Williams Calls Labor Ads On Medicare ‘Misleading’
Even though the commercials are designed to help him, Idaho Democratic congressional candidate Dan Williams says he is troubled by special interest groups’ television ads that may mislead voters.
Williams says the independent ad campaigns may give voters the wrong impression about his campaign because they suggest that Republican incumbent Rep. Helen Chenoweth will cut Medicare and he won’t.
“I’m also concerned that all the independents (commercials) are raising such a din that it’s impossible to get real information out about what I think and where Helen and I really disagree.”
Commercials paid for by the AFL-CIO have been running for months and accuse Chenoweth and other Republicans of voting to cut Medicare.
They also accuse House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., of trying to make Medicare “wither on the vine.”
More than 20 television stations in 10 states have refused to run similar commercials, and critics have branded the ads “Mediscare.” Three Boise stations have aired them.
Williams said both candidates plan to curtail the growth of the medical entitlement program, a point the commercials omit.
“I think to the extent they imply that the choice is between cutting Medicare on the Republican side and doing nothing on the Democratic side, that’s misleading,” he said.
Chenoweth spokesman Khris Bershers said Williams should distance himself from false advertising. “The truth is Republicans have never voted to cut Medicare.”
But Williams said Chenoweth’s Medicare reduction plan is more severe than his proposal. And he accused Chenoweth of trying to use Medicare savings to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.
President Clinton has advocated raising Medicare spending from $5,200 per beneficiary this year to $7,200 in the year 2002.
Chenoweth wants to spend $7,000 per beneficiary. But critics say $7,000 isn’t enough to keep up with inflation in the health care industry and an increasingly elderly population.
Chenoweth says the AFL-CIO allegations that she wants to cut Medicare are a “flat-out lie.”
National Republican Congressional Committee officials say Williams should have spoken out earlier. “What took him so long to distance himself from lies, smears and distortions?” Craig Veith, communications director of the GOP committee, asked.
Williams said he hasn’t spoken to the AFL-CIO about the ads. Under federal election law, he can’t help it plan its anti-Chenoweth commercials. But “I can tell you, if I were having input, they wouldn’t look the same way they do,” he said.
Idaho AFL-CIO President Randy Ambuehl said national union leaders had masterminded the commercials. “We’re not responsible for the content, production or anything else,” he said.