I’d like to know why Republican U.S. Senate candidate Terrence Wall has an aversion for telling the truth.
In the first TV ad of his burgeoning U.S. Senate campaign, Wall demonstrated he’s perfectly content slinging mud and telling lies in order to further his own ambitions, as his TV ad has been thoroughly debunked by the Associated Press as being “misleading.” This first television ad by the Wall campaign says a lot not only about the kind of scorched earth campaign Terrence Wall and his handlers plan on running, but it also speaks volumes about Terrence Wall the candidate. After all, while I don’t presume to be an expert on all things related to political campaigns, it strikes me as more than a bit odd Terrence Wall chose to air a misleading attack ad as the first television ad of his U.S. Senate campaign, as opposed to running an ad that allowed the voters of Wisconsin – Wall’s potential constituents – to get to know more about Terrence Wall as a candidate.
The attack ad aired by Terrence Wall makes two main claims, both of which happen to be false. The first claim the ad makes is that Sen. Feingold voted in favor of a government takeover of health care, and while Sen. Feingold did vote in favor of the Senate version of the Democratic health care reform bill, neither that bill nor the House version of the bill advocates a government takeover of health care. While the House version of health care reform included the so-called public option, which would give consumers the option of buying health insurance coverage provided by the government, thus providing competition to private health insurance companies in the hope of driving down costs to consumers. The public option is just that – an option – and hardly constitutes a “government takeover” of health care.
The ad also claims Sen. Feingold “isn’t listening” to voters in Wisconsin, a claim that’s beyond bizarre. When Sen. Feingold first ran for the U.S. Senate in 1992, he promised he would hold annual listening sessions in all 72 Wisconsin counties. As I write this, Sen. Feingold has kept the promise, visiting every county in Wisconsin every year he’s been in office, for a total of over 1,200 listening sessions. In contrast to Sen. Feingold’s policy of making himself available to his constituents and listening to their concerns and feedback, Terrence Wall has demonstrated during his brief U.S. Senate campaign exactly what kind of U.S. Senator he’d be if elected. Not only did Wall promise special access to his campaign to donors who gave the maximum of $4,800 to his campaign via his “Senator’s Club,” he also kicked off his U.S. Senate campaign with a series of announcement events that were closed to the public.
The fact that Terrence Wall chose to kick off his campaign’s TV advertising with a misleading attack ad speaks volumes about the kind of campaign Terrence Wall plans on running, and it also speaks volumes about the kind of candidate Terrence Wall wants to be.
Emily Mills and Pretty Important Politics have their own takes on Terrence Wall, both of which are worth checking out.
“Listen to me, the face talking on the TV screen. Everything I say is true. Do not believe what you read, or see anywhere else. They are all lying. These so called “facts” are merely smoke screens that hide the real truth, which only I know.”
Snake oil salesmen.
Preachers.
Politicians.
They all do this. And yes, politicians from both parties. But it’s the Republicans who have really taken it to the extreme. Once upon a time these claims would at least maintain a filiment of the truth. Now, these lies are cut from whole cloth. And as long as there is a demographic that’s willing to suspend disbelief completely, they will be successful.
Dude Feingold is holding listening sessions, he is CLEARLY not listening to what the people are telling him.
Large majorities speak out against Obamacare yet he claims a majori8ty are in favor it?
The better question is why do you lie about Terrence Wall?
You bitch about this tax record? For what? Having paid every dollar he owed? For taking risk and creating jobs?
I can see why someone like that bothers you.
Fred, what have a lied about in regards to Terrence Wall?
I’d love to hear you answer that.
Your tax loophole bit for one.
Wall has paid ever dollar of taxes he owes.
If you don’t like the laws advocate that they be changed. You, more than anyone else, are trying to make it seem like he is not paying his share of taxes. The man has paid every dollar he has owed. Has he taken advantage of legal incentives? Yes, but to create jobs, to expand the economy.
You are just another government paid hack who hates people who take risks and create jobs in the private sector.
Hi Fred…thanks for visiting!
I haven’t lied about Terrence Wall; he’s capitalized on what I’d categorize as tax loopholes in order to avoid paying taxes. Perfectly legal, but surely not something that will endear him to middle class voters here in Wisconsin. As to your comment that I’m a government paid hack who hates entrepreneurs, I’ll just note that I don’t hate entrepreneurs; in fact, I recognize that entrepreneurs are an integral part of a healthy economy, both locally and on the state and national level.
Oh, and here’s a word of advice: if you’re going to come here to call folks names and spew your vitriol, then don’t bother visiting. Over here, we like real debate based on logic and facts, not what passes for “Real Debate” based on talking points and personal attacks, as is the case over at your little slice of the intertubes.
Oooh, nice strawman there, Fred. Take you long to conjure it up?
Fred’s fond of throwing stones, despite the fact that he lives in a glass mansion.