Update: My
lastest diary on this subject. Hesiod's latest:
Swiftboating in Reverse: Update. Kare 11 issues a
statement saying they neither agree nor disagree with an ad which is
simply untrue. I will be contacting them today to let them know they
must take a position on advertising which is untrue.
Last Friday I was watching the local news and David Letterman on my CBS affiliate in here in Minneapolis, WCCO. I was flabbergasted by an ad I saw twice within a half hour. The ad deceptively claims a) things are going swimmingly in Iraq, the media filter just won't let all the good news through. b) the enemy we're fighting in Iraq is the same one who perpetrated the attacks on September 11 (cue footage of Trade tower collapsing). The ad, paid for by the Progress for America Voter Fund (PFA) -- a far right wing group linked to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, is currently running only in Minnesota. Hesiod wrote a
great diary about this ad on Friday.
I was livid, that WCCO would choose to run such a deliberately misleading and incendiary ad. I was ready to write them a letter full of my righteous indignation; after all Move On famously had their Superbowl ad refused by CBS, while ads paid for by the White House were allowed to run. In Houston, an ad critical of Tom Delay was refused air time. Why is it that only liberal issue ads are quashed by the media while blatant distortions like this PFA inculcation are allowed to air?
Still I wasn't sure; It's not WCCO's fault that some stations in Houston wouldn't air an ad. During election cycles, misleading ads are practically de rigueur. Right?
What I read in yesterday's Star Tribune set my head straight: WCCO pulls ad critical of Pawlenty; Tim Pawlenty is our Republican governor.
In the latest skirmish in a continuing battle over radio air time and campaign politics, a coalition of labor unions and progressive organizations claimed on Friday that WCCO Radio pulled an ad the group purchased to run during Gov. Tim Pawlenty's weekly radio show because the station said its content was inappropriate.
Whaaa? But, why?
Station officials said they needed confirmation of the accusations made in the ad, part of the authentication they require to protect the station from legal liability for what is known as third-party advertising.
I see, so it's WCCO's policy not to run an ad that makes false claims?
Going back to that PFA ad:
The media only reports the bad news, but American troops are making real progress, securing free elections and defending our country from radical Al Qaeda terrorists who want to destroy America, starting in Iraq.
Fact: Almost 3 years after the invasion, the country's electrical system is worse than it was before the invasion; and it was bad then.
Fact: Despite several rounds of elections, insurgent attacks have continued to climb each month and each year of the occupation.
Fact: According to an audit from the U.S State Department's Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, most Iraqi Reconstruction projects will never be completed.
But our enemy in Iraq is al Qaeda, the same terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on 9-11, the same terrorists from the first World Trade Center bombing, the USS Cole, Madrid, London and many more.
Fact: According to the CIA, there was no connection between 9-11 and Iraq.
Fact: The number of Iraqi insurgency is estimated as high as 200,000. The only known al Qaeda group operating in Iraq, al-Zarqawi's Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad has, according to U.S. estimates, only a few hundred members.
American Troops overwhelmingly support the mission President Bush has given us.
Fact: Polls show show the troops' approval of the war in Iraq, like all Americans, has been on the decline. It is currently just over 50%, hardly overwhelming support.
We see many soldiers returning from Iraq publicly questioning President Bush's policies and, specifically, the notion that the war in Iraq is somehow making us safer. Iraq vets such as Paul Hackett, running for Senate in Ohio, have vigorously questioned war's execution and called for an exit strategy. Decorated Vietnam War vet and hawkish Democratic congressman, John Murtha has said the war in Iraq has weakened our military and made America less safe. And, lest we think these criticisms are merely partisan jabs, Vietnam vet and Republican Senator from Nebraska, Chuck Hagel, called for an exit strategy last August: "We should start figuring out how we get out of there, I think our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East."
In fact more than 50 veterans are running for public office this year -- as Democrats. How about vets running as Republicans? Only a couple.
The PFA ad ends with the following, in marketer's parlance, tagline:
Iraq. The front line in the war on terror.
If you looked up Truthiness in the dictionary, and there was a video clip, it would be this ad. On a scale of 1 to 10, it's got a truthiness quotient of 11. Osama Bin Laden attacked the United States on September 11 and yet he is still alive and free. Osama Bin Laden isn't in Iraq. Wherever Bin Laden is hiding, that is the front line on the war on terror.
False claims? I think so. WCCO needs to pull the PFA ad. It is full of unsubstantiated claims, misdirection and blatant fabrications. I'm asking the dKos community to contact WCCO and ask them to remove the PFA ad.
Before you write, please be polite and respectful. WCCO is a fine news organization and, I'm sure, Mr. Fabacher, is a good guy. There's no reason to think otherwise.
WCCO station manager:
Mr. Trey Fabacher
tfabacher@wcco.cbs.com
Make no mistake, the PFA ad is an opening salvo in Rove's strategy for the 2006 elections:
- Ensure the base turns out at the polls by solidifying support around the war and national security in general
- Tie Democrats to the corruption issue to keep the mushy middle thinking "they're all bums" so they'll stay home
It's the Republican's only chance to stem the losses in November. The time to fight back is now.
My Letter to Mr. Fabacher:
Dear Mr. Fabacher:
I am writing in response to an ad I saw on WCCO last Friday. The ad ran twice within a short period during the 10 o'clock news and David Letterman. This ad was paid for by the Progress for America Voter Fund, a far right wing organization with a history of deceptive and misleading advertising campaigns, including links to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
The ad makes several claims which are misleading at best and outright deceptions at the worst.
Claim: "The media only reports the bad news, but American troops are making real progress, securing free elections and defending our country from radical Al Qaeda terrorists who want to destroy America, starting in Iraq."
Fact: Almost 3 years after the invasion, the country's electrical system is worse than it was before the invasion; and it was bad then.
Fact: Despite several rounds of elections, insurgent attacks have continued to climb each month and each year of the occupation.
Fact: According to an audit from the U.S State Department's Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, most Iraqi Reconstruction projects will never be completed.
Claim: "But our enemy in Iraq is al-Qaeda, the same terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on 9-11, the same terrorists from the first World Trade Center bombing, the USS Cole, Madrid, London and many more."
Fact: According to the CIA, there was no connection between 9-11 and Iraq.
Fact: The number of Iraqi insurgency is estimated as high as 200,000. The only known al Qaeda group operating in Iraq, al-Zarqawi's Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad has, according to U.S. estimates, only a few hundred members.
Claim: "American Troops overwhelmingly support the mission President Bush has given us."
Fact: Polls show show the troops' approval of the war in Iraq, like all Americans, has been on the decline. It is currently just over 50%, hardly overwhelming support.
We see many soldiers returning from Iraq publicly questioning President Bush's policies and, specifically, the notion that the war in Iraq is somehow making us safer. Iraq vets such as Paul Hackett, running for Senate in Ohio, have vigorously questioned war's execution and called for an exit strategy. Decorated Vietnam War vet and hawkish Democratic congressman, John Murtha has said the war in Iraq has weakened our military and made America less safe. And, lest we think these criticisms are merely partisan jabs, Vietnam vet and Republican Senator from Nebraska, Chuck Hagel, called for an exit strategy last August: "We should start figuring out how we get out of there, I think our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East."
I couldn't help but notice that last week WCCO radio refused an ad placed by Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a group critical of Governor Pawlenty, because the claims couldn't be substantiated. While, the ad was eventually cleared to run, it begs the question: was the PFA ad put to the same test as the Alliance for a Better Minnesota ad? If not, why? WCCO's television unit should have at least as high of standards for truth in advertising as the radio station. Particularly when images can have such a potent impact.
WCCO should pull the PFA ad. It is full of unsubstantiated claims, misdirection and blatant fabrications.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
etc. etc.
Caveats:
- The Pawlenty ad was on WCCO radio, not television. I don't think this makes any difference. The television station should have at least as high standards for truth in advertising as the radio station. Particularly when images can have such a potent impact.
- WCCO radio has now agreed to run the ad critical of Pawlenty. However, the group did miss one week of advertising because of it. That's not really the point, though. The point is WCCO has a standard of truth in advertising (all media should). The PFA ad doesn't meet that standard and should be pulled.
Links:
View the PFA ad:
http://www.midwestheroes.com/