Candidates from both parties, as well as the parties themselves, have been releasing ads meant to convince voters that the other guy won’t be tough on child predators and sex offenders.
The Whoppers Of 2006
The mid-term elections of 2006 brought an unprecedented barrage of advertising containing much that is false or misleading.
Sweeney No Sweet-Talker In Kitchen-Sink Attack
GOP Rep. John Sweeney’s ad goes after his opponent, first-time House candidate Kirsten Gillibrand, with a half-dozen accusations layered over a soundtrack that’s somehow both scary and sad. The ad tars Gillibrand with everything from taking illegal contributions to hiring a consultant tied to the Abramoff lobbying scandal to making children cry at a Sweeney rally, and more.
When Democrats Attack
Gauging by the attack ads flowing from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party’s House contenders are running against Exxon, Pfizer and Bush. The ads tie Republican House candidates to unpopular industries and an unpopular President. Some of these ads are exaggerations.
Sopranos Lite? Casting Menendez in a Culture of Corruption
Two of the most recent ads being aired in New Jersey by Republican Tom Kean Jr. and the NRSC stick to the recipe the Republicans have been using all season against Sen. Robert Menendez: Show the Democratic incumbent as sleazy, corrupt and possibly a criminal.
Republican Mudslinging On An Industrial Scale
Both political parties are functioning in the 2006 House races as factories for attack ads, but the National Republican Campaign Committee’s work stands out this year for the sheer volume of assaults on the personal character of Democratic House challengers.
Tired Old Trust Fund Bunk
In half a dozen ads, Democrats accuse a number of GOP House incumbents of voting repeatedly to “raid the Social Security Trust Fund.” That line was bunk when Republicans used it against Democratic candidates in the past, and it’s bunk now.
Hurting the Troops?
Well over a dozen Democratic ads claim incumbent GOP lawmakers voted against benefits and funding for the nation’s military.
Kentucky Mudslinging: Accusations Without Evidence
Republican Rep. Ron Lewis of Kentucky attacks his opponent, retired Army Col. Mike Weaver, with an ad saying the Democrat is “not fit for duty in Congress” because of a National Guard pay-for-promotion scandal that goes back 14 years.
Talent For Deception
In four separate TV spots Republican Sen. Jim Talent of Missouri falsely attributes several unflattering quotes about his opponent to the Kansas City Star.