Distorted campaign ads from both sides in Wisconsin Senate race
LA CROSSE, Wis. — In a tight race that’s coming down to the wire, both candidates for Wisconsin’s open U.S. Senate seat are running ads that distort the truth about their opponent.
The latest poll has Republican Tommy Thompson leading Democrat Tammy Baldwin by 1%.
Thompson’s campaign is running ads that claims Baldwin voted “against honoring the victims of 9/11.”
“The idea that Tommy Thompson would question my patriotism is outrageous to me,” said Baldwin.
The Congresswoman has voted for a measure honoring the victims every year since 2001 except one. In 2006, Baldwin says Republicans put in language she thought was politicizing the attacks.
“It was basically an endorsement of the elements of the George Bush agenda,” she said.
Baldwin’s campaign responded to Thompson’s ad with an attack ad of their own.
17188012“And Tommy Thompson? He got a government health contract to provide health care to 9/11 first responders but Tommy took advantage, leaving them without the care they were promised,” the ad states.
It’s alluding to Thompson’s time as president of Logistics Health in La Crosse. The ad wrongly claims he profited $3 million dollars off the contract.
According to PolitFact.com, $3 million is what Thompson made when the company was sold in 2011.
There were delays in benefits, as the ad points out. However, Republicans say those were a result of a complex transfer of a large program and the problems were ironed out within months.
“I certainly think it would be a gross distortion to believe Governor Thompson was purposely dragging his feet on getting the care that these people needed,” said Julian Bradley, chair of the La Crosse County Republican Party.
