Lincoln's First Ad: "I Don't Answer To My Party"
She now has a primary on her hands, but Sen. Blanche Lincoln's (D-AR) first TV ad of the campaign indicates she has no problem running against both Washington and her own party.
In the ad, which touts Lincoln as "One Tough Lady," the senator touts her votes against Wall Street and auto company bailouts, cap and trade, and the public option.
"None of those were right for Arkansas," she says. "Some in my party didn't like it very much. But I approve this message because I don't answer to my party. I answer to Arkansas."
UPDATE: As Lincoln distances herself from the party, it looks like some key constituencies in the party continue to distance themselves from her. Check out what Ellen Malcolm of EMILY's List wrote today:
Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln is fighting for her political survival. Republicans are in full attack mode, and polls indicate she's the most vulnerable Senate incumbent in the country.Frankly, I'm not surprised.
As I travel around the country, I've been asked repeatedly about Senator Lincoln's political troubles and what, if anything, EMILY's List will be doing to help her win a third term in 2010.
My answer? Nothing.
In 1998, EMILY's List helped elect Lincoln to the U.S. Senate. We believed her when she told us that that, if and when the Senate took up right-wing Senator Rick Santorum's bill to ban what he called "partial birth" abortion, she would insist on a health exception that protects women.
Our members gave generously to her campaign, believing that she would steadfastly stand by the pledge she made to us to protect women's reproductive freedom.
She took our members' hard-earned money to get elected. Unfortunately, when the Santorum bill came up for a vote, Lincoln voted for it even though it provided no exception to protect women's health.
EMILY's List members are deeply committed to electing pro-choice Democratic women whom we trust to stand up for our rights, treat us honestly, and make us proud. Our candidates fight for us every day. Blanche Lincoln failed to hold up her end of the bargain.
Since she wasn't there for us, we won't be there for her.