Liberal gotchas like this one might hold more credibility if they were accompanied by a little consistency. Citing a CBS-4 Denver report, a diarist on the Dead Guvs’ site highlights the following critique of one part of a Republican ad against Boulder liberal Mark Udall:
He didn’t vote to raise taxes, he voted against a tax cut passed by a Republican Congress and vetoed by President Clinton. While critics say Udall’s vote had the same effect as supporting higher taxes, the fact remains, Udall voted to maintain the status quo, which is not the same as voting for a tax hike.
“He didn’t vote to raise taxes, he voted against a tax cut….” When was the last time you saw a liberal attacking a conservative lawmaker with the allegation of cutting spending on Government Program X when all he or she did was vote against a large budget increase? It’s an even steeper stretch in logic than the one in the ad against Udall.
I know, it once was so common you hardly thought about it. Of course, with many Capitol Hill “conservatives” losing all sense of fiscal responsibility in recent years, there haven’t been as many such instances to highlight. But the point of the liberal double standard still stands.
I look forward to CBS-4 Denver’s debunking of liberal campaign ads that make such spurious accusations.
Of course, even the Dead Guv diarist had to concede that there were other instances where Udall actually has voted to raise taxes. There is no denying that Colorado taxpayers carry a heavier federal burden today in part because of Udall’s votes in Congress.
Sounds like a great slogan idea … Mark Udall for Colorado: he’ll tax ’em all.
The ad may have been less than careful in making a legitimate point about the Boulder liberal’s voting record. But the ad’s liberal critics should take care to check the mirror first.
Cross posted at Schaffer v Udall
km says
I emailed the reporter about this segment. He did reply, so that’s a good thing. He said the RSCC was spinning and that he calls ’em as he sees ’em. This was my response: