9NEWS "Truth Test" Demolishes New Musgrave Ad

by: Colorado Pols

Tue Oct 28, 2008 at 08:19:21 AM MDT

The following is a Truth Test about a commercial from Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colorado) who is running for re-election in the 4th Congressional District. (http://musgraveforcongress.org/) It attacks her opponent, Democrat Betsy Markey. (http://www.markeyforcongress.com/) The 4th Congressional District includes most of Colorado's eastern plains including Larimer, Morgan, Weld and Yuma Counties plus portions of Boulder and Otero Counties.

QUOTE: We've attached this lie detector to Betsy Markey.

TRUTH: This is false. This is not Betsy Markey in this ad. This does not represent reality. There is nothing in the ad either graphically or audibly to indicate to the viewers that this is a staged scene with an actress playing Markey.

Musgrave's campaign insists this is intended as political satire. "It's obvious," said Musgrave Campaign Manager Jason Thielman when asked why they did not graphically label this commercial as a dramatization or as satire. "We did not feel it was necessary." (Source: Phone conversation with 9NEWS, Oct. 27, 2008)

QUOTE: Did you violate Senate Ethics Rules to make millions in government contracts for your family business? No. (Graphic shows "FALSE DETECTION" on polygraph test.)

TRUTH: This is false.

This goes over ground 9NEWS has studied in earlier truth tests and there is no evidence Markey violated any Senate Ethics rules...

QUOTE: Were you told by a Senate Ethics Committee to completely separate yourself from business if you were going to seek government contracts? No. (Graphic shows "FALSE DETECTION" on polygraph test.)

TRUTH: This is false as well.

The Senate Ethics Committee ruled that as long as she kept the business separate from her job with Sen. Salazar and she didn't interact with any of the people giving out the federal contracts, she could continue on with Syscom. There is no evidence she did not keep the two separate...

QUOTE: Have you falsified information on 60 government contracts worth $2.7 million? No. (Graphic shows "FALSE DETECTION" on polygraph test.)

TRUTH: There's no evidence indicating Markey intentionally "falsified" information to gain government contracts...

QUOTE: Have you told me the truth? Yes. (Graphic shows "FALSE DETECTION" on polygraph test) Millionaire Markey. Can't be trusted.

TRUTH: This is an opinion...

Bottom line: Schrager is trying to tell his audience every genteel way he can that there's not a shred of truth in this ad. In fact, it could be the most untruthful ad of this election cycle.

For those of you hoping the extreme prevarications in this ad might lead to some kind of penalty, criminal or otherwise--don't get your hopes up. Local authorities aren't touching these claims and counterclaims, and our understanding of the law suggests candidates can get away with ad claims that independent committees would see yanked off the air.

We come back to the sagely words of Weld County DA Ken Buck, who said recently while washing his hands of the CD-4 complaint free-for-all that "the remedy is in the political process."

If what a candidate says turns out to be untrue "the candidate will lose credibility with the public," and that's their punishment, Buck said.

Whether he's right depends on the outcome next Tuesday. A poll follows.