July 25, 2010 05:07 PM UTC

FactCheck.org Takes On Bennet/Romanoff Claims on PACS

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• by: peacemonger

“You can have your own opinions, but not your own facts” is the trendy political quote of the year, it seems. Romanoff’s biggest message in the campaign against Bennet is the accusation that Bennet can be “bought” and has been bought, by special interests. Bennet sat back and took the line for six months, not fighting back at all, but using as his message, “I’ve done a lot of good things in my year in the Senate and I want to do more.”

Bennet finally threw back the mud on 7/20 with his own ad, educating voters that Andrew Romanoff was not above taking money from PACS for nearly a decade –including having his own PAC that was closed four months after he started campaigning for US Senate.  

Romanoff bloggers went berzerk, claiming it was not true.  

Yesterday, FactCheck.org, a neutral third party, examined the claims and checked their factual validity.   http://factcheck.org/2010/07/c…

Turns out Romanoff’s claim Bennet took PAC money was correct (Bennet never denied it). Turns out Romanoff’s claims Bennet sided with big corporations he took money from is a lot of hot air.

Bennet’s claims that Romanoff took PAC money?  FACT. Bennet’s claims Romanoff had his own PAC and didn’t shut it down until 2010.  Also FACT.  Bennet did not volunteer that Romanoff’s PAC was eventually closed during 2010, but he never claimed that it wasn’t. (No distortion there.)

In fairness to Andrew Romanoff, the records show Andrew took money from large corporations, including oil companies, and turned around to give it it to his friend’s Democratic campaigns in CO. Smart. Personally, I think that’s awesome. Sounds like something out of a Republican playbook.  

The problem is, Romanoff was doing exactly what he accuses Bennet of doing — taking money from big corporations and using it for the greater good, without being beholden to their votes. (Who was it that said, in regard to political enemies, “Smoke their cigars, drink their brandy and sleep with their women”? Was that Churchill?)

It’s time voters knew the truth about Romanoff’s insinuations against Michael Bennet. Check the facts. Click on the links. Read the reports. It’s all in there. (Thank you, FactCheck.org)

“You can have your own opinions, folks, but you can’t have your own facts.”