Democrats and their allies can’t get enough of the Americans for Tax Reform tax pledge — which, as we’ve reported, they’ve falsely equated in a number of ads with “protecting tax loopholes for companies that ship jobs overseas.” Still, Democrats continue …
Year: 2010
Angle’s Shocking – and Misleading – Viagra Claim
A new ad from Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle says that Angle’s opponent, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, "voted to use taxpayer dollars to pay for Viagra for convicted child molesters and sex offenders." That sensational claim hasn’t gotten any more true since the first time we addressed it, shortly after the health care bill was passed.
It’s true that Reid voted to table an amendment that would have barred convicted sex offenders from getting coverage for drugs like Viagra from health plans sold through state-based exchanges.
The Chamber and Foreign Contributions
Q: Is illegal foreign money being filtered through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to fund ads attacking Democrats?
A: The chamber says dues money paid by overseas companies "is not used for political ads," but won’t discuss how it segregates those funds. Democratic and liberal groups want an investigation of "likely" or "possible" legal violations.
Alaska and West Virginia Senate Races, and Health Care
In episode 32 of our podcast, we look at ads in the Alaska and West Virginia Senate races, and we debunk bogus claims about the health care law — again.
For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see:
Murkowski vs. Tea Party, Round 2 Oct. 6
Pataki's Bogus Health Care Claims Oct. 6
Dust-Up in Coal Country Oct. 1
Grayson Gets It Right
After two false ads, Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida finally gets it right.
Grayson, whom we criticized for twisting the words of his opponent in a TV ad called "Taliban Dan," released a new ad Oct. 6 called "The Facts" and invited the media to review it. We did. This time he mostly sticks to the facts and doesn’t resort to doctored evidence.
The narrator — a woman — lays out what she says are facts about Republican candidate Daniel Webster’s record regarding women.
Public Notice (Bankrupting America)
Conservative-leaning group that focuses on federal spending.
DSCC Not Fighting Fair
In Connecticut’s Senate race, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is sponsoring a misleading ad that attacks Republican candidate Linda McMahon.
It says McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, "laid off workers, yet took millions in bonuses," and "spent thousands on lobbyists to get millions in tax breaks for herself." McMahon did earn "millions in bonuses." She got a total of $2.4 million spread over several years. But in only one of those years were any workers laid off.
Super PAC for America
Conservative group formed by political strategist and TV commentator Dick Morris.
Another Black Hole
A secretive, Republican-leaning group has spent an estimated $3 million on a TV ad making the false claim that government spending is "not creating jobs."
The ad first appeared Sept. 7 and was still running nearly a month later. The ad shows a man in a business suit digging an ever-deeper hole — a visual metaphor for the nation’s ever-expanding debt. It could also be a metaphor for Public Notice, the sponsor of the ad and yet another group whose finances are also something of a black hole.
Pataki’s Bogus Health Care Claims
A conservative group led by former New York Gov. George Pataki has launched two nearly identical ads criticizing Democratic Reps. Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire and John Hall of New York for voting for the new health care law. Pataki said …