Issues: Medicare

60 Plus Association: “Strengthen”

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The 60 Plus Association is running an ad that features Pat Boone distorting the Affordable Care Act’s impact on Medicare and misrepresenting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s proposal for the program. Boone warns that Medicare is “going bankrupt” and suggests that the health care law will only make it worse. In reality, however, the ACA reduces future Medicare spending, as opposed to ‘taking’ money out of the program, which actually extends the program’s solvency for eight years. Meanwhile, Romney’s proposed voucher plan would lead to higher costs for seniors, and by repealing the health care law, he would re-open the prescription drug “donut hole” and take away seniors’ access to free preventive services.

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Crossroads GPS: “Vision” IA-04

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In an ad hitting congressional candidate Christie Vilsack (D-IA), Crossroads GPS levels a series of falsehoods about the Affordable Care Act. Despite the ad’s claims, the health care 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, Vilsack’s opponent voted to keep the $716 billion in savings GPS attacks the Democrats over.

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Crossroads GPS: “Hand Picked”

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Crossroads GPS attacks Indiana House candidate Brendan Mullen (D) over the Affordable Care Act, overlooking Mullen’s stated commitment to ‘fixing’ certain elements of the law that he does not support. The ad ridiculously suggests the law is “the largest tax increase in history on the middle class,” misleads on the impact of future Medicare spending reductions that do not cut seniors’ benefits, and fearmongers about the impact of the Medicare board responsible finding additional savings – an element of the ACA that Mullen actually wants to change.

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Americans for Tax Reform: “Al Lawson – Wrong Prescription For Florida”

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Americans for Tax Reform attacks congressional candidate Al Lawson (D-FL) for supporting the Affordable Care Act, relying on a series of distortions about the law’s impact. In reality, the ACA does not raise taxes on most Americans, and it actually decreases the overall burden on the middle class. Moreover, the law reduces future Medicare spending without cutting seniors’ benefits – in fact, Lawson’s opponent, Rep. Steve Southerland (R), voted to preserve the “cuts” as part of the House GOP budget – and the Senate-confirmed board responsible for finding additional savings is forbidden from cutting benefits or rationing care.

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American Action Network: “Tax And Spend”

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American Action Network goes after congressional candidate Val Demings (D-FL) over her support for the Recovery Act and for ending the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy, saying she supports wasting Floridians’ money. But the stimulus, which passed without any involvement from first-time candidate Demings, helped save the economy from an even worse recession, and ending the Bush tax cuts for top-tier earners would impact few real small businesses.

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Hardworking Americans Committee

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A Michigan super PAC called the Hardworking Americans Committee dishonestly alleges that Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) is “failing to pay her own taxes,” referring to small property tax penalties the senator paid more than five years ago. The ad also accuses Stabenow of “raising your taxes 21 times,” citing her support for the Affordable Care Act, which does not raise taxes on most Americans and reduces the burden on the middle class.

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Crossroads GPS: “Ideas”

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An ad from Crossroads GPS accuses Virginia Senate candidate Tim Kaine (D) of pushing tax hikes, skimming over the fact that the largest of the revenue increases Kaine proposed as governor were designed to fund transportation upgrades that the state’s GOP wanted to pay for with long-term borrowing. The ad also accuses Kaine of supporting the defense cuts set in motion by last summer’s deal to raise the debt limit, lifting a quote out of context. Although Kaine supported the compromise to raise the debt ceiling and prevent default, he has proposed a plan to avoid the upcoming defense cuts.

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American Crossroads: “Add Up”

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American Crossroads characterizes Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) as “extreme,” citing several alleged examples of her voting to take tax dollars “out of Wisconsin to pay for her extreme agenda in Washington.” However, the Bush administration’s bipartisan bailout of the financial sector helped prevent a possible depression; the Affordable Care Act does not raise taxes on most Americans and actually reduces the burden on the middle class; and “failed” Recovery Act not only created jobs but also cut taxes for millions of working American families.

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Crossroads GPS: “Dragging”

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An ad from Crossroads GPS accuses Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) of voting for higher taxes and hurting Ohio’s job creators. But ending the Bush tax cuts for top earners, few of whom are actual small businesses, would help reduce the deficit without impeding the recovery, and the Affordable Care Act doesn’t tax most Americans. Furthermore, the ad’s insinuation that Brown bears responsibility for job losses in Ohio ignores the devastating impact of the Great Recession as well as the fact that Ohio has gained well over 100,000 jobs since the recession officially ended.

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Crossroads GPS: “Simple”

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Armed with misleading claims and a clip of Heidi Heitkamp playing softball, Crossroads GPS alleges she “will go to bat for the Obama agenda,” while Rep. Rick Berg is the “independent voice” North Dakota needs in the Senate. Of course, Congressman Berg’s voting record does not reflect that supposed independence – but it does include two votes for the exact Medicare savings GPS attacks Heitkamp for supporting. The ad’s claim that Heitkamp wants to “hit job creators with higher taxes” fares no better under scrutiny.

Read more after the jump.