By M. Scott Carter
The Norman Transcript
October 22, 2008 03:27 am
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A new political group — which calls itself the 2020 Action Fund — will launch a statewide televison advertising campaign targeted against US Senator Jim Inhofe, The Transcript has learned.
The ad — a copy of which was obtained The Transcript — uses old-style, black and white footage of one man repeatedly kicking another who tries to crawl away.
In between each kick, the ad flashes images of Inhofe’s vote on various legislation including energy, a small business stimulus package, and a minimum wage proposal.
A voice-over urges Oklahomans to “kick back” on election day by voting against Inhofe.
An official with the group confirmed the group had funded and produced the ad and said it would be shown in Oklahoma beginning today.
“Yes, we did the ad,” said Brooke Coleman, the group’s spokesman. “This is more or less our second campaign and we’re trying to bring clarity to Sen. Inhofe’s record.”
Coleman also confirmed the ad would be shown statewide.
“We have scheduled a seven- to 10-day run and this (purchase) could very well be in the six figures before it’s over,” he said.
Coleman said the group wanted to use the ad to “shine the light on politicians who repeatedly sell out main street America to serve the interests of multi-billion dollar, multinational corporations. This is why our economy is suffering. This is why U.S. jobs are being exported overseas. And James Inhofe is at the top of the list of small-minded politicians who put their career ahead of the people who elect them.”
In addition to the ad, Coleman said the 2020 Action Fund had developed a Web site — InhofeTruth.org — which provides more information about Inhofe’s record.
The ad caught the campaigns of both Inhofe and his opponent, Andrew Rice, by surprise.
“This is the first we’ve heard about it,” said Rice for Senate campaign spokesman Tres Savage.
But Savage said said the commercial “raises the same questions” that other Oklahomans have been asking. He said Rice “wasn’t focused on advertising” but was out on his Working for Mainstreet tour to speak with Oklahomans.
Inhofe’s campaign said the add represented “gutter style politics.”
“This is now the second out-of-state political attack committee that has come in for Andrew Rice to try to bolster his failing campaign,” Inhofe campaign spokesman Josh Kivett said. “This outrageous ad by a far left Massachusetts-based group is nothing more than a coordinated attack by Andrew Rice and his supporters against Jim Inhofe. For Andrew Rice, the “October surprise” he so desperately needs is nothing more than the gutter-style politics he hypocritically decries.”
M. Scott Carter366-3545scarter@normantranscript.com
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