Americans for Prosperity, a political advocacy group that opposes the Supreme Court’s Obamacare decision, launched a $9 million ad campaign in a dozen states Friday afternoon.
As other like-minded political groups are deciding how to respond, AFP president Tim Phillips told reporters Friday morning he was disappointed and wanted to act quickly.
“The president clearly does not want to talk about this issue,” Phillips said. “We’re gonna force a thorough debate on this issue.”
The ad, titled “Not A Tax Increase?,” will play across the country and focus on Obama’s claim that the health care law is not a tax, while the ad says it’s “one of the largest tax increases in American history.”
Phillips told reporters the ad campaign will rely heavily on social media, including YouTube, Facebook, Google and Pandora.
While Phillips moved quickly to spend money to fight Obamacare, other right-wing groups may be able to rely on the decision as a cash cow in fundraising.
TheDC’s Alexis Levinson reported that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney raised $1 million just three hours after the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare, and has raised millions more in the hours following. Tea Party Patriots, a national tea party organization, reported that donors were responding at three times the normal rate to a fundraising plea.
Conservatives elsewhere will look to capitalize on the moment as well, as Republicans in the house said they will move to repeal the legislation in mid-July while other conservatives will be counted on to help stir the base.
Watch the Americans for Prosperity ad: