Politics

Chamber Ads Distort Truth, Contain Falsehoods

By Anne Landman

Ads being run by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce contain demonstrably false distortions of truth and statements that fact-checkers have repeatedly exposed as false. The Chamber's "cookie-cutter" ads running across the U.S. target numerous Democratic representatives and candidates and claim the Democrats in question supported "gutting Medicare by $500 billion," a reference to their support for the health reform bill. But FactCheck.org reported last August that such claims are incorrect, and AARP reported that none of the health care reform bills Congress considered in the run-up to enacting health care reform would cut Medicare benefits or increase out-of-pocket costs for Medicare services. Chamber ads also claim the Democratic candidates supported a "government-run health care" system, but this charge is false since the new health reform law left the private health care system in place. These groups' widespread misinformation campaigns could help decide who controls Congress in 2011.

Full post as published by PR Watch on October 18, 2010 (boomark / email).