A reader in Portland, Ore., alerted us to a new American Action Network ad that accuses freshman Democratic Rep. Kurt Schrader of stripping the shirts off the backs of his constituents with votes that expanded government spending.
The 30-second ad is part of the pre-election spending spree by the tax-exempt political group led by former Sen. Norm Coleman.
Over a light piano tune, a male narrator asks, “How can you tell the taxpayers in Congressman Kurt Schrader’s district?” As shirtless and pant-less employees are shown doing daily office tasks amid other fully dressed colleagues, the narrator says Schrader “spent the shirts off our backs.”
Schrader’s voting record took “money from our pockets to put in Washington’s pockets,” the narrator adds. An actor wearing only boxers, a hairy chest, and a sad expression laments, “I don’t have any pockets.”
The ad ends by urging voters to phone Schrader and asking him to support a Republican-backed proposal to cut all non-security federal spending by five percent. Similar ads are running in at least three other Congressional districts attacking Democrats Tom Perriello of Virginia, Steve Kagen of Wisconsin, and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico.
American Action Network said it spent $350,000 to produce and air the ad, according to disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Neither the American Action Network nor the Schrader for Congress campaign responded to a request for comment. Schrader’s campaign website criticizes “too much special interest influence in our elections,” pointing out his support of the DISCLOSE Act (a bill that would have enhanced disclosure of the sources of money used for independent expenditure ads) and a constitutional amendment to regulate campaign finance.
Ad Title: Oregon-5
Cost: $350,000
Paid for By: American Action Network
Disclaimer: Paid for by American Action Network. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. The American Action Network is responsible for the content of this advertising. americanactionnetwork.org