The 2018 election is still months away, but attacks ads are already popping up on television and social media. It can get nasty, and they can make a lot of claims within 30 seconds, so it's hard to sort out what to believe. That's why KREM 2 is setting out to verify the claims in political attack ads that run on our air this election cycle.
The first ad is paid for by Idaho First PAC, and attacks Idaho gubernatorial candidates Bill Little and Raul Labrador. To verify, we turned to articles cited in the ad from the Spokesman Review, the Idaho Statesman, and the Idaho Falls Post Register. We also referenced an interview with Boise State Public Radio.
The first thing to notice with the ad is that the articles cited are not very recent. They date back to April 2003, and the most recent one is from 2015. Some of the ads are so dated they have been archived by the publications. To be sure, this doesn't make the claims true or false; but, it is important to keep in mind as you watch the ad.
This attack ad, like most, pepper specific claims in between many subjective ones--like calling Little and Labrador "long time politicians with the same bad judgment"--which can't be fact checked as true or false. For our purposes, we're going to hone in on specific, falsifiable claims and see what holds up.
Claim: "Little has repeatedly supported higher taxes: higher sales tax, higher gas tax, even an internet sales tax."
These claims are technically true, but more context here is helpful. It is true that Little introduced and voted for a tax on internet sales back in 2007, according to an archived article from the Idaho Falls Post Register. And, he chaired a task force in 2010 that called for a higher gas tax, arguing that Idaho roads needed the funds. However, the Spokesman Review article cited by the ad notes that the task force didn't announce any specific increases, or even a timeline for them. And again, it's important to remember that the articles cited here range from 2003 to 2010.
Claim: "Labrador even voted no on millions for Idaho schools and roads."
Again, this claim needs more context. Labrador did vote against a bill that included funding for rural schools in Idaho, but it was added as part of a larger Medicare bill that he did not support. Labrador said in an interview with Boise State Public Radio at the time that he would have supported the funds as a standalone bill.
"If it wouldn't have passed, it would have passed as a standalone bill," Labrador said. "There was never any danger of this legislation not passing."
We won't be able to catch everything this election cycle, so if you see politicians or PACs making claims you want verified, reach out to us here on KREM.com or on our social media pages.
The 2018 election is still months away, but attacks ads are already popping up on television and social media. It can get nasty, and they can make a lot of claims within 30 seconds, so it's hard to sort out what to believe. That's why KREM 2 is setting out to verify the claims in political attack ads that run on our air this election cycle.
The first ad is paid for by Idaho First PAC, and attacks Idaho gubernatorial candidates Bill Little and Raul Labrador. To verify, we turned to articles cited in the ad from the Spokesman Review, the Idaho Statesman, and the Idaho Falls Post Register. We also referenced an interview with Boise State Public Radio.
The first thing to notice with the ad is that the articles cited are not very recent. They date back to April 2003, and the most recent one is from 2015. Some of the ads are so dated they have been archived by the publications. To be sure, this doesn't make the claims true or false; but, it is important to keep in mind as you watch the ad.
This attack ad, like most, pepper specific claims in between many subjective ones--like calling Little and Labrador "long time politicians with the same bad judgment"--which can't be fact checked as true or false. For our purposes, we're going to hone in on specific, falsifiable claims and see what holds up.
We won't be able to catch everything this election cycle, so if you see politicians or PACs making claims you want verified, reach out to us here on KREM.com or on our social media pages.