Ads slamming Hooley duck details of votes
The ads: Several mailings by the Economic Freedom Fund claim U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley voted against legislation to properly equip U.S. troops and crack down on terrorists...The truth: Hooley is endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars political action committee and has worked to make sure U.S. combat troops are adequately equipped and that military veterans receive proper care....The California-based Economic Freedom Fund, which paid for the mailings, is financed by Texas millionaire homebuilder Bob Perry, a political ally of President Bush. The organization targeted Democratic Congressional candidates in Georgia, Iowa and West Virginia with similar fliers.
The Oregonian - Ad Watch
Congress, 5th District
Ads slamming Hooley duck details of votes
Monday, October 30, 2006
The ads: Several mailings by the Economic Freedom Fund claim U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley voted against legislation to properly equip U.S. troops and crack down on terrorists. The mailings also claim Hooley supported wasteful spending. Hooley, a Democrat, is running for a sixth term. She is opposed by Republic Mike Erickson.
The accusations: The fliers state that Hooley "voted to weaken our security" by cutting money for air travel security and opposing funding for "anti-terrorist equipment along our border." One flier says Hooley voted against a pay raise for military personnel and a bill that allowed the Defense Department to "quickly acquire" the military equipment needed during combat emergencies. Another said she voted for pork barrel projects, including money for a Connecticut aquarium.
Key images: A mushroom cloud, foreign protesters burning a U.S. flag, U.S. troops in combat gear, a stockpile of bombs.
The context: Republicans are in danger of losing their 15-seat majority in the House of Representatives, and competitive races are drawing national attention.
The truth: Hooley is endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars political action committee and has worked to make sure U.S. combat troops are adequately equipped and that military veterans receive proper care. Hooley voted against a military equipment bill in 2004 because, she said, it allowed the Department of Defense authority to distribute gear that might be ineffective or had not been properly tested.
The military pay raise was part of a 1999 Defense Department appropriations bill Hooley opposed because it increased funding for the V-22 Osprey, an aircraft that was considered unsafe.
In May, Hooley voted to shift $10.3 million from the Transportation Security Administration Aviation Security account, which pays for airport passenger screening, and spend the money to improve communication among first responders to emergencies, a recommendation of the 9/11 Commission that had not been addressed.
This year, Hooley voted for a 700-mile-long Mexican border fence. She opposed a five-mile border fence in California last year because of a provision that waived environmental, labor and contract laws on the project.
In June, Hooley opposed a $1 million cut in funding for the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration in New London, Conn. The money was related to national defense and would have paid for undersea exploration and naval research.
The California-based Economic Freedom Fund, which paid for the mailings, is financed by Texas millionaire homebuilder Bob Perry, a political ally of President Bush. The organization targeted Democratic Congressional candidates in Georgia, Iowa and West Virginia with similar fliers.
The Economic Freedom Fund is best known for backing the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads, which ran ads in 2004 attacking John Kerry's military record.
-- Steve Mayes
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