“Senator [fill in the blank] had the courage to save our financial system by supporting the $700 billion Wall Street bailout.  He saved us from default by voting to constantly raise the debt ceiling and ended the government shutdown by voting for Obamacare.  In addition, he has stood firm against right – wingers who seek to end corporate welfare.  Finally, Senator… has always been a strong supporter of Common Core and will always be a reliable vote for amnesty for undocumented Americans – the future of our country.”

Paid for by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is responsible for the content of this advertising.

This is a copy of a generic TV ad you will never see run by the Chamber on behalf of establishment Republicans during their hundred million dollar blitz this spring.

Why not?

Don’t they proudly support endless debt ceiling increases, bailouts, fixing Obamacare, amnesty, corporate welfare and Common Core?  And if their views represent a winning equation, why not honestly disseminate them to the voters?

Yet, instead, they opt to hide their views from the public and run ads trying to portray the conservative challengers as liberal!

Take a look at this ad they are running in Mississippi against conservative leader Chris McDaniel.

Now, look at this one featuring Mitt Romney touting Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) in Idaho as a warrior against wasteful spending and Obamacare. Remember that Simpson is one of the leading appropriators in Congress and has voted for every wasteful spending program and against many efforts to cut spending, including a 2003 amendment to cut off funding to study the sexual habits of older men, San Francisco’s Asian prostitutes and masseuses, as well as a study on mood arousal and sexual risk-taking [see Senator Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) floor speech, page H6574 of the congressional record].

As for Obamacare, The Chamber has already made it their official policy to advocate for fixing Obamacare, not repealing it.  Yet, they lack the courage to run on that platform.  Senator Mitch McConnell has already hinted that they have moved beyond repeal.

Undoubtedly, it is extremely difficult to knock off an incumbent in politics.  We usually have candidates with little or no name ID going up against incumbents with 100% name ID and unlimited funds from allies who are willing to lie on their behalf.  We may or may not succeed in knocking off these frauds.

But one thing is clear: if these people succeed in winning reelection it will not be on the backs of an honest presentation of their views – one which shows that their ideas resonate with the public more than ours.  Quite the contrary, it shows that they must co-opt our message in order to win the primaries, and that cowardice is the path to victory for those who are ashamed of their views.

Cross-posted from The Madison Project