Thursday, November 16, 2006

Some of the highlights from the campaign

In Ohio, a Democratic ad said Republican House candidate Joy Padgett was investigated "for abusing her position to help her own business." The truth is the investigation was triggered by an anonymous accusation and the investigators concluded there was "no substance to the allegation." See "When Democrats Attack " from Nov. 2

In Florida, a Democratic ad accused GOP Rep. Clay Shaw of profiting from a "drug deal" by buying and selling a pharmaceutical company's stock while voting for the Medicare prescription drug benefit. The truth is the company in question was not among those that could have benefited from the new Medicare program. See "A 'Drug Deal' Gone Bad" from Oct. 16.

A Democratic-leaning group ran false ads accusing a few Republican senators of voting to deny modern body armor for troops in Iraq. In fact, the amendment cited by the ad didn't mention body armor, and passing it wouldn't have allowed the Pentagon to acquire a single additional armored vest: It already was buying as many as the economy could produce. See "False Claims About Body Armor" from Sept. 20. A Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ad repeated this false claim even after we de-bunked it. See "Accusations Without Evidence and Moldy Bunk in Virginia ."

Democrats repeatedly accused Republicans of voting to "raid the Social Security trust fund ," based on their support for federal budgets that were in deficit. That's nonsense. Deficits don't affect Social Security benefits by one penny, and have no effect on the IOU's that build up in the trust fund, either. See "Tired Old Trust Fund Bunk" from Oct. 25.

Democratic ads continue to misinform voters about the Medicare prescription drug benefit. One Florida ad said it is "bad for seniors." See "A 'Drug Deal' Gone Bad" from Oct. 16. Several ads from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also attacked Republicans for supporting the plan because it prevents federal officials from negotiating with drug companies for volume discounts. But the ads fail to note that seniors enrolled in the plan are expected to save an average of several hundred dollars a year on their prescription drugs, and that most seniors report that their initial experience with the plan has been positive. See "When Democrats Attack" from Nov. 2.

7 comments:

Jim said...

The national GOP campaign office started airing an ad Friday that showed Arcuri leering at the silhouette of a dancing woman who says, ''Hi, sexy. You've reached the live, one-on-one fantasy line.'' He supposedly dialed the service two years ago from a New York City hotel room and billed taxpayers – for all of $1.25 for a one-minute call. He is the district attorney in Oneida County.

Now the Utica Observer-Dispatch today notes that Arcuri's campaign has released records to the paper showing the call to the 800 sex line was followed the very next minute by a call to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services – and the last seven digits of the two numbers are the same.

The ad's sponsor, the National Republican Congressional Committee, stands by the 30-second message.

Every ad for or by Republics or the RNC was totally honest, not misleading, and extrememly fair. Republics never pull any s**t in election campaigns. We all know they are pure as the driven snow.

The Game said...

jim has to defend his parties bad behavior by saying "we'll he did it too"
the add was pulled right away...there is NO comparison between the few adds that MIGHT be questionable from the right and the flat out lies in commericals on the Left...
We had one in Wisconsin that EVERYONE knew was a lie...and the liberal group ran it anyway...and it was one of the only republicans who actually won last tuesday, so HA

Jim said...

So, HA! If you think that somehow the Democrats are worse at negative campaign ads than Republics, you are totally delerious, Game. This is the year that the Dems fought back against the RNCs Swift-Boating of Dems like Webb and Duckworth.

And get off your high horse about "they did it, too". You and the Republics pull that crap as much as anybody. "Gerry Studds, Barney Frank, Bill Clenis."

PCD said...

jim,

Problem is that the GOP usually proves what they say. The donkeycrats just lie and cry "they do it too!"

The Game said...

I have two ads from just my state where liberal groups ran ads that were 100% false...didn't see any where liberals could say the same...

Dedanna said...

Ok, here's to both of you:

The aftermath you've both wrought on the people:

T]hese two waves are more accurately viewed as part of the same continuous seismic disturbance: the growing frustration of voters with the Washington crowd of both parties, who seem stuck in the same ideological debate they were having in 1975, while the rest of the country struggles mightily with the emerging economic and international threats of 2006. After the midterms, that tidal resentment has now washed away both of our old governing philosophies: the expansive and often misguided liberalism that dominated American politics up through the 1970s, as well as the impractical, mean-spirited brand of conservatism that rose up in reaction to it.

It may be, then, that we have just witnessed the last big election of the 20th century; the question now is what kind of different, more relevant ideologies might rise from the ruins. Or, as Simon Rosenberg, the Democratic strategist, recently put it in making much the same argument, “Like two heavyweight boxers stumbling into the 15th round of a championship fight, the two great ideologies of the 20th century stumble, exhausted, tattered and weakened, into a very dynamic and challenging 21st century.” The era of baby-boomer politics — with its culture wars, its racial subtext, its archaic divisions between hawks and doves and between big government and no government at all — is coming to a merciful close. Our elections may become increasingly generational rather than ideological — and not a moment too soon.


I have to say that I agree with every word of this.
(re-posted from another blog).

Dedanna said...

And game, PLEASE delete that f*ing spam post.
Thanks.