A television advertising effort has been launched against Republican Sen. Richard Burr by two groups suppporting the president’s efforts to overhaul the health care system.

The ad campaign is being sponsored by Health Care for America Now, a coalition of groups backing President Barack Obama’s health care proposals and by the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Rob Christensen reports. The ad, featuring a photo of Burr superimposed over the Capitol, says:

Why is Senator Burr taking the side of the insurance companies in the health care debate? Maybe he’s too comfortable. Members of Congress get good affordable health insurance. Better than most middle class families, who pay more for their health insurance and get less. Or because he’s taken 2.1 million dollars from the health care industry. Is that why he’s opposed to reforms that would lower costs for families and businesses and end insurance company abuses? Tell Senator Burr — side with us, not insurance company lobbyists.

The ad is part of a $650,000, five-day national ad campaign targeting Republican leadership in the House and the Senate and seven additional Republican members of Congress. Besides Burr, the state and regional ads taret Reps. Dave Camp of Michigan, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Patrick Tiberi of Ohio, Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan, Dave Reichert of Washington and John Boehner of Ohio.

UPDATE: The group plans to spend $95,000 on the Burr ad.

A new radio ad running in Sen. Richard Burr's community of Winston-Salem urges him to support the economic stimulus package now being considered by Congress.

The ad, sponsored by Americans United for Change, references conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, who said on his program on January 16, "I hope he fails," of President Barack Obama’s economic recovery plan. The ad urges listeners to call the U.S. Capitol switchboard.

The radio spot, narrated by a female voice, points out that the bill received no Republican votes in the House, and that it now goes to the Senate.

"The question is, Will our senator, Richard Burr, side with Rush Limbaugh too?"

The ad will run this week at WSJS-AM in Winston-Salem, according to Americans United for Change. Also helping to pay for the ad are the MoveOn.org political action committee, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, and the Service Employees International Union.

Burr, a Republican, is up for re-election in 2010. He has said he will not support the economic recovery stimulus bill as it now stands.

After the jump, the script.

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