So maybe PolitiFact isn't the arbiter of truth it wants to be, even in the traditional media. Greg Sargent
reports on the refusal of two TV stations to yank Democratic ads making the claim that House Republicans voted to end Medicare.
Earlier this week, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee aired a TV ad, timed to the GOP presidential debate, attacking GOP incumbent Rep. Charlie Bass for voting to “end Medicare.” The Bass campaign sent letters to two stations that air in New Hampshire—WMUR and WHDH—demanding the ads be yanked. Crucially, the Bass campaign repeatedly cited PolitiFact’s Lie of the Year designation to bolster its case.
Both stations refused.
"Our lawyers looked at the ad and concluded it’s within the bounds of robust public debate," Jeff Barlett, the general manager of WMUR, tells me. "If Charlie Bass and his supporters disagree with this, they're free to create their own ad and tell their side of the story."
Gee, sounds like the lawyers think PolitiFact got that one wrong. Go figure.