The House Republican campaign operation released a new series of radio ads targeting five members of the Blue Dogs—a faction of moderate and fiscally conservative House Democrats.

The five targeted members include Reps. Marion Berry of Arkansas, Charlie Melancon of Louisiana, Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota, Zack Space of Ohio and John Tanner of Tennesee.

Each of the members represents a right-leaning congressional district that Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain won in the 2008 presidential election.
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The ads—featuring dogs barking and whining in the background—align the lawmakers with President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and use a similar script.

“[The lawmaker] is not voting like a Blue Dog, he’s voting like a lap dog—a lap dog for Nancy Pelosi and President Obama,” the ad states.

A spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign committee countered that it was the Bush administration that handed over a deficit to Obama. Republicans “just aren’t used to seeing members who are independent and stand up for what they thing is right,” said Jennifer Crider.

Blue Dogs have been—and will continue to be—a target of the NRCC for the 2010 election cycle since their districts tend to lean more conservative. There are 49 Democrats who represent districts McCain won—many of them Blue Dogs–while there are 35 Republicans representing districts Obama won.