[center:2sri55j4]Answering Bennet's Lies: The Ken Buck Truth Test[/center:2sri55j4]
Please read the following responses to the various misleading ads and attacks lobbed by a desperate, dishonest campaign:
GENERAL COMMENTARY ON THE BENNET LIE MACHINE Chuck Plunkett from the Denver Post on the Bennet Smear Ads
http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/201 ... ads/15780/
"Unfairly misleading."
"Sleazy."
"Out-of-context and unfair."Bennet is waging "a scorched-earth campaign against Buck, despite many truth-tests and fact-checks finding the ads wanting."
"It is brazenly insulting to voters to act is if we?re too stupid to check out the facts for ourselves."
"If you have to rely on distortions and falsehoods to make your argument, how can you expect anyone to trust you?"
Dan Haley, editorial board chair of the Denver Post, on Bennet Smear Ad
http://www.denverpost.com/haley/ci_16158179
Bennet is "spending thousands of dollars engaging in the political games he despises and is mostly avoiding the issues."
"Frankly, the ads are insulting."
ON THE ISSUES
LIE: "Ken wants to levy a 23% tax on all goods and services"
The TRUTH: Ken has never advocated for a 23% tax increase on anything. Ken is the only candidate who has taken a pledge not to increase taxes. This attack is even more outrageous given that Michael Bennet has supported raising taxes
24 times in his brief appointed term, and has refused to give straight answers about a permanent extension of the soon to expire 2001 tax cuts, which will cost Colorado families millions.
The news media responded to a commercial on this topic saying:
Vincent Carroll, Denver Post: "so implausible."
http://www.denverpost.com/carroll/ci_16261716
ABC 7: "misleading."
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/politic ... etail.html
LIE: "Ken Buck wants to eliminate the Federal Department of Education"
The TRUTH: Ken recognizes the importance of local control, and having parents and teachers involved in educational decisions over bureaucrats in Washington D.C. As a nation we need to evaluate the successes and failures and eliminate efforts that are duplicative of what the States are doing.
The news media responded to a commercial on this topic saying:
Adam Schrager/9News: Bennet's ad "clearly takes him [Buck] out of context."
http://www.9news.com/news/politics_govt ... &catid=166
CBS 4: "misleading."
http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=
ABC 7: "misleading."
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/politic ... etail.html
LIE: "Ken Buck will cut or reduce Social Security payments to seniors"
The TRUTH: Ken believes Social Security is a sacred promise made to our nations seniors. He will never reduce the payments allotted for existing retirees and will fight to make the system solvent. For more information, please visit the social security issues page.
http://buckforcolorado.com/social-security
The news media responded to a commercial on this topic saying:
Adam Schrager/9News:
http://www.9news.com/news/politics_govt ... &catid=166
"Dramatically out of context," and "not supported by the video in question nor by any other evidence."
CBS 4: "misleading" and "out of context."
http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=
ABC 7: "misleading."
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/politic ... etail.html
LIE: "Ken wants to do away with Student Loans"
The TRUTH: Ken is a strong advocate for federally guaranteed student loans, his opposition is to the government take over of ALL federally guaranteed student loans perpetrated under President Obama. Ken favors a comprehensive approach that includes private banks which have often offered more favorable rates to students then the government.
The news media responded to a commercial on this topic saying:
Adam Schrager/9News: "false."
http://www.9news.com/news/politics_govt ... &catid=166
ABC 7: "false," "Buck has never said he wants to end student loans."
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/politic ... etail.html
LIE: "Ken Buck wants to ban birth Control"
This is a patent falsehood. Ken Buck has never said on any occasion that he wants to ban common forms of birth control.
DECISIONS AS DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Ken is currently being attacked by leftwing friends of Michael Bennet for ihs decision against prosecuting a controversial case that could not be won in the view of both the Weld and Boulder county D.A.'s office.
This attack is nothing more then exploitation of a tragic situation for political gain. Below is an editorial from the Colorado Springs Gazette that properly identifies what this kind of politics and character assassination amounts to: Group Exploits Rape Victim to Smear Buck - Colorado Springs Gazette Desperation has led ProgressNow Colorado to track down and exploit a woman who reported a date rape five years ago. ProgressNow is using the case in a disgusting effort to portray Republican candidate Ken Buck, the Weld County district attorney, as a monstrous misogynist who approves of rape. It may be the lowest point in a political season that's known for its sleazy, deceptive, negative campaigns. At issue is a woman who sought charges against her former boyfriend, claiming hey had sex against her will. If her claim can be proved, the perpetrator belongs in prison. Nonconsensual sex is rape. While it's easy for activists to announce righteous revulsion and opposition to rape, it's quite difficult for a prosecutor to convict a defendant of rape, let alone date rape. Here's what The New Harvard Guide to Women's Health” says of rape convictions: “Only half of all alleged rapists are ever arrested. Of these arrests, only 3 in 5 result in prosecution, and only half of the cases that are prosecuted are strong enough to be brought to trial. In the end, fewer than 1 in 6 of the cases that do go to trial result in conviction.” The book explains that most trials involve hostile defense tactics that hurt victims with accusations of seduction. Date rape convictions are especially unlikely. Typical cases consist of “he said” v. “she said” and not much more. The defendant has the advantage of a presumption of innocence; the victim is burdened with providing proof. Throw alcohol into the equation, and conviction becomes even more far-fetched. Add a hint of seduction by the victim, such as partial nudity before going to bed with a defendant, and conviction becomes almost impossible. Even jurors who want to convict cannot do so lawfully without proof beyond reasonable doubt. That's what Buck faced when he explained to the victim why he could not pursue conviction. He explained with compassion that a jury would not convict because of information the defense would use. He said a jury might interpret her complaint as “buyer's remorse,” a statement misrepresented by opponents to make it sound as if Buck questioned her motives. Buck advised her of other legal remedies but warned that they may lead to hurtful defense attacks. To be certain he was making the right call, Buck asked the office of then-Boulder District Attorney Mary Lacy, arguably the state's most aggressive sex crimes prosecutor at the time, to review the case. Lacy's prosecutors concurred with Buck. Does Buck lack compassion for victims? Hardly. He is the first prosecutor in the country to achieve a hate crime conviction involving a transgender victim. He has an impressive list of high-profile rape and date-rape convictions. His department's relentless prosecution of rapist Brandon Bradshaw resulted in a 192-year sentence.
But facts mean nothing in games of cheap political smack. ProgressNow activists know that most voters abhor rape and know little about the law, so they're exploiting this victim's trauma in order to defame a candidate they don't like.
They know some voters may confuse Buck's decision with approval of rape. It's an act of idiotic political malice.
-Wayne Laugesen, editorial page editor, for the editorial board