Titus camp appalled, circle of umbrage complete

Supporters of Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., aren't happy that Republicans called out the freshman Democrat for what they said were half-truths and hot air in Titus' first television ad of the campaign.

The ad, announced Monday, featured homeowners Titus helped avert foreclosure by reaching out to the banks to prompt negotiations to lower mortgage payments.

Republicans on Tuesday morning lashed out at the ad, specifically questioning how Titus could claim to have voted against the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, since she wasn't in Congress in October 2008, when the $700 billion bank bailout bill was approved. She actually cast a vote in a subsequent measure to block the release of the second $350 billion in TARP money. But that vote was symbolic only, as the money was already cleared for release.

Titus spokesman Andrew Stoddard on Tuesday evening shot back at the Republicans, accusing them of being insensitive to struggling Nevada homeowners featured in the ad.

"Republicans' insensitivity to the struggles of Nevada families is simply appalling. To call Dina Titus' efforts to fight against the banks and help Nevadans avoid foreclosure 'hot air' is a slap in the face to the thousands of homeowners Dina has been fighting for," Stoddard wrote. "From the very beginning Dina Titus has been on record opposing TARP and when faced with the opportunity to vote for or against continuing the TARP program, Dina voted no. She also put an end to future bank bailouts when she voted to rein in Wall Street banks, which nearly all Republicans voted against."