Note To Senators: AMA Remembers Your Votes

The American Medical Association is backing a Democratic takeover attempt in a New Hampshire Senate race, while helping Republican incumbents in Oregon and Minnesota.

The physicians group has given most of its PAC money to Republicans in recent years, though it evened out this cycle. But the AMA was incensed at Republicans like Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) who voted against Medicare legislation in June, and ran ads criticizing several of them in July.

So now, as Sununu faces a strong challenge from former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, the AMA has an ad praising Shaheen, saying she will fight against Medicare cuts. If she doesn't, beware the rath of the AMA.

The association is also helping two Republicans who bucked their party on the Medicare vote. The ad for Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) says he "stood up to the insurance companies and overrode the president's veto to protect millions of medicare patients' access to helath care." Another ad praises Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) for standing up to President Bush.

Those AMA thank-you notes couldn't have come at a better time for Coleman and Smith.

-- Will Evans

11:40 AM ET | 10-20-2008 | permalink

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