Jul 12, 2007 8:32 am US/Central
Reality Check: Television Ads Against Coleman
by Pat Kessler
(WCCO)
Several Republican U.S. Senators, including Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, privately told President Bush's top national security aide Wednesday they don't want Bush to wait until September to change course in Iraq.
After the meeting, Coleman said he is "seriously considering" supporting a bill by Colorado Democrat Ken Salazar that would begin a drawdown of American troops by the spring of 2008.
Meanwhile, here in Minnesota, two anti-war groups are running television ads against Coleman.
The television ads targeting Coleman are accurate regarding his votes on the Iraq war, but they omit relevant information about his changing public position.
"Four times this year Coleman voted to continue George Bush's open-ended commitment in Iraq. And against bringing our troops home," said the announcer in one ad.
This is TRUE. Coleman did
vote against setting a timetable for
withdrawing troops out of Iraq. Three of the four votes were on one bill that would have affected
funding for the troops. This was all around the time Coleman was
opposing the president's troop surge in Baghdad, while simultaneously
supporting a troop surge in Anbar province.
"Norm Coleman is still standing with President Bush on Iraq. Voting time and again against bringing our troops home," said the announcer in another ad.
Technically true, but NOT THE WHOLE STORY. With his Senate votes, Coleman clearly backs the president's policy in Iraq, but as
public support for the war reaches record lows, he is also expressing what he describes as
"serious doubts" about America's continued presence in Iraq.
He has not supported legislation to change the strategy.
"Tell Norm Coleman, after four years, it's time to end the war," the ad said.
Meanwhile, here's a couple of things you NEED TO KNOW about the ads. Coleman is up for re-election next year, and these ads are political. One is produced by the
Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.
The other, by a group called
Americans United for Change.
That's a coalition of labor and left-leaning groups not required to reveal their donors.
That's Reality Check.
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