Issues: Health Care

American Crossroads: “Backward”

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President Obama’s opponents have spent more than three years blaming him for the economic mess the Bush administration left behind, but an ad from Karl Rove’s American Crossroads is particularly disingenuous. Taking aim at the Obama campaign’s slogan “Forward,” Crossroads cherry-picks several statistics to claim the country has moved “backward” under the president. However, the economic picture they paint only reflects the magnitude of the recession that started in late 2007, almost a year before Obama was elected. In addition to whitewashing the dismal Bush record, Crossroads conveniently ignores significant evidence of progress, such as the 4.5 million private-sector jobs added over 29 consecutive months of growth.

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Crossroads GPS: “Remember”

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Crossroads GPS links Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) to President Obama, alleging that Democratic policies that both supported are responsible for “trillion-dollar deficits.” However, the projected deficit was already over $1 trillion at Obama’s inauguration as a result of Bush administration policies, including expensive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. The only example of a “budget-busting” policy cited in the ad is the Affordable Care Act, which actually reduces deficits over time.

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Crossroads GPS: “Quote Leadership”

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Crossroads GPS’ attacks Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) for supporting the “failed stimulus,” citing “19,000 jobs lost in Missouri since 2009.” However, a previous 2010 ad decrying “almost 100,000 Missouri jobs lost” undermines Crossroads’ case that Democratic policies are destroying jobs. In fact, the Recovery Act is responsible for millions of jobs nationwide, and Missouri’s unemployment rate has fallen by over 2 percentage points since the recession officially ended in June 2009. The ad’s other claims about “costly Obamacare,” prescription drug expenses, and federal deficits are similarly misleading.

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Crossroads GPS: “Amazing”

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An ad from Crossroads GPS attacks Rep. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) over her support for the Affordable Care Act, but gets nearly everything wrong in the process. Rather than costing money, as Crossroads claims, the health care reform law will reduce deficits over time, and it doesn’t cut Medicare benefits. Those “unelected bureaucrats” – the Independent Payment Advisor Board – must be confirmed by the Senate, and they can’t ration care.

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60 Plus Association: “Urge Senator Nelson To Support Real Medicare Reform”

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The 60 Plus Association, which describes itself as a “conservative alternative to the AARP,” released an ad targeting several Democratic senators for their support of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the ads rely on debunked claims designed to scare seniors. In reality, the ACA reduces future spending without ‘cutting’ current Medicare benefits, the Senate-confirmed Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) will not have the power to “ration care,” and the law actually improves Medicare’s finances. Additionally, the health care law benefits seniors by closing the prescription drug donut hole and expanding providing free preventive services.

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60 Plus Association: “Urge Senator Brown To Support Real Medicare Reform”

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The 60 Plus Association, which describes itself as a “conservative alternative to the AARP,” released an ad targeting several Democratic senators for their support of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the ads rely on debunked claims designed to scare seniors. In reality, the ACA reduces future spending without ‘cutting’ current Medicare benefits, the Senate-confirmed Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) will not have the power to “ration care,” and the law actually improves Medicare’s finances. Additionally, the health care law benefits seniors by closing the prescription drug donut hole and expanding providing free preventive services.

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60 Plus Association: “Urge Senator Stabenow To Support Real Medicare Reform”

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The 60 Plus Association, which describes itself as a “conservative alternative to the AARP,” released an ad targeting several Democratic senators for their support of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the ads rely on debunked claims designed to scare seniors. In reality, the ACA reduces future spending without ‘cutting’ current Medicare benefits, the Senate-confirmed Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) will not have the power to “ration care,” and the law actually improves Medicare’s finances. Additionally, the health care law benefits seniors by closing the prescription drug donut hole and expanding providing free preventive services.

Read more after the jump.

60 Plus Association: “Urge Senator Tester To Support Real Medicare Reform”

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The 60 Plus Association, which describes itself as a “conservative alternative to the AARP,” has released an ad targeting several Democratic senators for their support of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the ads rely on debunked claims designed to scare seniors. In reality, the ACA reduces future spending without ‘cutting’ current Medicare benefits, the Senate-confirmed Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) will not have the power to “ration care,” and the law actually improves Medicare’s finances. Additionally, the health care law benefits seniors by closing the prescription drug donut hole and expanding providing free preventive services.

Read more after the jump.

Crossroads GPS: “From There”

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Crossroads GPS is running a new ad in Missouri accusing Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of supporting Medicare cuts and opposing tax cuts for the middle class. However, the savings in the Affordable Care Act do not ‘cut’ Medicare as Crossroads suggests, and the ad conveniently overlooks the important benefits for seniors in the law. In addition, before the compromise to extend all of the Bush tax cuts in late 2010, McCaskill supported an effort to preserve lower rates for all but the wealthiest Americans, but Republicans refused in order to protect wasteful tax cuts for the rich.

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Crossroads GPS: “Balloon”

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Crossroads GPS attacks President Obama and Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) for supporting policies that inflated the debt. However, the Affordable Care Act will actually lower deficits, while the Recovery Act and auto bailout saved millions of jobs. In reality, the main drivers of our debt are Bush administration policies, including the tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, and the massive recession that President Obama inherited upon taking office.

Read more after the jump.