MoveOn.org is trying to take advantage of the populist outrage over the AIG bonuses to pressure Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Virginia, and other uncommitted members of Congress to support President Barack Obama's proposed $3.7 trillion budget.
MoveOn is running radio and Web ads targeting Warner and nine other Democrats -- two senators and seven members of the House of Representatives.
"Call Senator Warner at (202) 224-3121 and tell him to vote for the Obama budget," the ad concludes. "We've tried it Wall Street's way long enough. It's time Washington listens to the rest of us."
A spokesman for Warner said Warner will stay uncommitted because he serves on the Senate Budget Committee, which will craft the budget.
Warner supports the "overarching goals" of the budget, but will consider it in the light of fiscal responsibility and accountability, spokesman Kevin Hall said.
Another liberal organization, Americans United for Change, is taking out a television ad urging acceptance of the Obama budget. This ad does not specifically target Virginia congressmen. The TV ad, which is in the Richmond market, is running in 12 states.
MoveOn has 5 million "progressive American" members, the organization says.
Americans United for Change, "a national progressive issue-advocacy organization," said the health-care, energy and other policies embraced in the Obama budget, are needed to get the economy moving again.
Warner, who ran for election last fall as "a radical centrist," has joined the "Moderate Dems Working Group," a coalition of 16 Senate Democrats. Members characterize themselves as "pragmatic" lawmakers who will pursue deficit containment, health-care reform, educational reform and energy and climate-change legislation.
Sens. Evan Bayh of Indiana, Tom Carper of Delaware and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas lead the group. The organization will meet every other Tuesday before the Democratic Caucus lunch to focus on the budget negotiations, Bayh said in a news release.
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