Williams Says Chenoweth Ad Crosses The Line Democrat Says His Quote Is Taken Out Of Context

Congressional candidate Dan Williams called Thursday on U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth to drop an ad that he says takes a snippet of video from a Coeur d’Alene debate out of context, but Chenoweth’s campaign refused.

During the televised debate Oct. 17, Williams was asked about his campaign contributions from organized labor. The Democrat responded, “They’re not buying anything except a member of Congress who they know will agree with them more than Mrs. Chenoweth does. Mrs. Chenoweth has a zero rating with all those different groups on student loans, Medicare and pensions.”

In the Republican incumbent’s television ad, which still is running statewide, Williams’ quote is shortened first to “They’re not buying anything except a member of Congress who they know will agree with them” and then later in the ad to “They’re not buying anything except a member of Congress.”

“She has crossed the line here,” Williams said. “You simply should not take a quote out of context and misrepresent what someone says.”

Khris Bershers, Chenoweth’s campaign spokeswoman, said, “I don’t see that as taking that out of context. The focus of his comments was that they were buying a congressman who agrees with them.”

Bershers said the ad will continue to run at least through the weekend.

She said Williams stood by for months while the AFL-CIO targeted Chenoweth with misleading ads about Medicare and pensions. “He had no problem with that,” she said. “So if he can’t take the heat, he should just get out of the kitchen.”

Republican Sen. Larry Craig drew fire earlier for an ad that featured a snippet of video of Democratic opponent Walt Minnick during an Idaho Public Television debate. It showed Minnick saying of nuclear waste, “Leave it where it is,” when he actually went on to say, “until we can ship it to a permanent nuclear waste storage site.”

Minnick said his point was to leave waste where it’s generated; Craig’s ad suggested Minnick wanted to leave waste in Idaho.

, DataTimes