Saint Paul [09/25/08] – A day after the Star Tribune and KSTP-TV denounced smear ads by Norm Coleman and the National Republican Senatorial Committee as “misleading” and “false,” the Al Franken for Senate campaign released a new television ad featuring Sam Scott, an Iraq War veteran who denounces personal attacks on Franken as “the same old shameful Washington politics.”

Communications Director Andy Barr:

“Norm Coleman can’t defend his record of standing with George W. Bush nearly 90% of the time, failing to do anything to stop Halliburton from ripping off taxpayers, and being named one of the most corrupt Senators in Washington by an independent watchdog group. So he’s smearing Al Franken. His false ads are an insult to Minnesotans and beneath the dignity of a United States Senator. Sam knows who Al Franken really is – and we’re going to make sure Minnesotans do, too.”

You can watch the ad here:
http://www.alfranken.com/content/video_detail/?id=69

SCRIPT

Sam Scott: I served in Iraq, and survived 15 IED attacks. And Iraq is where I met Al Franken. He’s been on seven USO tours. Al’s been a national leader in the fight for equipment for our troops – and for better health care when they come home. I’ve seen Norm Coleman’s attacks. To me, it’s the same old shameful Washington politics. But I know Al Franken. He stood up for us. And I’m proud to stand up for him.

Al Franken: I’m Al Franken, and I’m proud to approve this message.

KSTP: New Republican Ad Attacking Franken Is “Among The Most Misleading” On The Air. Last night, KSTP anchor Tom Hauser showed a clip of the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s latest ad attacking Al Franken and said, “This ad, produced by the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee is among the most ominous and hard hitting ads on the air. It’s also among the most misleading.” Hauser later added, “It’s true, there are many video clips of Franken losing his temper and swearing. But the charge he physically assaulted a protestor appears to be false.” Finally, Hauser showed a clip saying Franken had “$70,000 in unpaid taxes,” and said, “This statement is misleading. Franken did owe back taxes in 17 states and has since paid them all. There’s no evidence he has any unpaid taxes now. Due to several misleading statements, and this closing graphic that almost makes it look like Franken is behind bars, this ad gets a D-. I’m Tom Hauser with the Truth Test.” [KSTP, 9/24/08 (emphasis added)]

Star Tribune: “Ads On Franken Tax Errors Mislead And Omit Key Facts.” According to the Star Tribune, “A recurring theme of the ad war in Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race has been the claim of Sen. Norm Coleman and his allies that Democratic challenger Al Franken didn’t pay taxes … How do the ads stand up to an audit? The phrases accurately describe Franken’s tax problem only in the most literal sense. They’re misleading for what they don’t say and the implication they leave … Other ads from the Coleman campaign or the National Republican Senatorial Committee merely say that Franken hasn’t paid taxes. There’s no hint in those ads of him having paid taxes, only to the wrong jurisdictions, or to his unchallenged claim that it was a mistake he corrected. Given the months that have passed since the tax story broke, the omissions could confuse viewers about what really happened.” [Star Tribune, 9/25/08 (emphasis added)]

Star Tribune: “Coleman Misleads When He Says Franken Opposed Subsidized Drugs.” In September 2008, the Star Tribune wrote, “Coleman’s ad misleads when it claims Franken opposed outright prescription drugs for seniors.” [Star Tribune, 9/19/08]

Pioneer Press Blog: “There Are A Few Problems” With A Coleman Ad. In September 2008, Pioneer Press political reporter Rachel Stassen-Berger, assessed a Coleman for Senate ad for her blog. She wrote, “There are a few problems with the ad, which might steer viewers in the wrong direction.” She continues, “The ad says that Coleman, ‘voted against his party to let Medicare negotiate with drug companies.’ While that describes a 2007 bill, which Coleman indeed supported, Coleman also voted for the 2003 bill which created the Medicare drug benefit and banned the federal government from negotiating with drug companies for all Medicare beneficiaries.” [Pioneer Press, "Political Animal," 9/18/08 (emphasis added)]

Pioneer Press Blog: NRSC Ad “Exaggerates To Leave The Wrong Impression.” In September 2008, Pioneer Press political reporter Rachel Stassen-Berger, assessed an NRSC ad for her blog. She wrote, “The ad exaggerates to leave the wrong impression, as almost all ads with scary music, grainy photos, ominous voices do. David Brauer, over on MinnPost, does a good job of breaking the ad down here. He doesn’t note the odd grammar in this sentence, ‘Franken writes about committing rape,’ which could read that Franken committed rape, which is false, rather than suggested a joke that included a rape, which is true.” [Pioneer Press, "Political Animal," 9/22/08 (emphasis added)]

WCCO: Coalition For A Democratic Workplace Ad Is “FALSE” And “Misrepresents Legislation That Would Make It Easier For Workers To Organize A Union.” In July 2008, a WCCO-TV “Reality Check” Of the CDW ad found that that ad run by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace “creates a distorted stereotype of the Mafia, and of labor unions as tools of organized crime. And it misrepresents legislation that would make it easier for workers to organize unions…Since 1948, employers have had the right to demand a secret ballot when workers want to organize a union. It’s an election that’s overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. The bill in Congress adds another option to the secret ballot, allowing workers to sign-up publicly to start a union. ‘Al Franken? Well, he sees it differently,’ said the ad announcer. ‘Franken says eliminate the secret ballot for workers.’ ‘My pal Al,’ said Johnny Sack. That’s FALSE. The bill that Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken supports does not eliminate the secret ballot election. Workers still have the right to hold one but labor unions say the new option gives employers less control.” [WCCO TV, "Reality Check," 7/9/08; (emphasis added)]

Star Tribune: “In Fact, The Bill Wouldn’t Eliminate The Secret-Ballot Election As An Option.” In July 2008, the Star Tribune reported on ads run by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace. “The ad charges that the Free Choice Act would subject workers to coercion by forcing them to declare publicly their support or nonsupport for a union,” according to the report, “rather than vote secretly as is usually done now. That’s undemocratic, the ads claim. In fact, the bill wouldn’t eliminate the secret-ballot election as an option. It would give workers seeking to organize the chance to choose between such an election, should 30 percent of all workers request it, or to pursue the so-called check-card process, which certifies the union as soon as 51 percent sign up.” [Star Tribune, 7/14/08; (emphasis added)]

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 25th, 2008 at 5:10 pm and is filed under Press Releases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.