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Attack Ad Focuses On Udall's Support For Troops

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Oct 22, 2008 10:18 am US/Mountain

Attack Ad Focuses On Udall's Support For Troops

Written by Raj Chohan
Reporting
Raj Chohan
DENVER (CBS4) ― A new ad by the National Republican Senatorial Committee targets Democrat Senate candidate Mark Udall for his votes on the wars, body armor and veterans.

Ad: Mark Udall says what he thinks you want to hear.

"defeat Al Quaida where their based in Afghanistan" but in Washington, Mark Udall voted against funding troops in Afghanistan.

 The claim is true regarding the specific vote cited in the ad

In October of 2003, Udall voted against a funding measure for reconstruction projects in Iraq. He says he opposed the measure because he didn't want to give $20 billion in direct grants to Iraq. Instead, he wanted that money to be in the form of loans.

But it's not the whole story. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Udall has cast a number of votes in favor of funding the troops.

Ad: "finally hunt down Osama Bin Laden" but he voted against fund for body armor

 This claim is also true regarding the vote cited in the ad. It's the same 2003 bill Udall voted against because he didn't like the funding provisions involving grants rather than loans.

But again, it's not the whole story. Excluding the voted cited in the ad Congressman Udall has cast several votes in favor of providing body armor for the troops.

Ad: "do right by our veterans" but Udall voted to allow funding cuts for disabled veterans

 Lets unpack the spin. The vote cited in the ad is the classic congressional gotcha vote. It's called a vote to recommit. Often it's used by the minority party to either stall a vote on a big bill, or to include some populist provision that has no chance of getting passed, in order to have something to put into a political attack ad during the next election cycle. That's exactly what the vote cited in this ad appears to have been intended to do.

Ad: Boulder liberal Mark Udall, his past is catching up with him.

 Bottom line: the central claims of this ad are technically true, but the lack of context puts a misleading spin on their implications.


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