By: Sarah JonesFeb. 21st, 2013more from Sarah Jones

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching grassroots online ads to hold 27 Tea Party House Republicans accountable for the thousands of layoffs and other costs to the middle class in the upcoming sequester.

Watch one version of the online ad, “Your Pink Slip — Brought to You by Congressman Bill Young”, here:

DCCC Chairman Steve Israel said, “There are real-world consequences for middle class families because of House Republicans’ dysfunction and chronic chaos. For the defense workers who may get pink slips, the federal law enforcement officers who may be furloughed, and the FBI agents and the food inspectors who are looking at layoffs, they will be reminded that those pink slips have been brought to hardworking Americans by this Tea Party Republican Congress. It is time for House Republicans to come back to work to avert this crisis, stop protecting tax breaks for special interests and corporations — and stand up for the middle class.”

The DCCC says “‘Your Pink Slip’ is the first phase of the campaign and features web advertising highlighting the consequences of Tea Party House Republicans protecting millionaires instead of the middle class.”

The DCCC appears to be targeting swing districts; for example, in Florida they are going after Reps. CW Bill Young, Steve Southerland, and Daniel Webster. Furthermore, 21 of the 27 Republicans are from states Obama carried in 2012.

Here’s the full list of the 27 Tea Party Republicans who will be targeted:

· Andy Barr (KY-06)

· Dan Benishek (MI-01)

· Tom Cotton (AR-04)

· Rick Crawford (AR-01)

· Mike Coffman (CO-06)

· Steve Daines (MT-AL)

· Rodney Davis (IL-13)

· Jeff Denham (CA-10)

· Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08)

· Chris Gibson (NY-19)

· Tim Griffin (AR-02)

· Michael Grimm (NY-11)

· Joe Heck (NV-03)

· Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03)

· David Joyce (OH-14)

· John Kline (MN-02)

· Tom Latham (IA-03)

· Gary Miller (CA-31)

· Erik Paulsen (MN-03)

· Tom Reed (NY-23)

· Scott Rigell (VA-02)

· Jon Runyan (NJ-03)

· Steve Southerland (FL-02)

· David Valadao (CA-21)

· Jackie Walorski (IN-02)

· Dan Webster (FL-10)

· Bill Young (FL-13)

The label of ‘Tea Party’ gives Democrats a lot of freedom in advertising that they didn’t used to have. After years of headaches, the Tea Party is now becoming the best weapon to use against the GOP. The Tea Party’s negative branding is an advertisers dream.

Without the label for the extremist side of the Republican Party, Democrats would be left with awkward phrases such as “the extremist side of the GOP”, which is as vague as it is unexciting (if accurate). The Tea Party label polls poorly and in this case, the Republican Tea Party caucus is directly responsible for the hostage taking that led to the sequester.

The claim is therefore both accurate and easy to digest. It’s also very effective in identifying the radical Tea Party as the cause of much of the obstructionism and dysfunction in DC. It furthers the narrative (based on reality) that the modern day Republican Party is not representing the middle class. In fact, they don’t care if the middle class get laid off. The middle class is just collateral damage in the Tea Party GOP’s race to appease billionaires and corporations.

Polls are leaning in Democrats favor and Republicans are still suffering from low approval ratings in Congress. Who would you rather be right now, John Boehner trying to sell the public a lie in order to cover up your inability to control the Tea Party caucus of your own House, or the Democrats using the Tea Party’s hostage taking to target Republicans?

These are new times for Democrats.

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