Liberal Lobbyist Jason Altmire and His Attack Ads

http://www.peoplewithhart.com ^

[truthfinder9]

Lobbyist Jason Altmire and His Attack Ads

I'm sure many of you have seen Jason Altmire's ads distorting Congresswoman Melissa Hart's record on various hot button issues and claiming that Melissa votes with President Bush and Senator Santorum 98% of the time. As you know, the truth is that Melissa Hart votes 100% of the time with her district. KDKA's Jon Delano debunked Altmire's ads yesterday in an interview with Jon yesterday, and he pointed out one of the many lies in Altmire's attack ads.

Here's my response to Altmire's deceptive attack ads:

Lobbyist Jason Altmire continued his negative campaign today when he attacked Congresswoman Melissa Hart in an inaccurate television ad.

"It's no surprise that Altmire tells downright lies in his attack ad - he won't even be honest about what he did for a living," said Hart campaign manager, Luke Myslinski, noting Altmire even refuses to identify himself as a former lobbyist. "If he can't be honest about that, why should we believe a word he says?" Altmire's sleazy, negative attack ignores the reality that Melissa Hart has been a strong and independent leader in Congress:

* Hart supported an amendment and worked to pass legislation that regulates natural gas trading to ensure that Wall Street does not benefit at the expense of those paying to heat their homes and manufacturers running their plants.

* Hart voted against the Republican leadership on a veterans funding bill that would have under-funded veterans benefit programs. (H.R. 2861, Roll Call 456, 7/25/03) Altmire claims that Hart voted to cut veteran's benefits, but, again, the facts do not reflect his outrageous attack:

* In 2001, when Hart came to Congress, spending per veteran was about $1,700. Today, due to the steadfast support of Hart and others, spending is $2,934 per veteran.

* In 2001, when Hart came to Congress, total funding for veterans medical benefits was around $20 billion. Today, thanks to Hart's commitment to taking care of our veterans, funding for Veterans medical benefits is at $31 billion.

* Melissa Hart voted against the Republican leadership on a veterans funding bill that would have under-funded veteran's benefit programs. (H.R. 2861, Roll Call 456, 7/25/03) Altmire's charge that Hart voted to cut funding for student loans also do not stand up under scrutiny, as Melissa Hart has been a leading advocate of policies that help students and families pay for college.

* Hart sponsored H.R. 2386, the College 529 Invest in Education Savings for Tomorrow Act of 2005. This bipartisan bill (128 bipartisan co-sponsors) makes permanent preferential tax treatment when saving for college and allows more family members to contribute to these plans.

* Since her election to Congress, Hart has consistently supported increases in funding for Pell Grants. In 2001, when Hart came to Congress, the average Pell Grant was $2,298. Today, thanks to Hart's commitment to higher education, the average grant is $2,486.

* In 1994, the maximum Pell Grant award was $2500 per student. The projected maximum for 2007 is $4,050.

* Total Pell Grant funding in 2000 was $7.6 billion; this year, total funding is $17.3 billion.

"Liberal lobbyist Jason Altmire has yet to tell the truth in his campaign, and this is just more of the same. The people of the Fourth District deserve more than lies and negativity, and that seems to be all that Altmire can say," said Myslinski. "While Congresswoman Hart spends her time talking to the people of southwestern Pennsylvania about the issues that affect their lives, Jason Altmire consists of little more than touting suspect polls and tearing down everything she has accomplished."

[wafflehouse]

this seems to be a common theme.. here in missouri there is a commercial that says the same thing about Jim Talent (R), that he 'rubber stamps' whatever the president says..
im not sure that the president is unpopular enough for this strategy to be effective.

[ILikeFriedman]

I'm in Hart's district. She is a good person, and a good representative of her constituents. She should be sailing to an easy win, but she is only up by 4 points. I think she'll win as long as we get out and vote.

[mak5]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette predictably endorsed Altmire today because Hart is a Republican...that's basically it.

"We also find Mr. Altmire more convincing on his support for a higher minimum wage and for ending tax cuts to the wealthy, particularly at a time of war and growing national debt. With guns and abortion largely neutralized as issues in this race because of common ground between two socially conservative candidates, the contest is for many a referendum on the performance of the Bush administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. Rep. Hart is the smiley face on some unsmiling policies -- and none more so than the growing disaster in Iraq.

Melissa Hart is the good soldier who doesn't depart from President Bush's marching orders. She is glad that the administration is talking about a change in tactics, but gives no hint that Iraq was a mistake or a miscalculation. The job must be finished, she says, or else calamity will ensue.

Mr. Altmire is for taking the president at his word and getting out, now that the Iraqis have an elected government and training from the U.S. military. He may be too glib about leaving; Ms. Hart is too unrealistic about staying.

The problem for Ms. Hart is that she must shoulder the failures of the GOP. As a member of the ethics committee she may be upright herself, but her party has ruled a swamp. She and her colleagues blindly follow a president who is out of new ideas and who stands over an administration lacking basic competency."