Bush and Kerry repeat discredited claims in their final flurry of ads. Here’s our pre-election summary of the misinformation we found during the Bush-Kerry presidential campaign.
Issues: Intelligence
Would Kerry Throw Us To The Wolves?
A misleading Bush ad criticizes Kerry for proposing to cut intelligence spending — a decade ago, by 4%, when some Republicans also proposed cuts.
The “Willie Horton” Ad Of 2004?
Republican group’s ad shows Osama, Kerry. It appeals to fear, and twists Kerry’s record on defense, intelligence, Iraq.
Bush Nails Kerry’s Poor Attendance at Intelligence Committee Hearings
Summary
A Bush-Cheney ’04 ad released Aug. 13 accuses Kerry of being absent for 76% of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s public hearings during the time he served there. The Kerry campaign calls the ad “misleading,” so we checked, and Bush is right.
Official records show Kerry not present for at least 76% of public hearings held during his eight years on the panel, and possibly 78% (the record of one hearing is ambiguous).
Kerry points out that most meetings of the Intelligence Committee are closed and attendance records of those meetings aren’t public,
Anti-Kerry Ad Misses Context, Distorts Facts
An ad by the pro-Bush Progress for America Voter Fund (PFA) attacks Kerry for voting against intelligence spending and for voting against “13 weapons systems our troops depend on.” The ad is partly accurate, but misleads by starving the facts of context.
Bush Strains Facts Re: Kerry’s Plan To Cut Intelligence Funding in ’90’s
President claims 1995 Kerry plan would “gut” the intelligence services. It was a 1% cut, and key Republicans approved something similar.