Competing attack ads ask what voters “really know” about Florida congressional candidates Alex Sink and David Jolly. But don’t count on the ads to clear things up, as both rely on misleading claims.
Competing Attack Ads in Florida Miss Mark
Paul’s ‘Head-Scratching’ Stats
Sen. Rand Paul was wrong when he said that 60 percent of law students and 55 percent of medical students are women, and he repeated a myth that “nine out of 10 businesses fail.”
IRS, Benghazi and Accountability
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani praised New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for holding “people accountable who were responsible” for the “stupid” bridge lane closings — adding that’s something President Barack Obama “failed to do with Benghazi” and “failed to do with the IRS.”
Putin Wrong About American Laws
Russian President Vladimir Putin was wrong when he tried to deflect questions about Russia’s anti-gay propaganda laws by claiming that “in some of the states in the U.S., homosexuality remains a felony.”
Whistle-blower? Not So Much
An ad from a Democratic group claims that Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick “blew the whistle on the disastrous health care website.” But Kirkpatrick didn’t expose any secret wrongdoing.
Senate Majority PAC Not Telling Whole Story
A Democratic ad says former Sen. Scott Brown “delivered” for “big banks” in the Senate, citing two legislative changes he sought that benefited the industry. But the ad lacks important context.
Is Obamacare Causing Health Care Layoffs?
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers blamed the Affordable Care Act for a recent loss of health care jobs, but she based her comment on a reported December downtick that was preliminary and minuscule at that.
ACA Hurts ‘Struggling Families’?
A conservative group is attacking Democratic Rep. Ron Barber of Arizona with an ad that claims the Affordable Care Act “means higher costs for struggling families.”
Bachmann Botches Poverty Stats
Rep. Michele Bachmann was wrong on two counts when she claimed today’s poverty rate is “only slightly below where it was in 1964” and that the small improvement in the rate “came with a $20 trillion price tag.”
Reid Overstates Reduction in Uninsured
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid incorrectly claimed that 9 million Americans “have health care that didn’t have it before” because of the Affordable Care Act.