A conservative group (Crossroads GPS) will be spending $5 million on its latest ad in 10 states, and will be spending $20 million in the next 2 months, a lot of money. Unfortunately what the ad is saying is untrue (surprise, surprise.) The campaign will talk about “facts” of the Obama record: unemployment up 25% and it sites a NBC chart to support them, the problem is the chart was wrong. NBC has recognized this, the actual figure is 16.7%. Next they say that the debt has gone up 35% (true) and gas prices have increased 104%. However, is that solely the fault of Obama? The U.S.A. has increased oil production between 2009 and 2010 with a slight drop this year. Analysis’s think Obama’s administration has had very little to do will gas price increases.
Next is the assertion that the stimulus package has failed. That’s debatable. Again, analysis’s say the stimulus plan didn’t do as much as hoped but unemployment would be much worse had not it been in effect. The hope was it would bring unemployment down to 7% whereas it actually only lowered it between .6% to 1.8%.
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In response the Priorities USA Action (a liberal committee) is reacting with its own ads. Admitting things could be better, they blame the Republicans for bad economic planning, and opposing reforms to improve the economy; it’s politics. They will be spending $750,000 in 5 of the 10 states where the Republican ads are running.
They maintain the Ryan plan would end Medicare for future retirees. This isn’t quite true, they would get government vouchers to buy to private insurance. A Radical change but not eradication.
They also talk about GOP efforts to ban Pell grants for education which Republicans say are unsustainable.
Finally, the ad says Republicans plan to give huge tax breaks to big oil and the wealthy. Well, they already exist. The Ryan plan doesn’t change that.
Now by my calculations that means these two special interest groups will be spending $25,750,000 over the next couple of months while giving the public very little factual information or certainly slanted information. By the way, it is the largest group of the spending the ones mainly complaining they can’t afford to pay taxes?
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