Ad
#1: Contrast
by Pete Coors for U.S. Senate
The Denver Post
Friday, September 17, 2004
Ad sponsor: Pete Coors for Senate
Producer: McAuliffe Message Media
Type: Attack/Issue Contrast
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Pete Coors rolled out an ad this week charging that his Democratic opponent, Ken Salazar, will vote to raise taxes if elected to the Senate.The ad centers on the debate between the two major parties on President Bush's tax cuts. Democrats say many cuts benefit the rich, but Republicans counter that the legislation makes the tax system fairer and helps the economy.The campaign started out with biographical and issue ads, but campaign experts predicted that the ads would turn more pointed about a month away from the election. This is the first television ad coming directly from one of the campaigns that can be considered an attack, or at least contrast, commercial.
Claim: Ken Salazar "will help Democrats vote to roll back tax cuts."
Fact: The ad's visual cites "The Denver Post 8/9/04" making it seem like the claim is based on a news story. However, the ad bases the claim on a piece from conservative columnist David Harsanyi, who concedes that part of the column was based on his opinion and previous statements Salazar made about Bush's tax cuts. Salazar spokesman Cody Wertz called the citations misleading, but Coors spokeswoman Cinamon Watson said Salazar has repeatedly talked about rolling back Bush's tax cuts.
Claim: "Salazar supports John Kerry's $142 billion tax increase. And Ken Salazar says making President Bush's tax cut permanent is 'irresponsible"'
Fact: Both claims are based on the ongoing debate between Democrats and Republicans about the Bush tax cuts. Coors' claim is mostly based on an April 15, 2004, Post column by Jim Spencer, quoting Salazar on Bush's tax plan.Salazar said he will make the tax cuts for the middle-class and working families permanent but reverse the cuts for the richest 2 percent. He believes that massive tax cuts have increased the deficit and that is irresponsible, according to the campaign. He promises to support closing corporate tax loopholes and slashing pork to pay for tax cuts.
Coors, who has also attacked pork- barrel spending in the Senate, said he favors making the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent, eliminating the estate tax and providing health care and job training tax credits to grow small businesses. Watson said Coors also wants to decrease Social Security taxes, which would help middle- and lower-class Americans.
