Thursday, April 3, 2008

DSCC "Attack Ad" on Bob Schaffer Ends Up Highlighting Mark Udall's Weaknesses

The Washington Times blog reports on the latest hit from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) on Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer:
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) today issued a video attacking Schaffer for a 2002 statement in the Denver Post claiming that he'd accomplished more for the Ukraine "with less effort than I have in my own district with more effort."

Schaffer's mother is a Ukrainian immigrant and he was former co-chairman of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus. The DSCC quoted the Denver Post saying that Schaffer's impact on his district was debatable, due to a self-imposed term limit and his tendency to oppose non-defense spending.
Wow, DSCC. Way to wring a quote way out of context. To know Bob Schaffer is to know this quote is about his commitment to advancing the principles of freedom both at home and abroad. That he may have been able to accomplish more vis a vis Ukraine than northeastern Colorado says more about the relative conditions of the two places following the end of the Cold War than his interest in helping the citizens of his district.

What a pathetic attack. And to what effect? The DSCC ends up highlighting Bob Schaffer's integrity (he honored his term-limit pledge) and his fiscal conservatism (he wasn't a big fan of Congressional pork). This is an exact quote from the December 15, 2002, Denver Post article in question [No active link]:
[Schaffer's] term-limits pledge and opposition to government spending that led him to oppose every spending bill except defense each year did not endear him to those who dole out favors in Washington.
That contrasts pretty well with Mark Udall, the career Washington politician, with a tax-and-spend liberal record. Keep these ads coming.

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