Phone campaign to target Obama

WASHINGTON -- A conservative advocacy group plans an onslaught of automated telephone calls targeting Barack Obama and a handful of other senators demanding they oppose a bipartisan climate change bill.

The calls are the first by Freedom's Watch to make the Democratic presidential candidate and Illinois senator the focus of a paid media campaign. The group is launching hundreds of thousands of the calls today aimed at senators in seven states.

In April and May, Freedom's Watch aired ads in Louisiana and Mississippi aimed at Democratic candidates in two special elections and tried to equate their stands to Obama's. Both Democrats won.

The bill at issue calls for capping carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, transportation and industrial sources with a goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 71 percent by mid-century.

Democrats have proposed huge tax reductions to help people pay higher energy prices resulting from the shift from fossil fuels to other energy sources. The money would come from auctioning off greenhouse gas emission allowances to utilities and industry.

The telephone calls tell listeners that the climate change bill would increase gas prices and electricity rates. "Even worse, Obama's vote could cost Illinois over 100,000 manufacturing jobs," the caller says.

The Obama calls will be made in Illinois. Senators in six other states also are targeted, including Debbie Stabenow in Michigan and Claire McCaskill in Missouri.