PDF (2 of 3 ads in this analysis)
QUESTIONABLE STATEMENTS:
"Washington liberals like Mark Schauer are trying to trick you. They'll spend a fortune to try to hide their liberal records."
As of the last Federal Election Commission disclosure report filed July 22, he raised $2.3 million for his campaign and has spent $716,000 on staff, advertising and other expenses. That is a sizeable amount, but not a "fortune" by congressional standards when many candidates spend millions trying to get elected – and when American Future Fund has already spent $6.7 million in campaigns around the nation as of late September, without revealing who is funding it, on its own agenda.
The National Journal ranks Schauer as one of the "centrist" members of the House, not liberal or conservative. In that category is also U.S. Reps. Candice Miller (R-Harrison Twp.), Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) and Bart Stupak (D-Menominee), all of whom do have more conservative records than Schauer. Schauer has a 58.7 percent liberal record and is the 248th most conservative member of Congress in a body of 435.
"But Schauer voted for Nancy Pelosi's agenda nearly 95 percent of the time. For her trillion dollar health plan that cuts $500 billion from Medicare, For job-killing high energy taxes. And for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker."
Schauer has voted with the Democrats 95 percent of the time and Nancy Pelosi is the U.S. House Speaker. He most often votes with two moderate congressmen, according to Open Congress, U.S. Reps. Dale Kildee (D-Flint) and Mike Castle (R-Del.) Pelosi was re-elected speaker in 2009 on a party-line vote, 255 to 174 for U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio).
Schauer did vote in 2009 for the American Clean Energy and Security Act known as "cap and trade," which will require electric utilities to meet 20 percent of their demand with renewable sources by 2020. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will cost households an extra $14.60 per month, but it will reduce the federal deficit $24 billion over 10 years. The U.S. Senate has not taken up the bill and has no plans to this session.
Schauer also voted in 2010 for the national health care reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that is now law. And once again, as pointed out earlier, the bill reduces the growth of Medicare spending over the next decade, it does not cut it.
"Don't be tricked. Magic can't change his liberal record, but this November, your vote can make Mark Schauer disappear."
The ad doesn't show how Schauer is "tricking" voters about his record – or really make the case that it's truly liberal.
OVERALL IMPRESSION:
Pelosi is a negative figure in the 7th District, according to polling – far more than Schauer or President Obama -- so she's the boogeyman of this ad. The ad misstates that the health care bill Schauer voted for cuts Medicare by $500 billion, although it's true that his vote for the energy bill could result in job losses as the ad claims. It also ignores that the National Journal gives Schauer a "centrist" voting record and claims it's liberal based on the fact that he votes with Pelosi 95 percent of the time. The spot also claims Schauer is somehow duping voters on his record but provides no proof of this.
The American Future Fund is running the "Trick" ad against Democrats in 13 congressional races, including state Sen. Gary McDowell (D-Rudyard), who's running in Michigan's 1st Congressional District. It is yet another shadowy independent group running attack ads this year that's not obligated to disclose its donors. The Des Moines, Iowa-based group does not list an address but does provide a phone number (link) http://americanfuturefund.com/contact-us.
It is a 501(c)4 organization that describes itself on its website as providing voters with a "conservative and free market viewpoint." The AFF was founded by Des Moines Republican Nick Ryan, according to the Des Moines Register. The organization is led by operatives who worked for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's failed 2008 bid for the Republican presidential nomination, according to National Public Radio. That includes Tim Albrecht, former communications consultant for the Iowa Republican Party and Romney's former Iowa press secretary; Phil Musser, former Romney senior advisor; former Romney aide Larry McCarthy; and Jan Van Lohuizen, pollster for Romney, President Bush and the Republican National Committee.
AFF's website lists its president as former Iowa state Rep. Sandra Greiner, who's running for the state Senate. Barbara Smeltzer, who's described as a retired teacher and "life-long conservative grassroots activist" is listed as treasurer. Katherine Polking, the group's director, is a former congressional staffer. Cord Overton, the young conservative liaison, is described as working for Teach for America.
TRUTH SQUAD CALL: Flagrant foul.
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Flagrant foul for misrepresenting Schauer's voting record and claiming he's trying to "trick" voters about it.
Now lets take a look at Tim Walberg's own ad, "Walberg: Change for the better"
-go back to our first ad in this analysis, NRCC's "Mark Schauer: Hiding his own record" TV Ad
