radio ads and robo-calls by Freedom's Watch, and he is locked in a contentious race with Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta.

Carney is running against Republican Chris Hackett.

The conservative group Freedom's Watch has unleashed yet another round of robocalls, this one attacking Democrats in Congress for "standing between us and billions of barrels of American oil."

The robocall campaigns are being run in New Hampshire, Arizona, California, Kentucky, New York, Illinois, Florida and Ohio, as well as in Pennsylvania.

With similar scripts, the Pennsylvania calls are targeting U.S. Reps. Jason Altmire (D-McCandless) in the 4th Congressional District, Chris Carney (D-Dimock) in the 10th Congressional District and Paul Kanjorski (D-Nanticoke City) in the 11th Congressional District.

The voice on the call reminds listeners that President Bush recently lifted the executive ban on offshore drilling, and blames its Democratic targets for stopping increases in domestic oil production. It gives listeners a number of times that each target has "sided with Nancy Pelosi and liberals in Congress instead of us" and urges listeners to call the target.

"Tell him to stop standing between the American people and American oil," the call closes.

Freedom's Watch has again targeted two northeast Pennsylvania congressmen as part of its ongoing campaign to criticize Democratic incumbents for opposing expanded domestic oil drilling.

The Washington-based conservative advocacy group this time is running radio ads in the districts of U.S. reps. Chris Carney (D-Dimock) and Paul Kanjorski (D-Nanticoke). They criticize the representatives for refusing to help families struggling with high gas prices by "voting against American energy independence."

The ads provide the congressman's phone number and asks voters to tell them to support H.R. 3089, the "No More Excuses Energy Act of 2007."

Freedom's Watch previously launched a series of robocalls against three Pennsylvania Democratic incumbents criticizing them on the same issue.

Kanjorksi's campaign has previously called the attacks untrue.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy: Getty Images photoYet another Pennsylvania Congressman is using recent robo-call attacks against him to stir his supporters into opening their wallets.

This time it's U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Bristol), who is one of many Pennsylvania lawmakers being targeted in recent robo-call campaigns by the conservative group Freedom's Watch.

Murphy, an Iraq war veteran running against Republican Tom Manion in the 8th Congressional District, has been a Freedom's Watch target mainly over issues of the war and troop funding.

In an e-mail to supporters this morning, Murphy said recent calls questioning his committment to the troops were "insulting and inaccurate, but sadly, not surprising."

Republicans might have finally found an issue they can use to pry votes from a populace beset by $4-a-gallon gas -- domestic oil drilling.

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire (D-McCandless) certainly learned that last week. The state's 4th Congressional District representative was criticized by two groups days apart -- the conservative advocacy group Freedom's Watch and congressional opponent Melissa Hart -- for opposing new drilling in ANWR and off American shores. Each group linked his opposition to sky-high fuel prices.

"Each week it becomes more evident that this Congress is not serious about finding practical solutions to our acute energy problems," Hart said in the statement. "It is going to going to give voters a lot to think about when they head to the polls in November."

U.S. Rep. Jason AltmireThe conservative advocacy group that has launched robo-calls criticizing three Pennsylvania congressmen for opposing domestic oil exploration isn't satisfied with one of the U.S. representatives' explanations.

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire (D-McCandless) told PolitickerPA.com Wednesday that oil companies don't need new land to drill because they aren't using much of what they already own.

But Freedom's Watch spokesman Tim Pearson told PolitickerPA.com after reading Altmire's resposne that it only confirms "that his position on environmentally responsible energy exploration and creating new American jobs is at odds with 67 percent of the American people, all of whom are being soaked at the pump because Congressman Altmire is simply a rubberstamp for his Congress' no new energy policy."

Like other Democrats being targeted by Freedom's Watch campaign of robo-calls, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak is striking back against the conservative advocay group's criticisms and using it as an opportunity to rally supporters behind him.

Sestak, who represents Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, is one of many lawmakers who has been targeted by the group's campaign.  In Pennsylvania, those lawmakers include U.S. Reps. Paul Kanjorski, Chris Carney and Jason Altmire, among others.

The periodic robo-calls targeting Sestak have focused on troop funding and other military issues, attacking him for not supporting U.S. troops.

In an e-mail message to supporters this morning, Sestak, who served 31 years in the military, said attacks could not be allowed to go unanswered.