In hopes of buying another Colorado U.S. Senate seat for the billionaire Koch brothers, Koch political front group Americans for Prosperity is out with a new desperate and misleading attack ad, POLITICO reports.
Unsurprisingly, AFP’s new ad recycles false and disproven claims that they’ve made before.
In 2014, AFP and other Koch front groups spent millions on ads in Colorado attacking health care reform — ads that were deemed “misleading” and earned them multiple Pinocchios.
And their latest attack ad is more of the same.
With the Kochs already spending big, whichever Republican emerges from the crowded primary as the nominee will have to answer for the Kochs’ actions and agenda.
The Kochs treat Colorado as a personal, political, and business playground, but the games they play challenge the ability of Coloradans to govern their own state, put at risk the livelihoods of the state’s residents, and jeopardize the natural beauty that defines Colorado. For more on the Kochs’ impact in Colorado, check out Bridge Project’s Colorado report, The Kochs’ Rocky Mountain High.
In 2016, the Kochs are using their same game plan and recycling false and disproven attacks to buy another U.S. Senate seat in Colorado for a Republican who will rubber-stamp their self-enriching agenda at the expense of Coloradans.
Background:
2014: AFP LIED TO COLORADANS ABOUT HEALTH CARE COSTS AND BENEFITS
9News: AFP Claimed That Millions Were “Paying More And Getting Less” But That Was “Misleading.” According to 9News, “CLAIM: ‘Millions are paying more and getting less.’ VERDICT: Misleading[.] As a case against the healthcare law, this is misleading for a few reasons. First of all, people are by and large getting more in their plans, not less. Even opponents of the law argue that point, saying people may not want their plans to have all the new mandatory features: like getting rid of lifetime caps, covering prescription drugs, and preventive care. What’s true is that people are paying more. Overall, healthcare costs are still going up for people year over year, though less quickly. It’s also worth noting that some people are paying less, because of subsidies in the healthcare law.” [9News, 3/18/14]
- 9News: “People Are By And Large Getting More In Their Plans, Not Less.” According to 9News, “CLAIM: ‘Millions are paying more and getting less.’ VERDICT: Misleading[.] As a case against the healthcare law, this is misleading for a few reasons. First of all, people are by and large getting more in their plans, not less. Even opponents of the law argue that point, saying people may not want their plans to have all the new mandatory features: like getting rid of lifetime caps, covering prescription drugs, and preventive care.” [9News, 3/18/14]
AFP Released A “Two Pinocchios” “Cookie-Cutter” Attack Ad Attacking Sen. Udall With “Vague Allegations Of People Losing Doctors Or ‘Thousands’ Of Dollars In Higher Health-Care Premiums.” According to the Washington Post, “These two ads are basically cookie-cutter ads, with similar images and text, aimed either at incumbent Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) or at Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who is running to fill an open Senate seat. They also make vague allegations of people losing doctors or ‘thousands’ of dollars in higher health-care premiums. […] The numbers on cancellations are also a bit dated, because the Obama administration offered an administrative fix that allowed many plans to be extended for at least another year. Many plans also offered a renewal option with the letter that informed policy-holders that their old plan did not meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. (Udall, for instance has stressed that 92 percent of people received a renewal option.) […] On balance, these are Two Pinocchio ads.” [Washington Post, 4/23/14]
- AFP’s Attack Ad Relied On Dated Numbers And Ignored Other Positives Such As Renewal Options.According to the Washington Post, “As we have repeatedly noted, there are winners and losers under the health-care law—and Americans for Prosperity is adept at focusing just on the losers. The numbers on cancellations are also a bit dated, because the Obama administration offered an administrative fix that allowed many plans to be extended for at least another year. Many plans also offered a renewal option with the letter that informed policy-holders that their old plan did not meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. (Udall, for instance has stressed that 92 percent of people received a renewal option.)” [Washington Post, 4/23/14]
9News: AFP’s Insinuation That Coloradans Would Have To “Pay Thousands Of Dollars More” Was A “Stretch” And “Hard To Justify.” According to 9News, “CLAIM: ‘CAN YOU REALLY AFFORD TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE?’ VERDICT: STRETCH This is crafty language. It sounds like a question, but it implies people are paying thousands more for healthcare under Obamacare. That’s a stretch when tossed out as broadly as it is in this ad. Federal data show the average person does pay more each year . Most recently that was about $250, not thousands. The growth of those costs has slowed under the Obama administration. Are some people paying thousands more? Yes. However, it’s hard to justify generalizing it like this. [9News, 4/25/14]
2014: AFP LIED TO COLORADANS ABOUT HEALTH CARE CANCELLATIONS AND MADE UP NUMBERS ABOUT PEOPLE SEEING THEIR OWN DOCTORS
9News: AFP’s Ad Was “Trying To Make You Believe That All Those People Just Became Uninsured, Which Is Just Not The Case.” According to 9News, “CLAIM: ‘MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE.’ VERDICT: Needs context. […] By federal law, when they cancel a plan, insurance companies have to offer you an alternate plan if they want to stay in business. Of course, some of those alternate plans were more expensive and that caused trouble for people. But this ad is trying to make you believe that all those people just became uninsured, which is just not the case.” [9News, 3/18/14]
9News: AFP Claimed “Millions Of People Can’t See Their Own Doctors” But “Nobody Is Tracking How Many People Lose A Doctor They Used To See Because There Are Just Too Many Plans And Too Many Doctors.” According to 9News, “CLAIM: ‘MILLIONS OF PEOPLE CAN’T SEE THEIR OWN DOCTORS.’ VERDICT: Unprovable. As we just discussed, a lot of people had to switch plans. Some of them switched to plans that didn’t include their old doctor and it’s true many insurance companies are shrinking their networks so they can have cheaper premiums on the exchanges. But nobody is tracking how many people lose a doctor they used to see because there are just too many plans and too many doctors. It’s also worth pointing out that this happens to people all the time– regardless of Obamacare for a multitude of reasons. For instance, your work changes insurance companies or the insurance plan itself re-negotiates with providers in its network. Even if you could prove it’s happening to millions of people, you couldn’t pin it all on Obamacare.” [9News, 3/18/14]
2014: AFP USED DISTORTED QUOTES TO MISREPRESENT SEN. UDALL’S POSITION ON THE ACA
9News: AFP Used Audio In “A Distorted Way” To Attack Sen. Udall’s ACA Support. According to 9News, “CLAIM: ‘NOW MARK UDALL SAYS HE’D DO IT TO US AGAIN.’ (Plays audio clip twice in which Udall says ‘I would do it again, yes.’) VERDICT: DISTORTED QUOTE Udall did utter the words ‘I would do it again, yes.’ It’s interesting that AFP found time to play the small cut of sound twice, but they didn’t play you the part right before or after when Udall also says the healthcare law was ‘flawed’ and that in hindsight he’d do it differently. You can listen to the entire interview with Udall at KOA 850 News Radio. Just before the six minute mark, this exchange begins: SEN. UDALL: ‘We did the right thing. The law is far from perfect. My focus is on making it work for Colorado.’ STEFFAN TUBBS (HOST): ‘So you’d do it again?’ SEN. UDALL: ‘I would do it again. Yes, I would… if I were there I would say ‘here are some things that we should have done differently, here are some things that make more sense.’ But we’re on track.’ Udall goes on to say that he thinks the ACA will work out in the end. He’s clearly bullish on the law’s prospects, but the small snip used in the ad is meant to portray ignorance by Udall of the problems the law has encountered as it rolls out. That is a distorted way to use the audio.” [AFP, 4/25/14]