Issues: Recession

Congressional Leadership Fund: “Continued”

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Congressional Leadership Fund seeks to damn Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) by tying her to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Although Sutton has received an unremarkable $25,000 from Pelosi’s leadership PAC since 2006, the rest of the ad’s accusations are misleading. Sutton’s vote for the Affordable Care Act didn’t cut $700 out of current Medicare spending; it found future savings without cutting seniors’ benefits. The “failed” stimulus helped rescue the economy from an even greater recession, and the cap-and-trade bill Sutton supported would have boosted the economy at minimal cost to consumers.

Read more after the jump.

U.S. Chamber Of Commerce: “Martin Heinrich Has Gone Washington”

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A U.S. Chamber of Commerce ad attacks Senate candidate Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) over his votes against the Regulatory Accountability Act, against the Keystone Pipeline, for the American Clean Energy and Security Act, for Wall Street reform, and for the health care law. The Chamber implies that Heinrich’s votes killed jobs, created red tape, or harmed Medicare, misleading voters about the bills.

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Center for Individual Freedom: “Busy”

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The Center for Individual Freedom attacks Kentucky Rep. Ben Chandler (D) for supporting the Recovery Act, bailouts, cap-and-trade, and “keeping the death tax.” The ad wrongly demonizes legislation that helped strengthen the economy (or, in the case of cap-and-trade, could have if it had passed). However, the ad’s most egregious distortion is that it ignores that Chandler recently voted with House Republicans to keep the estate tax limited.

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Center for Individual Freedom: “Burden”

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An ad from the Center for Individual Freedom asks, “Don’t Nevadans already pay enough in taxes?” It then blasts State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, who is now running for a seat in the U.S. House, for supporting several tax increases. The truth is, however, that Nevada’s tax structure is deeply reliant on revenue from gaming and sales, which plummeted during the recession. In an effort to close budget gaps, avoid devastating cuts to education and services, and address longer-term structural problems with Nevada’s tax code, Horsford has backed several revenue increases, each time has coupling them with spending cuts.

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Center For Individual Freedom: “Same”

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The Center for Individual Freedom attempts to link Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT) to President Obama, citing their positions on the “failed stimulus,” increased oil drilling, and the repeal of health care reform. But the Recovery Act actually created jobs and cut taxes for millions of working Americans, while domestic energy production has increased under the Obama administration. Furthermore, the Affordable Care Act reduces future Medicare spending without cutting seniors’ current benefits – and Matheson opposed the bill when it passed in 2010.

Read more after the jump.

American Crossroads: “Next”

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Even though the small business owners featured in American Crossroads’ latest presidential ad have benefitted from over $300,000 in government defense contracts during the Obama administration, they complain that President Obama’s “bad decisions” and regulations are harming job growth. But the ad cites a study that doesn’t address Obama’s proposals, and small business owners routinely say that regulations aren’t what’s keeping them from hiring.

Read more after the jump.

Congressional Leadership Fund: “Sutton Works For Pelosi”

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The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super-PAC associated with the American Action Network, uses Rep. Betty Sutton’s voting record to suggest that she places the interests of Rep. Nancy Pelosi above those of Ohio. To do so, they rely on misrepresentations of clean energy legislation, the Affordable Care Act, and the Recovery Act, the last of which helped prevent a deeper recession and cut taxes for families and businesses across the country.

Read more after the jump.

American Action Network: “Neighbor”

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American Action Network tries to paint California congressional contender Jose Hernandez as a carpetbagger, attacks him for having a tax lien placed on his business, and criticizes his support for the Recovery Act and the Affordable Care Act. But Hernandez grew up in the San Joaquin Valley and lived there most of his life, only leaving in 2004 to pursue a career as an astronaut. Meanwhile, the tax lien on Hernandez’ business – a restaurant run by his wife – was lifted in August 2011.

Read more after the jump.

American Action Network: “Radical Ideas”

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An American Action Network ad hits physician David Gill, the Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois’ 13th district, over his support for the Recovery Act, Solyndra, and for a single-payer health care system. But the stimulus helped stave off a deeper economic recession; the Solyndra loan was part of a program constructed to withstand some defaults; and AAN’s claims about Gill’s health care positions are highly misleading.

Read more after the jump.

Crossroads GPS: “Broke”

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Crossroads GPS calls President Obama “dishonest on taxes,” claiming that the Affordable Care Act imposed a “huge tax increase” on the middle class while Mitt Romney’s tax plan will cut middle-class taxes by 20 percent. But the health care law does not raise taxes on most Americans, and it actually provides tax relief for millions. Moreover, despite Romney’s rhetoric, his plan would require significant middle-class tax increases in order to remain deficit-neutral, which he insists it will.

Read more after the jump.