REFORM: Watch Out Harry and Louise, Here Comes Elizabeth

Harry and Louise, watch out for Elizabeth Edwards.

The New York Times politics blog reports that Health Care for America Now, a coalition of labor, health care and liberal organizations pushing for comprehensive health reform, will roll out a new television commercial next Tuesday, part of what the group says is a $40 million planned campaign to promote affordable health care under the next administration. The idea is to have a pro-reform media message as powerful as the insurance industry's Harry and Louise ads were in fighting health reform when Bill Clinton was president.

Elizabeth Edwards, breast cancer patient, wife of former Democratic Sen. John Edwards, health policy blogger and visible proponent of health reform, will speak at the group's inaugural event in Washington next week.

The Times reported that after the initial buy of $1.5 million for national television, print and online advertisements, the coalition plans to pour $25 million into additional advertising. The first commercial will run in national newspapers, on CNN and MSNBC and online.

We expect to see lots of ads battling back and forth as the issue heats up. It's an election year, so we realize that things will get rather heated. Here at New America, we're still hoping that both sides don't get so caught up in the politics that, whoever is in the White House next January, they can't sit down and start working together for sustainable solutions that will help all Americans get the health care they need in a way our country can afford.