Pelosi and Boehner in the Political Crosshairs

With 47 days before the midterm elections, Republicans are targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Democrats are targeting House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH).

It's called demonization politics: portray the leader of one party or the other as a bogeyman and try to sweep up all lawmakers who side with them in their wake.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) released a new video this week, claiming Boehner is hemming and hawing on whether he'd be willing to accept an extension of tax cuts for the middle-class, but not the wealthy.

Other Democratic sources are lampooning Boehner for playing golf, smoking cigarettes and his perpetual tan.

Regardless, Democrats want to make Boehner their target.

"I'm such a scary guy. I'm the most open and transparent guy in this town. It comes with the territory," Boehner said when asked about being the Democrats' foil this election cycle.

Meantime, Republicans are taking the same approach with Pelosi.

In TV commercial, her opponent John Dennis (R) portrays the speaker as the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. When Dennis appears in the ad, he throws a bucket of water on Pelosi, causing her to melt.

Pelosi said she was happy to take darts for the party.

"Spend that money. Spend that money in my district," she said.

Pelosi's seat is not considered to be competitive. And San Francisco is an expensive media market.

Political tacticians argue that it's not worth blowing money in a safe district when resources could be spent in more competitive contests.

"To tell you the honest truth, I don't really even have the time to pay attention to what they are saying about me," Pelosi said. "So up the ante if you wish. We're going to be victorious come November."