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QUESTIONABLE STATEMENTS:
"When Tim Walberg went to Congress, his votes helped burn down our economy, damaging families and industries across Michigan. Rather than cut taxes for the middle class, Walberg sided with big oil and hedge funds, gave them tax loopholes."
AFSCME cites HR 3996 and HR 6275, both of which helped taxpayers avoid the alternative minimum tax but raised taxes on investment fund managers or oil companies – the same issue raised in the SEIU ad.
The ad goes on, "With the auto industry in crisis, layoffs happening daily, Walberg skipped out on a vote to save those jobs."
That again refers to the vote Walberg didn't cast as he was recovering from surgery.
While there are clear contrasts between the two on vital issues such as taxes and Social Security, these ads do more to muddy the waters than clarify the difference when it comes to taxes. When evaluating the missed auto company loan bill vote, it would be helpful if voters knew whether Walberg's hospitalization was elective – something he could have controlled and delayed until the Congressional recess – or was an emergency that had to be addressed immediately.
TRUTH SQUAD CALL: Foul
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Foul on both spots for cherry picking selective pieces of certain "middle class tax cuts" that Walberg eventually did vote for, and leaving the impression that Walberg had no plausible justification for missing the auto loan vote.
Download Michigan Truth Squad Analysis .pdf
- go back to first ad, SEIU's "Pink Slip" TV Ad
