DNC responds to RNC immigration ad

April 19, 2006

I noted earlier this week about a breathtakingly dishonest [tag]ad[/tag] the Republican National Committee is running out West accusing Dems voting to “treat millions of hardworking [tag]immigrants[/tag] as [tag]felons[/tag],” when in fact, [tag]Republicans[/tag] had done so. A number of you asked what the Dems, specifically the DNC, planned to do about this.

The Note reported today that the RNC’s ad will not go unchallenged.

The [tag]DNC[/tag] is expected to launch its meta-response (the DNC claims it planned to run these ads prior to the [tag]RNC[/tag] ad released on Monday) [tag]Spanish[/tag] language radio ad on immigration today. The ad will be heard in Albuquerque and Las Cruces, NM, Las Vegas, NV, and Phoenix and Tucson, AZ. It will also run nationally on Univision radio. The next phase of the campaign will include print ads next week in both Spanish and English and the radio ad will likely play in additional markets.

DNC spokesman Mark Paustenbach says, “Our ads will set the record straight about the Democratic Party’s fight for comprehensive [tag]immigration reform[/tag], whereas the RNC’s ads are a distortion of the Republican Party’s extreme record on [tag]immigration[/tag].”

Sounds like a good idea. I haven’t seen/heard the ads, but I expect to get the script by tomorrow. Regardless, I’m pleased to see the DNC hit back. The RNC’s ad is low, even by Mehlman standards, and there’s no way the Dems could let it stand.

Are there no laws which would hold the RNC liable for such published lies? Why won’t the ‘media’ refuse to air the RNC ads now that they are on notice of their falsity?

  • Republicans specialize in deceit, falsehoods, and outright lies but expect all citizens to believe them or be accused of being unpatriotic. How low can they go?

    Let’s restore democracy to our shores!!! Vote out the irresponsible Republicans and vote in responsible Democrats in the ’06 and ’08 elections.

  • Some of my coworkers tune to watch one of the Spanish language networks on their noon break. I overheard the anchor say something about Hispanic lawmakers (mostly Democrats) calling out the RNC on their mendacity. These guys know who elected them and will have a much easier time of getting their message out to their constituents. The RNC (hopefully!) screwed the pooch with non-Cuban Latino voters.

  • For god’s sake, I hope they’re not planning to run an ad that they were already planning before the RNC’s attack. That’s not hitting back at all. To me, the better plan is just to highlight the fact that the Republican’s plan was so embarrassing that their own national committee wants to blame the Democrats for it; and how they’re outright lying to hispanics to do that…just like they always do.

    And if they’re clever, they’d be able to include in there how the RNC is only doing this in Spanish language ads, because they know that many Republicans actually support this law, and how a vote for Republicans is to a vote for lying racists. (though they should put it better than that). That’s hitting back. Otherwise, we’re just in a bidding war to determine which party gets the blame.

  • It’s been a while since I’ve had a class on libel law, but if the ads are factually inaccurate, can’t those who created it be held responsible in some way? It fits all the standard criteria.

    Or are political ads exempt in some way?

    I know it’s a bit of a stretch, but just thought I’d toss it out there …

  • Democratic cojones … I like it! Bubba’s got a point. Isn’t the RNC guilty of libel (or by using the media, is it slander?)

  • From Factcheck:

    The RNC mischaracterizes the Democratic stance on immigration legislation in a radio ad running in Arizona and Nevada and aimed at Hispanics. The Spanish-language ad says (as translated) that Democrats “voted to treat millions of hardworking immigrants as felons.”

    In fact, it was a Republican-sponsored House bill, passed in December with a heavy Republican majority, that would make it a felony either to enter the US without official permission, or to overstay a visa. Under the House bill an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants could face penalties of up to a year and a day in prison.

    That’s not “mischaracterization,” it’s boldfaced, outright LYING.

  • I heard a repug on TV last night repeat this lie. I can’t remember who it was but he stated that 192 dems voted to make immigrants felons!
    lying bastards. He knows that they voted against the amendment because they don’t want it criminalized at all.

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