Spokane7
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October 27, 2010 in City
Mailings stretch truth in Marr, Baumgartner race
It’s with little doubt the nastiest battle this year for a local office.
In a second in a series, we examine some of the claims made on behalf of incumbent Democratic state Sen. Chris Marr and his Republican opponent, Michael Baumgartner, in the race to represent the 6th Legislative District.
Claim: “Mike Baumgartner wants us to think he is a veteran … So why would Mike Baumgartner mislead Spokane about his military background?”
Source: Mailer from the Washington State Democratic Central Committee.
Truthfulness: Based on most – though not all – of Baumgartner’s campaign material, the claim leans toward being false.
Analysis: The accusation that Baumgartner has tried to mislead people into believing that he is a military veteran was made on a mail piece sent this week.
But Baumgartner has been careful in debates, public appearances and most of his campaign material to qualify that his service in Iraq and Afghanistan came in the form of work on behalf of the U.S. State Department.
“My business background has been in economic development. About three years ago I took those skills to help as a civilian with the State Department in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Baumgartner said at a debate that aired earlier this month on KSPS. The statement is similar to others he’s made at other debates.
Baumgartner worked as an economics officer for the State Department in Iraq for about a year starting in spring 2007 and also for Civilian Police International, a State Department contractor, in Afghanistan on a counternarcotics program for about eight months starting in December 2008.
On at least two of his campaign mailers that give his biography, Baumgartner is clear that he worked as a “civilian economics officer at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad” and “on contract to the State Department in Afghanistan.”
However, there is a notable exception: One piece of Baumgartner literature is vague and could lead some to believe he served in the military. All that brochure says about his overseas experience is: “Service in Iraq and Afghanistan.” The statement may be misleading. But it isn’t false.
It is worth noting that a couple of state business groups have written false or misleading information related to Baumgartner’s service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Baumgartner said once he’s learned of errors listed by other sources, he’s asked for corrections.
The Democratic flier highlights a quote from state Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane, that was taken out of context; Shea responded to the ad harshly this week.
“Any time you go into a combat zone like that and put yourself in harm’s way, I think it’s significant,” said Shea, who served in the Army in Iraq. “It’s not something that anyone should belittle for political gain.”
Claim: Marr “voted with Seattle liberals 97 percent of the time.”
Source: Mailer from Baumgartner campaign.
Truthfulness: Could be true depending on how you crunch the numbers, select a time frame and define “Seattle liberal,” but do you really want to go there? Basically, it’s a statistic that means much less than you might think.
Analysis: Baumgartner, who also has accused Marr of voting with “Seattle liberals 99 percent of the time,” said the statistic was determined by comparing Marr’s voting record with a legislator from Seattle.
If we take Marr’s voting record for all the Senate’s recorded 569 votes in 2010 and compare it to the record of state Sen. Adam Kline, D-Seattle, you’ll find Marr and Kline voted the same way about 94 percent of the time.
Using that model and examining the voting record of Republican state Sen. Bob Morton, Baumgartner also could make the following allegation: “Marr voted with Kettle Falls conservatives 87 percent of the time.”
Shocked? Don’t be. Most legislative votes are routine and noncontroversial. You just wouldn’t know it in an election year.
Claim: Baumgartner “supports 69 percent increase in tuition for struggling students.”
Source: Mailer from Marr campaign.
Truthfulness: Blatantly false.
Analysis: The Marr campaign says this is true based on a form Baumgartner filled out for the Washington Alliance for a Competitive Economy in which Baumgartner said universities should have more control over the setting of tuition.
From that, the Marr campaign makes numerous assumptions to equate that position with a 69 percent tuition increase over the next four years. Basically, Marr assumes that colleges would choose to raise tuition by 14 percent each year for the next four years if given the chance.
Interestingly enough, Marr also expressed support for giving universities more control over tuition in the same survey. And perhaps more interestingly, Marr voted in 2009 to eliminate a 7 percent cap on tuition increases for four-year institutions for the 2009-’10 and 2010-’11 school years. Removal of the cap allowed tuition to rise 14 percent each of those years.
Claim: Marr “eliminated the state’s statutory debt limit.”
Source: Mailer from Baumgartner campaign.
Truthfulness: Based on truth, but there’s more to the story.
