Issues: Recession

Americans For Prosperity: “Nevada Needs Jobs”

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An ad from Americans for Prosperity hammers Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) for supporting the “failed $800 billion stimulus” and mocks Berkley for saying in 2009 that Nevada “received extraordinary benefits” from the law. However, the Recovery Act created jobs and cut taxes for millions of Americans, preventing the recession from becoming even more devastating. In addition, AFP fails to provide context for Berkley’s statement, which specifically explained how the Recovery Act helped Nevadans who were suffering the impact of the economic crisis. The ad also accuses Berkley of voting for “more wasteful spending,” citing only her support for the Affordable Care Act – which actually reduces the deficit.

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Americans For Prosperity: “Stop Irresponsible Spending”

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An Americans for Prosperity ad hits Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) over a variety of policies she voted for, accusing her of supporting “irresponsible spending.” But the ad is both incoherent, nonsensically suggesting that voting to increase revenue contradicts McCaskill’s desire to balance the budget, and dishonest. Contrary to the AFP’s insinuations, the “failed” stimulus bill created millions of jobs, the bailouts prevented further collapse, and the Affordable Care Act lowers the deficit.

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Americans For Prosperity: “Bill Nelson: Stop Wasteful Spending”

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Americans for Prosperity warps Sen. Bill Nelson’s (D-FL) voting record, misrepresenting the impact of legislation he supported (health care reform and the Recovery Act) and offering dishonest descriptions of legislation he opposed. The ad claims Nelson voted “against stopping more taxpayer-funded bailouts,” citing a vote to allow the auto rescue to proceed – a successful move that has saved jobs in the auto industry and throughout the economy. AFP also accuses Nelson of voting “against American-made energy” on the basis of his opposition to faster offshore drilling permits one year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill hurt tourism on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

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Americans For Prosperity: “Real Facts Real Solutions”

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In an ad attacking Senate candidate Tim Kaine’s record as governor of Virginia, Americans for Prosperity combines misplaced blame for financial woes caused by declining revenues in the Great Recession with outright falsehoods about Kaine’s response. Faced with impending shortfalls, Kaine cut billions in spending to leave Virginia with a balanced budget, not with the $4.2 billion shortfall AFP claims. Meanwhile, the most significant of the tax increases Kaine proposed (many were never enacted) were attempts to pay for desperately needed transportation upgrades that Virginia’s Republicans wanted to finance by going deeper into debt.

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Americans For Prosperity: “Doing Fine”

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Americans for Prosperity follows closely in the footsteps of pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future, taking President Obama’s comment that “the private sector is doing fine” out of context in order to leave voters with the impression that the president is out of touch with economic reality. Full context reveals, however, that Obama was speaking specifically about how public-sector job losses are impeding economic recovery – something that’s backed up by facts. As the private sector has gained 4.5 million jobs over 29 straight months of growth, state and local government have been forced to lay off employees, with the GOP crowing about shrinking government all the while.

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Restore Our Future: “Doing Fine?”

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The pro-Mitt Romney super PAC Restore Our Future released an ad exploiting President Obama’s comment that “the private sector is doing fine.” While Restore Our Future might have voters believe that the president’s statement is evidence of a callous or out-of-touch approach to economic recovery, the full context reveals that Obama was speaking specifically about how public-sector job losses are impeding economic recovery – something that’s backed up by facts. As the private sector has gained 4.3 million jobs over 28 straight months of growth, state and local government have been forced to lay off employees, with the GOP crowing about shrinking government all the while. That’s a reality that disproportionately impacts women and African Americans – something that Restore Our Future’s ad neglects to mention when it’s wielding accusations about women’s unemployment “under Obama.”

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Americans For Prosperity: “Wisconsin Moving Forward”

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American For Prosperity targets Wisconsin senatorial candidate Tammy Baldwin by linking her to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, citing a handful of House votes in the past several years as evidence of Baldwin’s support for “wasteful spending.” In each case, however, AFP misses the mark. Efforts taken to rescue the economy helped stave off an even worse, deficit-deepening collapse, while other policies such as the Affordable Care Act actually reduce future deficits.

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Americans For Prosperity: “Tell Tester: Start Supporting Montana”

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Americans for Prosperity seeks to link Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) to President Obama, calling Tester “one of Barack Obama’s favorite senators” and using a meaningless statistic to suggest that Tester casts his votes to please the president rather than to serve the people of Montana. The ad’s dishonest tactics cast doubt on its implications, however; the Affordable Care Act didn’t institute “government-run health care,” and although the debt ceiling had to be raised to allow Congress to pay its bills, Tester voted against the bank bailout.

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60 Plus Association: “Tell Bill Nelson To Stop The Wasteful Spending”

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A 60 Plus Association ad blames Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and President Obama for a host of economic woes faced by the Sunshine State, but Florida’s unemployment rate and struggling housing market are all symptoms of the global recession that tanked the national economy. Thanks in part to the Recovery Act, which 60 Plus says “failed,” the jobs picture is improving both in Florida and across the nation. Meanwhile, Republican Gov. Rick Scott – not Nelson – held up a program that would have helped Florida homeowners avoid foreclosure.

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Crossroads GPS: “Spending”

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A Crossroads GPS ad linking Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to President Obama’s policies, particularly the Recovery Act, tries to paint a picture of wasteful spending that drove up the national debt without creating jobs. But the ad misrepresents projects funded by the stimulus, and in reality, Recovery Act spending is responsible for millions of jobs and for helping to stave off an even deeper recession. Meanwhile, it was Bush-era policies and the Great Recession that drove up debt, while spending growth under President Obama has been historically low.

Read more after the jump.