Kudos to Oxfam America’s Advocacy Fund, which is paying for television advertisements of a kind rarely seen: those defending diffuse interests against rent-seekers.

While I haven’t always been happy with Oxfam’s work on this issue, I think that’s a pretty good ad. Will it be effective? I’m not sure, but they’re in heavy rotation in at least some markets:

A coalition of environmental, budget and social groups are urging Minnesota Sens. Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar to stop agriculture payments to millionaire farmers in a TV ad campaign that began Wednesday… The ad asks viewers to call Coleman, a Republican, and Klobuchar, a Democrat, to let them know that the crop payment program needs reform. Both are members of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. More than 100 spots will air this week on Minneapolis network affiliates NBC, CBS, Fox and ABC…

Oxfam says the $225,000 media buy will also run TV spots in New Hampshire and print ads in Washington, DC.

[HT: Richard Baldwin & Econoclaste]