Republican
Main Street
Partnership
Urges
Laffey to
Disavow Club for
Growth Attack Ad
Independent
Analysts Call Ad
"Misleading"
Washington, DC -
The Republican
Main Street
Partnership PAC
urges Rhode
Island Senate
candidate Steve
Laffey to
publicly disavow
the Club for
Growth's latest
attack ad
against Senator
Lincoln Chafee
(R-RI).
"Independent
analysts at the
Annenberg
Political Fact
Check project
have called this
latest Club for
Growth attack ad
'misleading',"
said Sarah
Chamberlain
Resnick, head of
the RMSP PAC.
"Steve Lafffey
should publicly
disavow this
latest political
dirty trick by
the Club for
Growth."
Annenberg's
Factcheck.org is
a "nonpartisan,
nonprofit,
'consumer
advocate' for
voters that aims
to reduce the
level of
deception and
confusion in
U.S. politics."
Annenberg's
recent analysis
makes it clear
that the Club
for Growth isn't
being honest
with voters in
Rhode Island.
"Sadly this type
of deception is
nothing new for
the Club,"
continued
Resnick. "Indeed
this type of
misleading
political attack
ad is the
hallmark of a
Club for
Growth-backed
campaign."
The Annenberg
analysis (which
can be found at
www.factcheck.org)
states, "The
Club for Growth
is running a TV
ad attacking
Republican Sen.
Lincoln Chafee
of Rhode Island,
claiming he
voted for
wasteful
spending
projects such as
a 'Bridge to
Nowhere' in
Alaska. In fact,
Chafee didn't
vote
specifically for
any of the items
mentioned."
The Annenberg
analysis also
debunks the
Club's
misleading
claims that
Senator Chafee
voted to raise
taxes, stating,
"The ad also
says 'Chafee
voted for higher
income, Social
Security and
gasoline taxes.'
But mostly that
refers to votes
Chafee cast
against cutting
taxes, not for
raising them."
Sadly, the
report also
points out that
the Club for
Growth is
employing a
hypocritical
double-standard
in its latest
round of attacks
on Senator
Chafee, "The
Club for Growth
seems to be
applying a
double standard
to Chafee's vote
on the bill
containing the
Alaskan 'Bridge
to Nowhere.' Of
the twelve
candidates the
Club lists on
their website as
'recommended,'
only one is a
current member
of Congress,
Rep. Henry
Cuellar (D-TX).
And Cuellar
voted for the
identical
Conference
Report that the
ad attacks
Chafee for
supporting. If
Chafee's vote
constitutes part
of a 'wide world
of wasteful
spending' then
the same would
go for the
Club-endorsed
Cuellar."
"Steve Laffey
should publicly
disavow the
Club's
outrageous
attacks against
Senator Chafee,"
continued
Resnick. "His
failure to make
it clear to the
voters in Rhode
Island that he
does not support
this type of
deceptive attack
ad would be
shameful."
The Club for
Growth is
pouring hundreds
of thousands of
dollars into
Laffey's
challenge to
Senator Chafee,
forcing the
national GOP to
divert limited
money and
resources into
defending the
Rhode Island
seat. "The Club
for Growth ought
to be working to
protect the GOP
majority, not
working to
undermine it
through
misleading and
deceptive attack
ads," continued
Resnick.
"Main Street is
proud of its
support for
Senator Chafee
and of our
tireless work to
protect and
expand
Republican
majorities in
both the House
and Senate. We
are confident
that the
Republican
voters of Rhode
Island will see
through these
deceptive
attacks and vote
for Linc Chafee
on September
12th," concluded
Resnick.
###
The Republican
Main Street
Partnership PAC
is a registered
political action
committee that
supports
Republican
candidates who
are fiscally
conservative and
take a
pragmatic,
common-sense
approach to
social issues.
For more
information on
the PAC and our
candidates,
visit
www.mainstreetpac.com.
