Democrats shun their own party in TV ads

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Endangered congressional Democrats are playing up their independence, not party loyalty, in campaign ads, The New York Times reported.

Many are avoiding party labels in their television spots, and President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are much more likely to appear in Republican ads –- as targets for attack – than in ads for Democrats, the Times said Sunday.

Outgunned by Republicans and their allies, the most vulnerable Democrats are distancing themselves from their party's agenda, the report said.

Republicans have outspent Democrats $20 million to $13 million in television advertising in the last six weeks, a Times analysis of the 56 tightest House and Senate races indicates. Their advantage includes $9 million in spending from outside conservative groups, compared with $3 million on the other side.

Republican ads were more than twice as likely to talk about jobs, often criticizing Democrats as not creating them. Republicans also mentioned healthcare far more than Democrats did. And when Democrats do bring up the issue, 38 percent of the commercials are critical of the new law their party passed, the Times report said.