Issues: Medicaid

Club For Growth Action: “Know”

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Club for Growth Action claims that former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, who is running for the Senate in Arizona, “has no problem with raising taxes.” But the conservative group’s claim relies on an out-of-context quote, in which Carmona explained that he would support repealing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans as long as “you protect the middle and lower class.” According to nonpartisan analysts, ending tax breaks for top earners would reduce the deficit without harming the economy.

Read more after the jump.

Club For Growth Action: “Jobs”

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Club for Growth Action accuses Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) of supporting “higher taxes, government health care, and trillions in new debt,” but the conservative group provides no evidence for its allegations. That may be because the charges against Donnelly don’t match his record. Donnelly recently voted to extend tax cuts for all Americans, while the Affordable Care Act expands private-sector health coverage and reduces deficits. Furthermore, Donnelly has supported conservative proposals for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

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Crossroads GPS: “Severe”

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Crossroads GPS simultaneously misquotes Heidi Heitkamp and takes her comments so far out of context that they end up 180 degrees opposite her actual position. The ad falsely implies Heitkamp wishes the individual mandate (characterized here as “Obamacare’s tax on middle-class families”) were enforced with a larger penalty. In fact, Heitkamp opposes the mandate, and was relaying information from insurance experts who’d told her the size of the mandate penalty would render it ineffective.

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U.S. Chamber Of Commerce: “CA-7: Ami Bera”

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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce attacks California congressional candidate Ami Bera (D) for supporting the Affordable Care Act, claiming the law “will increase taxes on California families” and “cut $716 billion from Medicare.” But the health care law won’t raise taxes on most Americans, and reduces future Medicare spending without cutting seniors’ current benefits. Moreover, Bera’s opponent, Rep. Dan Lungren (D), voted for the same Medicare savings as part of the GOP budget authored by Rep. Paul Ryan.

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U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “CA-10: Jose Hernandez”

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The Chamber of Commerce spent $100 million in insurance company funds trying to defeat the Affordable Care Act in 2009-10, and their 2012 ads indicate they’re not over that loss yet. An ad attacking former astronaut Jose Hernandez, candidate for California’s 10th Congressional District this year, relies on trite misinformation about the law. Beyond misrepresenting the Medicare and tax provisions of the ACA, the Chamber also ignores a crucial reality: Hernandez’s opponent, Rep. Jeff Denham, voted for the same Medicare savings for which they attack Hernandez.

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U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “IL-13: David Gill”

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The U.S Chamber of Commerce attacks David Gill over taxes and health care, using graphics and audio to suggest that the Illinois congressional candidate’s positions would cause the American economy to flat-line. But they repeat the distortion that the Affordable Care Act cuts Medicare, and mischievously cite their own, ill-conceived study as proof that ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy will kill job growth. And leaving aside the fact that the Chamber-commissioned study fail to analyze actual Democratic proposals, the failure of those tax cuts is plain to see in economic data on the past decade.

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U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “CA-24 Lois Capps”

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An ad from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce features a business owner suggesting that she is unable to hire more people because of uncertainty associated with federal policies, even though ample evidence suggests that consumer demand has the greatest impact on business hiring. The ad then attacks Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) for voting for a cap-and-trade bill that would boost the economy at minimal cost to consumers, the Wall Street Reform bill, which seeks to prevent another financial collapse, the Affordable Care Act, which doesn’t “cut” Medicare benefits, as the ad suggests, but rather finds savings by reducing future Medicare spending.

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U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “CA-9: Jerry McNerney”

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An ad from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce features a business owner suggesting that she is unable to hire more people because of uncertainty associated with federal policies, even though ample evidence suggests that consumer demand has the greatest impact on business hiring. The ad then attacks Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA) for voting for a cap-and-trade bill that would boost the economy at minimal cost to consumers, and the Affordable Care Act, which doesn’t “cut” Medicare benefits, as the ad suggests, but rather finds savings by reducing future Medicare spending.

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Crossroads GPS: “Focus”

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An ad from Crossroads GPS hits New York congressional contender Julian Schreibman over his stated support for the Affordable Care Act, leveling falsehoods about the law’s effect on Medicare spending, seniors’ care, taxes, costs, and insurance coverage. In reality, the law reduces future Medicare spending without cutting seniors’ current benefits, it helps control rising costs, and it’s expected to expand insurance coverage – all without taking health care decisions away from individuals or raising taxes on most Americans. What’s more, Schreibman’s opponent, Rep. Chris Gibson (R), voted to keep the $716 billion in savings GPS attacks Schreibman over.

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U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “Failed To Protect Medicare”

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The Chamber of Commerce’s attack on Bill Nelson’s Affordable Care Act vote holds up better in the vacuum the ad presents than it does in the real world. In reality, the law doesn’t cut Medicare benefits and extends the life of the program by eight years. Also in reality, Nelson is running against a congressman who not only voted for the same Medicare savings, but supported the Republican Study Committee’s “Paul Ryan budget on steroids.”

Read more after the jump.