Mudslinging and attack ads in the sunshine state

We all know about attack ads. In fact, in an election cycle a certain amount of misleading mudslinging is expected.  But in Florida, at least, some candidates are fighting back.

Back when the recent health care bill was passed Republicans saw a chance to label the Democrats as anti-Medicare.  How?  Well, while the bill actually increases Medicare spending from $560 billion this year to $1.04 trillion in ten years, the health care bill does assume that during that time the program will result in savings of about $500 billion- mostly through increased efficiency.

But rather than explaining all of this, Republicans are just labeling the savings as cuts and telling the public that the Democrats are cutting Medicare by $500 billion.  And they’re using those numbers in a recent set of attack ads.

Not everyone is content to simply get angry at the misinformation, however.  Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat, has embarked upon a quest to get those ads off the air.  In a letter written by his attorney, former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey, he explains that these letters are blatantly untrue.

And stations have “a duty to protect the public from the spread of false information and deliberate deception,” writes Coffey.

Not that such letters will have made much a difference so far.  Several stations have rejected the letter from Coffey and will continue showing the messages.  But it’s nice to have someone who is willing to fight back.