Analysis: First, as one senator, Marr can’t eliminate anything on his own, as the statement implies. More importantly, the statement misses key information. Marr did vote in 2009 to eliminate the state’s “statutory debt limit.” What the statement doesn’t say is that doing away with the statutory limit on the amount of debt the state is allowed to have left the constitutional debt limit in place. According to a nonpartisan legislative analysis of the change, the constitutional limit actually allows for less debt than the statutory limit did.
MAC faces angry crowd 
liarsinnews on October 27 at 5:39 a.m.
Chris Marr, the used car salesman, I`ll bet, thinks he is pulling one off like when he used to sell a lemon to somebody. Marr is a liar.
ZagChuck on October 27 at 7:13 a.m.
Jonathon,
It’s disappointing when you don’t give all the details in an attempt to insulate your Spokesmen endorsed candidate.
Here is the press release from Matt Shea in response to Chris Marr’s mailed lies:
Democrat Chris Marr has proven very skilled at telling half truths. One of his recent mailers featured a partial quote from me at a recent Tea Party Rally. Marr’s ad stated, “I served ten years in the Infantry. Our next speaker, Michael Baumgartner, didn’t serve in the military…” He then used this to denigrate Mike’s service overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq as an advisor to the United States Military. As a senior State Senator, to belittle and dishonor someone’s honorable service overseas in a combat zone for political gain in an election is inexcusable. I condemn Chris Marr’s actions in the strongest terms.
My actual full quote was in support of Michael Baumgartner, recognizing his courage and the risks that he took to serve our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mike risked his life, enduring many of the same dangers I did in Iraq including conditions that required wearing a bullet proof vest.
In addition to using only half my quote, Chris Marr did not seek or receive approval for its use. The ad also stated that I served in the Infantry for 10 years. This is incorrect; I served in the Army for 10 years, with approximately 5 years in the Infantry and 5 years in the Armored Cavalry.
Marr’s reckless and distorted use of information, without question, shows his inadequacy as a leader. This ad demonstrates Chris Marr’s questionable character and integrity, and is one more reason he does not belong in any political office.
Matthew T. Shea
MrNatural on October 27 at 11:28 a.m.
Why least worst…
In this era of spin, half truths and downright lies how can anyone with good conscious vote for anyone (either one) who has shown a propensity to stretch said truth(s). What moral fiber do we concede to anyone who uses slander and innuendo?
It seems that practically everyone who runs for political office is guilty and we have no choice. Looking at swift boat Carl Rove tactics for example and their success does this mean that all candidates are pressed to do the same smear lest the electorate be fooled by the true reprobate?
Politics has so terribly degenerated in the United States. It seems to only attract and reward expert sociopaths these days or it gives no option to those who wish to run on honesty and integrity
ZagChuck on October 27 at 3:02 p.m.
Mr. Natural,
When it comes to the categories of honesty, ethics, integrity, and trustworthiness, Michael Baumgartner’s cup runneth over.
I know it is rare to meet someone in politics who is honest, ethical, and trustworthy, but I can assure you, Baumgartner is the real deal.
I have also personally contacted Democrat Chris Marr, and I have seen and read the lawsuit documents against Marr and his employer. I can assure you he is neither trustworthy, nor ethical, and his integrity seems to be significantly lacking.
He may have had good intentions at one point and time, but they seem to have been replaced with a mean spirited win-at-any-cost attitude, and an egotistical frame of mind that indicates his feelings of superiority. All of these negative attributes are common among socialist elitists in leadership positions in the Democrat party.
Obama08 on October 28 at 10:05 a.m.
Why didn’t the Spokesman look into the Chris Marr sexual harassment allegation? Oh that’s right, because it’s TRUE!!
Chris Marr sexually harassed an employee but paid her off along with his party bosses to keep her silent. It only took $75,000 to make the woman lie under oath about the allegation.
Read the lawsuit for yourself -
www.marrharassment.com
Dazzeetrader11 on October 28 at 6:53 p.m.
Marr’s tried to kill the st with new taxes ( $134 million) and an expanded st Budget ( $800 million). He lies about Baumgartner because he can’t run on his record. If people knew the hidden junk he’s done, he’d likely be in jail ..instead fo trying to dfame a patriot like Mike Baumgartner.
There’s a lot more than Jon Brunt mentions. A lot more and a lot worse. Vote for Mike Baumgartner. Things will get better with smaller government, smaller union contracts and smaller pensions, limited government and a much smaller tax burden WITH reversal of bills and initiatives Marr has planned and has already voted for. He’s promised the Teachers Union 6 million for their vote.
He’s corrupt…needs to go back to the love of his life: USED CARS. He even was fired from that.