Organizations: Crossroads GPS

Crossroads GPS: “Fit For A King”

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Crossroads GPS claims that Maine Senate candidate Angus King “managed to turn a $60 million budget surplus into a nearly $1 billion shortfall,” citing an op-ed by a former state budget official who calls that exact claim “a lie.” The headline of the piece the group cites as evidence is “Former State Budget Officer Explains, Defends King’s Fiscal Record.” As a bonus, the ad’s wording papers over the fact that King came into office facing a $150-300M budget shortfall and depleted rainy-day fund, and reversed both situations prior to the economic trauma of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

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Crossroads GPS: “Taxing Tammy”

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Crossroads GPS accuses Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) of being “far left of Obama and Pelosi” and “too extreme for Washington,” citing her support for a budget proposal introduced by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The budget in question emphasized higher taxes for the wealthy, but also proposed to spend less than the president’s plan and would have eliminated the deficit faster than the GOP alternative introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan.

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Crossroads GPS: “Lovers”

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Crossroads GPS says Virginia Senate candidate Tim Kaine “loves taxes,” accusing him of trying to raise taxes on lower-income Americans and attacking him for supporting the Affordable Care Act even though the health care law provides more middle-class tax relief than burden. But the “tax hikes” GPS accuses Kaine of pushing as governor were a 1 percent surcharge that was part of a package of tough cuts seeking to balance Virginia’s recession-ravaged budget. Meanwhile, Kaine isn’t “considering a new tax on those who can least afford it” – he misspoke while indicating his openness to all discussions on taxation, but does not support taxing lower-income citizens.

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Crossroads GPS: “Rubber Stamp Bailout”

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Crossroads GPS continues to take deeply misleading shots at Heidi Heitkamp’s record in the North Dakota Senate race, this time with an ad designed to suggest that Heitkamp is Wall Street’s candidate, and that President Obama and the Democrats were behind the bailout of the financial sector. President Bush’s bank bailouts were thoroughly bipartisan, though, and nowhere near as costly as they initially seemed. And if you can judge Wall Street’s feelings about the ND race by looking at where they’ve spent their money, it’s clear they believe Rep. Rick Berg (R) will represent their interests better than Heitkamp.

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Crossroads GPS: “Hole”

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Crossroads GPS blames President Obama and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) for the rising debt, citing the Recovery Act and Obamacare as examples of measures that allegedly “dug the hole.” However, the recovery bill helped rescue the economy from a deeper recession, while the Affordable Care Act actually reduces deficits. In reality, the deficit skyrocketed thanks to Bush policies – especially tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans – and the crushing recession Obama inherited. Crossroads also criticizes Tester for supporting “Obama’s budget deal” that included defense cuts, but the ad does not mention that congressional Republicans played a major role in forcing those cuts into law.

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Crossroads GPS: “Promotion”

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Crossroads GPS attacks Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), who is running for Senate, over his votes in favor of a 2009 budget plan and the Affordable Care Act, which the ad suggests are harmful to small businesses. The non-binding budget resolution Donnelly supported cut taxes for middle- and lower-class Americans while letting the Bush tax cuts expire on top earners, few of whom are small businesses. The Affordable Care Act, meanwhile, contains tax credits for small businesses.

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Crossroads GPS: “Damaged”

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Parroting a piece from a conservative Nevada think tank’s publication, a Crossroads GPS ad accuses state Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford (D), who is running for U.S. Congress, of robbing $4.2 million from a college savings trust fund. As usual, there’s more to the story: Horsford chaired a bipartisan committee that voted unanimously to move funding into a scholarship program for current students after finding out that it would not be able to make full payments to its current beneficiaries. The college savings plan that was originally designated to receive some of the money – a fund managed by the Nevada Treasurer that helps families manage payments for future education – remains funded at 108 percent, even without the originally-planned extra infusions.

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Crossroads GPS: “Vision” CA-21

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In identical ads hitting congressional candidate John Hernandez (D-CA) and three other Democratic House candidates in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, Crossroads GPS levels a series of falsehoods about the Affordable Care Act, which all four candidates support. 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.

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Crossroads GPS: “Vision” MI-01

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In identical ads hitting congressional candidate Gary McDowell (D-MI) and three other Democratic House candidates in California, Illinois, and Indiana, Crossroads GPS levels a series of falsehoods about the Affordable Care Act, which all four candidates support. 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, McDowell’s opponent voted to keep the $716 billion in savings GPS attacks the Democrats over.

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Crossroads GPS: “Vision” IL-17

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In identical ads hitting congressional candidate Cheri Bustos (D-IL) and three other Democratic House candidates in California, Indiana, and Michigan, Crossroads GPS levels a series of falsehoods about the Affordable Care Act, which all four candidates support. 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, Bustos’ opponent voted to keep the $716 billion in savings GPS attacks the Democrats over.

Read more after the jump.