Richmond, VA - Politifact Virginia has added another to the growing list of Crossroads criticisms and fact checks, calling their latest claim that Tim Kaine urged $500 billion in Medicare cuts an "old, discredited charge” and "recycled." See below for Politifact’s takedown of one of the ad’s central claims.
After flooding Virginia’s airwaves with millions of dollars in attack ads that newspapers, editorial boards, and independent fact-checkers across the state have called "erroneous" and filled with "demonstrable falsehoods and distortions," Karl Rove rode back into Virginia last week to try again to bailout the campaign of one of his more loyal Bush-era foot soldiers, George Allen. Unfortunately, Rove’s most recent attack ad was quickly labeled “creatively edited,” “false,” and “partisan.”
Tim Kaine twice offered George Allen opportunities to reach an agreement limiting the influence of these outside groups on this Senate race and George Allen twice declined, opting instead to bolster his re-election campaign with false, negative advertising.
Politifact - False: American Crossroads says Tim Kaine urged $500 billion in Medicare cuts
American Crossroads GPS, a conservative advocacy group, has a new TV ad attacking Democratic Senate candidate Tim Kaine that airs an old, discredited charge...PolitiFact is familiar with the $500 billion claim because it has come up over the last two years as a Republican talking point in a number of competitive races across the country.
...
[H]ere’s the key fact: the health care law, according to Kaiser, does not cut $500 billion from current Medicare spending. Rather, the law will slow the program's future growth.
Medicare spending will still increase. The CBO projects Medicare spending will reach $929 billion in 2020, up from $499 billion in actual spending in 2009.
....
American Crossroads says Kaine promoted a $500 billion cut to Medicare...We rate American Crossroad’s statement False.
Read the full write up here.
###